Page 134 of The Fake Divination Offense

---

“I don’t see him,” Seb pants. “Neither does Thio.”

“Mr. Warden is unaccounted for,” Roesia says, her jaw set.

The room shifts. I’m vaguely aware of hanging up on Seb, dialing Bel’s phone again—it rings, rings, voicemail.

I’m barreling toward the door before I’m aware of a hand grabbing my bicep, hauling me to a stop.

I swing around, mouth open to shout when Roesia’s determined face stops me.

“He’s in trouble, isn’t he?” she asks calmly, into the once again dead silence of the locker room.

Hollow, I nod.

He’s gone. Someone took him.

My knee buckles, but I catch myself and tense everything, locking down, inertia and focus andI will not break.He needs me.

And then the manager of this whole team that’s supposed to play the biggest game of our careers in less than sixty minutes nods decisively, and says, “All right. Let’s go find him.”

My chest caves. I can’t think beyond the panic clawing at the edges of my brain, setting snares for every rational thought beyondgo, go, get to Bel, GO.

“What?” I ask. “Ma’am, I—”

“What’s going on?” It’s Darian.

Followed by Aaron. “Your guy’s missing? The fuck?”

Soon, the whole team is talking. Engaged for the first time all morning, an overlap of explanations and questions and concern.

I shake my head at Roesia. “I have to go. I’m sorry, but I can’t—”

“I know,” she says. “I told you, let’s go find him.”

She swishes past me, out the door into the hall, and I’m left in a daze.

What?

I—

What?

She should argue. She should tell me to keep my asshereandthat Bel will show back up on his own, because maybe he’s in the bathroom, or maybe he stepped out for air, or—

Marlow pats my cheek, getting my attention. “You heard her,” she signs. “Let’s go.”

Thensheleaves, too. And Aaron, with a shouted “We’ll be back; fix the energy while we’re gone.”

Darian grabs my wrist. “Come on,” he says, and drags me out of the room.

I go, stumbling at first, finding my footing when Darian gives me a supportive smile.

“I’m sure he’s fine,” he offers.

He’s fine.

He has to be.

Gods, hehasto be.

---