LINGERING SHADOW.

Chapter: 11

*****

TALON:

My heart ached at the sight of Altair. He lay so still, and I couldn’t help but wonder how long he had been like that. What had happened to him? The room was as quiet as the boy resting in the bed, the only sound the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth.

“Altair,” Dirk whispered, kneeling beside the bed. He brushed his hand over his son’s forehead, feeling the warmth of his skin. “I’m here. We’re going to bring you back.”

I lingered near the doorway, uncertainty etched on my face. “Is he… is he going to be okay?” I asked, my voice barely above a whisper, my heart breaking at the sight of him.

Dirk turned to me, his expression softening. “We’re going to do everything we can. But you need to understand, Talon. You have a role to play in this. You must be strong for him.”

I nodded, swallowing hard. “I’ll do whatever it takes. I’ll stay away from him. I won’t hurt him again.”

Dirk could see the sincerity in my eyes, but he knew that words alone were