Cassie

We were standing on the street in front of the woods. We had raced there after Jake's parents were infested. I looked at him. He was pale.

"Jake…" I started, but before I could say anymore, he began to change. Slowly I could see his skin change colour to orange and black stripes.

"Jake, no!" I shouted. But he didn't seem to hear me.

We were in a street, in plain view. It was lucky nobody was close by.

Jake had finished morphing and was racing into the woods.

((I'll go after him,)) Tobias said, quickly.

"No," I said, wiping away stray tears. "He's too fast, we'll go together."

We walked calmly in the woods and started to morph into our birds of prey morphs.

((It's nobody's fault,)) Marco said, sounding like he was talking more to himself than to the rest of us. ((It was bound to happen.))

((Oh, yes,)) Rachel said, sarcastically. ((It was all bound to happen. Tom getting killed, Tom being alive, Tom getting killed, Chapman trying to infest Jake, Jake beating some guy up, Jake's parents getting infested…))

((Is that him?)) I asked quickly.

((Who else would it be?)) Marco asked.

Jake was fully human and was pacing again.

((I'm going down,)) I said, quickly.

((I'm coming with you,)) Marco said.

((No,)) I said. ((I need to speak with him.))

((Let Cassie go to Prince Jake,)) Ax said. ((I don't know much about human interaction, but Prince Jake and Cassie have what you call a connection.))

((In other words they're hot for each other,)) Marco said dully.

((Now's not the time to joke, Marco,)) Rachel said, angrily.

((Who's joking?))
I flew down on the ground and started to demorph. Jake didn't seem to notice and kept on pacing.

"Jake?" I said softly when I was fully human. I walked over to him and stood in front of him so he was forced to stop pacing. "Jake, this is not your fault."

He looked at me and I swear I could literally see his pain. He wasn't crying, he just looked numb. I wrapped his arms around me and hugged him.

"Why is this happening to me?" he whispered. "What did I do?"

That made me cry.

"You did nothing," I answered, hugging him closer. "You're having a bad week."

That was an understatement.

"Sit down with me," I said, leading him over to a tree and sitting down against it. He sat down beside me.

"I'm just so tired," he said.

I looked in his eyes and knew that he wasn't kidding. He looked so weary and worn out it scared me. Not for the first time did I fear for his sanity. What would come of him now?

"I know," I whispered. "Just sleep. I'll be here for you."

He leaned his head against the tree, I laid my head on his chest and five minutes later his breathing became heavy. He was asleep.

Four birds fluttered down on the ground.

((Good going, Cassie,)) Marco said, gratefully. ((I just hope he'll be okay.))

((I will assume Prince Jake's position at his home,)) Ax said.