Chapter 6: The Fever

His palm came down over the mark, and the fire went out of me.

I let out a sound that was half a sob.

"Easy," Madoc said.

"It's worse at night."

"Then I'll stay where I am."

He stayed on his knees beside the pallet with his hand on my neck, and I lay shaking in the wet furs.

The tent was dark, and I could hear him breathing.

After a while my teeth stopped chattering.

"I'm cold now," I said.

"That's the fever breaking."

"Everything I have is soaked."

He took off his own coat and spread it over me.

It was heavy and warm and smelled of woodsmoke, and I pulled it up to my chin.

Rue purred inside my ribs.

I had never heard her do that.

"Madoc."

"Yes."

"If you go back to the cot, it comes back."

"Probably."

"Then don't go back."

He was quiet for a long moment.

"That was not the arrangement," he said.

"I know."

"I would be lying beside you."

"I won't tell the realm."

Something that might have been a laugh moved in his chest.

He lay down on top of the blankets with his boots still on and his back to the wall of the tent, and he kept his hand on my neck.

I fell asleep with my face an inch from his shoulder.

I woke in full light with my cheek on his chest.

His arm was around my back, and my leg had somehow found its way over his thigh.

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