Page 53 of Transfiguration
Con sucked in air, half choking as it was too much at once and still not enough. He didn’t feel like he’d been breathing full breaths. He blinked, realizing he was in a room now. The space was dark and cool, somewhat familiar. It was the room they had often shared when they stayed at Seiran’s. Con could smell Sam and Luca. The small touches of their scent permeated the room from the many times they’d stayed. He could imagine one of them coming out of the bathroom, the other following, making some comment. Usually Luca about not being sexed up enough, and Sam, often embarrassed to be sexing anyone in Seiran’s house, though he could be coaxed easily enough with a locked door between them and the rest of the household.
But they weren’t there. The room was empty except for him and Kaine, who sat perched on the side of the bed, looking like the human child rather than his fae form. His touch was soft, light, and healing.
“Let me finish fixing your lungs,” Kaine said. “I’ve been studying anatomy with Uncle Jamie. Human… or witch, isn’t much different. Daddy says I can train in medicine like Uncle Jamie, but I think it’s easier just to heal with magic. Some capillaries in your lungs got singed. There were some blood clots blocking airflow, but I already fixed that.”
Was that why Con’s chest hurt? And it was hard to suck in air? All of that pressure and pain was easing, vanishing with each breath and gentle touch.
“Working on the capillaries one by one. Daddy tried to heal you, but your spell keeps blocking him.”
Con realized his defense rune was back on, repelling and reflecting magic, and Kaine worked through it without issue. Did that mean fae magic was different? Would he have to adjust his runes? What if the fae attacked? He sighed, realizing none of it mattered. Luca was dead. Sam in the ground, would he come back sane without Luca? Or would Con completely lose him to his internal monster? Bella was gone. Taken for what? Another terrible spell, or did they need to learn something from dead people? What did Con have left? Why heal at all?
He released the strap of the melted backpack, which was still clenched in his fist, staring at it with a sick feeling in his gut. Was she dead? Why would her new bag be gone if she was dead? Did someone want the runes he’d created in it? He thought he could probably trace the bag, use the tracking signal within it to find it, and hopefully Bella too. If she was still alive. He had to have some sort of hope to cling to.
The physical pain evaporated completely, his lungs feeling normal, and even his feet no longer tingling. He stared up at Kaine’s little face, young and earnest, not unlike Bella should have been.
“Are you supposed to be in here?” Con asked.
Kaine looked guilty and turned his face away. “They couldn’t fix the rest. Wanted to bring you to the hospital, but there’s a lot going on. Wards are up.”
That was bad news.
“Kaine…” Con said, feeling tired, hopeless, and confused all at once.
“Will you find Bella?” Kaine asked.
“You never even met her…”
Kaine turned his gaze back on Con, his eyes glowed with power. “The spirits need her to heal. To be free. The balance between worlds is broken, has been for a while.”
Spirits? “Free from what?”
“The demon binding.” His little eyes were enormous circles filled with a spinning array of colors. “I don’t want to get stuck on the other side of the veil forever. I don’t want Daddy, and Ki and Kura to die. Or any of you. Dead is permanent for humans. And I can’t hear the ghosts. They look sad, and in pain, but I can’t hear them.” Tears fell, and he sniffled. “If Daddy becomes one…”
Con gripped his little hand. “Kaine.”
“Witches fear the dark, but it’s part of the whole.”
“Dark and light,” Con agreed. He’d never been afraid of the dark, not even the grayer areas of magic. Con covered himself in runes, any of which would have gotten him killed by the Dominion, if they knew, for the protection of himself and his lovers.
“You see better than some others,” Kaine said. “You play games with us, and make us fun stuff, and you aren’t afraid to touch me. I know your soul hurts, but we need you.”
Con frowned. Kaine wasn’t human, but he was still a child in need of affection. “Who is afraid to touch you?”
He shrugged. “Anyone not family. School. Counselors. Anyone not daddy or you.”
“Jamie and Kelly?”
“Sometimes,” Kaine admitted. “I scare people.”
“Sam and Luca?” It hurt to say their names.
“Sometimes. I know I’m not like Ki or Kura.”
“Nothing wrong with that,” Con whispered, dragging Kaine into a hug. He was used to hiding himself and worrying he scared people. “You know I had a twin sister, right? We were close, like Ki and Kura are.”
Kaine nodded, not pulling out of the hug. Poor kid. Did he not get enough hugs?
“She was powerful. But together… we were amazing, you know? Never told our folks of the spells we could work. She told a boyfriend once. I don’t even know if they’d been dating before she actually said something. Worst thing she ever did…”