Tethered North

Chapter 48

"Have you seen Emilia?" I ask Riley, grabbing onto his shoulder in slight panic as he shakes his head. Moving past him, I walk between Kayla and Anna, both of them sitting in silence. "Have you seen Emilia?" I exclaim.

"Not since she left the house this morning," Kayla replies. "I tried to stop her but she told me to mind my own business."

"Fuck!" I retort, turning away and heading past the numerous people, straight for the door.

It's been four days since we bombed the city hall and Claudia died. Emilia hasn't spoken to anyone, instead locking herself in our room, curling up in bed against the wall all day long. Heidi and Sam have been with her all the time that I'm not; the times that I need to be with Jordan.

He's my best mate, he has been since the start of this shit when he found me about to beat the life out of an Enforcer for telling me to go home. Jordan stopped me from making a terrible mistake, Claudia coming into our lives only one year later. 

As much as I don't believe in them, those two were fucking soul mates, destined for each other until the end of time.

Claudia was a pain in my ass half the time, yet I loved her like a sister and wanted to protect her as my family. Instead, my family killed her.

I turn left down the alley, unsure of where the hell I'm going to find the heartbroken Emilia. I'm scared about what she'll do now, the loss of both Rayden and Claudia bound to push her over the edge. The State is worse than any of us ever dreamed, Gia's ruthless actions destroying any faith that I had left.

I will fucking kill her. She is nothing to me. I wish Emilia had hit her in the head with the shot she took.

Peeking around the corner at the deserted married sector, I see it completely empty, my hand resting on my gun as I walk out, quickly scanning the street and rifling through the remains of our house. There's nothing here, not a single item that survived the fire. Everything is gone, and Emilia isn't here.

Cursing, I leave the street, instead heading down towards the river, the place I know Emilia has been before, only being saved by Kieran finding her at the right time. If she got her hands on alcohol I don't even want to fucking imagine what could have happened to her.

Once I get to the river I spy no-one, my eyes narrowing at the water as I try to pick out anything that is floating in it. Nothing. Absolutely fucking nothing. Where the fuck is she?

I'm panicking like mad, terrified over where she is. I can't lose her as well, that would be too fucking cruel... surely?

I trawl my way around the city for hours, a lump in my throat, sweating like a pig the entire time. She isn't down by the farm, she isn't hanging around the old Tesco. The old club where Riley tattooed her is empty, cold and dark with no-one daring to enter it anymore. 

Finally I find myself at the castle ruins, shifting around the piles of rubble and scanning the area for the familiar blonde hair, coming up short every single time. 

Standing up on the wall, I remember how it was when we were last here, so early in our relationship. We argued the majority of the day, Emilia in her stupid heeled boots as I watched her walk from behind. That was a good fucking view.

It was the day I determined that Emilia couldn't handle this world, that she was only a princess who came from a privileged background. Fucking hell, how she has proved me wrong. She's more than I ever thought she could be, she... Fuck, I know where she is!

Jumping down from the wall, I run down the cobbled streets back to the main road before descending the hill as fast as I can. I've never been down here, but Emilia has. This was her entire life only six years ago.