Page 112 of Visions of You
As if on cue, the door opened and Keegan walked in, carrying a tray of food. He smiled when he saw Casca awake, setting the tray down on the bedside table.
"Hey, Casca," he said with a warmth that surprised Jaron. "Glad to see you're up. I brought some food if you're hungry."
Casca looked at the unfamiliar vampire with open curiosity, but then his stomach growled, and he grinned sheepishly. "Food sounds good."
Jaron chuckled, feeling the tension in himself ease. "Well, dig in then," he said, handing Casca a sandwich with bacon and tomato.
As if roused by the smell of food, Fei stirred under the covers. His small nose wrinkled, and he blinked sleepily at the room around him. When his eyes landed on Jaron, he sat up abruptly.
"Jaron!" Fei's voice was small and scared, his eyes wide.
Jaron was beside him in a heartbeat, scooping him into his arms. "Hey, buddy. You're safe now."
Fei buried his face in Jaron's chest, his tiny body trembling. "I had a bad dream," he mumbled against Jaron's shirt.
Jaron hugged him tightly, his heart aching for his youngest brother. "I know, but it's over now."
Fei lifted his head, glancing around at the unfamiliar room and then at Keegan. He eyed the vampire warily before turning back to Jaron. "Who's that?" he whispered.
Jaron smiled reassuringly. "That's Keegan. He's my friend. He helped us find you and Casca."
Keegan gave Fei the same warm smile he'd given Casca and waved a little. "Hi there, Fei. I brought some food if you're hungry."
Fei sniffed the air, clearly tempted by the aroma of bacon and tomato.
"Come on," Jaron said, guiding Fei to sit next to Casca on the bed. "Let's get you something to eat."
Keegan handed Fei a plate with a sandwich identical to Casca's. Fei took it cautiously, glancing up at Keegan before taking a bite. Then he quickly took another.
"This is good!" Fei exclaimed between mouthfuls.
Jaron chuckled, feeling a warmth spread through his chest at the sight of his brothers, alive and well.
Casca finished his sandwich and wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. "When are we going home?" he asked.
Jaron exchanged a glance with Keegan, feeling a knot form in his stomach. He didn't want to take his brothers back to their parents—not after everything he'd learned about them. He wanted to talk to his mother and father about a few things first—by himself.
"Maybe tomorrow," Jaron said carefully. "You've got to rest up first."
Casca's eyes narrowed suspiciously, but he didn't press the issue immediately. Instead, it was Fei who piped up, his small face scrunching in confusion.
"But why can't we go now? I want to see Mom and Dad."
Jaron took a deep breath, searching for the right words. "It's complicated, Fei," he said. "I need to talk to them first."
Fei crossed his arms, looking every bit the stubborn little dragon-shifter he was. "But I want to go now!"
Before Jaron could respond, Casca surprised him by stepping in. "Listen to Jaron," Casca said firmly. "He's right—we need to rest. Tomorrow isn't so far away, right? You can be a big boy and wait."
Fei looked between Casca and Jaron, clearly torn. "But?—"
"Trust me on this one," Jaron said. "I wouldn't lie to you, right?"
Fei huffed but finally nodded. Then he looked at Keegan. "You're a vampire?"
"Yep, I'm a vampire," Keegan confirmed. "But don't worry, I won't bite you."
Fei seemed to consider this for a moment before nodding solemnly. "Okay. But you better not bite my brother either."
