“But they’re in the house—”
“They’re gone,” he said brusquely. “I watched them leave.”
As soon as we were in the woods again, he dropped me. I whirled to face him.
“What happened?” I demanded.
“A group came at me from behind,” he explained, looking sombre. His cloak was ripped and torn, as was his tunic. “I chased them back, but as I did, I heard shouting.”
Eldon and the others had gathered around him. He looked away.
“They were already leaving. I went after them, but they got away.”
“But they can’t go in the house—” Eldon said, frowning.
“Obviously they can,” Laine said. “We were wrong.”
“Were they looking for Laura?” Allison asked. “Is everyone else all right—”
“They weren’t looking for Laura,” Laine said quietly. “They never were.”
“What do you mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.
Laine put his hand on my arm. “They took Tom.”
Chapter Twenty-Seven
I sat in my kitchen, unable to speak or move or do anything at all. The police were there, asking my parents questions and inspecting the back door. My parents had been looking for me in a panic, of course. I told them I’d heard Tom shouting and chased the kidnappers outside. Then I’d just broken down and sobbed so hard that my body was shaking and my legs were weak and they had to sit me in this chair. Eldon, Laine, and the others had fallen back into the trees, obviously unable to follow me inside wearing their cloaks and swords. I was alone, back in the real world, just staring at nothing.
And now I couldn’t even cry anymore. All I could do was think about Tom.
I’d let my brother down.
Shal and Mia had already been picked up by their parents, and they’d given me quick hugs before they left. They hadn’t heard me leave, so they believed the story.
I’d pulled off the fabric Allison had wrapped around my arm before I went inside, and told my parents I must have cut it on a branch or something. It was way too deep for that, but my mom was putting antibacterial cream and bandages on it so fast I don’t think she even noticed. Her hands were shaking the whole time, tears pouring down her face.
She was still crying, leaning against the counter with her face in her hands and sobbing. Stache was just pacing around, unable to sit still. They didn’t understand.
Of course they didn’t. They couldn’t. I wanted to tell them what had happened, but Eldon had quietly told me the same rules applied before I went in. If I told my parents, there would be repercussions. He said the Swords were already tracking the goblins. They’d find Tom. But that was no consolation to me. Nothing was. My brother was gone, and it was my fault. I felt tears streaming down my cheeks again.
Another officer knelt down in front of me. “You’re sure you didn’t see anything?”
I shook my head. “Just their backs. Two of them. One was holding Tom.”
He nodded and put his hand on my knee. “We’ll find them.”
No, you won’t, I thought to myself. I will.
It was another few hours before they left. Stache managed to install some new hinges and lock the door, and we all just sat in the living room for a while. No one slept. We just sat there in silence, and Stache rubbed my back as I sat there and wondered if the Swords had found anything. Uncle Laine had come inside soon after me, telling my father that he had seen the flashing lights, and told me when no one was listening that Eldon and the other Swords were searching for the tunnel the monsters were using. Uncle Laine left soon after to join the search—he seemed almost crazed, clenching his fists and telling me he would come get me the second he found something. He said he had tracked the goblins a fair way and had a vague idea of where the tunnel might be. He also told me he wouldn’t sleep until he found it, which made me feel a little better.
I wanted to search too, but there was no way I could leave my parents now.
When the sun was up and streaming through the windows, I told my parents I was going to try and lie down for awhile. My mom gave me a hug, tears streaming down her face.
“We’ll be right here,” she whispered.
When I was alone in my room, I finally let it out. I grabbed my eyes and sobbed, the tears rolling down my face like twin rivers spilling into falls. I started shaking and trembling and curled into a little ball on my bed, pulling my knees to my chest. All I could see was Tom with the monsters, and when my mind wandered to the worst, the sobbing would start again. I was completely broken.
I lay there, crying for hours, before I finally drifted off into an uneasy sleep.
—
I woke to someone caressing my face. I snapped awake and found my mom sitting over me, running her fingers along my cheek. Her eyes were puffy and red.
“Hey, Laura,” she said softly.
“Hey,” I whispered.
“Your uncle Laine is here,” she said. “He invited you to spend the night at their place. Said it might be good to get you away from the house for a bit—and away from these woods.” She ran her fingers through my hair. “I said I would ask you.”
I didn’t want to leave the house, but I knew what Laine was doing: giving me a chance to talk to someone about what had actually happened. He was giving me an out.
“I think it might be a good idea,” I said, pushing myself up. “If you and Dad are going to be all right.”
She smiled sadly. “We have each other for company. I’ve just been crying on his shoulder most of the day anyway.”
I leaned over and gave my mom a hug. She buried her face in my shoulder.
“I want him back,” she said,
