Black Knight (Royal Elite #4) by Rina Kent

I’m running now, my feet moving of their own accord as I cover all the road I know and even into a road I’ve never been on before.

There’s no trace of him.

I stop in the middle of the forest, tears streaming down my cheeks and slipping into my mouth. My unsteady legs barely carry me as I watch my surroundings, empty and desolate, and without him.

“Xaaan!”

What have I done?

After what seems like half an hour of fruitless searching, I go back home. I don’t know how I do it, but I manage.

Uncle Lewis parks at his driveway the moment I reach our street. Mum went out for a meeting with her agent, so it’ll take her a long time to return.

Not that she would care.

“Uncle! Uncle!” I run up to him and he meets me halfway, a frown creasing his brow.

“Xan is in there and he didn’t come back. He’s…he’s…” I’m breathing so harshly, I’m skipping over words and unable to form a coherent sentence.

Uncle Lewis grabs both my shoulders with his comforting hands and watches me with a calm, soft expression. “Take a deep breath, Kim, and speak slowly. Let’s try it, in, out. In. Out.”

I follow his instructions, inhaling and exhaling as slowly as I can. When I can speak, I blurt, “Xan disappeared into the forest, Uncle. I can’t find him.”

“Disappeared how?”

“He was searching for Luna,” I sob. “But she’s already home.”

“Okay, I’m sure he didn’t go far. Breathe, Kim.”

I nod frantically. “Please find him.”

I’ll do his homework for a year. I’ll give him all my M&M’s and even clean his room.

As long as he comes back, I’ll do anything for him.

“Angel?”

My breath hitches at Dad’s voice. He crosses the street as his driver closes the door.

If Dad is already home, that means it’s getting late.

Uncle Lewis straightens as Dad reaches us. My daddy is tall with sandy blond hair and rich brown eyes and he looks like the models from Silver’s magazines. He’s wearing his perfect suit that Marian spends a lot of time perfecting.

“Daddy!” I hug his waist, ruining his suit with my tears. “Please find Xan.”

“What happened to Xan?” His gaze strays from me to Uncle Lewis. They exchange a look I don’t understand as I repeat the gibberish from earlier.

“It’s my fault,” I cry. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t say that, Angel.” Dad strokes my hair behind my ear and kisses my forehead. “Let’s find him and I’m sure he’ll forgive you.”

“I’m sure,” Uncle Lewis echoes with a smile.

The three of us go back to the forest and search together. We go to where Xan and I were and try to cover the directions he could’ve taken.

All the way, I cry as Dad and Uncle Lewis tell me it’s okay and that we’ll find him.

We don’t.

The late afternoon turns into dusk and soon enough, the night starts to fall.

I don’t stop crying. Every time the tears begin to dry up, I think about the amount of fear Xander must be in and then a new wave hits me.

What have I done? What have I done?

“I’ll take Kim home,” Dad tells Uncle Lewis.

“What? No!” I shriek. “I’m not leaving until I find Xan.”

“Maybe he went to his house.”

“Ahmed would’ve called Uncle Lewis if he had,” I insist.

Dad hugs me to his side as he addresses Uncle Lewis, “Call the police. This could be another case like the other time.”

“I doubt it. He wasn’t the target back then, Aiden was.” Uncle Lewis sighs, his gaze straying towards me. “But yes, take Kim home. It’s getting cold.”

I struggle against Dad as he tries to drag me away. “No, Daddy. I have to find him.”

“You can’t, Angel.” Dad’s jaw tightens under the late dusk sun and I don’t know why that makes me cry harder.

I wiggle free from his hold before he can trap me in again.

“Kim!” he calls and his footsteps sound behind me.

No idea where I’m running, but I don’t stop.

I trip and slide down a small hill. My knee burns and stings, but I stand up and continue running.

“Xaaan!” I scream at the top of my lungs. I’m crying and running and heaving.

It’s almost like that time when Nana left me and I knew I’d never see her again.

Only, now, it’s worse because I’m the reason behind his disappearance.

I’m the reason he’s lost somewhere unknown while he’s cold and alone.

“Xan!” Something cuts into my ankle, but I keep running and calling his name.

Is this how he felt when his Mum got into that car and drove away? When she never looked behind as she left him?

A sob tears from my throat as I stand there, my chest heaving so hard, as if my heartbeat will come to halt any second now.

Just when I’m about to stop and let Dad catch me and take me home, I spot a figure by the cliff.

The denim jacket and the golden hair, the tall body and scrawny build.

It’s him.

At first, I think he’s staring down the cliff. But instead, he’s facing me, a hand in his pocket and his expression blank, haunted even.