Babel Novel
35
Morgan pov.
Hours. I don't know how many, but I've been staring at Rain for hours, hoping he'd just open his eyes and look at me with those white-grey orbs of his. The only thing that lets me know he's alive is the gentle rise and fall of his chest and the stats Bing updates every few minutes. The house is dead silent. I have no idea where Luca disappeared to or if River is going to make an appearance, but I also don't think I care.
"You know, you really scared me." I whisper, not wanting to disturb the quite too much. "Or, maybe I was scared for you?" I shake my head, finding it a little insane that I'm talking to an unconscious Rian. "Can you just wake up?" Of course he doesn't, continuing to breathe his slow steady breathes, defying me even in his sleep.
"What are you doing here?" My head snaps up to the door where River is standing in the doorway and I hadn't even heard her come in, not that I was paying attention to anything other than Rain. She's dressed in a uniform that I know belongs to the most prestigious schools in Teranian, one royal blood goes to, but it's seen better days. Her clothes are all crumpled and I can see food stains all over her. The curls on top of her head are held together by a wobbly looking bun and there's a slightly tired look in her eyes. Her gaze drifts from me to Rian and the tiredness gives away to concern and then anger when our eyes meet.
"I've..."
"What the hell have you done to my brother?" She takes a step closer and I'm just thankful there's nothing in her hand to throw at me. Rain's in no position to get in between us and with how extensive Luca had said his injuries are I doubt he'll be standing in between us anytime soon.
"I've been trying to reach you." I finish the statement I wanted to make earlier. "He was captured. I found him like this hours ago and I thought this was the safest place to bring him." Even with all the security perks I'd programmed into Bing, not being at my place is still the safest thing. No one would think to look for Rain here. River doesn't exist in his files and neither does a home in this sector.
"You need to leave." She mutters, coming over to the bed and pushing me out of the way. I don't say anything as I watch her crouch down beside the bed, resting a gentle hand on her brother's forehead. "I said leave." She hisses out, glaring at me from over her shoulder.
"I'm not going anywhere." There is no way in hell I'm leaving Rain here. Not with whatever creatures were still out there looking for him and can track my portal runs the minute I step back into the Bio-Glaze. They will tear up this sector looking for him because to be honest, Rain has become a weakness I hadn't planned on having. He's managed to crawl into my heart, one that hasn't been beating right since the minute he was taken.
"You did this to him." River takes a protective stance between her brother and I, annoying the hell out of me.
"I didn't do shit to him. He was taken, or are you to dense to understand English?" Anger flares behind her eyes but I don't mind it. I need to feel something other than the mind-numbing panic I've been feeling for the past three days and she's providing the perfect release.
"He was taken because he's with you." She shouts. "Try and deny it. You're the cause of all of this." She motions her hands in wild circles, and I glare at the girl in front of me.
"Are you out of your mind? I'm not claiming blame for other people's half-baked ideas. Both your brother and I are innocent in all of this so if you're looking for someone to blame, you're barking up the wrong tree. Also, I'm not leaving. You're a spoiled brat who thinks you're entitled to act any kind of way because no one has ever denied you anything. You have no idea how hard your brother works for you, no idea what he's going through because you cut him out of your life like he's nothing because he made choices you didn't agree with. I brought him here to keep him safe and now you want to send me away? I'm the only person standing between your brother and death so if I leave here and we both lose him it'll be your fault. Can you live with that?" The room goes silent as we both glare at each other.
"Stop fighting." Rain's groggy voice comes from the bed and we both look at him, River sitting on the edge of the bed since she's closer. I stand in the middle of the room, desperate to touch him but not willing to intrude in their sibling moment.
"Are you okay?" I can see tears well up in River's eyes, tugging at my heart strings a bit. Doesn't mean I don't think she's not a brat anymore
"I'm fine." He slaps her hand away that comes up to rest on his forehead again. "I don't have a fever, Riv." He grumbles, a frown settling between his eyebrows. "Why do you look like that? You smell like a trash can." He mutters, pulling his nose up for added effect. I burst out in laughter and both siblings look at me, one with an endearing smile and the other with an annoyed huff.Please check at N/ôvel(D)rama.Org.
"I have exams coming up." She answers her brother as she gets up from the bed. "I'm going to go take a shower." She makes sure to bump my shoulder when she walks past me, but I let it go, for now, turning my attention to the grey-haired wolf who's looking at me like he can't believe I'm in the room with him.
"Little human." He mutters, holding out a hand for me. I walk over to him and smile down at him when his hand comes to caress my cheek. "Are you okay?" Laughter bubbles up in my throat because of course Rain would ask if I'm okay when he's the one with the broken spine. I'm about to answer when a poral opens in the doorway of the room and Luca, Isa, Benjamin and Agness walk through.
"Oh, good. You're awake." Luca claps his hands together a few times. "I'm glad I didn't break you. That would have been terrible." He flutters over to the far side of the room, and I stare at the sector representatives with questions in my eyes. "Yes, indeed. We'll need him at peak strength if we're going to win this war." Agness says and Rain and I look at each other, his eyes as wide as mine. Can't we just have one day of peace?