a thousand instincts (#1)

What a Life (55)

Aeress

     They all were on the train, soon to leave the island. Aeress, Warrick, Klein, Maribelle, Mikya, and Idris. She was surprised of Idris' presence, though grateful for his part all the same.

     "We've narrowed her possible location to four areas," Mikya addressed the group, showing his marked map. "In them are what we call Pukka Packs, with as little interaction with human civilization as possible, so that'll be nice."

     Aeress took Warrick's hand in hers. "Why the Pukka Packs? She could be in a regular pack, or none at all."

     Mikya nodded. "We've interviewed some of his former followers, tracking his progress in recent time through the correlation od certain accounts."

     "What did you find?"

     "Exactly the area he told you was the one he frequently visited. What makes this strange is that he went himself instead of sending one of his minions, which leaves us to infer that-"

     "He was trying to sense her on his own, and he thought it would wise to leave his followers in the dark?"

     "Precisely. This activity initiated after Jonah killed you," she felt Warrick's hand on hers tighten, "thus the return of Bakir. He must have known that his access to you depended on whether they were aware that his intentions didn't align with Jonah's plan to overthrow the throne. Above all, he somehow knew she would be in one of the Pukka Packs."

     Aeress sat forward. "If he could sense her, then I have to." She grabbed the map and watched it in frustration. What was she missing?

     "What is it, Aeress?" Warrick inquired, securing his arm around her waist. "Can you locate her?"

     "I hope so." She closed her eyes and focused, drowning out the sounds around her. She pictured the steady heartbeat of Avathara, a sound she knew well because she had listened for it a thousand times before. A strong, steady sound, a musical note that brought love to Aeress' heart, adoration for her daughter.

     It was faint at first, and she thought she was hallucinating, but it became louder and louder until it couldn't be denied. "Avathara?" She whispered in the most hushed tone, afraid of breaking the connection. No response, just the beautiful thumping of her life-force. She wasalive. Aeress slumped back at the revelation. "I can't believe it."

     "Did you find her?" Warrick held her up, studying her eyes in question.

     She swallowed. "Not exactly, but when we do, I'll know."

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     They got into the hotel room and Aeress slammed the door behind her. Defeat overtook her and she began to crumble. Warrick caught her and they both went down. She turned her face into his chest and began to sob. "I can't, I can't, I can't hear it anymore!"

     He brushed his palms over her locks, peppering kisses on where he could reach. "That can mean anything, Aeress."

     She shook her head. "It means she's dead. There's no other explanation. Her heart's stopped. How are we going to find her if I can't hear her?" She continued to cry so hard that her body began to shake. "It's happening again, Warrick. She's died and there's nothing I can do about it. This is all my fault." The sobs left her body without permission, and it displayed only a slither of the pain she felt internally.