It was hard to leave my friends. I was only going to the hotel to meet Cronus but I felt like I was saying goodbye to them forever. Our school days were coming to an end and our lives were changing.
Fallon felt vulnerable with her parents divorce and she was focusing all her energy into passing her exams and pursuing her career into the legal progression. Arizona was struggling to focus on her exams as she was feeling creative and already creating products and designing logos and name ideas for her cosmetic company.
They all thought I had no vision. Even though I didn't have any career goals and I had no idea what I wanted to do professionally, I felt I had true clarity on what was important. It was those that truly care for me that mattered. I was determined to find a way to bring my parents back, and bring my brother home. I would find a way that I could keep my friends in my life and maybe even trust someone enough to fall in love again.
When I arrived at the hotel, Callum greeted me. He took me through to a large dining room and we sat along a long rectangle table. I felt odd. I had that same strange feeling that my head was under water. Cronus was late. I felt something was wrong. I was trying to listen to what everyone around me was saying. I could see they were smiling, laughing, clinking drinks. This looked like a celebration but my mind felt fuzzy like it wasn't my own. The whooshing whirling in my ears getting louder, making it hard to hear anything else and then I heard Darcia, "He got him!"
I didn't need to know who. Goosebumps trailed up my arm. The silence after hearing her message was almost deafening. I pushed my chair back so roughly, it dropped to the floor. I got my mobile phone out of my bag.
"Are you okay?" Callum asked.
I nodded but my body was shaking. "I need to make a call." I tried to get Nate's number up as I walked out the room but my hands dropped the handset. I quickly picked it up and clicked his name. The phone rang and rang. I waited impatiently for his voice, desperate for him to answer. "Come on!" I begged but I knew it was too late. I ran out of the hotel into the gardens and shifted.
I flew to Nate's house, landing in the garden near the summer house where we had frequented. I cast my shadow and was running into the house. Banging on the back door. Fallon came to answer.
"Kya?" She asked as she opened the door, "What is it?"
"I need to see Nate."
"He's in his room."
I pushed past her and ran through her house. She was close behind me as we ran up the stairs to his room. I pushed open his door and I saw him lying on his bed, fast asleep. I breathed a sigh of relief. Perhaps I wasn't too late. "Nate," I called to him. "Nate!" I called a little louder. He didn't answer. I ran to him and began to shake his shoulder, "Nate?"
Fallon joined me calling his name too, "Nate, wake up!" She looked at me in alarm, "What's wrong with him?"
I shook my head. Fear gripped me as I feared he was dead. Fallon tipped head back and hovered her cheek by his face.
"What are you doing?" I asked,
"He is breathing!"
We both sighed.
Then Fallon kicked into a serious mood, "Fold that duvet and raise his legs!" I did as she said whilst she pulled her mobile phone from her jean pocket and dialled a number. She waited for someone to answer and then said, "Ambulance, please."
"Is it that serious?" I gasped
"He's unconscious and we don't know why." Fallon snapped. She pressed the button to put it on speaker phone and began patting Nate's body down, "Can you see anything that's restrictive?"
I checked my side but shook my head. She began unbuckling his trousers and then opened his mouth and looked inside.
"Hello, where are you calling from?" A woman with a gentle calm voice asked into the phone.
Fallon quickly gave her address and postcode.
"What is the nature of your emergency?
Fallon's voice sounded wobbly, "My brother is not responding."
"Where is it happening?"
"At my house, in his bedroom."
"Is that the address you already gave me."
"Thank you, I'll send somebody along but stay on the line."
Knowing an ambulance was coming filled me with hope. I held Nates hand, "I'm so sorry this has happened to you."
"How old is your brother?"
"Eighteen." Fallon continued to answer the operators question.
"Does he have any medical conditions?"
"No."
"You said he is not responding. Is he awake, conscious, breathing?"
"He is breathing but he is unconscious."
"Can you see any bleeding?"
"No."
"Could he of had or be experiencing chest pains?"
"No."
"Is he injured?"
"No."
"Do you know what caused him to become unconcious."
"No, I just found him like this in his bed."
"Is there anything nearby that might indicate what happened."
Fallon looked around the bed, the floor and then here eyes met mine. I saw the accusation as she frowned at me. "Nothing obvious."
"Can we call you back on this number?"
"Yes."
"Call us back if his condition changes. An ambulance should be with you shortly."
The line went dead and Fallon shook her head as she looked at me, "Get away from him."
"What?" I stayed holding Nate's hand.
"How did you know?"
"I had a bad feeling and he wouldn't answer his phone."
"If you've hurt my brother," She growled me.
I shook my head, "I wouldn't."
Fallon looked really sat down on the floor and took Nate's other hand. "I can't lose him."
"I know."
"No you don't!" Fallon wailed but I couldn't see her sitting on the floor on the other side. "You haven't been there for me. My parents are all over the place, trying to drag us into their mess. My older brother and sister are away at university so they are separated from it all. Only Nate is in this with me. I need him."
"I'm sorry Fallon."
"It's not your fault. You've had your own shit to deal with."
"Hey, Fallon. How did you know what to do?"
"I didn't do this to him!" She shot up onto her knees and glared at me across Nate's body.
"I wasn't accusing you. I was impressed."
Fallon shook her head, "I volunteer at St Johns, I thought it would look good on my CV." She then laughed, "I guess we all have our secrets."
"Yours may have saved your brothers life."
"It better have." Fallon said. We heard a knock at the door. "Will you let them in. I don't want to leave him."
