Feather Dark

Chapter 26

Noah

When I landed upon the roof of the lakeside home, I'd expected to find it vacant, allowing me a few precious moments to gather myself before the inevitable imbroglio that awaited me inside. I'd flown for the entire night, arriving at the safe house just as dawn had begun to cast magenta shards across the calm dark water. I was tired, but brimming with adrenaline. Pop's call had left me with too many questions, and my mind demanded answers.

"Hey, Noah." A voice in the dim light.

"Brother." I crossed to the roof edge where Leigh sat, staring despondently over the water. "Is it true?"

"What? That the bad guy turned out to be our grandmother?"

I wanted to point out that guy was normally a gendered term for those who identified as male, but Leigh's flat affect indicated he wasn't in the right emotional place for a linguistic debate. "Yes. That."

"It's true. Sevic is actually dear old Nana Lily." Leigh shook his head, and I noted the deep hollows beneath his eyes. He said, "I thought I was getting somewhere with her, trying to break the spell she's been under. But then Pop arrived and the whole thing blew up. Now, she won't talk to me because she says I'm too much like him, and when she sees Pop... I don't know, man. I think she'd actually beat him to death with her bare hands if she could."

"She will be experiencing a high emotional load," I said.

"That's putting it lightly. The baddies told her that Pop ditched her and remarried only weeks after she was gone, and she believes it. She won't listen to reason."

"I'll talk to her."

"You?" Leigh glanced over at me, his wings drawing taut in surprise. "No offence, but you're not exactly diplomatic."

"None taken, but you don't require the skills of a diplomat here. The situation calls for a more ratiocinative approach."

"Have at it." Leigh gestured down to the house beneath us. "She's holed up in the back room. Just follow the sounds of Pop's tears and you'll find her."

I moved to the edge of the roof, preparing to drop to the deck below us, but I paused to say, "Leigh, you seem troubled."

"You have no idea..." My brother rubbed his face, which was marred with exhaustion and angst.

"You have been through an egregious serious of events. Have you been receiving an adequate amount of rest since your rescue?"

He laughed, and the sound was hollow. "Are you kidding me? Between pleading with Sevic, trying to console Pop and sharing the night watch with Sentinel, I'm lucky if I can find time to pee, let alone sleep."

"I can share the watch." I could do that much.

"It's fine. Sentinel has sent for someone to help us out." Leigh stood, and I could tell he'd lost weight in the last few days. "Besides, I'm not sure I could sleep if I tried. Too much going on."

"Perhaps I can provide succour." I brightened at the prospect. "Keira was suffering from a similar malady a few nights ago, and I was able to aid her in peacefully falling asleep-"

"Dude." Leigh cut me off, his voice hard. "No."

Puzzled at his reaction to my innocent offer, I said, "I thought perhaps I could help you for once."

My brother turned his face away, a catch in his voice as he said, "For once? Noah, you just busted my butt out of a secure government facility. I'd say I'm the one who should be stroking your hair to help you fall asleep."