Her brother needed to know about this miracle, needed to be here for this.
Cyrus dipped his chin, his eyes heavy. Sands save her, but he looked so tired. Like being alert was draining him far faster than it should’ve.
“Go ahead, River. I’ll be here.”
But for how long?
Her hands flew over the keys of her phone as though they’d been injected with jet fuel. She pressed the phone to her pointed ear, never taking her eyes off her father.
It rangtwice.
“Riv—”
“Dad’s awake, Ryker,” she blurted, talking over her brother. “He’sawake.”
Stunned silence came from the other end of the line. An entire minute passed, and she pulled the phone away from her ear to make sure the call hadn’t been disconnected.
“Ryker?” she prodded. “Did you hear what I said? Dad’s awake. He’s talking.”
There was a sharp inhale on the other end of the phone, and then a chair scraped across a floor. A hushed murmur that was too low for her to hear. Heavy footsteps.
“Yes, River, I heard you.” Ryker’s voice had deepened, thick with emotion. A moment later, a door snicked shut. “I just wasn’t sure if I was dreaming.”
“I know,” she murmured. “I had the exact same thought when I first got here.”
Her thigh still pulsed from where she’d pinched it.
“He’s really awake?” Ryker sounded dazed, which was perfectly understandable, considering the circumstances.
“Yes, he is.” She looked up, smiling as she met her father’s eyes. They were filled with so much love and fondness; she could barely breathe. “He’s lucid, and he’s talking to me. Dyna has truly blessed us.”
River was already planning her next trip to the goddess’s temple to thank her for this unexpected blessing. The offerings she’d bring, the prayers of thanks she’d utter. It would be a whole affair, and she’d probably be there for an entire day, but what was a day spent in worship when her father was here, and he was awake?
“You’re with him now?” It sounded like Ryker was shoving objects into a bag.
She nodded before she remembered that this wasn’t a video call. “I am. I’m going to put you on speaker, okay?” Heagreed, and she put the phone on the bed beside her father’s head.
“Dad?” Her brother’s voice was hesitant. Hopeful.
Cyrus squeezed his eyes shut, and when they reopened, silver lined them. “Hello, son.”
Another moment of stunned silence echoed through the phone, and then Ryker laughed. “It’s really you. I didn’t… It’s so good to hear your voice, Dad.”
A tear trailed down Cyrus’s cheek, but he didn’t seem to notice. “It’s wonderful to speak with you, too.”
“I’m coming back, Dad,” Ryker said quickly, as if he was afraid that if he took too long, he wouldn’t have the chance to get all his words out before their father slipped away. “Hold on for me, okay? I’m at the border of the Western Region for work, but I can’t miss this.”
I can’t miss you.
The unspoken words echoed through the room, and River’s heart clenched. Why did he have to be so far away now, when their time was so limited?
“How will you get here, Ryker?” she asked, her hands curling into fists.
It was the middle of the day. Vampires couldn’t travel in sunlight, so shadowing was out.
“Therian’s going to fly me over,” he said. “We’re several hours away by car, but he should be able to get me there within the hour.”
River exhaled, dipping her head and easing her fingers apart. “Good, that’s good.”