After Ryker finally said the name, “Dave,” Bryan and Aiden stood still, letting the name settle. They were trying to put a face to the name but could not.
“Do we know this person?” Aiden asked Ryker, still thinking.
“Maybe,” Ryker responded, unsure. “You might know him, but have just forgotten. So, this is all I have so far. He is not in the pack, no one knows where he is.” He told them as another heavy silence fell, frustration clear as they had no lead on finding Kira.
“I think I have an idea, while you both and the rest keep looking for leads,” Aiden said, breaking the silence after some minutes. “I will go to Morane,” he informed them. “If anyone can help us find Kira, it’s her. Maybe she will have a way or an idea that could give us the upper hand.”
“That’s right!” Bryan and Ryker agreed, immediately after exchanging looks.
“That is a solid idea,” Bryan uttered, feeling somewhat hopeful. “If anyone can assist us, it’s Morane. You go; don’t worry about things here, we will handle it,” he said to Aiden.
Aiden gave him and Ryker a curt nod before leaving, heading to Morane’s home.
Getting there, he knocked urgently yet firmly on her door, and within moments, the door opened.
“Alpha Aiden?” Morane asked with a surprised smile on her face. “I don’t think I was expecting you, and weren’t you on a trip? How come?” She asked, opening the door wider and urging him to come inside and make himself at home.
Going inside, Aiden did not want to waste any more time, so he immediately dove into the explanation. “Kira is missing. We suspect she has been taken, and we have no way, no lead, and nothing on where she could be. We were only able to find her smashed phone and a piece of clothing. Furthermore, we need your help. Is there anything you can do?” He asked, his words coming out fast and also laced with worry and desperation.
“Calm down,” Morane said to him softly before asking. “Are you sure she did not leave on her own?”
“I am sure,” Aiden answered without hesitation. “Kira did not leave on her own. She called us last night, we picked, but she was not saying anything. We kept saying hello… Kira, but nothing. When she finally said something, it was ‘help’, and immediately after she said it, the call ended. We didn’t even get a chance to react, we tried calling back and all, but the line was not going through, and this is why we rushed back. I am sure she did not leave on her own.”
“I know she didn’t,” he whispered to himself.
Morane hummed and nodded slowly. “I see,” she replied, her voice thoughtful. “A location spell could help,” she said to him. “I would need something of hers to connect with her energy directly. Bring me a strand of her hair, you can find one in her hairbrush.”
“Okay…” Aiden nodded, taking note. “Is there anything else you would need?”
“No. To do the spell, I will need just that. Hurry so I can start. We will find her, don’t worry.” Morane answered and reassured him.
“We will,” he agreed, nodding again at Morane’s instructions. “I will be right back,” he said, informing her.
Aiden then turned and left quickly, heading back home. He needed Kira’s hair, and he needed it fast. When he reached the house, he went straight to their room. In the room, he walked to Kira’s dressing table and started searching for her hairbrush.
He pulled open the top drawer, searching. He was still careful as he searched for it, moving some of her belongings with care. All he could see at the main time was some jewelry and hair ties but not a hairbrush. He still kept looking though until he finally found it.
“Ah, thank Goddess,” he said with gratitude, letting out a breath of relief.
Lifting it gently, he inspected the brush closely, hoping to find even the smallest strand of her hair.
“Maybe I said thanks a little too soon,” he thought, still inspecting closely.
Aiden’s eyes were so concentrated as he searched for a strand, and another wave of relief washed over him as he spotted some strands.
“This is good,” he muttered and carefully took them, holding them as though they were the most valuable thing in the world, which they actually were.
Securing them, he turned and rushed out of the room. There was no time to be wasted. They had no idea if every second they wasted would be a pain for Kira, so everyone was moving fast and being calculative. Aiden made sure he did not lose a single hair as he walked back to Morane’s home.
When he arrived, he saw that Morane was already waiting for him in her parlor. She was seated at a table with a map of New Orleans spread out in front of her.
Stepping into the room, Aiden held out the hair to Morane. “Here,” he uttered, “Will this be enough?” He asked, wanting to make sure they had everything they would need for the spell to work.
“Yes, this is enough,” Morane confirmed while taking the hair from his hand. “I will begin now.”
As she took the hair, she placed it gently on the center of the map, her fingers brushing softly along the surface of the map. Satisfied, she then rested her palms gently on either side of the map, allowing her fingers to frame the edges while keeping the surface clear.
Closing her eyes briefly, Aiden watched as she whispered a few words, then her eyes opened, and she began to chant.
“Ravka mostrar ven loka,” Morane muttered, her voice strong but calm as the words left her mouth, with her gaze fixed on the hair, “revelar atren reks, su moira.”
Aiden just watched her quietly, letting her do her thing. As she kept chanting those words, he noticed that the hair moved slowly when he leaned in to see how things were going.
“Ravka mostrar ven loka,” Morane continued chanting, her hands still on the map and soon the hair started moving faster than before, her voice now low as she muttered the last words, “revelar atren reks, su moira.”
Finally, the hair stopped moving as it laid still over a specific spot on the map.
“What’s wrong?” Aiden asked, not sure why Morane had stopped. “Why did you stop?”
“I didn’t stop,” Morane smiled, turning to look up at him, “I found her.”