Chapter 173

Agnes

I barely slept that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw her—my baby, alone and afraid in a dark cave. I imagined her cries echoing off the stone walls, growing fainter and fainter until they stopped altogether.

By the time morning arrived, my eyes were swollen and my throat was raw. But I felt strangely determined, as if I might actually find something other than remains in that cave today.

Elijah was already awake when I finally gave up on sleep. He had laid out my clothes for me—a pair of jeans, a tight-fitting tank top, and one of his sweaters. I couldn’t help but smile softly as I slipped it over my head and inhaled his scent. He knew how much I needed the extra comfort today without even having to ask, and I loved him even more for it.

When I finally made my way down to the kitchen, my hair pulled back in a low messy bun, he was already waiting for me.

“I made coffee,” he said by way of greeting, handing me a steaming mug and kissing me on the temple as he leaned in. “And there’s toast.”

I shook my head. The thought of food made my stomach turn. “Coffee’s enough.”

His eyes hardened. “Eat, Agnes.”

My lips pressed together, but I obliged and managed to eat a slice of buttery toast. It helped.

Later, we drove in silence, following the directions the detective had given us. The road wound deeper and deeper into the forest, eventually turning to gravel, then to dirt. When we finally stopped, we were surrounded by dense trees, the morning sun barely penetrating the thick canopy.

I sat frozen in the passenger seat, staring at the small gathering of people ahead. Police officers, search volunteers with dogs, park rangers with maps spread across the hood of a truck. They all looked so purposeful, so prepared. And here I was, unable to even open the car door.

“Agnes,” Elijah said softly. “You don’t have to do this, you know. I can go, and you can wait here. Or we can both go home right now.”

“No. If... if she’s in there, I want to be there. I need to be there.” I turned to look at him, blinking back tears. “What if her spirit is trapped in those caves? What if she’s been waiting all this time for someone to find her? Her mother should be the first person she sees.”

It sounded ridiculous even to my own ears—the idea that my daughter’s spirit might be lingering. I wasn’t even sure if I believed in such things. But after all I had learned from that spell book and the witch—rest her soul—I couldn’t rule it out entirely anymore.

Elijah leaned across the console, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead, then the tip of my nose, then my lips. He cupped my face in one of his large palms and stroked my cheekbone with his thumb. “You’re amazing,” he murmured. “So strong. But if at any point you change your mind, we leave. No questions asked.”

I nodded, drawing a deep breath. “Let’s go.”

As we approached the group, I clutched Elijah’s hand like my life depended on it. Several people turned to look at us, their expressions shifting to recognition and sympathy when they saw me. I straightened my spine, lifting my chin slightly. I couldn’t break down. Not yet.

“Luna Agnes?” A young woman stepped forward. She couldn’t have been older than eighteen. “I’m Tara. I’m the one who found your daughter’s…” She cleared her throat. “I’m the one who found the bunny.”

“Oh,” I said, suddenly unsure of what to say. Thank you seemed inappropriate, considering what her discovery might lead to. “I appreciate you bringing it to the police,” I finally said.

The girl nodded, twisting her hands together. “I’ve been following your case for some time. I’m pregnant, and the thought of losing my baby…” She trailed off, touching her hand to her belly.

My heart ached, and without thinking, I reached out and squeezed her arm. “Are you getting the support you need?”

Her eyes flicked up. “What?”

I nodded toward the slight swell of her belly. “The father. Your parents. Friends. Anyone. Are you taken care of?”

The girl hesitated, then bit her lip, shaking her head. I thought I was going to be sick. Quickly, I pulled a scrap of paper out of my bag and jotted down my work number and email, then handed it to her. “The pack provides services to single mothers. If you need clothes, supplies, support, anything at all, call me. You’re not alone.”

She took the paper, her hands trembling slightly. I think she thanked me, but it was so soft I almost couldn’t hear it. Elijah squeezed my hand, and when I glanced at him, I saw pride in his eyes.

But I wasn’t looking for pride. I just hated the thought of another woman having to feel alone when she needed help the most.

The detective approached then, nodding briefly to Elijah and me. “We’re ready to begin,” he said. “The cave system is extensive, so we’ve divided into teams. You’ll be with me and Officer Rodriguez.” He gestured to a woman checking equipment nearby. “We’ve got maps and communication devices, but stay close. It’s easy to get disoriented in there.”

