Dark Secrets Unveiled (The Children of the Gods #45) - I.T. Lucas Page 0,49

spirit slammed back into his physical body, and then the darkness returned.

34

Sari

It seemed like hours had passed since the alarm had gone off, and the doctors had rushed into David’s room, but Sari’s watch claimed that it had only been minutes.

Bridget and Steven were fighting for David’s life, and all she could do was pray. Regrettably, Sari wasn’t a great believer in the power of prayer. If she were, she could feel as if she was helping in some way, instead of feeling so damn useless and helpless.

When the door finally opened, and Bridget stepped out looking like she’d been to war, Sari’s heart sank to the pit of her stomach. “How is David?”

“Stable.”

The relief turned Sari’s legs into twin soft noodles, and she collapsed onto one of the chairs. “Thank the merciful Fates.”

“Thank Steven and his foresight to get a ventilator.” Bridget sat down next to her. “David’s lungs just stopped working for no apparent reason. It has never happened before to a transitioning Dormant.”

“Are they working now? Or is he artificially ventilated?”

“He’s contributing breaths of his own.”

Sari didn’t know what it meant, but Bridget seemed encouraged, so it must be good.

The door to the waiting room opened, and her family spilled in.

Annani entered with Alena first. Behind them were Kian and Syssi, and the last was Amanda.

“Is David alright?” Annani asked.

“He is stable,” Bridget said. “We had several scary moments, though.”

As Sari’s chin started quivering, her mother spread her arms wide. “Come, my child. Let me comfort you.”

She practically shot to her feet and rushed into her mother’s arms. “I was so scared.”

Annani’s small hands caressed her back as Sari cried on her mother’s slim shoulder. “It is alright, my daughter. Let it all out.”

Amanda and Alena joined them in a group hug. Only Kian stood next to the bundle of females looking unsure.

“Come.” Amanda waved him over. “Sari needs your strength as well.”

He wrapped his long arms around the four of them. “This feels incredibly awkward.”

Chuckling, Syssi joined the group. “How about now?” She put her arms around him.

“Better.”

For long moments, Sari let herself fall apart while her family held her together, shoring her up with their warmth and their strength.

Eventually, her tears dried up, and she took a shuddering breath. “Thank you.” She lifted her head off her mother’s shoulder. “I’m okay now.”

As their arms left her, she swayed on her feet, but Annani’s hand caught her wrist and steadied her. “David is going to be just fine.”

The confidence in her mother’s voice didn’t leave room for doubt, but Sari was too old to trust platitudes even when uttered by Annani. They were meant to reassure her, but no one had a crystal ball, not even her mother.

“I wish you were right, but no one can make that promise.”

Tugging her by the wrist, Annani led her to a chair. “I can. I will give David my blessing.”

Sari stifled a sharp retort. “I appreciate the offer.” Sitting down, she chose her words carefully. “I’m sure your blessing will help, but it can’t guarantee David’s survival.”

“Yes, it can.” Annani lifted Sari’s hand and held it in her lap. “Every Dormant I blessed made it safely to the other side no matter how bad their condition was.”

“I’m proof of that,” Syssi said. “And so is Andrew. He was even older than David when he transitioned.”

Bridget sat on Sari’s other side. “As a scientist, I don’t usually believe in blessings and incantations, and yet I’m sure that your mother’s blessing saved Turner’s life. He was not only the oldest Dormant to transition to date, he was also very sick. If his recovery wasn’t a miracle, I don’t know what is.”

Sari knew Bridget well, and the doctor was way too pragmatic to offer empty words of encouragement. She’d meant every word.

Still, even though Bridget’s account of Turner’s recovery had been the most reassuring testament to the power of Annani’s blessing, Sari needed more details.

“Did Turner recover right after my mother gave him her blessing?”

Bridget shook her head. “The blessing gave Turner a chance to survive, but he had to fight for it. He was unconscious for a very long time.”

“It must have been hell for you.”

The doctor tilted her head. “It was difficult, but I wouldn’t call it hell. It became my new normal. I basically moved into the clinic and pretended as if that was our new life. I talked to Turner, assuming that he could hear my prattle, and when he finally woke up, he told me that he