Raena POV
"Why does your landline suck?," I asked redialing the numbers.
"Don't blame the phone," Adrian looked up from the desk. "If no one answers, it means no one is there. Not my fault."
"Well people have to be there. It's a hotel, they're like 24 hours!," I hung up the phone angrily.
Adrian chuckled," Well I have something that might take your mind off things."
"More shopping," I was excited by that.
Adrian laughed," No, not shopping. Your avia and I were talking and we think you should attend your first lesson."
"Lesson? Like for magic?"
"Yes," he beamed. "You can finally harness your magic, we can both teach you."
Magic? Like I could do spells and shit, like Eva and Charlotte.
"Let's go!," I was kind of wanting to try something, but I didn't know how to do it or even where to start. They all insisted I had magic, that I was one of them and I'd be lying if I said it didn't sound fucking amazing.
"Excellent!," Adrian stood up and lead me outside. He muttered something and the clouds parted and the sun glowed down on us. "For your first lesson, we can start with something simple. It's easier to effect yourself than it is to effect other things, so we'll start with you."
"Me? What about me?"
"Anything. Is there anything about you, you might want to change? New eye color?," Adrian asked then blinked and his eyes were now blue, he blinked again and they were green.
"Woah!," I stepped closer.
"Or perhaps different hair color?," He waved his hand and his pepper speckled hair was now bleach blonde, then a cherry red, then a lime green.
"Wow! That is so cool!," I felt giddy and excited. "I want my hair to be longer!"
"Longer? Really...," Adrian seemed unsure. "The mark of a true witch is short hair."
"Really?"
"Yes, it's the customary look. Witches in the past cut their hair shorter for less of distraction and it was a way to get rid of DNA to be stolen by rivals. This is why both Charlotte and Eva have short hair, it's part of the dress code of the school. "
Is that why? I just thought they liked it.
"I don't know. Short hair is not really my thing. Besides, if I wanted short hair, I could just cut it with scissors."
"That's true," Adrian nodded. "But this is an easy way to test your powers."
I grumbled," How short does it have to be?"
"Above the shoulder is traditional."
I pulled my hair to the front, stroking the long brown strands. It took my so long to grow it out... But, maybe I could look good with short hair? I can always change it back with magic too, so it's not really a risk.
"Okay, I'll do it. What do I do?"
Adrian smiled proudly," State in a clear voice: capillus breviori."
"Capilius brevoree?"
"No, no, no. Capillus breviori."
"Capillus breviori. What does it mean?"
"Shorter hair," Adrian grinned. "Now before you say the words, you have to connect to you magic. Later when you've practiced, the magic will just be you and you won't have to find it. But since you're training is so delayed, it my take some time."
"So what do I do?"
"Look at yourself, really look. Search inside your brain for this part of you the one that's been locked away for so long. When you find it, let it be free and then say the words."
I closed my eyes and tried to 'find this part of my brain' but I just felt stupid. This feels like some hippie shit that is supposed to make you relaxed. I can't see my brain? How an I supposed to find something?
"You're not looking," Adrian scolded.
"Well how the hell am I supposed to look for something I can't see?"
"You have to feel it, Raena. Really feel it."
I closed my eyes again, Round two...
I started with my memories, those were the easiest things to see. I remembered my old school and my old friends, just being in Chicago made me feel happier. Then I remembered my first kiss with Embry, how I had surprised him and he seemed so awkward, like he didn't really know what to do. I smiled fondly as I thought about him.
"What you're looking for is not there. Move past it," Adrian instructed. "This will not be in memories."
I looked at him, "How do you know what I'm doing?"
Adrian avoided my question," Focus," he instructed me.
I was starting to get mad, he was getting bossy. I closed my eyes again and imagined what a brain looked like, we dissected frogs in 8th grade, so I remembered that one. Then I looked through all the folds, searching for this spot, waiting to feel something.
"I don't feel anything."
"Keep looking."
I did, I looked everywhere but there was nothing. I wasn't feeling anything and nothing was calling out to me. My mind wandered back to my memories with Embry, him sitting on my bed trying to teach me math. I miss him... I miss him so much. I really need to talk to him. I need to hear his voice again.
Adrian placed a hand on my shoulder," We can try again later."
I looked at him," Wait, why are we stopping?"
"I can sense something is distracting you, I'll give you some time to clear your mind and we can try again," Adrian smiled hopefully and went back into the house.
