A Dangerous Dance [BOOK ONE]

Chapter Eight

BY THE NEXT DAY, ALTHEA WAS running a fever and had a horrible cough that stole her breath.

She slipped in and out of fever dreams, not quite asleep but not quite awake. Sisters came and went, some pressing rags soaked in cool water to her sweating brow, others brushing her hair or reading to her.

On the rare occasions when Althea was awake, Blythe or Evelina would try to coax her into eating or drinking something. She could only stomach water, broths, and soups, however, and rarely felt hungry.

In the nights when Althea was sweating off the fever, she generally found Lenora or Natalie sleeping next to her. Sometimes it was both and more girls, almost as though they believed being with her would help her get well.

That was, until Lenora started coughing. And Iris grew feverish.

By the third day, Lenora, Iris, Dahlia, and Blythe were all bedridden with fever. Most of the other girls were coughing and sniffling. Lenora was far too ill to be moved from Althea's bed. Cassidy and Holly were the only ones who hadn't grown ill. Cassidy was being run ragged, taking care of the household and her sisters at the same time.

Dr. Cormac, the long-time palace physician, was in and out of the girls' chambers. He gave them cough syrup and administered medicine to help with the fever.

"Is she any better, doctor?" Cassidy asked worriedly as Dr. Cormac took Althea's temperature yet again.

He sighed deeply, "The fever has gone down a little, however, it still very much has a hold on her, my dear. Your sister's body was already weak and fragile when she took that tumble in the fountain, I'm afraid. It is hard for her to fight any kind of illness."

Cassidy pushed Althea's hair away from her sister's pale face, "And what about Lenora?"

"She's just as worse off as Althea." Dr. Cormac reached for Cassidy's hand and squeezed, "They are fighters, Cassidy, all of your sisters. They'll make it through this."

A fit of coughing from two beds over, Dahlia, drew Dr. Cormac away to administer more medicine to her. Cassidy wrapped her fingers around Althea's hand, holding it tightly.

"We have to... dance." Althea wheezed out.

Cassidy sighed deeply, "Thea, Nora can't get out of bed. Blythe coughed up blood this morning. And you are in no condition to move either."

"Not my decision."

Cassidy was in charge now, since Althea and Blythe were so sick, and she had to make the decisions for all of them.

She took a deep breath, then said, "We aren't going. We can't, there's no way. I'll go by myself and tell her what's going on."

Althea suddenly griped Cassidy's arm, hard, "Don't. I'm afraid that—" But she didn't finish because a bought of coughing stole her voice.

"I won't. I promise." Cassidy said, seeming to understand what Althea was trying to say.

Althea nodded, happy that her sister listened to her, and sank back into the pillows and blankets of her bed, eyes fluttering closed.

Cassidy couldn't stand to see her sister in this way, her face pale and sallow, her golden hair fanned around her head like a halo. It looked as though Althea was already half dead.

The third sister left the rest of the girls in the care of Lady Andrea and Dr. Cormac, in search of the only comfort she knew outside of her sisters.

Andrew's office door was opened and he was alone inside when Cassidy entered, reading through some papers on his desk. Her heart still fluttered every time she went to see him. Every time.

"Cassidy?" He looked up, then frowned when he noticed something was wrong, "What is it? How are your sisters?"

She rubbed her arms and wouldn't look at him, "None the better than yesterday."

Andrew sighed and stood, making his way over to her to fold her into his arms. She breathed him in, smelling of ink and his cologne.

"I'm confident they will return to full health, Cassie." He murmured, "Your sisters are strong, all of them. They can make it through this."

It seemed that everyone was saying that exact thing, but Cassidy didn't feel it. Her sisters endured dancing until they were weary, yet almost all of them had succumbed to this illness.

"I'm not so sure." She whispered into his shoulder.

Andrew released her so he could look in her eyes, "Are you that worried?"

Cassidy smoothed her palms over his suit jacket, "I just don't know what to think, Andrew. Lenora and Althea are both worse than any of the other girls. You know Lenora has never been that strong, and Althea..."

Her oldest sister did so much, for all of them, and she never complained. She suffered through her stiff leg and the nightmares and ghosts she had to deal with just see that the rest of the girls were happy as they could be given the circumstances. She had already been pushed to the limit and now she had to fight off this illness.

"And Althea is the strongest of you all." Andrew shook his head, "I've never seen someone so headstrong and stubborn, besides you, of course. She fights so hard to keep you all happy."

Cassidy sighed and rested her head against his chest, above his heart, "And that's why she deserves the most happiness of us all."

"Why do you think your father invited Etherson to stay?" Andrew chuckled.

Cassidy frowned and lifted her head again, "What?"

He nodded, "He saw something in Etherson while he was in Great Calmark, something that he thought would suit Althea. He wrote to me about it many times. Nathanael is convinced that Etherson is the right match for her, that he will be the one to help all of you."

Cassidy could hardly believe it. Did their father really think that? So far, Etherson had been keeping his distance just as much as Althea was, almost as though he understood it was hard for her to trust easily. Cassidy, of course, didn't blame him for what happened at the fountain. If anything, it was Natalie and Magdalena's fault, but none of them blamed anyone.

"Is that so?" She murmured, more to herself than to Andrew.

Shaking her head, she took a deep breath, "Anyways, I should get back."

Andrew nodded, kissed her cheek, and released her. Cassidy paused at the doorway, looking back at the man she loved.

"Andrew..." How badly she wanted to say something! To tell him everything and have him rescue them, so they never would have to dance again.

But she couldn't. She couldn't say anything at all.

"I love you." she said instead, feeling defeated and hopeless.

He smiled back at her, "I love you too." She left his office, heading back to the girls.

If only he could help them.