Thirteen (Otherworld 13)

I put my hand on his arm and leaned against him. He hesitated a moment, then hugged me, his face pressed against my hair, and I could feel him shaking.

"I'm sorry," I whispered. "I'm really, really sorry."

He took a deep breath and spoke to the top of my head. "I hated what Granddad did to you and I hated how he treated Bryce, but he was still . . ." Another deep breath. "I saw other sides of him. Better sides."

I sat up and met his eyes.

"I hope he went someplace . . ." He shook off the thought and cleared his throat. "It was good seeing Dad. Really good. I wish Bryce could have been there."

I nodded and leaned against him again, as he seemed to struggle to be happy about that part, to find some good in this hellish day. He couldn't quite manage it. Seeing our father, only to lose him again, had hurt, like me with Mom.

Sean straightened suddenly. "Bryce." He got to his feet and started for the hall. Lucas came in, Adam behind him. Sean said, "I need to be the one who tells Bryce about Granddad."

Lucas nodded. "I thought you'd want to. I already told my father that, though I believe he'd presume the same. Bryce woke up about an hour ago, but they've put him back under."

"Put him under?" I said.

"Medically induced coma," Sean said. He drew in a deep, ragged breath. "He's not doing so well, Savannah. I need to get back to him."

"Me too. I mean, not that he wants to see me--"

"He does. But I should go now, even if only for a day." He needed to stake his leadership claim with the Cabal. But his brother came first. He always would.

"We'll go to Miami right away," Adam said. "Is the jet here?"

"It is," Lucas said. "You should go soon."

"You aren't coming back?" I said.

"Not yet. I need Adam to stay here, too."

"What? No." Adam stopped as he'd been about to sit beside me. "Sorry, Lucas, but whatever's going on, I need to sit this one out. I'm in rough shape."

"He is," I said. "Those bruises aren't all from today. The guards who arrested him beat the crap--"

Adam cleared his throat.

"Sorry. There was a fight. His ribs are cracked. He needs a break."

Adam nodded.

"Never thought I'd hear that," Sean said, managing a smile.

Adam looked abashed, muttering

that he'd be fine in a day or two.

There was a moment of silence. Adam squirmed. I did, too. We both wanted to go back to Miami so we could have some time alone together. Under the circumstances, it was selfish, and we knew it. Finally, with an apologetic look my way, Adam said, "Lucas, if you really need me . . ."

"I do. I'm sorry. I don't need you to fight, just to get us into some difficult places."

Adam looked up. "If you need me to disintegrate doors when you've got werewolf strength and unlock spells, we're talking heavy fortifications."

"We are. Also multiple points of entry and multiple security systems." He turned to Sean. "When Bryce woke up, he told us where he thinks they're holding the Dahl boy."

Larsen Dahl was the clairvoyant toddler whom Bryce had helped the liberation movement kidnap. Bryce been trying to infiltrate the group by giving them something they wanted so he'd be able to gather information. He'd been planning to take Larsen back and then give the info to the Cabal. Giles had seen through the ploy, though, and Bryce's "reward" had been that shot they'd injected him with.

Getting the boy--and his parents--back was a priority. Equally important was the chance to take their captors hostage--they might be able to answer some questions about the movement. I offered to help, too, but Lucas said no, that I really had been through enough. They needed me back at headquarters to explain everything. And for another reason: they needed me there to keep me safe, because as far as a faction of the Nasts was concerned, I'd just murdered their CEO.