I nodded. I didn't want to leave Nate either but what good had I been. I ran down the stairs, I was going so fast, I missed the steps and flew. My wings sprouted from my back and I flew like a dark angel of death to the door. I quickly drew them back in before letting the ambulance staff in.
"Where it the patient?"
"Upstairs," I flattened myself against the wall to let them hurry past with a stretched. It wasn't long before they came charging down the other way and out the door with Nate. Fallon came down the stairs. Her cheeks stained with tears. "I have to go."
"Do you want me to come with you?"
"Only one of us can go with him."
"Okay," I hugged her. "Tell him I love him. I should have told him before." Now, I was crying too.
Fallon nodded, "I think he already knows."
*****
I shifted and flew to the hospital. I went to A&E and asked where they were. They gave me directions and I found Fallon crying in the corridor. She looked relieved to see me and hugged me. "He won't wake up," She sobbed. "They are running tests to find out what happened."
"Have you called your parents."
Fallon nodded, "I don't want to see them."
We got coffees and waited for news. Once their parents arrived, I said goodbye and asked Fallon to keep my updated. Her dad checked I was okay getting home and I told him I was but I just found somewhere discreet to shift and flew out. I knew I should go home but there was too much on my mind so I just flew around for a bit and watched from a tree.
I saw Fallon and her parents leave. They were crying and I feared that was not good. I flew to the roof of the hospital and shifted back into human form to check my mobile phone. I text Fallon.
Kya: How is Nate doing?
Fallon: He is in a coma. We won't know more until results have come back.
I wondered if the results would tell them anything. If I was right and the supernatural world was behind this then the cause might be unknown. I need to see him. I need to confess my love to him. I closed my eyes and remembered how I tracked Leo. This time, I thought of Nate. I thought of the way he had held me when I was broken, how he kissed away my tears. I thought of the way he smelled, when he leant me his seater. I thought of the way his eyes shone when he looked at me, wanting way that filled his eyes when he looked at my lips. I thought of how he dared me to love again after Jace broke my heart. I felt the colours lift and swirl around me. I saw the electric bright lights think out into a stead line. I opened my eyes and the light was still there.
I opened the door that lead out to the roof and I followed it down the steps and along the sterile white corridors. It was hard to stay focussed on Nate when this place was trying to bleach out any trace of anyone within their walls. I held fast to the warmth that Nate filled me with and it lead into a closed door. I pushed it open and saw the light lead to a bed by the window. There Nate lay, sleeping like an angel. I walked up to him and drew the curtain around him. He was linked up to a machine that was monitoring his heart rate. I sat on the chair by his bed.
"Can you hear me?" I whispered. I waited as if I expected him to smile and reassure me that there was nothing to worry about but he didn't. The room felt eerily quiet.
I pressed my head against his chest so I could hear his heart beat over the mechanical beeps of the machine. I wanted to hear that he is still human. I wanted to know if he was still in there, my Nate.
"I'm here Nate," I sobbed. "I'm so sorry. I never wanted this for you. I wanted you to be safe. I should have told you when I had the chance. I should have told you I love you too."
Nate didn't respond. I held his hand. It was still warm. I could heart the gentle thuds that he was with me. I stayed with Nate. The moon pouring in the window as the only light in the room. I felt a change, shift within my body. Like Nates, warmth was filling me with light and the darkness was being flushed out. It soothed me and I shut my eyes, drifting off with the only person that made me feel whole.
"You didn't kill him," A deep voice woke me.
My eyes snapped open, I hadn't realised I had fallen asleep.
"Cronus?" I gasped.
"You're the one."
I was confused about what was going on. Was he talking about Nate. Was he saying I was responsible for this. What did he mean by saying I am the one. "Did you do this?" I demanded.
Cronus shook his head, "No, this is the work of the Reps."
"Because, he knew?"
Cronus came and part an arm around me but I shook him off. I felt uncomfortable having him touch me whilst Nate lay still in the bed in front of us. "Did you tell him?"
I shook my head, "No, he found out."
"This is why you must push away those your love."
"It's my fault."
Cronus kissed my forehead, "I'm afraid so."
I reached for Nate, "I'm so sorry." I then turned to Cronus, "How can we help him."
"The best thing we can do is pray that he is strong enough to recover."
I looked back at Nate and noticed there was no shadow coming from his hand. I remembered how Leo had the same thing. He said it was because he had sacrificed his soul for love. I noticed that the hair that had fallen around my face was pitch white. I looked at it.
"It is a sign that you are to be my wife."
I shook my head, "I don't think so."
"There is a prophecy that the crow whose hair turns pure white is the one that I shall take as my queen and she will bring the true blood crows into this world. We are to have a family."
"No."
Cronus rubbed my arm, "I know you have been through a lot tonight. Go home and sleep and we can talk in the morning." He lead me out of the ward and we returned to the roof. I didn't believe his prophecy. I had no desire to sire his children. His cast my shadow and shifted. I felt away from the hospital. As much as Nate's presence called me back, Cronus' presence drove me away. I beat my wings and flew home as fast as I could to get away from him.
I felt in my window and shifted back. I was exhausted. I stripped off into my bra and knickers and got into bed. There was too much to think about. I tossed and turned as I thought about all I had lost. The loss of Nate was the greatest. I knew his condition was not natural. Someone had taken his soul.
I got out of bed frustrated and looked at myself in the mirror trying to make sense of my new look. My hair was white than white. I had only seen hair like this one place before. Darcia. I couldn't wait until morning. I threw on some clothes and shifted. I had to get to Scotland before the others. I had to speak to Darcia.