Free Vision in Faith (Legends of the North Book 3) by Liz Bower

the smell overpowered him, and his lungs felt like they were on fire. The last thing he heard was the bark of a dog before he gave in to the nothingness.

Chapter 9

    "You can't. Just trust me on this."
    "He's your brother, Matt! Aren't you worried? It's been three weeks since we found him and nothing. He doesn't move, doesn't dream. It's like he's been frozen. Is this how he's going to be from now on? We just leave him in this… this state of nothing?"
    Matt grabbed Vicky's shoulders and gave her a shake. "Stop it. He will be fine. I've been through it myself. But there's nothing we can do except wait. I'll be back tomorrow, but Jess will come round this evening, okay?"
    Nodding, she stared at him as he walked out of her spare bedroom.  
    Just wait. He makes it sound so easy.  
    Taking a seat on the edge of the bed, she held James's hand between hers. She leaned forward and gently pressed a hand against his forehead. He didn't feel cold any longer but hot instead. She didn't know if that was a good thing or not. She thought about going after Matt, but she didn't want to leave James.
    Brushing her fingertips over his cheek, she whispered a little prayer. She'd lost count of the number she'd sent up over the last few weeks. She had even asked her mum and dad to pray for him, which had earned her a few questions.
    Her gaze skipped back to his face. She could have sworn his eyes opened. Leaning over him, she studied him. Yes, his eyes fluttered, lifting open slightly. "Hey. Can you hear me?" she asked gently.
    He opened his eyes, blinked at her several times before a smile lifted his lips at the corners. His gaze left hers to take in the room before returning. "Where am I?" His voice came out as a croak, and when he started coughing to try to clear his throat, he groaned. Lifting a hand to his neck, he pressed his fingers to his skin there and winced. "What happened?"
    She shifted on the bed, closer to him, and took his hand again. "Do you remember walking me home after the night of Matt and Emma's engagement party?"
    Nodding, he winced once more. "It happened again, didn't it? Whatever attacked me last time tried again."
    "Yes," she said, trying not to let out a sob. "Three weeks," she whispered.  
    Lifting his hand, he cradled her jaw, stroking his thumb across her cheek. "Hey, it's okay. I've survived worse."
    "You could have died. Teazle found you."
    His eyebrows rose at her statement then furrowed. "Yes, I heard. Well, I heard a dog barking, anyway. Remind me to buy her a bone or something."
    Her lips twitched up on one side because he seemed to be okay. Maybe then she could stop worrying. Perhaps the guilt that this was her fault would ease. If she hadn't snuck out of the pub, if she'd just stayed, then none of this would've happened. He wouldn't have followed her home. He would've been safe.
    She felt his gaze on her and carried on. "After you left, she started acting strange, barking and growling at nothing, before she escaped. Pat, my neighbour, helped me go after her, but instead, we found you. You were laid flat out on the street, this strange mist hanging around you. You were unconscious. Your neck—"
    That time, she couldn't stop her sob. Her finger waved in front of her neck and she clapped her other hand over her mouth.
      James pulled her down to his chest and wrapped an arm around her. "It's okay. I'm sure it looks worse than it is. It's not the first time it's happened. It'll just be a bit sore for a week or so. Nothing to worry about, honest."
    She felt him press a kiss to her head and she wrapped an arm around his waist. They lay together in silence, happy that at least he seemed to be okay.
    A little while later, she forced herself to sit up. "I should go call your brother, let him know you're okay, that you're awake. And Jess. I'll call her too."
    "Just… In a minute. As soon as you call them, they'll come round. Let me have one more minute of peace," he said, tightening his arm around