The next night, I waited until it was well after sunrise before I called the American coven house. I had tried Avalon's cell phone first, but hadn't received an answer, just like our father the night before. Feeling desperate, I'd decided to call through the switchboard so the local receptionist would connect me to him. If Avalon wasn't taking our father's calls, it couldn't be good. But I needed to hear his voice and make sure he was okay...

"C'mon, Avalon," I whispered, listening to the echoing ring. "Pick up the phone."

"Avalon Mezdor," came a scratchy voice on the other end of the line after a moment's pause between ringtones.

"Hi," I said, my own voice quiet.

"Hey, Eris," Avalon answered, his tone lacking any happiness that I had called. "It's late there. You okay?"

"I'm fine. How are you?" I answered, not ready to talk about my situation. He was the one who needed to be checked on.

There was a heavy sigh on the other end of the line and a sound that suggested pain. I could feel tears spring up, clouding my vision.

"I'm so sorry, Avalon," I breathed when he didn't say anything. "I'm so, so sorry."

"Thanks, Eris," he answered at last, his voice strained.

"Are you both okay?" I asked, feeling like a fool for asking such a stupid question.

"Yeah," he said softly. "Yeah, she's sleeping right now."

"How are you?" I asked again.

There was another sigh. "I'm okay... Just in shock and numb, more than anything. I don't know how this happened," my big brother whispered, the words sounding tortured. "Everything was fine, and then it suddenly wasn't."

"What do you mean?"

"She was fine," Avalon stated, sounding panicked that he couldn't grasp his new reality. "Everything was completely normal. And then I woke up yesterday evening and... The whole bed was covered in blood," he added quietly. "She was in so much pain, Eris."

A moment of silence filled the line, and I heard him inhale sharply. "I've never seen so much blood before."

"I'm so sorry, Avalon," I breathed, unsure of what else to say to comfort him. "Were they able to treat her?"

"Yeah," he answered softly. "She went back into surgery last night before sunrise and they gave her a transfusion. Seren says she'll make a full recovery. It's just going to take her some time to heal."

"I'm glad they were able to make her comfortable at least," I said, nodding. "Is there anything I can do, or Mum or Dad?"

He inhaled again, and I could imagine the look on his face: eyes closed and brows furrowed as he tried to settle himself. It was the same, rare look our father made when he was overwhelmed. "No, but thank you. Dad should stay with Mum. We'll be okay here."

"I think Kearran plans on leaving for Portland tomorrow," I added. "Might be good to have someone else to help run the house while you two recover."

"Yeah, not a bad idea," my brother said slowly, although I could tell he wasn't focused on what I had said. "How are you?" he added in question.

"I'm okay," I said after a moment.

"You went on your first field mission this week, right?"

I glanced towards the door that led to my parents room and I inhaled a shaky breath in the same manner he had. "Yeah, I did."

"How'd it go?"

I chewed my bottom lip for a moment. I wondered if he was asking because he needed a distraction from his own situation. And I wanted more than anything to give him something else to concentrate on. But I wasn't sure my story would make him feel any better. "It...didn't go as planned. There was an ambush. A spy somehow made it into one of the teams and got assigned to our mission."

"Are you okay?" Avalon asked, sounding attentive to the conversation suddenly.

"Yeah, I'm fine," I answered honestly. "I got away from him. Dropped him with a knife to the chest..."

"What happened?" he asked, knowing I was omitting details.

I exhaled slowly, trying to not let the memory play through my head again. But there it was: the cold wind that ripped across the rocks, the man's hand over my mouth as he held me hostage, ordering me not to make a noise, his tall silhouette and dark, long hair. I couldn't breathe, thinking about his words.

"Eris? You there?"

"Yeah, sorry," I said softly. "I'm sorry, we shouldn't be talking about this right now. You have bigger things to worry about than this and the campaign."

"What happened?" Avalon pressed back from the other end of the line. "Are you okay?"

I sighed and nodded again, knowing he couldn't see me. "Yes, I'm all right... I had to run and got separated from everyone. One of the Moon Worshippers caught me," I explained slowly.

"What?" Avalon breathed, his tone becoming hard with the same brotherly protectiveness he always had when it came to me.

"But, he didn't hurt me," I interjected quickly. "He let me go. He told me to hide until he could lead them further away from me. He saved my life, Avalon."

There was silence on the other end of the line. "And you're okay?" he asked at last.

I nodded, forgetting again he couldn't see me. "Yeah, I'm all right," I repeated. "I'm sure Contessa will tell you about it. She had to stop at the Capitol first."

"I'm glad you're okay. I wish I had been there," my brother said, his tone gentle again.

"No, you were supposed to be home," I responded. "If anything, I wish I was there with you."

He made a soft sound that betrayed his half-smile he made when sad. "Thanks, Eris."

"I'm so sorry, Avalon, I am," I repeated. "I know how much you wanted this. But I'm so happy Elizabeth's okay."

"Me, too," he answered. He sighed heavily. "The doctors want to run some tests and find the cause... I don't want her to go through this again."

"Are you sure you don't want me or Dad to fly out?" I asked softly.

"Yeah," he replied. "Dad needs to stay with Mum. And so should you. We'll be okay..." He trailed off again and I heard him sigh. "I just want to take away all of her pain. That's all I want right now. I wish there was some way to fix it, even if it hurts me in return."

