Chapter 416: Red Skys

Talia I called again and again, shouting through our link until my throat felt raw and tears blurred my vision. But the emptiness stretched on, unyielding and cold. It was like reaching out into a void. Desperation mounting, I tried to reach out to my children. Valerie? Baylor? Can you hear me? Where are you? I yelled out loud. Nothing. Nothing came back at me—neither their voices, nor their laughter, nor their strange twin language that they liked to speak to shut out the rest of the world. Just nothing. “Lucia,” I tried next, forcing myself to stay calm. “Lucia, please.” I sent it across the planes of my mind, hoping that at least the bond I had with her was strong enough. But again, nothing. Lucy, are you there? I know you’re there! Just send me a mental image or something! I strained, sending a pulse of thought through our shared bond. Lucia, it’s Talia. Please, I need you. I need— Nothing. My knees buckled, and I slumped against the wall, gasping for breath as if the very