Ryker had thought he’d already sustained the maximum amount of heartbreak one person could bear, but he was wrong. Sitting beside the hospital bed they’d brought into Waterborn House for his father, Ryker’s heart broke all over again.
The aching hurt was different than the one he’d felt when Brynleigh betrayed him, but it was no less painful.
In the twelve hours since he first pulled up to his childhood home, Ryker had only left his father’s side once. He’d ordered River to go to bed since she had another exam in the morning before moving Brynleigh from the hallway to his old room.
He told himself he didn’t move her to be nice but to keep her out of the way when the servants came to clean in the morning. He was lying, but it didn’t matter.
Nothing mattered right now except the broken, aging fae beside him.
How had Cyrus Jacob Waterborn been reduced to this shell of a man? Skin so pale it was nearly translucent clung to his skeletal frame. Blue, almost purple, veins stood out against his flesh. Brown, wispy hair remained on his head, far thinner than it used to be. An aura of illness permeated the room.
Tears pricked Ryker’s eyes, and he scrubbed a hand over his face. Rough stubble scratched his palm. He needed to shower and shave, but he didn’t want to leave his father’s side.
Before the Stillness struck, Ryker’s father was one of the most powerful water fae in the entire Republic of Balance. Life and vitality used to flow from him like water from a fountain. He’d always been the center of attention, and people were drawn to him. He’d been a torch in a room full of candles.
Now, Cyrus’s light had faded to a mere flicker.
Ryker dreaded the day his father’s flame would be snuffed entirely.
Reaching out, he picked up his father’s hand. Fingers that had once taught him how to hold a softball properly were now brittle and covered in strange brown spots.
“Dad?” Ryker murmured. “Can you hear me?”
There was no response, just like the last dozen times he’d asked.
Cyrus’s light brown eyes were open, staring blankly at the ceiling.
Ryker sighed, and his heart broke a little bit more. “I’m here, Dad. I came back.”
He shouldn’t have stayed away for so long. What if his father had died while he’d been dealing with Brynleigh? Ryker would have never forgiven himself.
A soft knock came from the door, pulling Ryker from his melancholy thoughts.
“Captain Waterborn?” asked a soft female voice.
Ryker didn’t release his father’s hand as he looked over his shoulder. “Yes?”
A human nurse stood in the doorway. She looked around River’s age. Curly blonde hair was swept in a ponytail, and she wore cheerful blue scrubs that somehow made Ryker feel even worse.
“It’s time to administer your father’s medication.”
Most fae afflicted by the Stillness required round-the-clock care, and Cyrus was no different. Tertia refused to put her husband in a residence and instead paid for in-home care. The last time someone had dared suggest that Cyrus might be better off in a medical facility, Tertia verbally eviscerated them. Often, she showed little emotion, but Rykerknew the love his parents had for each other was as vast as the Emerald Sea.
He dipped his chin in the nurse’s direction. “Can I stay?”
The last thing he wanted to do was leave his father right now.
A small, understanding smile tugged at the nurse’s lips. Her blue eyes were kind, and she nodded.
“Of course. I’m Megan, by the way.” She glanced at Ryker’s hand, which had tightened around his father’s. “I’m sure he knows you’re here.”
Did he? Ryker wasn’t so sure about that. He hadn’t seen a flicker of life in Cyrus’s eyes since his vigil had begun.
Guilt was a heavy ball of lead in Ryker’s stomach. He should have checked on his father since the wedding, but he’d been a gods-damned coward. He hadn’t wanted to answer the questions that would have been thrown his way if he had shown up without Brynleigh.
That his mother knew what happened was bad enough, but Ryker didn’t want River to discover the truth. He didn’t want his sister to look at him like he’d made a mistake. He was supposed to protect her and be there to fix her problems, and if she knew the truth…
Ryker couldn’t bear to disappoint his sister or add another burden to her plate. Not when their father was slipping away more with each passing day.