When Cain arrived, Mercury heard the murmur of voices, Kami and Talon’s worried, Cain’s smooth and gentle and easy. How he knew it was Cain after only meeting the man once, he didn’t know but he just figured that had to be who it was. And then he felt a hand on his forehead, warm on his burning cold skin. “You have to breathe, Mercury. You have to breathe and you have to listen. Stop the noise in your head. Stop the worry that you are going to die. Listen to your stone.”
He tried. He tried really hard. He listened, closing his eyes, his nose, and his lips, just trying to shut out everything but the stones.
“Kami, try to tune the song of the stone. Try to make it a single band so he can hear it.”
“On it.” He had no idea where Kami was. He knew Talon was right there holding him, but he could hear Kami’s voice.
And suddenly he could hear the stone.
The song started out soft and scattered, but then it focused and focused and doubled on itself until it was ringing in his ears and he thought his eyes might be bleeding.
Help me, Talon. I’m scared.He reached for Talon in his head, not sure what else to do. He was terrified that he was just going to wink out of existence like a tiny little star that was swallowed up by a black hole or something.
I’m right here, hailee. Right here for you. You just hang in there. You listen to the stone. I’m singing with it, and I have a terrible voice.
Mercury had to chuff out a laugh at that because his braaken was so alive and funny and ready to help him. He knew this had to be terribly frustrating for Talon. He was such a protective alpha who needed to be in control of the situation. And no onewas in control here. This was all just dancing in the dark and hoping that they hit something.
So he focused on the song again, even though his head felt like it was going to crack open. He did feel his nose start to bleed, but not his eyes. It was pretty intense.
He wiggled around in the water trying to make sure that he couldn’t drop the stone, finally, getting it where it was resting on his chest, and then he could hear it even better because it was close to his heart.
Then he arrowed in. He felt it. It was like a click of a cog falling into place in the mechanism working for the first time in a very long time.
The song intensified until everything in his head was a stone and blazed at him with this amazing light that was not purple or green or red but this intense color that was somewhere in between. It was a stone he’d never even heard of, but it was right there in his hand and in his heart.
That’s it, love. You’re almost there.And squeezed him holding on, more warm water ran into the tub, and he had no idea what was going on because the song was going to make his heart explode.
Hold on, Mercury. You’re so close. You’re bonding with the stone. Just let it happen. Open up. Don’t fight it.Cain’s voice echoed crazily in the whole room as if it was bouncing off the walls and coming back at him in triplicate or quadruplicate or however that went. The echoes made him wanna barf, but at the same time he understood what Cain was saying. He pulled it into him and held it so that he could focus on the stone using Cain’s strength and talents and probably Kami’s too.
I’m home, right here is home, and I want to stay here and I want to live.He told that to a stone, forcing his will into it and letting it know he needed that energy to stay alive.
The last of the cogs slipped into place and clanged, and he heard it like it was a giant clock tolling a bell. All he could do was suck air in and push it back out because his lungs were going to fail, but the stone was right there, and it was burning in his hand and it was keeping him warm. He could feel it now. He could feel the energy spreading from his heart all the way out to his extremities, all the way up to the tips of his fingers and toes.
That’s it!Talon’s voice was everywhere.There you are! Do you feel better?
He would glare if he could, but he couldn’t, so he didn’t.
I don’t think so.He thought about winking to show he was teasing, but he couldn’t open his eyes, and so he just sort of squinched them together on one side. Like, hoping Talon got it.It’s been way worse.
Yeah.
He could feel Talon stroking his forehead, and the water was gone now.
Am I in bed?
You are. It’s been a couple of days. I’m a little worried about you. You were very skinny to start with. You really need food.
Oh, he could totally eat.
No fish.
No, no hailee, no fish.
He sighed softly and leaned.We can eat later. Let’s sleep now. I brought us home.
You did. You are amazing.
Yeah, and I’m going to live.He still couldn’t open his eyes.One day,braaken, I’m going to ride you like a prized pony.
