If All Else Fails

If All Else Fails
Emmalee
We search high and low, never venturing too far away from the mountains. 
We find nothing. Not a trace of them. Not even a scent. 
It's like they vanished into thin air which isn't possible. There always has to be a logical explanation for these kinds of things. 
So, where are they? Where'd they go?
Romain's frustration is emanating from him in waves. It thickens the air around us considerably, and he's fallen silent. Whenever that happens, it's a sign that mentally, he's tormented. 
I have no idea where they could be. If I had to take a wild guess, it'd be too wild—like perhaps they climbed the trees and jumped from branch to branch to avoid leaving a trace on the ground. But that sounds more like fantasy than real life, and I've seen how Romain's haze darts toward the trees. He thought about it, too. 
If he didn't mention it, it's because he also feels that's an unlikely explanation. 
The sky is black now, and it's getting harder and harder to see. I'm exhausted—physical exertion as well as my fragile state of mind just drained me. I want to sit in a room somewhere and properly mourn the loss of my friend. I'm so shocked. 
I still can't believe it. 
Sybille was the last person in the world to deserve this. I feel for Fang—I saw a part of him that I never in a million years would have guessed existed. He always seemed so cold to me. So brusque and insensitive. 
Well, it seems everyone has their weak spots. 
I wish we'd just find them. I'm determined to help Romain avenge Sybille's death. But the longer we look, the more improbable that becomes. 
Romain calls the search off, claiming we'd better wait for the wolves who ventured deeper into the woods to return. Maybe they'll have some good news for us.
Finally, he and I are alone while the others return to our side of the mountain. His hands are on his hips and he's rubbing his eyes. 
I inch closer to him and place my hand over his chest. His heart's beating pretty fast. "What's wrong? Tell me what you're thinking?"
"This isn't right," he sighs. "It just isn't."
"What do you think happened?"
"I don't know," he admits, defeated. "The rogues who fought them saw them all run in this direction. Their scent is all over the place but as soon as we move further away from the mountain, it disappears. That would mean they circled back, but they're not in their mountain, so where else could they be?"
I understand his frustration. Not a single stone was left unturned. We searched the mountain thoroughly, even going as far as reaching that waterfall where Sasha had me thrown into. 
Nothing. 
"I feel like the answer to all this is right in front of me," Romain adds. "But I can't figure it out. My mind's too full. I'm sick of this, Em."
"I know."
We stand closer together, holding each other. It's all we can do. Reassuringly, I say, "Maybe the others will have more news. Anything is possible."
Romain nods, taking my hand in his. I eye the wound on his neck. It has healed well but we didn't have a chance to clean the blood off, so the sight is still a grisly one. No matter. We'll have time for that when we get back. 
We start toward the mountain. I'm dead on my feet. Today has been one of the worst days of my life. Sybille. My heart breaks every time I think about her. Oh, how I wished she'd come with us. If she hadn't stayed to watch the hideout while we went away, none of this would have happened. 
Hell, so much has happened and we're all so crushed that I forgot all about Fang getting me captured back in Iron Claw. I guess it doesn't matter anymore in the face of all that's happened. 
It's a half an hour's walk to get there. My eyes are heavy from crying. My mouth is parched. Everything seems so helpless but whenever this thought crosses my mind, I remind myself that at least I'm here and not with Soren in Iron Claw. 
Things could always be worse than they are now.
Finally, we arrive at the mountains. I can already imagine myself lying down and allowing my body to rest for the day. So much has happened and we've had such a short amount of time to process it. 
I'm fairly certain that when I wake up, I'll still be shocked that Sybille is gone. 
I glance at Romain as we head inside. He keeps looking around, brow furrowed. I want to ask him what's wrong but feel too exhausted to do so. I push all my worries aside for now and focus on what's right in front of me. 
And that would be sleeping this terrible day away.
Tomorrow, our minds will be clearer and—
"Did you hear that?" Romain asks with an urgency that scares away my exhaustion. 
"What?"
He pauses and tilts his head to the side. A few seconds pass and I try to do the same. Slowly, his eyes widen, and my heart sinks at the sound of screams coming from the very depths of the cave. 
A curse leaves Romain's lips as he reaches for my hand. "I need to get you someplace safe."
"There's no time for that!" I argue, digging my heels into the ground. "People are in danger! We have to do what we can to help!"
"I should've known it," he grits out. "They were here this whole time. We didn't search our part of the mountain as we should have. They were probably hiding in the rooms. Under the beds."
"We have to go," I remind him. "Romain? Now."
We start up the small hill that leads us to the mouth of the cave. My heart is slamming against my chest by the time we reach the top. The screams get louder the closer we get to the main area. My guess is they're coming from the rooms, as Romain mentioned. 
"What do we do?" I ask. "We need a—a plan of sorts!"
Romain looks around, deep in thought. We're running out of time. There's no predicting what these savages are doing to Fang's people. 
"I head in first. If Sasha's mother is there, I'll confront her."
"Then what?"
Romain stares at me with a despair that's palpable. With a shaky breath, I take his face in my hands. "Don't even think about it."
"It's not...I can't lose you, Emmalee."
"Stop treating me like I'm a child!" I exclaim. "I'll be fine. What then?"
Romain comes up with a plan quickly and I nod along as I listen. This is all hypothetical—we don't know what awaits us on the other side. Anything could happen and I'll trust my instincts if all else fails. 
I refuse to lose him. I won't. I almost lost him today and that made me realize that I wouldn't survive it. 
I won't ever allow myself to feel that helpless ever again.