On occasion, Charisma would facetime and show off the state of the house. She brought in a team of designers to make the house beautiful. Everything from the kitchen, to bathroom, to finally, the nest. It was coming together well. Better than any of us could have ever done.
We all wanted it perfect for when Skye came home.
Chapter 8
SKYE
Somethingdistantyetfamiliarwas calling me. Some part of my awareness reached for it. Just by doing that, the conscious effort to connect with it made me feel less alone.
It was like a rope. A four-strand braid of strong fiber that I knew well. If I could just grab it, I knew I wouldn’t sink. Wouldn’t drown.
My vision was blurry when I finally opened my eyes. My eyelids were so heavy, and sleep seemed like such a good idea.
I heard my name, and felt Halo’s touch not only on my hand, but laced through my aura. Her brown sugar and plum scent pulled me toward wakefulness, bolstered by the strong dark coffee scent of Severen, and the whisky barrels buried in grave dirt that was Crux.
Crux said something, but it was rushed and muffled and I couldn’t make it out. Then he was gone.
My eyes came into focus, and the first thing I saw was Halo’s beautiful face.
“You’re awake.”
I wanted to ask what happened but I couldn’t speak. My throat wouldn’t work right. Panic began to swell and my eyes opened wider. I squeezed Halo’s hand. Where was I? Why couldn’t I talk? Somewhere, an irritating, rhythmic beeping grew more and more rapid.
“Calm down, baby,” Halo said, placing her cool, soft hand on my forehead. “It’s alright. You have to relax. You…” She exchanged a glance into somewhere I couldn’t see, but I could sense Severen. Halo returned to looking into my eyes.
“You had an accident. You passed out. You’re in the hospital.”
The hospital? A tear slipped from my eye, traced my ear and soaked into the pillow.
Crux’s scent grew more potent as he appeared at my bedside, along with a woman I didn’t know.
“Skye? I’m nurse Lawrence, how are you feeling?”
I couldn’t speak. More tears threatened to fall from my eyes but Halo’s calming aura wrapped around me like my favorite plush blanket and soothed me.
“We paged Dr. Houser,” said the nurse. “He should be here momentarily to do a check up.”
I wanted to ask for water. Instead, the request came out as a dry, crackling hiss.
In the distance there was a rattling sound. Crux returned to my bed with a cup. He spooned chips of ice to my mouth, and slowly, carefully tipped them past my lips. He was apparently the only one who could decipher my rasp-language.
The ice burned going down my throat but it also had never tasted so sweet.
I looked at my pack with questions in my eyes.
“How… long?” I croaked.
When they told me, I didn’t believe them at first, but then I noticed the dark skunk stripe in Crux’s perpetually blue hair.
“Your… roots,” I said.
He raked his fingers through his hair, tousling it self-consciously. “It doesn’t matter.”
“Matters.” I took a shallow breath, already feeling exhausted. “To me.”
Halo stroked my forehead. “I’ll take him to a salon when you’re feeling better. All three of us can go. For now, just rest.”
My eyes drifted closed. Tempting as it was, I didn’t want to sleep. I felt I had slept too long, and my pack needed me.
