19
Disappearance
You need to begin searching for Jonathan Morgenstern, Brother Enoch had told her. You need to find him and kill him. Do you understand these words I am speaking to you?
"Yes, Brother Enoch."
Kill him and you shall be rewarded with your place in Heaven. I wish you the best, Miss Leigh-Ann.
Only hours ago had he told her that before leaving. She'd feigned sleeping when all of them had come in and when they left, shot up, and opened the door, briskly slipping into the hallway and sprinting to her bedroom.
She closed the door and turned to see Sadie at her feet.
"We're going somewhere, Sadie," she whispered to her companion. Sadie's head tilted to the side, something she'd learned that she did when she was asking her something. "We're going to go find the evil bastard who killed Christa."
Sadie's teeth barred back but then she composed herself and whined, gesturing at a picture of Jace that Leigh-Ann had hidden under her pillow.
"No, Sadie. We're leaving Jace and the others here. We have to do these ourselves."
Sadie pawed down and lied her head down; she was upset with this.
"Sadie, we're going back to the Heavens. I know you're from there or you would have aged. I know you were here to protect me with Christa, too."
Sadie sat up and went and jumped, placing her paws on Leigh-Ann's shoulder. "I know, girl, but we don't belong here." She stroked her behind the ears. Sadie whined in affection before jumping down and signifying at the door that she was ready to go.
"Give me a few minutes, girl. Keep an eye out for me." She grabbed a pack and went through her wardrobe, chucking all of her clothes into it. She could not help but scratch something onto two pieces of paper; notes and then set them on her bed. She wrapped the band around her leg and loaded it with the weapons she'd so desired and then pulled out her stele.
"Come on, Sadie. We're going back to where we belong."
Sadie trotted over to her and stood beside her as Leigh-Ann drew the portal rune on the wall. When it formed, she stepped into it, and disappeared amongst it.
"Leigh-Ann…" Jace walked in the infirmary to see if she had awakened, but saw that she was not in the infirmary at all and the sheets were strewn across the floor. He knit his eyebrows together before exiting and going down to her room instead.
"Leigh-Ann…" He knocked on the door. When no answer came, he went in.
The bed was made; neatly made. The wardrobe door was opened and emptied. There was no Sadie or Leigh-Ann to be found. He noticed two pieces of paper on the pillow. They each had names on them.
Isabelle.
Jace.
"Leigh-Ann!" he called down the hall. His heart had begun to pound as he realized that there was only one answer to all of this.
"Isabelle! Alec! Where are you?"
Isabelle popped out of her room. "What are you going on about?"
"Leigh-Ann is gone."
"She might have gone-"
"No. Her clothes, books, shoes, even Sadie; everything is gone."
Isabelle went rigid and she clutched at the bracelet that was her whip around her wrist.
"She must have gone out after Jonathan on her own."
"She left these." He handed her the one with her name on it. "Read it out loud."
"What if it's private, though?"
"This is a matter of finding her, Isabelle!"
"Alright; chill out!
Dearest Isabelle,
I can hardly express my gratitude enough for your help and your acceptance. But I need to do this on my own and I refuse to put you all in anymore danger. I love you like a sister. Please know that.
Leigh-Ann Grace Taylor
P.S.-"
Her voice cut off right there and Jace looked at her funny. "Well…?"
"I…I can't…read this to you."
"Why can't you?"
"Because she told me not to; that's why. And I respect that of her. Now read hers!"
"Oh…right.
Jace,
Thank you. Words cannot express how much I appreciated your seriousness for helping me. I need to go do this on my own. I will be within the Heavens soon. You need not worry, for I will be alright. I can do this. I just…can't risk putting you in danger. I hope you understand that.
Leigh-Ann Grace Taylor
P.S.-"
He cut off like Isabelle had.
"I assume she told you the same thing."
"Yeah..."
"I'll go get Alec and we'll go looking for her. I'll be right back." Before he could say anything to stop her, she took off. He looked back down at the note.
P.S. Keep this private. Rursum osculo oris Angelus occursuram spero tamen, te non sinit sciunt quid caelum et Vale si vere ...Te amo. (I hope my Angel kisses will meet your lips once more, although, I don't know what Heaven lets you do, so if this really is goodbye...
I love you.)
His heart sank as he took in a large breath and a heavy gasp escaped his lips as he crumpled up the piece of paper and sank to the floor.
No, he thought. No…! NO! NO! NO!
His fingers entangled in his hair.
Come back…
Isabelle paused in step when she disappeared from Jace's sight and looked down at the note.
P.S. Keep this private. Immutatio mea est acceleraretur. Intra paucos dies fiet daemon. Non dico hoc. Ero bysso. Angelus post me. Et custodies oculum sicco pro Jace. Quaeso ... (My transformation has hastened. I will become a demon within just a few days. Do not speak of this to anyone. I'll be fine. I'm an Angel after all.
And keep an eye out for Jace. Please...)
She grasped the note to her chest; a small tear escaping her eye and she let exhaled a rough breath.
"Isabelle." She looked to her right to see her brother coming toward her.
"We have business to attend to, Alec, and it's important."
"What is it?"
"Leigh-Ann…"