BA’SH
Ba’sh had been half watching the proceedings on the lawn from his study. It was a beautiful day outside, the suns were shining, and there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
From a distance at least, all appeared to be going well with the filming. No one was running around or looking unhappy.
Slaite had even stopped in to inform him that the interview had gone well, though she will still disappointed that Yasmine had tried to “pass off a bunch of slow motion and stretching as a martial art.”
He was starting to feel hopeful that Yasmine might feel comfortable staying after all. Their run this morning might have started out stiff, but by the end, they were having fun. Maybe she would even forgive him for losing his temper. Although it was probably too soon to start thinking about that.
His legs were a little sore from pushing himself to catch her, but it was worth it. The burn was a happy reminder that he had enjoyed his morning run for the first time since moving here.
He reordered his priority list for the evening calls with a song in his heart.
When his comms went off to tell him Pia was missing, it was like being plucked out of a warm bath and plunged into an icy river.
He ran for the back doors, ignoring his sore legs.
“Where did you last see her?” he asked Yasmine, who was talking quietly to a shaken-looking Jax.
“She was right beside me,” Jax said, his voice breaking. “I looked up, and she was gone.”
At that exact moment, Brytt Tommen jogged up. His photo drone hovering over his shoulder, as usual.
“My child is missing, Tommen,” Ba’sh yelled, not concerned with holding his temper. “What kind of vulture would take feed of a family in a moment like this?”
“I have something I thought you’d want to see,” Tommen said calmly, slowing to a walk. “I was taking photos of the crew breaking down, so I looked through them. In this one, you can see Olympia heading toward the trees.”
Ba’sh studied the image floating over the journalist’s bracelet. Sure enough, Pia was halfway to the tree line in the photo. She looked like she was running.
“Thank you,” he yelled over his shoulder as he thundered toward the woods.
He tried to focus on running as fast as he could, instead of thinking about everything dangerous he had been warned against in the woods. There were animals, toxic plants, even loose rocky areas prone to mudslides just off the trails.
“Pia,” he shouted at the top of his lungs.
Once he was inside the trees, it was quieter. The sounds of his staff searching and calling for Pia faded.
He slowed for a moment while his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the forest. Then he began running again, calling out her name every few steps.
If she was hurt or frightened though, she might not call back to him.
He ripped the circlet from his forehead. Unless he got close, he wouldn’t feel her emotions though.
Instantly, a flood of terror slid into him from somewhere behind.
He whirled around to find Yasmine sprinting after him.
It was her terror he felt, not Pia’s.
He ran on, glad that there were two of them now to search the trees.
“Pia,” he screamed again.
“Daddy?” a little voice called from up around the bend.
Relief flooded his veins, and he flew around the curve to find Pia standing beside his new garden employee.
Pia burst into tears the moment she saw his face.