Chapter 57: CHAPTER 36.5: As Told by Cade

The rest of the week I tried talking to Aqua more, but she was trying to talk to me less. She stopped hanging out with Arma and Stewart all together. I walked to my door when I heard a knock. “Do you need something?” I asked my father.

“Yeah, can I come in?”

“Sure.” I stepped aside so he could come in then I closed the door behind him.

“Your mother told me you were upset with me and not speaking to me because of my affair. You know it had nothing to do with you, don’t you?”

I looked away from him. “How could it not? It affects the whole family, not just you and mom. I tried to ignore it but when I found out Vella cheated on me with Lexus I couldn’t anymore. Now I sort of know how mom felt.” I looked at him. “How could you risk losing us when I was so young?”

I could see the guilt in his eyes and I’m sure he saw the disappointment in mine. “I don’t have an answer that will satisfy you Cade. I didn’t think I’d lose you, maybe Lynn but not you. In my mind I wasn't risking you because I wouldn’t let anyone keep you from me. I’m sorry Cade.” I was hearing that a lot lately.

It wasn’t a satisfying answer. “Do you love Mom?”

“Of course, I do.”

“Do you still love Mae?” I needed to know because my mother didn’t deserve to hurt anymore. If it were completely in the past I could move past it and I would hope mom Could too. He didn’t answer. “Are you still seeing her?”

“No, I’m not seeing her.”

I sighed. “Okay, that’s better than nothing. I think I can forgive you.” He loved Mae but still chose our family over having one with her. I couldn’t be too mad at that.

There was another knock on the door, so I answered in. “Great, Konn is here too.” Hannah said. “Have you guys seen Aqua? I’ve been looking for her all day.”

We hadn’t seen her and a week later we still hadn’t seen her. “Do you think she could be with her mom?” I asked Dad.

“She could be.”

“Let’s go to Mae then.” I didn’t want to suggest it but it’s been a week, so I had to.

Dad cleared his throat. “Are you sure?”

I nodded. “As long as I’m with you, I’m sure. I want to find Aqua.” I felt guilty because the conversation I had with her the day before she went missing wasn’t the best.

We left the castle and I followed him as we flew to one of the neighboring kingdoms. We landed, shifted, and walked to her home. He knocked on the door and she answered. “Konn?” She looked confused then looked at me.

“I’m his son, Cade.”

She looked a lot like Aqua and a lot different than my mother. “Oh, that doesn’t explain why you’re both here at my front door.” She squinted her eyes. “Surprisingly at my front door instead of inside...”

Dad didn’t look too good, he seemed nervous. “Is Aqua here?”

“Nope.”

“Sorry to bother you.” He turned around.

“Wait.” I said and Dad turned back around. “When was the last time you saw her? We haven’t seen her in a week.”

Mae frowned. “I saw her about six days ago. She was here for a few hours. I haven’t seen her since.”

She had to have had a lot more information than that. “She didn’t tell you where she was going or if anything was wrong?”

She sighed. “A lot was wrong, but she didn’t tell me where she was going. It’s clear to me that she just didn’t want to be in the castle anymore. You don’t have to worry, just let her go wherever she needs to even if she doesn’t come back.” She walked in her house then back out with a magical item. “Here, Konian. She came with this and left it.” I never heard anyone other than my grandparents call my father by his full name It made me uncomfortable. “Aqua’s better off being left alone so she can get better.” I didn’t believe that she needed us.

Dad shook his head. “You can keep the splicer.” It was a portal splicer; one I never knew we had. “Do you mind trying some tracking spells?”

Mae looked sad after he refused to take the portal splicer. “I’ll let you know if I find her.”

Two days later I was in the great hall with the king, queen, my father, and Hannah. “I got in contact with Lexus yesterday, but he claims that he doesn’t know where she is,” I reported.

“Yesterday the journalists reported that he was in an elf village, but he relocated.” Dad said. “They didn’t spot anyone with him, so I believe he was telling the truth.”

“The castle’s mage can’t track her, and the oracle hasn’t seen anything. Konn, send more guards to search for her and schedule a meeting with the werewolf alpha. I also need you to search for a new aid for Hannah.” The King assigned my father important tasks. “We want you both to lead the search for Aqua if that’s okay with you Cade.”

I wanted to find her as much as they did and if not more. “Of course.”

I spent so much searching for Aqua that I didn’t have much time to hang out with Sadia. After two weeks of Aqua being gone we had an unexpected visitor when we were in the forest. Lexus had landed in front of us in his dragon form then shifted into his human form. “I know I’m probably the last person you want to see right now Cade.”

“You are.” I wasn’t ready to see him. “Unless you have news about my sister I don’t want to hear it.”

“I want to help you find her. You know I’m the only one who can find her.”

Dad walked to us. “What do you mean you’re the only one?”

Lexus sighed. “Me and Aqua are mates, chosen by the moon goddess. If I get close enough to her I should be able to sense her even if I can’t see her.”

Maybe Lexus could help us find her.