All I can hope is that it gradually gets easier because if it doesn’t, I don’t know what to do.
“You never told us you had wings,” Doc says, watching me closely.
“I didn’t know I did,” I reply honestly as I gently place Neith down on the same couch she was on only a few days ago. I am incredibly grateful that she is in better condition now than she was then. As I finally drag my eyes away from Neith, I catch Reed and Doc sharing a look. “What?”
“You do realize what tier your wings will make you?” Doc asks me.
I tense, and they all see it. “Yes, I am aware. They won’t find out.”
“Raiden, we need to talk about if,” Evander starts, and I just shake my head.
“Not now, please,” I say and then add with a level of honesty that I can only have with my brothers, “it's too raw.”
Evander immediately nods, “Okay, you got it. Let me know when you are ready.” He changes the subject, “I am assuming since you are no longer panicking that it worked, and she is tethered?”
I let out a relieved breath, grateful that he is not pushing the subject. I know that the conversation about the council, and mytier will have to be spoken about at some point, but I do not have the mental capacity to have that conversation right now.
I nod, and then explain what I intuitively know from my magic, “Yeah, she is tethered, the tether will fade when she is fully healed and back up to where she should be.”
“Do you have to feed magic into it to keep it strong or anything like that?” Ransom asks curiously, his eyes darting between Neith and me.
I shake my head, but my eyebrows pull down slightly, “I don’t think so. I got the impression that once it was done that was it.”
Ransom’s eyebrows raise, “That’s some pretty fucking strong magic, dude.”
I grunt.
“It’s impressive,” Griff adds, a smile playing around his lips. He obviously knows that it is making me uncomfortable again though, because he changes the subject. “Are we going to assume that she is going to wake up absolutely ravenous?”
I nod, but before I can say anything, Reed does, his power leaking into his voice, “She died before she came here and was nearly dead when she arrived.”
“We need to wait and let her explain what happened,” River says, sitting down on the couch next to Neith and picking her feet up. He places them in his lap like he has done it a thousand times before.
His eyes connect with mine, and I can see the shadows that have been left behind after watching Neith die, ones that I have no doubt are in mine, too. I never want to go through that again. I can’t.
“You’re right,” Griff agrees, “I am going to order food. Van what pizza does she like?”
“Erm, pepperoni, mushroom and black olives, extra cheese,” he replies immediately.
I smile, yeah, you don’t remember the pizza order of someone who you haven’t seen for over ten years and was only a friend.
We have always known that though.
Her being a part of the team, under our protection and also living here, is going to make more than a few things complicated. However, I don’t think any of us want her anywhere else.
She is very much a part of us now, and I am kind of terrified to think about what it is going to be like a few months down the line if she has affected us this much in only a few days.
I know one thing for sure: she represents change and significant change.
Neith
Isit up, my eyes still closed as I sniff the air like I am deranged.
“I told you she would wake up as soon as she smelt the pizza,” Evander chuckles, and I pop my eyes open.
“Pizza?” I ask curiously.
Doc smiles as he hands me a large pizza box and then points to the spread on the guy's large coffee table, “We got lots of sides, help yourself.”