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“Not if I don’t know what’s wrong,” he replied.
“Can you read his mind? Or his memory? What was he thinking right before he collapsed?” I wasn’t sure how their mind reading worked, but he could try.
He closed his eyes and pressed his hand over Niall’s forehead. A moment later, he sucked in a breath, and his eyes snapped to me. “Call Mrs. Hedgings.”
I wanted to ask questions, but now wasn’t the time. I pulled my phone out and called her, praying she would answer and I wouldn’t have to message her or search campus for her.
“Hello, Saige,” she answered.
“Hi, something’s wrong with Niall. He just collapsed. He’s breathing, but he won’t wake up.” I stared down at him. “Is it possible he was cursed too?”
“No, dear. The timing doesn’t add up.” She paused. “I was afraid this would happen, but I wanted to let things happen naturally for you.”
“What do you mean?”
“It’s bond fatigue,” she said as if I should know what that is.
“I’ve never heard of that.” Yet another thing that was kept from me, either on purpose or by me growing up in the non-supernatural world.
“It can happen when the bond is established but left incomplete. It’s draining all of you, but it must have hit Niall the worst.”
“I don’t understand.” I reached down and took his hand. Why would the bond be draining us? We did the ceremony. It was official. My magic was stronger than ever.
“The bond should be deeper than mere peers or even roommates. You should have a much closer connection to each other.”
I eyed the four of them. We might be getting along better than before, but she was right. We treated each other like roommates, not family. Or more.
“As long as you five remain distanced from one another, it leaves each of you vulnerable. You might have more control over your abilities, but soon you’ll feel the effects of the strain.”
“How do we fix things now to help Niall?”
“I think coming together to care for him could be enough to wake him up. Then you need to feed the bond. You need to nurture it. Make it a focus. Build it. Just like any other relationship you’ve had.” She paused for a second. “Think of your past friendships. Would you stay friends with a person who ignored you? Would you care for them if you never spent time together? You would drift apart until the relationship was over and a distant memory. You can’t do that with the bond. It won’t let you. Niall is facing the consequences of you five neglecting your bond.”
I closed my eyes and thanked her before hanging up.
“What did she say?” Kaden asked.
I rolled my eyes. “You all have heightened hearing.”
He shrugged. “Sometimes it’s nice to pretend so you have control over what you tell us.”
“I don’t want to have to repeat everything. You all heard, and you know she’s right. We’ve been living together, but that’s pretty much it. We don’t act like anything more than friends.” Which was majorly my fault, but not entirely. “Theo and Sai, you guys are close, but have you made an effort with Kaden and Niall?”
I knew the answer, so I moved on.
“This isn’t only about your relationships with me. Each one between you guys matters just as much. When was the last time any of you hung out with Niall? Have you gotten to know him more? Just tolerating him isn’t enough. He’s your brother now. Act like it.” I stood and marched out of the room.
Mrs. Hedgings mentioned caring for Niall. The first thing we could do was at least make him comfortable, so I went into his room and pulled down his perfectly straight and tucked-in blanket and sheets before heading back out.
He was in jeans and a t-shirt, and I very much doubted he would want us to change his clothes, so I pulled off his shoes to at least make him more comfortable.
“Can one of you carry him into bed?”
“I’ve got him.” Kaden slid his arms under Niall’s limp form and followed me into their room. I covered him with his blanket and brushed his black hair away from his face. He looked so peaceful. Like he was having a restful night’s sleep.
But his power was being drained.
Because of us.
