"Did you see that?" Michael demanded to Alec as the lift doors closed.
"See what?"
"I thought… Oh never mind," Michael ended feebly.
Alec turned to face him. "Michael, what did you see?" he asked sternly.
"Honestly, I don't know what I saw," Michael admitted. "It was just as the lift door was closing. You know how a glamour can waver and you catch a glimpse of what's underneath just for a second? I saw… something. I couldn't make out what it was. But it didn't seem human." Michael trailed off thoughtfully.
"If Lavinker was wearing a glamour then it's a strong one," Alec said grimly. "But my impression of him is that he's a complete mundane. Him, his job, his life. Everything about him screams mundane."
The pair went back to Luke's bookstore where they found Luke, Jocelyn, Magnus and Henry waiting. Luke looked up expectantly as Alec entered the store. His hopeful expression fell when Alec shook his head.
"Nothing. The boyfriend seems to be one big dead end," Alec reported. "Magnus, you'd notice if I didn't pick up the phone or show up for a few days, right?"
"Of course I would, dear," Magnus promptly replied.
"Lavinker didn't even notice Mel was missing," Alec said.
"Some boyfriend," Magnus huffed. "She deserves better than him."
"So he's not demon or a Fae?" Henry clarified.
"Doesn't look like it," Alec replied. "You guys had any luck here?"
Jocelyn shook her head. "We searched Mel's room. There's nothing to suggest she's been abducted or that she was planning to leave."
"Except that ring," Michael interjected.
"Probably. Nothing else was out of place, though," she said.
Alec sighed. "So we're back to square one with nothing to show from it." He ran his fingers through his hair in frustration. "I suppose I'll have to tell Jem now. We can't keep this from him and Tessa any longer." He then left the room with Magnus to contact Mel's parents. Henry trailed off after them.
Michael stayed put with his grandparents Luke and Jocelyn. He did not know what to do. He felt his old black depression washing over him and he felt like giving up.
"Michael, are you ok, honey?" Jocelyn asked, coming over to him. "I know you and Mel are close. We'll find her. I'm sure we will."
"I don't know how we're going to, Gran," Michael said flatly. "Everything we've tried turned out to be a dead end. We've got no clue where to even start looking. By the Angel, we don't even know if she's really missing."
"Chin up, kid," Luke said. "It's not time to worry. And even if we do, I'm more worried about facing Jem and Tessa. What are we gonna tell them – that we lost their only daughter?"
"Luke, that doesn't help," Jocelyn chided.
"It's true, though," Luke pointed out. "Tessa is going to kill me. She might just literally do that. You know it's going to happen. She didn't want Mel to come to New York in the first place."
"Get in line, Grampa," Michael informed him. "She'll kill me first. I'm already the one to blame for Mel being Forsaken. Tessa's never really chewed me up on that, but I bet she was just waiting for an excuse." The banter actually did help to dispel the tension a little.
When Tessa appeared through a Portal 15 minutes later, Michael was right. She was furious at Luke and at him. The two of them stood there while she yelled at them. "I entrusted Mel to you and now she's missing! What happened to 'don't worry, Tessa; we'll keep an eye on her'. She's never been to New York, she doesn't know the danger. I shouldn't have let her come. I should not have."
It felt like an eternity before Jem finally appeared. He had been in Alicante when Alec contacted him and looked extremely harried and worried. He said nothing but walked over to Tessa and embraced her. She burst into tears in his arms.
"Jem," Michael said timidly. "I'm sorry. I really am. I should have kept a closer eye on her. I…"
Jem's kindly expression felt like a knife going through him. "It's not your fault, Michael," Jem said. "You couldn't be expected to watch her all the time."
"I'm going to find her. I don't know how yet, but I will," Michael vowed.
Tessa glared at him: "No, you've done enough. You stay away."
"Tessa, what a thing to say!" Jem reproached her.
"How can you be so calm? Our daughter is missing!"
"Getting worked up never helped anyone," Jem said softly.
"Tessa's right," Michael admitted. "Some friend I am to Mel. I've screwed things up. Don't worry, I'll stay away from now on."
Without waiting for any response, Michael walked out of the store and dashed off down the street. He ran down towards the East River. When he got there, he kicked at a small tree along the bank and yelled out in frustration. He felt so helpless. He kicked the tree a few more times, ignoring the stares the mundanes were giving him.
Still feeling restless, he ran back into town, going at full speed. He relished the burn in his muscles and the pain as his lungs and heart struggled to pump enough blood and oxygen to keep up. The pain dulled the frustration. By the time he got back to the Institute, he was so worn out emotionally and physically that he could barely climb the stairs to get inside.
He pulled out his stele and drew an Energy rune on his arm. The rush of strength was intoxicating. He pulled himself to his feet and decided that he did not want to go home just yet. Instead, he made his way to Central Park.
The sun was setting and shadows were growing in the park. There were still plenty of mundanes around, walking their dogs, jogging or on their way somewhere. Michael ignored all of them. All except one – he noticed Robert Lavinker striding through the crowd.
In the half-light, he looked less human than in the light of the office building. And since Robert looked like a man who had somewhere definite to go, Michael decided to follow him.
Robert made his way over to the area where Michael and Henry had been attacked. It was a secluded area and the sound of the mundanes had completely disappeared. It felt like entering a different world. Robert headed confidently towards a thick mass of bushes and reached out his hand. The foliage parted under his touch to reveal a dark tunnel. He entered and was instantly swallowed up by darkness.
Michael darted forward and into the tunnel just as the foliage was closing. Inside, it was dark but his eyes managed to adjust. The tunnel was dry and warm, with dead leaves forming the floor. In front, the shadowy figure of Robert was moving. Michael hurried to catch up, using all of his training to stay stealthy and quiet.
The tunnel turned and twisted, sometimes going uphill, sometimes down. There were places where the tunnel forked. Darkness also shrouded the other passages. Steam rose from some, tinged with the smell of sulphur. The air was getting cooler and Michael could hear the sound of water in the distance.
Finally, the tunnel opened into an outdoor clearing. The sky was full of stars, though there seemed something odd about them that Michael could not figure out. The clearing, however, was covered in snow. Trees and bushes scattered around were frozen white, with crystals glistening off the branches. There was no one to be seen, though Michael had the feeling of being watched.
Robert did not pause in his walk but continued, following a path in the snow. Michael continued after him. The path snaked past a river whose black waters tumbled over fierce jagged rocks. By the riverbank, there were patches of greenery that included tropical plants like ferns. Steam leaked from the ground at these oases.
Eventually, the path led to another clearing, where the pale frozen trees grew in a way that created something like a cavern. White leaves overhead formed something of a canopy. Cold white light gleamed from unknown sources to illuminate the cavern. Robert went inside without hesitation.
Michael cautiously entered too. Inside, the cavern was a long hallway that branched off into rooms. One room at the far end was lit brightly with a warmer light than the others. Robert had come to this room and the shadow that was cast when he stood in the doorway was certainly not human. Michael approached this room. Peeking in, he was shocked to the core when he saw Mel inside.