Page 52 of Midnight Whispers
“Can you wake him up?”
“Wake him up? I didn’t put him to sleep.”
“That’s what it feels like.”
Riley pulled his dad over to Cass, pushing the sharp sound waves away so his dad wouldn’t get cut. Not that he was sure they would cut Dad. They didn’t cut Riley, but something told him they would cut everyone else, including his warlock dad.
“I need you to tell me what to do. How to help him. He can’t…” Emotion lumped in his throat, stealing his words for a moment. He swallowed them down as best as he could, but it came through when he spoke, anyway. “He can’t die like Mom.”
Iven sheathed his gun and then pulled Riley into a hug. “He won’t.”
Riley would have smiled if he wasn’t so panicked. “Do you promise?”
“I’ll do everything in my power, Riley.” Iven met his gaze again. “Now, can you unfreeze him?”
Riley didn’t know how he did it. The fundamentals were beyond him. But he put his arms around Cass, holding him up. He feared Cass might fall over.
Dad went to Cass’s other side.
Riley pictured Cass in his mind. With Cass, it was different. When he pictured him, he was there, yelling at Riley for being in the forest, for putting himself at risk.
“Wake up, Cass.”
I’m awake, Riley. And I’m pissed.Cass said through their link.
Riley couldn’t keep the tears at bay. “Don’t die. Okay?”
Cass sighed. “You don’t either.”
“I won’t, but you have to wake him.”
“I don’t know how.”
Oh, right. Because Riley was the one who needed to wake him.
Riley got out of Cass’s head and pictured Cass moving so Riley could help him.
It didn’t take long before Cass fell into Riley. His fur disappeared, and he shrunk to human height. His skin was as covered in blood as his fur had been. “The discussion isn’t over, Riley.”
“Live, and I’ll let you yell at me for as long as you want.”
“Yell at him for what?” Dad asked.
“For coming here. For putting himself at risk.” Cass growled. His eyes turned canine.
“Concentrate on staying alive.” Riley didn’t want Cass to stress. It wouldn’t help his injuries.
“Ditto, baby.” Cass scowled when he finally glanced around. “What the hell happened?”
“Riley happened,” Dad said.
Cass met his gaze. He was clearly in pain, but admiration came through despite it.
Riley shrugged. “I don’t know how I did it.”
“We’ll practice.” Dad pressed the button on his radio and spoke into it.
Riley didn’t know what the numbers and letters meant, but they seemed to calm Cass.