"I know," I breathed, hating the anguish in his voice. "Let me know if there's anything we can do, okay? I'm serious. I'll be there if you want me to be. Dad and Mum can hold down the fort here. I'd rather be with you."

"I know... I'm gonna let you go, okay? I need to talk to the doctor before she wakes up."

"Yeah, of course," I responded. "Text me later?"

"Definitely. Thanks, Eris."

I sighed and tried to smile at the gratitude in his voice. "I love you, Big Brother."

"Love you, too, kid. I'll talk to you soon."

Avalon put the cell phone away after hanging up, moving towards the private hospital room at the other end of the infirmary. He inhaled a deep breath before turning around the corner to look in the window. She still slept on her side with the white blankets pulled up to her ribs. He could hear the soft beep of the heart monitor, the read-out showing a low pulse.

She'd been in surgery for three hours the previous night, and Avalon couldn't forget the sounds of her screams. He had watched in horror as Seren had dictated every move the infirmary team made in the operating room, her body colored with blood amidst the white and sterile environment.

Avalon broke himself out of the memories of blood and destruction, looking down at the floor. Just as he closed his eyes, the feeling of a warm body pressed against his knee and a wet nose nuzzled at his hand. He glanced down again to see Shade as she pushed her snout into his fingers, forcing him to pet her. "Hi, girl," he whispered, unable to stop the pain in his voice. Tears welled up in his eyes as she sat, her ears laying back against her head.

"You're so smart," he breathed, stroking one of her tall, black ears and silky fur. She always seemed to know when she was needed.

The dog leaned her face into his hand, her tail wagging weakly on the tile floor. She stood again and walked to the door, pressing her nose against it before pawing at it. She looked at him and then scratched at the barrier again with a soft whine.

The man smiled, glancing up at the window again to see Elizabeth still sleeping. He stepped forward and pulled the door open, leaving it wide enough for the dog to step inside. Just as he went to follow, he heard another door open at the other end of the infirmary.

"Lord Avalon."

He looked away to see one of the men in a white lab coat step out of his office, his scrubs no longer covered in blood and a clipboard in his hand instead of a scalpel. Seren brought up the rear behind the doctor, his face subdued. Just like Avalon, the grand elder hadn't slept in over twenty-four hours.

Avalon inhaled a breath to steady himself, closing the door again so as not to wake her. He turned to face the two, wiping his face free of tears quickly. "Yeah," he said in a half-hearted response. "What'd you find out?"

"I'm sorry, Lord Avalon, but the good news is she'll make a full recovery," the doctor answered, giving him a small smile. "We'll do everything we can to keep her comfortable until then. The transfusion already gave her some strength back... Have you thought anymore about what we discussed last night?"

Avalon winced, looking away again. "How much would you need?" he asked, his voice hoarse.

"Just a few tissue samples," Seren replied.

The younger man nodded slowly, looking through the window in the door again. He watched as Shade propped her nose up on the edge of the hospital bed, straining to reach the woman's hand that laid on the mattress. He glanced at the heart monitor to see it continue to lazily beep, announcing his wife's weaknesses as her body fought to heal from the massive blood loss. The doctor's words from the previous evening ran through his mind again, asking if he could take bloodwork and tissue to help with a treatment plan post-surgery and find a cause for the miscarriage.

Avalon inhaled again, steadying himself. "Take whatever you need. I don't want this to happen again." He stood there another moment, watching Shade manage to reach Elizabeth's fingers, licking them gently with her pink tongue.

"Yes, sir. I'll do everything I can," the doctor replied, but Avalon didn't look away from the window.

Avalon nodded, listening to the retreating steps as the doctor walked back to the other end of the hospital ward. He almost flinched when Seren put his hand on his shoulder.

"She'll be all right, son. Sometimes these things happen in our youth, and we don't know why. We'll keep her here for a few nights until more of her strength is back. She'll be fine."

"I hope you're right," Avalon answered, nodding slightly. He waited for Seren to release him before he stepped forward to the door again. He pulled it open and walked inside. Shade moved out of his way, whining. Avalon touched her head again before he sat down in the chair beside Elizabeth's bed. He leaned forward and stroked his wife's dark hair back behind her ear, listening to her slow breathing that was echoed by the equipment's beep.

He sighed heavily, lowering his head into his free hand, pressing his thumb and index finger into his temples. Scenes of blood and screams played through his mind again, pressing at his throat and shoulder as memories of the first time she'd been put in the infirmary overwhelmed him, mixing with the sight of their bed from the night before. Avalon grunted to himself, his body tensing as he tried to lock down his emotions so they wouldn't overtake him. Fear trickled into his throat as the animal within him threatened to wash over his senses. He looked up again when a shift of motion caught his attention, pulling him out of the spiral.

The dog hopped up on the foot of the bed, curling herself into the curved nook between Elizabeth's ankles and thighs. The dog rested her head on her owner's hip as she laid down behind Elizabeth's bent knees, careful not to crowd the woman's weakened body.

Avalon sighed again. He didn't have the heart to make her get down. In the time the couple had been together, Shade remained a steadfast and loyal companion. While she had been hesitant of Avalon after the Wolf attack, she'd warmed up to him not long after the wedding. The man wiped his eyes once more and nodded, smiling at her.

We'll be okay.