He didn’t know what time it was, but the room was night-dark, every hint of light dimmed low and he couldn’t stand it. In seconds, Kyle had the lights up above turned to the brightest setting and the plas-glass windows clear of shade. Alexei blinked rapidly at the change in how the room looked, with its white walls and ceiling, as far away from that underground hellhole as hecouldget.
Alexei relaxed against the bed in stages, watching their every movement. He hated that he felt like he had to do that, but the unease creeping beneath his skin had everything to do with what he’d endured and not having Sean within easyreach.
“>” Alexei askedagain.
Kyle hooked his foot around the nearest chair and dragged it closer to the bed, out of the way of Gracie so she could work, and sat down. Alexei didn’t pay much attention to Kyle, more focused on the way Gracie expertly flipped the thin blanket and thinner sheet aside to reveal his left leg. He made a questioning sound in the back of his throat, eying how pale his skin was from the lower thighondown.
Gracie placed one hand on his knee, the other on his shin, eyes closed as she concentrated. “We had to amputate and regrow your leg. We’ll do some nerve testing a bit later, but as far as I can sense, you’re healingnicely.”
Her touch was warm this time, heat blooming through his leg as she used her power to accelerate the body’s ability to heal. Alexei’s leg twitched, and he curled his toes as his nerves tingled from the odd sensation of herpower.
“>” Alexeiasked.
“>”Kylesaid.
Alexei chewed on his lip. Kyle was right. He wouldn’t have wanted his family to see him like that. He shifted on the bed, careful not to dislodge Gracie’s hands, not that she would let that happen tobeginwith.
No one had answered his most pertinent question yet, and Alexei needed to know. “>”
“>”
“>”
“>”
Alexei knew when his brother was keeping information from him. They could lie to most people with a straight face, but not each other. Alexei grabbed Kyle’s hand, where it was curled over the edge of the bed, and tuggedathim.
“>”
Kyle hesitated a moment, but whatever he saw in Alexei’s face made him start talking. “>”
Alexei’s fingers reflexively tightened around Kyle’swrist. “>”
“>”
“>” Kyleretorted.
“Is Sean okay?” Alexei asked, this time in English, hoping he’d get a better answer out ofGrace.
Gracie tapped her fingers against his leg, the gentle drumming almost ticklish. “Physically he’s fine. Mentally…well, there’s a lot of work to be doneforhim.”
Kyle sighed. “He’s nottalking.”
The chill that went down Alexei’s spine felt like it started in his teeth. “Nottalk?”
“The telepaths can reach him and there’s nothing wrong with his voice. The trauma is stopping him,” Gracieexplained.
Alexei went quiet at that, staring up at the ceiling as he tried to process what they’d just told him. He could guess what had caused Sean’s sudden muteness, and his heart ached for being the cause ofSean’spain.
“Can you tell us what might have caused theblock?”
Gracie’s question came out quiet, but it still made Alexei tense up. He stayed silent for a minute or two, gritting his teeth and hating the way the biobed’s sensors tagged his quickeningheartrate.
“You don’t have to answer,” Kyle told him in a low voice. “Save it for theshrinks.”
If he did that, then it might drag out Sean’s ability to heal, and no way in hell did Alexei want to be responsibleforthat.
