Vanessa shakes her head. "You might have a fever from overworking yourself, but I doubt it. At this point you''re more shifter than human, I think—you shouldn''t be getting sick. You don''t even need your glasses anymore."


    "It''s probably fine—"


    "Better to check," she interrupts. "I''ll get my supplies and check with Magister Orion to see if this is normal after an extended time in that magic room of his."


    "You''re making a big deal out of nothing. I''m fi—" The room tilts as I take a step, and suddenly the floor rushes up to meet me. Vanessa''s quick reflexes save me from an ignoble face-planting.


    "You were saying?" Her tone is gentle but firm, her fingers digging into my arms as she sets me straight again.


    My nose wrinkles. My sense of smell still isn''t as acute as theirs, but I swear I can scent her satisfaction. Maybe it''s my imagination. "Okay, maybe I''m a little wobbly."


    Vanessa guides me to the bathroom, her arm a constant support. "Take your time. I''ll be right outside if you need me."


    When I emerge, she tucks me back into bed like I''m a child. The mattress feels too soft and too hard all at once. I want to protest, to tell her I can go downstairs and speak to Magister Orion myself, but exhaustion weighs me down.


    I''m definitely not feeling right.


    Marcus appears in the doorway, his hulking frame filling the space. He nods at Vanessa. "I''ve got this. Go talk to the wizard."


    As Vanessa leaves, I shift restlessly. One moment I''m burning up, the next I''m shivering. Blanket on, then off. A deep ache settles into my bones, making it impossible to get comfortable.


    Marcus is here now, in the corner. The tension in his shoulders is obvious. Guess he doesn''t like germs.


    I drift in and out of consciousness, fragments of my earlier nightmare flashing through my mind. The murky stream, the bizarre presence.


    Odd how I didn''t remember it when I woke, because now I''m cold from my hair to my toes at the memory of it. Something insidious lurks there.


    My lungs burn. I take shallow breaths, because it''s impossible to fill my lungs with air.


    I toss and turn. Even my fingertips hurt.


    A cough builds in my chest, and I try to avoid letting it out.


    When it finally escapes, it feels like my entire torso rips apart, leaving me sore and bruised in my ribs.


    Marcus shifts from foot to foot. He''s clearly uncomfortable. He''s usually a statue when he''s on watch.


    "Don''t worry," I rasp, trying for a weak smile. "You can''t catch whatever this is."


    He grunts. "I don''t get sick."


    I sigh, sinking further into the pillows. "Must be nice."


    The silence stretches between us, broken only by my occasional coughs and the rustle of sheets as I toss and turn.


    My thoughts keep circling back to Lucas. I hope Sister Miriam and Selene get back soon.


    "Marcus," I croak, "have you heard anything from Lucas?"


    He shakes his head.


    Of course he hasn''t. He would have told me.


    Still, the tiny flicker of hope is dashed, leaving me morose.


    Another coughing fit wracks my body, leaving me curled on my side, gasping for air.@@@@


    "Vanessa should be here any minute," Marcus says, taking a step back.


    After an ice bath from hell, I fall asleep.


    I''m not sure how long it is before I wake up.


    The room is dark, and Vanessa''s sitting in a chair next to my bed. It wasn''t there before.


    "How are you feeling?" she asks in a whisper, leaning over to touch my forehead.


    I roll her question around my mind for a moment, reconnecting with my body.


    I blink slowly, trying to focus on Vanessa''s face. Every part of my body aches, as if I''ve been thrown to the mat a thousand times. My skin is clammy, and sweat trickles everywhere. I want a shower.


    "I think I''m dying," I croak, my voice barely above a whisper.


    Vanessa''s lips quirk into a small smile. "You''re doing a little better now. We''ve given you a few doses of antipyretic—" She pauses. "Tylenol, Ava. It''s Tylenol."


    Oh.


    "The ice bath helped bring your fever down, too."


    My entire body shudders at the memory, sending waves of pain through my muscles. "Please don''t do that again," I plead, wincing as even speaking hurts. My throat feels like I''m talking around shards of glass. Swallowing is even worse.


    "We had no choice, Ava," Vanessa explains. "You were delirious with an incredibly high fever. We had to bring it down quickly."


    I try to nod, but my head feels too heavy. My eyelids droop, but I don''t want to fall asleep.


    "Do you feel anything unusual?" Vanessa asks, leaning closer to examine me.


    Everything hurts. There''s no point in trying to single any particular pain out. "No," I mumble. "Just feels like an awful cold."


    As if on cue, a coughing fit seizes me. My chest burns as I hack and wheeze, my ribs bruised and aching with each spasm.


    Vanessa helps me sit up, rubbing my back until the fit subsides.


    When I can breathe again, she asks, "What happened the last time you were sick?"


    I squint, as if that''ll help me remember better. It feels like ages ago. "Slept a lot. Drank soup. Slept more."


    "Was that before or after your heat?"


    The question catches me off guard. I frown, thinking back. "Before. It was in Cedarwood."


    Vanessa nods, her expression thoughtful. "Ava, there''s something you should know. Marcus is... uncomfortable around you right now."


    "Why? Because of germs?" I ask, confusion clouding my already foggy mind.


    She hesitates for a moment before answering. "You smell like you''re going into heat. A pre-heat, if you will."


    My eyes widen, and panic surges through me, washing away my exhaustion in one fell swoop. "What? No, no, no. Where''s Lucas? I can''t go through that again!"


    "It''s okay, Ava. Calm down," Vanessa soothes, placing a hand on my arm. "We''re handling it. Magister Orion is out sourcing some heat suppressants, just in case we need them. Until then, Marcus is staying away to be safe. I can''t smell it, so he might be wrong."


    I sink back into the pillows, my mind reeling. Another heat? So soon?


    Then again... it''s not that soon, isn''t it? It''s been a while.


    But to go into heat in the middle of all this chaos? Without Lucas nearby? No, thank you.


    Been there. Done that. Don''t recommend.


    Vanessa squeezes my hand. "You''ll be fine. Just rest and focus on getting better. The Fae heat suppressants work like a charm, from what Magister Orion says."