Blood On The Altar

Chapter 16

I looked down at my hand clasping his, struggling to get my emotions under control. "You have to wake up. You have to be okay."

Now, I have no idea if Merais decided to take pity on me, or if it was just fate. As the words left my mouth, his hand twitched. My eyes widened as I leaned toward him. "Dad? Can you hear me?"

I felt Mom beside me, felt the fear and hope warring inside her as we waited for him to open his eyes. He gasped, a groan escaping his mouth as he opened his eyes, gaze darting around the room. When it finally settled on Mom, the worry and relief in her eyes, he lifted a weak hand to her cheek.

Mom was crying as she put a hand over his own, leaning into his touch. I couldn't breathe as I stared at Dad, his chest rising and falling steadily as he breathed, the light in his dark-green eyes slowly returning. He met my gaze, the exhaustion in his eyes softened by love. "Hey, baby," he whispered.

Those two words broke me. The fear, anger, sadness, and exhaustion poured out of my body in the form of gut-wrenching sobs. I barely felt the arm Kai put around me, pulling me to him. I was left gasping and lightheaded when the tears finally subsided. Mom glanced at me, the question in her eyes mirroring my own expression. She turned back to Dad, but he had already pulled back the covers.

As one, we all looked at his torso where the bandage lay, tightly wrapped. Dad took a deep breath, steeling himself as he gently started unwrapping the bandage. When the wound was just barely visible, I let out a cry, my body going limp against Kai's. Aside from a large scar stretching vertically across his torso and some minor bruising, the surgeons had done a remarkable job.

If you looked closely, you could see where the stitches had been put in at the edges of the wound to close it. I wasn't in control of my body as I rose from my chair, backing out of the room. The tears returned with a vengeance, flowing down my cheeks like a river. My chest was heaving as I sobbed, the fear feeling like it was crushing my chest.

When I thought of how close we'd come to losing him... I couldn't bear it. "He's going to be okay, Izzy," a soft voice said from behind me. I didn't need to look up to know it was Kai. He wrapped his arms around me, pulling me close.

"It's not just that," I choked out. I felt more than saw Kai's confusion. His eyes were filled with worry as I glanced up at him. "I have to go tell his parents what happened. How can I look them in the eyes and tell them that their son suffered a nearly-fatal wound? That we almost..." My throat tightened, cutting off the rest of my words. I could tell by the look in Kai's eyes that he understood, however. That we almost lost him.

He pressed a kiss to my head. "Not alone, you don't." His hand found mine, his grip warm and reassuring.

The swim to the floor of rooms above the dungeons was uneventful. Aside from the few guards we passed, we didn't encounter a soul. I had just lifted my hand to knock when the door flew open. "Isadora!"

Hearing my grandmother's voice, filled with surprise, almost broke me all over again. I nearly faltered at the concern in their gazes. I managed to meet her gaze, though my hands were trembling violently.

In an attempt to give me a chance to pull myself together, Kai quickly introduced himself, meeting both of their gazes. My grandfather's voice pulled me out of my thoughts, concern lacing the words. "Is everything okay, Izzy?"

I began shaking as more tears filled my eyes. "Dad... There was an accident. He's awake and recovering now, but..." The words grew trapped in my throat, lodging themselves where they wouldn't budge. Kai again took over, his eyes sorrowful as he explained what had happened, starting with the attack on the palace and ending with Ronan and Dad.

The cry that my grandmother uttered broke my heart clean in two. It had been broken so many times, I wondered how it was even still beating. My grandfather was more composed, though grief was etched on his face. "Nerissa? Is... is she..." He trailed off, but I understood.

I nodded. "Mom's fine. She's at the hospital with him. She hasn't left his side since the accident."

"Can we see him?" The words were halting, uncertain. I didn't answer right away. From what I could tell, they seemed to have recovered completely from the effects of the Loyalty Pendant, but I didn't want to take any chances.

I exchanged a glance with Kai, the question in my gaze clear as day. I read the answer in his own, his eyes clear. It's your call. Do what you think is right. With more courage than I felt, I nodded, gesturing for them to follow me.

When we reached the hospital, I paused at the entrance. Kai read the hesitation on my face. We don't have to do this if you don't want to, his gaze seemed to say. I had to do this, if not for myself, then for Dad. I shook my head, swimming into the waiting room. My entire body was trembling as we swam to his room. I opened the door, preparing to say something, but I didn't get the chance. Dad spoke, his voice raw and hoarse from disuse. "Mom?"

She flew into his open arms, being careful to avoid his injury as she hugged him. I stayed back against the wall, watching the reunion from a distance. Later that night, I lay awake in bed, contemplating the day's events. Yes, Dad's parents were back and that was great, but what if it was all part of Ronan's plan? What if he had a bigger endgame in mind, one that we couldn't possibly anticipate?

The instant Kai's arms wrapped around me, the worries vanished, replaced by overwhelming exhaustion. I fell asleep the second my eyes closed.

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