“Carissa! Elon!” Lyron yelled.
Carissa moaned and tossed her arm over her eyes. Sunlight glowed brightly against her eyelids, but her body was heavy with exhaustion.
“Please come out. Lila’s missing, and I don’t know what to do.”
It took a moment for his words to register. Once they did, Carissa jerked into a sitting position. The air was chilly, and she wasn’t wearing a square inch of cloth. Carissa drew her arms around herself and glanced at Elon.
He wasn’t there. The tent was empty save for herself.
“Hello? Is anyone in there?” The flap of the tent began to rustle.
Carissa gasped. “Yes. Don’t come in. I’ll be out in a moment.”
The tent flap stilled. “Very well, but please hurry. I don’t know how long she’s been gone.”
Carissa scrambled for her undergarments. Where had Elon put them? Could he have tossed them to the ground? And where was he?
A flash of white caught Carissa’s eye. Her undergarments were dangling from the corner of the cot, clean and dry. She slipped on her undergarments and clothes before emerging from the tent.
