Shattered Souls

Chapter 11

My return to consciousness was anything but gradual. I jerked awake with a cry, my mind foggy and my head throbbing. When the pain finally registered, it was like someone had poured salt on an already nasty wound. Living bands of lightning shot through my arm, from shoulder to elbow. I bit down on a scream so hard I tasted blood.

If I were to hazard a guess, my shoulder would be dislocated or broken. After blinking several times to clear my blurry vision, my surroundings became focused. I was in an unfamiliar room, lying on an unfamiliar bed. I recognized enough of my surroundings to know I was in the hospital.

Immediately, Jonah's face surfaced in my mind, drawing a sob from my throat. A steady hand covered my own, another moving to the small of my back. "Faye? Can you hear me?" The voice was soft, concern buried underneath worry.

Drew, Mom, and Dad surrounded the bed, faces pale with worry. The former had spoken, his eyes searching mine as he reached for my hand. The latter brushed sweaty hair off my face, stroking my cheek. "Oh, honey," Dad whispered. "I'm so sorry. When Drew told us what had happened, we tried to get here as fast as possible."

Confusion pushed the pain aside, my mind clearing slightly. What did happen? The last thing I remembered was Drew holding me in his arms, then hearing a voice. "'Oh, Faye. What have you done?'"

I bolted upright, ignoring the dizziness that shot through me, and scanned the room. "Where's Jonah?" My voice, husky and filled with panic, rose higher with every syllable. All I could see was Jonah hitting the wall, his body sinking motionless to the ground. I locked eyes with Drew, my chest rising and falling rapidly. "Drew. Where is he?" My voice broke on the last word as tears filled my eyes.

The three of them exchanged glances, and then Drew met my gaze again. "He was brought in shortly after you were. I don't know the full extent of his injuries, but it's not looking good. He..." Drew paused and swallowed hard.

"He's unresponsive. As for Waverly," he added, noticing my expression, "she was unharmed. I got in touch with Merrick, and he came to help. She's now resting in her suite with her mother. What happened shook her, but I think she'll be okay."

My vision blurred slightly, then cleared as nausea washed over me. I took a shaky breath, exhaling slowly. Dad leaned forward and took my hand. "Take it slow, honey. Your body is still recovering. A severe concussion caused you to lose consciousness and deprived your brain of oxygen for at least a minute. Just rest for now." I could tell he was trying to remain strong for my sake but was struggling.

Mom suddenly turned her head toward the door, listening. Silence, then the sound of low voices, getting closer every second. She burst into tears, rushing towards the door and flinging it open. Four pairs of eyes stared back at us, filled with worry and anger. Aunt Nerissa swam in first, followed by Uncle Jay, Aunt Izzy, and Uncle Kai. The former fell into Mom's arms, sobbing.

When Uncle Jay met my eyes, I crumpled. I don't know if it was the realization of what I'd endured, the trauma I'd gone through, or a combination of the two, but I couldn't stop the tears from flowing down my face. Zander could have killed me. I almost had been. If Drew hadn't interfered when he did... I shuddered as Uncle Jay swam to my side.

Scanning my face, he gently took my hand, taking a deep breath. "Oh, gods, Faye," he whispered, tears glistening in his eyes. He swallowed hard. "When Bella told us what had happened, we rushed here as fast as possible. Zander could have killed you," he breathed, voice breaking.

"What are you going to do about Zander?" Uncle Kai suddenly asked. Dad took a breath, rubbing his face with a hand. He exchanged a glance with Mom, who shrugged helplessly.

"He completely snapped," I whispered, shuddering. I rubbed my throat, recalling the feeling of his hand squeezing the water from my lungs. "There's no telling who he'll come after next." A bolt of fear shot through me as the words left my mouth.