I stayed for a while, trying to visualize the spot, but eventually my mind would take me somewhere else, whether it was Embry, this new place or my mom. I am too distracted, Adrian is right. But Embry... He still doesn't know where I am, who I'm with, or that I'm safe. I'm sure he found out I called Charlie, but the message I left him. He'll think it was some trick, that I was forced to say it. He still hasn't messaged me back on Myspace, I should've known, he never really gets on. When I get this magic thing down, I'll be able to reach him. I need to talk to Avia, I need to call him again.
Embry POV
I was dreaming about her, she was there with me, sitting on the couch. She had her head resting on my shoulder while we watched something, I couldn't take my eyes off of her. She was smiling and then looked up at me, it felt so real.
"I love you," she whispered, almost hiding behind me like she was scared to tell me.
I pulled her closer," I love you too," I smiled and kissed her forehead.
"Let's go! Come on! Wake up!," I opened my eyes to Quil kicking my bed and shaking me, his voice a whisper.
"Quil! What the fuck, man?"
"Shhh!," he covered my mouth. "You're mom doesn't know I'm here. We gotta go now."
"Is it Ranea?," I sat up quickly.
"Yes. She called the Sheriff."
I jumped out of bed, Quil and I quietly shuffled around my living room and out the door and into his car.
"Apparently Raena called the Sheriff and said she was fine and didn't want to come home or something."
"What? Why would she say that?!"
"Obviously, they're making her say that," Quil screeched onto the road and sped towards Forks.
"But she's alright...," I tried to think of the bright side.
"Yeah, she said she was sorry or something and that she needed to a break."
Why is she acting like she ran away? So Charlie doesn't get scared? Maybe they are making her say this so he can't file a police report on a kidnapping? Is this some sort of message to us? Like she's running out of time and we need to find her? I've tried to be bait, they didn't take it. What else can we do? If they want us to play their game, we need more clues.
"Em, what are you thinking?," Quil asked me, seeing me festering this new information.
"I'm just trying to figure out their game here. What do they want and why they'd let her call her me and then Charlie? When she called me, she was scared, sounded helpless, but now they want her to say she just ran away? It's got to mean something."
"Hopefully the Cullen's have some leads," he sped down the dark road.
I pulled out my phone and called Jake.
"Hello?"
"Jake! Raena called Charlie, she convinced him she ran away!"
"Bella called me. She and Alice are trying to find a way to hack the police station for the phone recording."
"This is good news right? Maybe you're closing in on them there."
"Maybe... I haven't had much luck. My goal is to check Boston tomorrow, I've been in contact with some people who know some sort of seedy dark magic thing. Maybe it'll get me somewhere."
"Quil and I are on our way to the Cullen's house."
"Call me when you're done."
I hung up the phone, this building ball of hope worried me. I didn't want to get too optimistic just to have it crushed from under me. Why hasn't Raena reached out to me again? Why are they doing this to her?
Edwards POV
Seth told us about the call, but Charlie called Bella the second after it had happened.
"So... do I need to say what we're all thinking?," Rosalie asked as the two wolves wandered into the kitchen.
"Don't say it Rosalie," Alice warned.
"She ran away. Maybe she did just run away."
"Rose," Emmett went to stand by her. "Do you really think everything else is a coincidence?"
"Well, she's calling the Sheriff, she says there is nothing wrong. Maybe there is nothing wrong and the witches and Raena aren't related at all."
"That would have to be some big coincidence," Jasper noted.
"I don't think Raena would just run away," Bella spoke.
"You barely know her, Bella. No offense," Rose muttered the last part.
"I mean, I know she wasn't happy here," Alice mentioned, her tone wavering to agree with Rose.
"But even if she did run away, she would have told someone. At least Embry would know," I told them. "And believe me, he has no idea where she is."
"I'm just saying, maybe the two aren't related."
"I don't think we can rule that out yet, Rose," Bella shook her head.
"But then where are we? Because I've gotten nowhere. There is nothing that could even hint to their location."
"Jacob's still in Boston, there could be something there."
Rosalie rolled her eyes," Fat chance."
"Charlie's really freaking out, he wants to call my aunt and I know she'll really fight to get Raena's face on every news station she can," Bella informed us.
"We still don't know what they want," Alice thought out loud. "What could they want with her?"
"If they even have her," Rose shook her head and walked away.
"It's not about Embry," I told them. "If it was, they would have done something by now, made contact with him. Maybe this isn't about him or the pack..."
"Then what is this about,"Emmett crossed his arms. "We've been working nonstop and so far we've got zip on these witches."
