346 SUSPICIOUS SOUND

The sterile white of the hospital room felt like a mockery of their situation. Keisha, propped upright against pillows, looked smaller than ever dwarfed by the starched sheets. Her skin, usually the color of rich milk chocolate, was a pale canvas stretched taut over her cheekbones. Her normally bright eyes held a dull ache. "Emerald?" Keisha's voice croaked, a rusty hinge rasping open. Emerald, perched on the edge of the bed, her hand a constant presence on Keisha's, offered a smile that felt brittle. "Hey, honey. How are you feeling?" Aiden, ever the pragmatist, sat in the corner chair, a silent sentinel. He'd been a rock these past few days, his calm a stark contrast to the storm brewing in Emerald's gut. Keisha shifted, wincing slightly. "Sore, mostly. But…" she hesitated, her gaze flickering to Aiden and then back to Emerald. "Where's Luke?" The question hung in the air, heavy and unwelcome. Emerald felt a lump rise in her throat. How could she explain the fresh wave of terro