Beyond them, several waiting carts stood prepared to transport Kade directly to the Royal Medical Wing, where physicians were still struggling to understand the mysterious condition of the young boy who had arrived only hours earlier.
As the aircraft came to a complete stop, the phone in Kade's hand vibrated once again.
He lowered his eyes to the screen.
Dakota.
A quiet uneasiness settled over him.
She had called only a short while ago, and although he had managed to calm her then, something told him this call was different. Without allowing it to ring a second time, he answered.
"Dakota."
He had intended to ask whether there had been any change in Takoda's condition, but the words died before they could leave his lips. Instead, all he heard was the sound of uncontrollable sobbing. She wasn't simply crying. Her breathing was broken, uneven, each desperate attempt to speak swallowed by another wave of grief.
Kade's heart tightened instantly.