"Like I said, Raena, is a witch, she has to be."
"Alice, not now," I warned her as I felt Embry and Quil approaching, they had pulled up to the house and came in without knocking, which was typical.
"Bella?," Embry called out, coming up the stairs two at a time. He saw her and made his way into the living room, Quil right behind him. "Any luck? Tap into the police station."
"We're working on it, Em," she told him.
"What did Charlie say?"
"He said that she called, told him she ran away."
"But that's not true, Bella. You know she didn't run away."
"Yeah, I know," she rested a hand on Embry's shoulder to comfort him.
"It doesn't make sense... why not ask for a ransom?," Quil leaned against the wall.
"He's a small town sheriff, not much money in that," Emmett stretched his arms out.
"Why would she say she ran away? She must be trying to buy us some time, so Charlie doesn't go all 'FBI: missing children'," Embry wondered out loud.
"I still think maybe it has to do with her mom," Quil sighed and Embry shot him daggers. "Maybe," he repeated.
"He has a point," I admitted. "The only person in Raena's life we don't know about it her mom. Maybe they called her?"
Bella put her chin in her hand," Maybe... but Aunt Diane would have called Charlie, at least to see if she'd really be taken."
"DIANE HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT!," Embry's frustrations were loud as they blared into my own head.
"I wish we knew what she had said exactly," Jasper mentioned. "It's common for people to make assumptions without even really listening."
"How is it going? Breaking into the Sheriff's office?," Quil pushed off the wall.
"We're getting there," Alice nodded. "I think we should be in by nightfall."
"But that only works and Raena calls them back," Embry shook his head. "You should do it to my phone too... just in case."
Alice nodded," I'll put in the software," she went downstairs.
"So what are we doing?," Embry turned to Bella impatiently.
"We're doing all we can," I stepped forward. "We have Jacob in Boston looking and we're racking every possible lead."
"But we've got nothing? How is it that we have nothing!?"
"Em," Bella really did feel sorry for him. " We'll find her. I promise you."
"I... I'm going to start looking for her," he announced, his lips drawn tight. "I'm gonna call Jake and if he doesn't have anything, I'm going to go out there and find her."
"Dude, you can't just waltz out and find her," Emmett shook his head. "If it was that easy, we would have done it."
"I don't care," Embry snapped. "I've left it up to all of you for too long. I can't just sit around anymore."
"Let us know if you need anything," Rose stated with no emotion as she marched past him.
Embry stood still for a moment, everyone was quiet but his thoughts were racing. I could hear him thinking about planes and flights and how to make fast cash, where he would go... it was all a tumbled mess in his head.
Alice came in and handed Embry his phone to which he thanked her and looked to Bella," Tell me when you get anything?"
"Of course," she agreed and then Embry left.
Quil stayed in the room for a minute longer," Sorry," he muttered and followed his pack member out of the house.
Charlie's POV
"I've called her but she won't pick up!," I paced the living room.
"Charlie, calm down," Sue tried stood up from sitting.
"Calm down?! How can I do that!? I have to go to the station, file her as missing, call Diane, start a search party. I have to-..."
"Charlie," Sue rested her hands on my shoulders. "Take a breath."
I bowed my head," How could I let this happen!"
"Charlie, this isn't your fault."
"Like hell it isn't!," I pulled away from her. "I knew who she was, Diane told me everything! I knew what could happen, that she ran away from home before. I should have been more aware! I should have known!"
"Charlie, no, you can't blame yourself for this."
"It is my fault, Sue! I should have, ahhh!," I balled my fists in my hair. "I should have known! I knew she wasn't like Bella, that I had to watch her, but I.. ahhhh!"
Sue stood there across the living room, she folded her arms and watched me throw my fit. I couldn't stop myself, I couldn't even think about what she was doing. All of Diane's suffering and she trusted me to help her, to watch Raena and now she was out there...
"We don't know where she is Sue," I slumped onto the arm of the couch. "She could be anywhere."
"But we know she's alive," Sue crossed the room to me. "She's alive, Charlie."
I sucked in a breath," But for how long?"
Sue's eyes searched mine,"She ran away, she could come back."
"Not if it kills her... she could O.D."
Sue wrapped her arms around my head and stared into my soul, her dark eyes locked onto mine," Don't think that like. Don't do it."
"It's all I've been able to think about since she called me," I admitted. "If... If we don't find her in time."
"Stop that," Sue pulled me close, my head resting on her chest. I hugged her back, gripping her tightly. "We'll find her. We'll find her, Charlie."
