The Raven's Source

Chapter 30 - Death of a Raven

"Where is Sheja?" Twyn asked, standing behind Cerno.

"Gone."

"What do you mean, gone?" Cerno asked, danger in his voice.

"As in not here," she growled and her form started to shift back to her normal self. She noticed she was on her own now, that her master had slipped away. She was caught.

"Where is my sister?!" he yelled, instantly losing his calm.

Salashai flinched but refused to answer him.

"You should have begged Death to keep you dead because I will make sure you die slowly if I find you've hurt my sister. Take her!" Cerno demanded.

"Who are you kidding, Angevin! You already know," she growled as the two guards restrained her. "You feel it! You feel the severance! You. Already. Know!" Salashai started laughing as she spat the words like poison.

Twyn looked like he was about to jump past Cerno and attack the girl himself.

"Announce the Gala is over, clear the hall," Cerno demanded as the girl was dragged away. He grabbed at his chest again, stumbling into the railing as the façade he had put up fell, "And find Sheja."

"Sit down, I'm going to go get help for you too," Twyn said.

A few moments passed and instead of one of his guards, a voice he didn't want to hear right now met his ears.

"Cerno?" Leena asked, looking concerned as she walked up to him. Rose was across the hall trying to catch up.

Cerno looked up at Leena then at Twyn behind her. Twyn shook his head.

"What's going on?"

Cerno lowered his hand to his lap, trying once again to steady his pain. "I fell," he lied.

"I doubt you called off the Gala early because you fell. You're a horrible liar."

"How do you know it was just called off?" Twyn asked.

"What do you mean it was just called it off? The pact Shej made me make lifted about 15 minutes ago. The pact was only for during the Gala."

"I called it off because Sheja is missing," Cerno admitted flatly, leaving out the other details. "Please take her home, Twyn. We'll keep searching."

"Wait. No, stop. Let me go, Twyn," she growled, pulling her arm away from her brother. "What are you talking about? She left?"

"No one saw her leave, but we can't find her," Cerno admitted, not looking up.

She stared straight at Cerno. "You're in pain," she noticed, her tone instantly changing to worry. "Is she hurt? Her pact could break if she was hurt, right? She would break it to get my attention...right?"

Cerno still didn't look up at her.

"Why aren't you saying anything!?" she suddenly cried out at him. Several people were looking at her and she paid them no attention.

Twyn wrapped his arms tightly around her. She didn't return his embrace, but she didn't fight against him either. She didn't have to say anything, he knew that she knew.

It took a bit of time but the crowds finally dissipated, leaving only guards and City Hall crew behind. Now that the building was cleared, the search began in earnest and it wasn't long before Rose walked up to them on the mezzanine slowly.

"We found her," she said, her voice heavy but solid. Her on-the-job voice kept her sounding calm and collected while she fought back the knot in her chest silently. "Sheja's—"