Luna. Chapter 94

(Lyra's POV)

Two hours later, after Morgana had run every diagnostic test she could think of and declared Asher completely free of spiritual interference, we were finally ready to go home. The morning sun was fully up now, turning the world bright and warm and welcoming.

"Ready to get out of here?" I asked, standing up from the chair where I'd been holding Asher while he dozed fitfully.

"Yes! I want to see my room and make sure everything is okay."

I started to stand, but the moment I got to my feet, the room tilted dangerously. The exhaustion hit me all at once like a physical blow - the emotional strain of the past weeks, the massive amount of spiritual energy I'd channeled during the ritual, the sleepless nights of worry, the adrenaline crash after crisis. My body had been running on pure determination and terror, and now that Asher was safe, it was demanding payment for all those borrowed resources.

My legs gave out completely.

Kael caught me before I could hit the floor, his arms strong and steady around me, pulling me against his chest before I could collapse. "Whoa there. Easy."

"I'm fine," I protested weakly, but even I could hear how unconvincing it sounded.

"When's the last time you ate anything substantial?" he asked, supporting my full weight without apparent effort.

I tried to think back. "I don't remember."

"Or slept more than two hours at a stretch?"

"Also don't remember."

He studied my face with the kind of clinical assessment I'd seen him use in pack emergencies. "You're dead on your feet. Actually, you're past dead on your feet. You're in full system shutdown."

"I just need coffee."

"You need about twelve hours of uninterrupted sleep and several decent meals." He made a decision. "I'm carrying you home."

"Kael, I can walk." But even as I said it, I swayed against him, proving his point.

"No, you really can't. You're going to fall down the stairs and break your neck, and then what good would saving Asher have done?"

Before I could protest further, he lifted me easily, cradling me against his chest like I weighed nothing. I wanted to argue, but the relief of not having to support my own body weight was too overwhelming. I let myself sag against his shoulder, breathing in the familiar scent that was uniquely his.

Victor had woken fully during our conversation, looking much more like himself after a full night's rest. The gray pallor was gone from his skin, and his eyes were clear and alert. He picked up Asher, who wrapped his arms around his grandfather's neck contentedly.

"Family procession," Victor said with the first genuine smile I'd seen from him in weeks.

Elena appeared with everyone's coats and bags, fussing over all of us with the determined care of someone who'd been genuinely terrified and was now channeling that fear into taking care of practical details.

"The car's right outside," she said, holding the door for our strange little parade. "I called ahead and had Mrs. Chen stock your refrigerator, so you don't need to worry about groceries."

The walk to the parking lot felt surreal. After the drama and supernatural terror of the night, stepping out into normal morning sunshine felt like emerging into a completely different world. Birds were singing. People were going about their regular Wednesday morning routines. Life was continuing exactly as it had before our crisis, which seemed impossible given how completely our world had been turned upside down.

"Mama's really tired," I heard Asher say as Kael settled us into the backseat of Victor's car.

"She is," Kael replied, buckling me in with gentle efficiency. "She used a lot of energy to help you last night."

"Like when I run around the playground and get tired?"

"Something like that. But more tired than you've ever been."

"Will she be okay?"

"She'll be fine. She just needs to rest for a while."

I wanted to reassure Asher myself, to be the strong mother who had everything under control, but forming coherent words felt beyond my capabilities. My brain was foggy with exhaustion, and every time I tried to focus on something, my thoughts scattered like leaves in the wind.

The drive home passed in a haze. I drifted in and out of consciousness against Kael's shoulder, vaguely aware of conversation around me but too mentally and physically depleted to follow it properly. I caught fragments - Asher chattering excitedly about plans for the day, Elena making lists of things that needed to be done, Victor and Kael discussing practical concerns I couldn't quite grasp.

It all felt distant and dreamlike, filtered through the cotton wool of complete exhaustion.

When we reached the house, Kael carried me straight upstairs to my bedroom, laying me gently on top of the comforter and pulling a soft throw blanket over me. I heard him quietly closing the curtains, blocking out the bright morning light.

"Sleep," he said softly, smoothing my hair back from my forehead. "I'll stay downstairs with Asher and make sure he's okay."

"You don't have to stay," I mumbled, already halfway unconscious.

"I want to. Rest, Lyra. You've earned it."

The last thing I remembered before sleep claimed me completely was the sound of Asher's laughter drifting up from downstairs, bright and joyful and perfectly, wonderfully normal. My son was happy. My son was safe. My son was himself again.

I could finally let go and rest.