Chapter 204: The fever

AYLA

I was exhausted.

Every part of me hurt.

My head felt heavy against the pillow, and my limbs felt like they belonged to someone else. Even breathing seemed to require more effort than it should.

I kept drifting in and out of different dreams but every time I woke up, the dream slipped away so that I could never remember it.

I would lie there, breathing heavily, my chest rising and falling as sweat soaked through my nightclothes then I would close my eyes again and it would start over.

At some point, I heard someone knocking.

"Ayla? Ayla, are you well?"

It was my mother’s voice calling for me.

I wanted to answer. I remember laying there with my cheek pressed into the damp pillow wanting to form the words.

I am fine, mother... come in

But I could not bring myself to speak...my body felt too heavy and I felt myself falling asleep again.

When I opened my eyes again, my head was throbbing.

I turned to the window to see sunlight pouring through the curtains, casting a warm glow in my room.

I frowned.

What time was it? It cannot be noon, right?

I had gone to bed after breakfast and I couldn’t have slept that long.

Could I?

I rubbed my forehead.

Maybe I had...maybe I was getting sick.

That had to be it...some kind of illness.

It would explain the exhaustion, I was still feeling at the moment.

I slowly pushed myself upright and pain immediately shot through my back.

I winced, cussing under my breath. My voice sounded rough and cracked.

I looked around and noticed a tray beside my bed which held a glass of water and a few snacks.

Someone had clearly stopped by.

Astrid, probably.

I reached for the water immediately. My hands trembled slightly as I picked up the glass and drank.

It ran down my parched throat, spilling over my chin and down my neck. I had never been so thirsty in my life. I drank until the glass was empty.

My throat still felt very dry.

A knock came through and I looked toward the door, wondering who it could be.

Damon? Of course... we had a date tonight.

"I am coming." I croaked, pushing the blankets aside.

The moment my feet touched the floor, my body protested and a sharp pain travelled up my spine.

I sucked in a breath.

"Ow." I waited as the room spun slightly.

I closed my eyes until it passed before I began shuffling toward the door.

I reached for the handle and pulled the door open but it wasn’t Damon that stood there but Cassian and the smile on his face disappeared the moment he saw me.

"Ayla. What is wrong?"

"Nothing." I said. "I just woke up, I have not..."

"No." He stepped forward, and his hands came up and took my face between them, tilting my head into the light from the corridor. "Ayla, you are pale. You are sweating. Look at me."

I looked up at him.

Cassian leaned closer, his eyes searching mine.

"The whites of your eyes are red." he announced.

I frowned. "They are?"

"Yes." His hands moved away from my face. "Come on, back to bed. I am going to find Aldric"

I let him steer me away from the door and back into my bed because quite frankly, I did not have the energy to fight. I knew I was sick too... I could feel it.

"Do not move until I get back."

Then he was gone.

I lay there staring at the door he had left open, feeling very tired.

He was back in moments and this time Master Aldric was with him, his leather satchel at his hip, his kind old face creased with concern.

"My lady." He set the satchel on the bed and took my wrist between his fingers. "Cassian tells me you are not well."

"Yes, I responded."

"How long have you been feeling unwell?"

"Since this morning after breakfast." I answered.

"Breakfast." He repeated the word slowly, his eyes on mine. "And nothing else? No midday meal? No water?"

"I had water just now. Before that, no. I slept."

He looked at Cassian then back at me.

"You mean to tell me you have been sleeping since dawn?"

"Yes."I nodded.

"How many times have you gotten out of bed?"

"I haven’t."

His eyebrows rose. "At all?"

I nodded. "I have been drifting in and out. I remember my mother knocking on the door. I could not find the strength to rise and answer her."

Aldric’s frown deepened. He released my wrist and pressed the back of his hand to my forehead.

"You are burning up." He looked into my eyes, tilting my chin the way Cassian had, studying the whites. "Any other symptoms? Headaches? Dizziness?"

"Yes." I swallowed. "Dizziness. Random ones, that come out of nowhere and I have been..." I stopped, the words catching in my throat, because I had been about to say it.

I had been about to tell him about the morning I had woken standing outside Ares’ door with no memory of walking there, about the pieces of time that went missing like pages torn from a book.

Because what would happen if I did?Would he think something was wrong with my mind?

Would he tell Ares?Would everyone start watching me again?

I had only just begun to feel normal and I didn’t want that taken away from me.

"And what?" Aldric prompted gently.

"And headaches," I finished lamely. "Just the headaches and the dizziness."

"Hmm." Master Aldric muttered.

"What?" I asked, sitting a little straighter. "What is wrong with me?"

"I do not know what to make of this, my lady." He rose, gathering his satchel. "But I will prepare a potion to help your mind rest and to bring the fever down. You will need to be watched closely. I want to know the moment you get better, or worse."

"I will watch her." Cassian answered. "Do not worry, Aldric. She will not be alone."

"Good." Aldric nodded. "I will prepare the potion." He turned toward the door.

As soon as he left, Cassian took my hand, his fingers wrapping around mine. I could see the worry etched into his face that he was trying to hide.

"I will be fine." I said to him.

"I know you will be." His voice was fierce.

My throat tightened.

I tried to smile at him but I could feel my eyes blurring, my eyelids becoming heavy like something was pulling at me... something I could not see.

It was happening again

"Cassian," I tried to say. But the words stayed stuck in my throat as my eyes closed.