The last hour was grueling. Selissa had done an excellent job delegating what sections of the city each party should search, dividing up her forces to scour each and every building, ask any citizen roaming the streets if they’d seen anything. Our search party had made good time, but still, had gotten nowhere, despite Sage’s spell casting.

“Lads, I’m getting tired,” Sage said from his horse. “I can only cast so many spells in one day. She has no recent tracks here that I’m sensing, and I need a break.”

I nodded. Sage had been casting spells that allow him to see Callisto’s tracks, where she’d stepped. They apparently lit up to his eyes alone, or at least would, if there were any tracks for him to sense.

If I were Callie traveling, where would I go? I wasn’t sure where Hazuzu would have her portal exit, but given how he’d portaled me, it wouldn’t be too far from her destination. She had to be in the city, or just outside it. Hazuzu wouldn’t be able to drop her in the throne room, or at least, he was too polite to do that. He probably had her exit just outside the city limits. And if I were Callie, where would I go from there? We were nearing the city limits now but were reaching the end of our section to search. Others would continue on to where I was considering we try next.

“Guys?” I said, drawing the attention of the handful of other guards in our party. “I have a hunch.”

Sage’s turned to me, eager to hear what I had to say. Everyone else just looked tired.

“It’s outside of our search section, but I have a good feeling of where she might be. Or had been.”

“Where?”

“Her favorite café.”

“Lead the way, then,” Sage said.

We gathered the horses and led them towards the city limits, past where we were told to stop searching and regroup, and then a bit further still. The café was on the edge of the outskirts of the city. The closer we got, the more excited I became, despite the dread that also grew within me. I had a bad feeling about what we were about to encounter. Something bright purple stood ahead on the road just outside the entrance to the café.

“What the fuck is that?” I said, squinting and peering ahead. “A purple signpost?”

Then it moved. I jumped back, almost falling off of my horse.

“What the fuck!” I shouted, regaining my balance as best as I could. The purple thing, which as we grew closer, seemed to be a person. Or at least, it looked like one despite its bright and unnatural color. It must be a demon. “I think we’ve happened upon her demon entourage,” I speculated, noting that there was a group of people near this purple being.

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I knew that Hazuzu wouldn’t have sent her alone. Prince Matthias must be around here somewhere, too. Finally, we were close enough to speak.

“Hey!” I shouted at the purple demon. “You’re Callie’s guard, right?”

“Ah, mister hunter!” said the purple demon. “And, uh, yes.”

“Where is she?”

“Great question,” the demon said with a shrug and fear in his deep violet eyes.

“What.”

“No, don’t freak out!” shouted the purple demon, hands raised. “She went into the café for a quick drink, she said, but it’s been almost an hour, now.”

“Have you been in to look for her?” I growled.

“Well, I’ve not. Too purple,” he grumbled. “This was the best I could manage.”

“Right. We’re going inside.” I dismounted my horse, barely managing not to fall on my face, and righted myself. I brushed the dust from the pants. “Sage, you coming?”

“Absolutely, lead the way.” Sage followed my lead, and we entered the café.

The atmosphere, typically relaxed though bustling with low conversation and occasional laughter, now sounded nervous. The people were stiff, fearful, eyeing us warily, gripping their drinks with white knuckled fingers. What had happened here?

“Can you cast your tracking spell now?”

“Should be able to. One moment.”

He closed his eyes, like I’d seen him do before, and made a few gestures with his hands in the air. A spark of light glowed over his fingers, which then rose from the digits to his eyes. The light faded inside him, and he opened his eyes again. It was always fascinating to watch him perform magic.

“What do you see?” I asked.

He pointed to the floor in front of us. “Follow me.”

Sage stared intently at the ground, following footsteps towards the barista counter. Apparently, she made an order. The tracks must have circled back a little to a small armchair where Callie probably waited to get her drink, but then Sage continued walking around towards the back of the café. It was a little hallway, likely for employees, that led towards the back door of the building. We were met with the back exit, which was swung open. The dirt outside was dry, but the wooden floor inside was a little slippery with something wet. I bent down to see what it was, and the smell told me immediately that coffee had spilled here. We stepped through the door, hoping to follow more tracks. A cup laid broken on the ground, tossed to the side. That must have been the source of the slipperiness inside.

“The tracks stopped here, right outside the door,” Sage said, puzzled, straightening up to scratch his head. “It’s like she disappeared.”

“Well if that was her coffee, then she was surprised. Something took her. A demon?”

Sage grimaced. “Probably the exact one we’re all fearing. We’re too late.”

“We have to tell the Queen. And Hazuzu,” I said, gritting my teeth. “We can’t let him hurt her.”

“We won’t, son. But you’re right. We need help. We’ve no idea where she might be, where he could’ve taken her.”

“Is there anything you can do,” I pleaded, “any spell you can cast to find her?”

His mouth was a thin line. “Yes, the one I just did... Come, Tomas. We have much to do.”

We backed out of the alleyway and returned to the demon entourage with grim faces.