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Once the storm surge released her, Lydia flailed around trying to escape from the tear back to the others, but the pull of it was too strong and she felt herself being inexorably pulled into it in spite of her struggles. As she tumbled into it, her psychic senses were overwhelmed by energy, rendering her essentially blind – which was why she didn’t sense the other person in the tear with her until they slammed into her, rendering her unconscious.
***
Andrew was studying Draconic with Naria again when a feeling of blind panic overwhelmed him. He leapt to his feet and ran towards the study, where he knew his father was, and nearly crashed into Karen and Daniel. As Andrew reached for the door handle, Matthias pulled the door open, looking just as panicked as Andrew felt.

“Something’s happened to Lyd!” Daniel said before any of the others could speak.

“I know,” Matthias said. “She’s not dead but I can’t get a lock on where she is, except I don’t think she’s on Earth and I think she’s unconscious. I’m trying to reach Sonia but between her own panic and her being in the void I can’t figure out what’s happened.” He held out his hands to them. “Come on. We’re going to Ystelyan’s palace to wait for her and the others.” He hesitated. “We should probably warn him we’re coming.”

“He already knows,” Naria said from where she had come up behind Andrew. “Whatever happened, he sensed it as well because he was keeping an eye on Talira.”

“Well that’s good at least,” Matthias said. “Let’s go.”
***
Sonia and the others were already there when they gated into Ystelyan’s throne room. Sonia was sitting in a chair sobbing into her hands, while two of Ystelyan’s healers attended her. She looked up as they appeared then leapt to her feet and ran to Matthias, hugging him desperately.

“Sonia what happened?” he asked.

“L-lyd’s gone!” she sobbed. “There was a storm in the void. It dragged Lydia into the tear. I shouldn’t have taken her. Is she okay? Did you find her?”

“No, she’s not on Earth.” Matthias hugged Sonia harder as her sobbing redoubled. “She’s not dead. We’ll find her. And it’s not your fault, Sonia. Lyd wanted to go and she’s old enough to make her own decisions. Look after her, please.” He handed her over to the two healers as they hurried over and walked over to Indaturan. “Can you show us what happened?”

“Of course.” He replayed what they had found in the void and what they had seen happen to Lydia. “If she didn’t end up on Earth, I don’t know where she is.”

“C-could she be trapped in the tear?” Andrew asked. “How do we get her back?”

Indaturan shook his head. “No, we would have sensed if she was still in there. She must be elsewhere.”

“I don’t think that surge that tore her away from us was actually accidental,” Talira said. “I think whoever created the storm grabbed her for some reason.”

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