He looked intrigued ... or suspicious. It was hard to tell.
“Uncle Marke should have considered how convenient that ability would be.” He smiled, flashing his gleaming teeth. “The updated environmental laws were passed over two thousand years ago – mandating that the protection of the environment was above all others in importance. Alestrite’s a non-degrading and impenetrable plastic that utilizes the power waves of the sunlight to store energy. It powers our lives without the burning or consumption of fuel, just pure sun energy.”
“If it’s non-degrading, isn’t that bad for the environment?”
This world was more enlightened than Earth. Of course, monkeys were more enlightened than most Earthlings.
“Where does it go when you’re finished with it?”
“On the rare occasions you need to dispose of your Alestrite, there is a method which dissolves the bonds. It forms harmless crystals, which are used in the powering of many smaller objects.”
I stared at him in wide-eyed shock for a moment.
Finally – a culture that understood destroying the organism that kept you alive was a dumb-ass move. Shaking it off, I continued to follow Brace, Lucy bringing up the rear as we moved along our current path. Brace then changed direction, turning smoothly into a small side street, which seemed to be a shortcut to one of the largest residences I’d ever seen. It was in its own little alcove and the ocean almost crested to its doorstep.
Staring up at the beautiful building, I sighed. It was a deep rich blue, a color I’d always been drawn to on Lucy’s color chart. Cerulean blue.
Two large pillars ran up the front entrance, elaborately carved with unusual symbols. The walls were Alestrite but the pillars looked like a porous deep burgundy stone. As I observed the magnificence a muffled noise broke the silence.
I turned around to find the source, Brace was standing to my right … but nothing else was around us. No source of noise and no Lucy.
Where the hell was Lucy?
She should have caught up to us by now. Spinning jerkily, I looked left and right.
A horrified cry escaped my mouth. My hands flapped helplessly at my side. Brace was next to me in an instant.
“Red?” he questioned me, before he noticed my frantic head spinning. “Where’s Lucy?” His tone was low and gruff.
She’d been right behind us before we took the shortcut. Was she still back on the main street?
The world was going gray around the edges. Pulling myself together, I refused to faint. We had moments before the trail grew cold. I hadn’t forgotten the story of Brace’s friend. Wrenching myself out of his arms, I ran back through the side street. We had to have lost her in the moments between this street and the house.
“Lucy ... LUCY ... LUCY!” My throat ached, protesting the screaming. I knew deep down I was overreacting. Lucy most probably had just wandered off, but I had a bad feeling, my stomach churning as I ran.
A few of the shuttered house windows showed signs of movement. But no inhabitants appeared.
Brace grabbed me from behind, halting my frantic progression through the town. I spun around, eyes firing, so ready to kick some ass.
“Abby, stop. Our only chance is to get help from the Frayres.” His face was all kinds of serious as he gripped my arms. “Trust me, Red.”
I was trembling so violently my cells felt like they would crumble apart.
Silent tears ran down my face. I needed to move but nothing responded. Reaching down, Brace lifted me into his arms. Turning, he ran toward the house. I dried my eyes on the soft material of his shirt, but tears just kept falling.
He dashed up to the front steps of the house. Pulling my face away, I stared at a group of men gathered there.
A search party.
I felt small surge of relief, despite the fact it was impossible for them to have gathered so quickly.
Brace barked out a few instructions and everyone dispersed.
I strongly believed Lucy wasn’t dead – yet – but I didn’t even know how bad this was.
Brace’s strong arms tightened around me as he carried me through the front door. Stepping through the entranceway and into a sitting room, he placed me on a white couch.
His expression was serious. “Don’t give up hope, Abby – and please don’t run off on a vigilante mission to get her back. They’ve already locked the town down. No one enters or leaves.”
He strode out the door to help search. Closing my eyes, I sank into the soft padding and drifted in my sea of worry, pain and anger.
Eventually, my independence kicked in and I started formulating a plan. I needed to gather information and find some supplies. Then I’d tear this world apart looking for Lucy. I was ready to kick anyone who stood in my way in the face.