I nodded, trying to ignore the cold fear creeping up my spine. I hated enclosed spaces—always had. The thought of entering those dark tunnels made my chest tight with panic. But if my baby had been in there, if she’d died alone in the dark... I could endure a few hours of discomfort.

The cave entrance was larger than I’d expected, a gaping mouth in the hillside partially obscured by vegetation. Cool air flowed from within, carrying a musty, mineral scent. Flashlights clicked on as we approached, beams of light piercing the darkness beyond.

“Stay between me and Officer Rodriguez,” the detective instructed. “Watch your footing—the ground is uneven.”

Elijah squeezed my hand once more as we entered, his palm warm against mine. I focused on that warmth, on the solid presence of him beside me, as the light from outside gradually dimmed behind us.

The cave was eerily beautiful in a way I hadn’t anticipated. Our flashlights illuminated stalactites hanging from the ceiling, water droplets clinging to their tips. The walls glittered faintly with embedded minerals, and in some places, the calcium formations created shapes almost like frozen waterfalls.

But the beauty did little to ease my growing discomfort. The further we went, the narrower the passage became, until the walls touched my shoulders on either side. My breathing quickened. If the passages got any tighter, I wasn’t sure I could continue.

“You okay?” Elijah whispered, his voice echoing in the cave.

I nodded even though I wasn’t okay, not remotely, but I would keep going anyway. For her. My baby.

Had she been afraid? Had she cried out for me? The thought of her trapped in this cold, dark place was almost more than I could bear. I hoped it had been quick—that whatever predator had taken her hadn’t made her suffer. The alternative was unthinkable.

We continued deeper, following markers left by earlier search teams. Occasionally, our detective would stop to confer with the officer, checking the map and speaking quietly into a radio. Each time, my heart would leap into my throat, certain they’d found something.

“This section branches into three tunnels,” the detective explained as we reached a large chamber. “Teams are already searching the left and right passages. We’ll take the center.”

The center passage was the narrowest of the three, barely wide enough for a grown man to pass through comfortably. Elijah went first, never letting go of my hand, pulling me gently behind him as he moved sideways through the tunnel.

“We’re almost through,” he assured me. “Just a few more feet.”

And then, suddenly, the passage opened up into another chamber. I gulped in air, forcing the claustrophobia back down.

The detective’s radio crackled to life, static followed by a garbled voice. He stepped away to respond.

“They’ve found something,” Officer Rodriguez said quietly, her eyes flicking to me with what looked like pity.

My stomach twisted. “What? What did they find?”

Before she could answer, the detective returned. “Team two found something in the eastern passage,” he said. “They’re requesting we join them.”

“What did they find?” I repeated, my voice rising.

“Some... remains,” he said finally. “Small bones. They want you to... to look at them.”

The world tilted sideways, and I would have fallen if not for Elijah’s arm around my waist. Bones. They’d found bones. Small bones. Baby bones.

“Take us there,” Elijah commanded.

The journey through the tunnels passed in a blur. I was vaguely aware of Elijah guiding me, of the detective’s back moving ahead of us, of other voices growing louder as we approached. But it all felt distant, underwater, as if happening to someone else.

And then we were there, in a small alcove off the main passage, where a circle of flashlights illuminated the ground. People stepped aside as we approached, creating a path to what they’d found.

Two small bones lay on a plastic sheet. One was clearly a tiny femur. The other was a partial jawbone, with several baby teeth still intact.

“No…”

Everything else faded into background noise as I stared at the bones. My baby’s bones. All that remained of the life I’d carried, the child I’d loved for a few brief weeks before she was stolen.

I dropped to my knees beside them, a keening sound escaping my throat that sounded almost like a wolf’s howl in the cave. My breath left me, my vision blurring. This was real. This was really happening.

“My baby,” I sobbed, reaching out a shaking hand toward the bones but stopping short of touching them. “My poor baby...”

The cave seemed to spin around me, darkness creeping in at the edges of my vision. I was dimly aware of Elijah crouching beside me, his arms wrapping around me, his voice in my ear saying words I couldn’t comprehend.

The last thing I felt before consciousness slipped away was those arms tightening around me, cradling me against his warm chest.

And then grief pulled me from reality altogether.