The painting you made yesterday morning.
Salviana blinked, frowning.
"You painted six people," Jean whispered, her heart pounding, "three male, three female…and then you crossed out two of them."
Realization hit Salviana like a hammer, her stomach twisting painfully.
Her hand went to her throat, and she shook her head slowly.
"No," she said hoarsely.
"No, it doesn't mean, "
"But what if it does?" Jess whispered, face pale.
"What if it was a sign?"
The group hovered on the edge of despair, the idea sinking in , that maybe Thalia and Heappal were already beyond their reach.
"No," Salviana said fiercely, voice thick.
"We're not giving up on them. We can't."
Alaric nodded grimly.
"We'll find them," he said, his voice low and absolute.
"Dead or alive, we'll find them."
A murmur of agreement moved through the group , small but fierce.
They had already lost too much.
They wouldn't lose more if they could help it.
