Page 225 of Eight of Swords, Part Two

Warmth returns first, seeping through his clothes. The dryness in his throat fades. His heart steadies. Every mile home strips away another layer of discomfort until Kade feels almost normal again.

Almost.

The bubble is real.

It isn’t a theory or another impossible truth offered over tea. Kade saw it shimmer across the sky. He felt it change his thoughts and turn his body against him. It didn’t throw him back or strike him down. It made leaving feel like his own bad idea. Somehow, it’s so much worse than he expected.

The SUV leaves the highway and follows the hidden road towards the tunnel entrance. Kade watches the outer gate open inside what looks from the road like an abandoned maintenance structure.

Pete drives through, stops inside the first lock and waits for the gate to seal behind them before the next one opens.

They descend towards the garage, the tunnel swallowing the new daylight behind them. By the time Pete parks, Kade is exhausted in a way the short trip doesn’t account for.

‘Thanks,’ he says, climbing out.

‘Anytime.’

The personnel cage is already waiting. Kade steps inside, closes the gate and gives the signal. The winding mechanism engages overhead.

Kade is lifted into the Tower of Iron Star.

Home.

And once back inside, he goes straight to visit Luca.

There’s no change, but he needs to see him, so he sits with him for a while, talking quietly about the clothes and how much he loves them and how, when Luca wakes up, they’ll go out dancing together and make fools of themselves, get drunk and throw up and then dance some more.

Noah comes by to check on Luca himself.

Despite knowing the answer, Kade asks, ‘Any change?’

‘Hi, Kade. No deterioration. Swelling’s beginning to come down, but we’re keeping him under a little longer.’

‘How much longer?’

‘I’m reviewing him myself every three hours.’

‘Thank you.’

No deterioration.

Not good news. Not bad.

‘How are you feeling?’

‘OK.’

‘Chest pain?’

‘No, none.’

‘You’re healing like you usually do again, which is good, but you should still be careful.’

‘How did you save Riley?’ Kade asks, taking Luca’s hand carefully in his own. ‘Before. His chest. I think I remember something about blood?’

‘Lachlan Tanner’s blood, yes. He insisted on giving it to Riley.’

‘Did it heal him?’