Shades of Starlight (Hiatus)

Book Two: Chapter Seven

"What-" I tried to ask, but nobody was paying attention to me.

"We have to get him to Everglen now," Grady ordered, holding his pathfinder up. "I'll hail Elwin when we get there." He helped Fitz support Alden and leaped away.

"Take Sophie back to Havenfield," Edaline told Sandor, and Biana grabbed my hand seconds before they leaped away with Della.

"Are you sure you-" I tried to ask Biana as we were dragged into Everglen.

"I want you here," she insisted. Della ushered us into Biana's room when Elwin arrived, not wanting us to be around for potentially upsetting conversations. I pulled her onto her canopy bed next to me seconds before she broke down.

"Do you want to calm down?" I asked softly. She shook her head. That was what I had expected. Right now, she needed to feel this pain, and it was enough for me to be there for her. I didn't have to Beguile her, that wasn't what she wanted. So I sat on her bed, holding her as she cried her heart out.

Eventually, minutes or hours later, the sobbing subsided, and she fell silent, eyes closed. She wasn't asleep, she just didn't want to face reality right now. I wasn't sure I wanted to either. For some reason, I hadn't shed a single tear yet, even though both Keefe and I saw Alden as our second father. I stroked Biana's long, dark brown hair, whispering reassurances in her ear. She raised her head after a minute, placing her hand over mine.

"I want to see what's happening," she announced firmly. I agreed without argument, knowing that she wouldn't give in on this. Opening the door of her room carefully, we set off toward Alden and Della's bedroom. It was only a few doors down from Biana's. She was as white as a sheet, and I considered talking her out of doing this. But she deserved to know how her father was. Instead, I knocked three times on the door. Elwin's voice from inside told us to come in. Squeezing Biana's hand, I swung the door open.

Alden was lying on the silver-posted bed, asleep, Elwin working with several differently colored spheres of light. He was a Flasher, and could find out a lot from flashing lights on body parts and looking at them through special glasses. Della was sitting on the edge of a chair with a somber look on her face. Biana squeaked softly behind me.

"How is he?" I asked, knowing Biana couldn't. Elwin sighed.

"Physically, fine. I thought it might have been head trauma from the injury he sustained, but there's absolutely nothing wrong with any of his cells. Nothing on any of his nerves, veins, muscles, or any other injuries that... that I can fix right now."

"Is it... is it good that he's asleep?" I asked carefully. Elwin adjusted his glasses.

"That's only the sedative. You should leave, though. It'll wear off in a minute or so," he told us. I tugged on Biana's hand.

"Let's go, Bia. I-I don't think we should see this right now." Right now, she was too fragile for this. She needed more time, and some rest. 

"I... I don't..." She sighed. "Okay." She let me pull her back to her room in silence, hearing screams behind us. I hailed Keefe, telling him exactly what to feed Stormy and watching him do it to make sure he did it right. When I was sure my kitsune would be okay with my brother, I was finally calm. Biana and I laid on her bed together and talked about nothing for hours, neither of us wanting to sleep. I knew that if it came, it would be nightmares. It was two in the morning before I decided that Biana wasn't going to sleep without help. It was time to use my power. A few minutes of quiet let me choose the best way to get her asleep. A lullaby.

"When the dark comes, late at night,

There's always a way to find the light

The moon, the planets and all the stars too