The Master of Dragons

Chapter 15

      Cole parked his bike in the parking spot as he stared into the park in front of him. He ran his hands through his hair as he swung his leg off his bike and walked into the park. This was the last place that he could think of, but he had his hopes. He walked down the path, keeping his eyes peeled for any movement.

      When he made it to the top of the hill where they had taken the photo that she had on her desk. He looked around but saw no one. He sighed before bringing his hands up and cupping them around his mouth.

"Daniella! Where are you?" he called out, waiting to hear an answer.

      When there was no answer Cole tried again, louder this time. When there was still no answer, Cole let his hands fall to his sides in defeat. He groaned inwardly as he sat down in the grass and rested his head in his hands. He couldn't believe he had let her slip away from him. There had been so many signs that he had missed because he had been so absorbed in his fight with Jay. Cole could feel his eyes well up with tears as he continued to think about all the signs that he had missed when his phone rang, pulling him from his thoughts.

"Hello?" he sniffled.

"Hello son," his father's voice filtered through the speaker.

"Hi Dad," he whispered.

"Kai called. He said that you stormed out of the Monastery without an explanation, and that you haven't been answering their calls. What's going on?" his father asked.

"She's gone, and it's all my fault," he answered, wiping her face.

"Who's gone?" his father asked.

"Dani."

      His father was silent on the phone for a moment, gathering his thoughts. He could hear the pain in his son's voice as he tried to explain everything that had happened. His heart broke as he listened to his son tried not to cry on the other end of the phone. When Cole had given up trying to explain without crying, Lou tried to sooth his son from the other side of the phone.

"It is going to be okay son," he soothed.

"No, it's not. She's gone and I can't find her," Cole sobbed quietly though the phone.

"Surely she won't be gone forever," Lou tried to reason.

"But what if she is gone forever?" Cole asked. Lou tried to come up with a reason that Daniella would come back. But from what he had gathered, he wasn't even sure if Daniella would come back.

      Lou thought back to all the visits that the blonde had paid to his studio. The girl was very talented with her voice and loved to have singing lessons, as well as tea. He sighed as he listened to his only son's heart break over the phone. His eyes wondered over to a photo of his wife and his son from years past.

"Where are you now son?" Lou asked gently.

"In the park, why?"

"Can you drive?"

"Yeah, I think so."

"Then come home," Lou cooed. He listened to his son on the other end of the line sniffle as he considered it.

"But what about Daniella?" he asked.

"Come home and we can come up with an idea of where she went. But I don't want you out there by yourself," Lou answered.

"Okay," Cole said after a while, wiping his face. He told his dad about what time he would be there and said goodbye before hanging up.

      He looked out at the trees surrounding him one last time, hoping that Daniella would come through the trees. A moment past, and then another before Cole pulled himself up from the ground, letting the hope of finding her slip through his fingers. He shoved his phone into his back pocket before making his way back to his bike.

      He revved the engine before pointing the bike in the direction of his father's house and didn't turn back.