Feather Bound

Chapter 57

He paused outside the elevator, adjusting Himari slightly to retrieve his phone from his pocket. She was still fast asleep, shivering despite being wrapped tightly in his hoodie. Furrowing his brows in confusion, he used the back of the hand holding his phone to feel her forehead gently. She was absolutely burning up, and he clenched his jaw in concern. He needed to get her back to her mother and off to a doctor, now.

Hawks:
Is Jiro back in his office? Did it work?

Haruki:
They just came out now. Wait a second; I'll tell you when it's clear.

Haruki:
Hurry! Bring her up.

Keigo wasted no time, pressing the button and swiftly entering the elevator as soon as it arrived. The doors closed, and he shifted Himari, nudging her with his shoulder gently.

"Himari, honey, wake up," he said softly, frowning when she didn't even stir. "Himari?" She didn't react, not even groaning in annoyance at his attempts. Something wasn't right, and panic gripped him, but before he could act on it, the doors opened. He needed to find Y/N; she would know what to do—after all, she was her mother.

He stepped out of the elevator, a gasp drawing his attention, and his eyes quickly met Y/N's. Her eyes were wide, mirroring the panic he felt as she looked at her daughter in his arms. He clenched his jaw, swiftly making his way over toward her. It took everything he had not to allow his brain to throw him back to that day, all those years ago, but it was so hard.

He'd held that girl too, blood dripping down his arms, staining his shirt and jacket before landing on the pavement and turning pink as it mixed with the rain that was soaking them. She'd been limp like this, weighing almost nothing in his arms. He remembered looking up at her mother, unsure of what to do or say. The Commission never trained him for something like that. He would never forget the look in her eyes, the pure desperation. Her mother had screamed, begging for him to do something, anything, but it was too late. He was too late. Nothing he could do would fix what had happened, all because of him.

He could feel his vision start to blur, his breathing picking up, and he struggled to remember what his therapist had told him to do when this started. Then Y/N suddenly let out her own scream. He sucked in a breath, watching as she ripped herself away from Haruki and hauled ass towards him. It was just enough stimulation to stop the panic attack before it fully started. This situation was entirely different than that one had been. That girl had been dead; Himari was very much alive. This would have a different ending, he would make sure of it because the sound of Y/N's scream had done something else to him entirely.

Fierce Wings was absolutely raging inside him, demanding justice for his daughter and mate, and god, he was more than ready to deliver.

She was quick on her feet, and he didn't hesitate before handing Himari back over to her. His heart clenched as she brushed away the hair from her face, looking her over in panic. He spread his wings, trying to give them some type of privacy, already feeling people's eyes on them.

"Himari, oh my god," she choked out, tears rolling down her face as she shook her gently. "Baby, come on, wake up." But Himari remained asleep, his heart twisting. He assumed that out of everyone, her mother would be able to wake her up. Had something happened when she used her quirk? Was this his fault...again?

"Oh dear god, she looks bad," Haruki said sadly, looking at her with concern before turning her gaze to Keigo. "Did you find her like this?"

"No," he said quickly, struggling to contain his emotions. "She was awake, but I think she used her quirk on me; she fell asleep after."

Y/N looked up at him in confusion, frowning slightly as she blinked. "She doesn't have a quirk," she said, dashing any hope he had that this was a known reaction to using her powers.