Chapter: 36

"Okay," he said slowly, tightly. "We're back-where's Mom?"

I looked over my shoulder at my son's unconscious mother.

"She's occupied right now, Danny."

"Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"Are you in the hospital?"

I froze. Daniel's perceptiveness was sometimes eerie.

"Dad?" Daniel pressed when I didn't answer. His voice trembled when he spoke again. "What happened? Is Mom okay? Is she hurt again?"

I exhaled. I couldn't bring myself to tell my son what had happened to his mother. The horrific details sat on the tip of my tongue and refused to fall out.

"Your mom is fine," I lied. "Then where is she? I want to talk to her."

"Not right now, hon. She... she's on a trip."

"Without me?" The betrayal in his voice gutted me.

"Last-minute thing," I backpedaled. "She left her phone by accident." "Is it a training trip?"

I jumped on the escape. "Yes! You know how hard she's been training. She's gone on a training trip."

"Oh." A skeptical exhale. "Then why are you at the hospital? Are you hurt?"

I shook my head. "No, bud, just some routine checks. Don't worry about it."

"Right." He didn't sound convinced. "So when is Mom coming back?"

"Soon, bud. But are you okay with staying with Grandma and Grandpa for a little while longer?"

"What about school?"

I paused. If Sera had been shot in the open park in broad daylight, there was no telling what other dangers were lurking around my family. I would be damned if someone else I lo-

If someone else close to me got hurt.

"How would you like a break from school, Champ?"

SERAPHINA'S POV

Consciousness returned in layers of agony.