The Daylighter Chronicles

Chapter Fifteen: Mysterious Illness

Eerie

By the time that we had gotten to Ethan's apartment, it was getting harder and harder to focus. I took a deep breath of cold air as I forced myself to walk up the steps and through the front door without passing out. I cursed myself for not feeding when I had the chance outside of the club with all those humans around. I must have gotten hurt worse than I thought during the fight with the nightwalker if I was feeling this bad after healing. I shook my head to focus my thoughts as I took off my boots by the door, but all it did was make me dizzy. I leaned my head against the wall with my eyes closed as I waited for the room to stop spinning. That was when I felt Ethan beside me as he asked,

"Are you okay?" I didn't move at all as I nodded my head as it still rested against the wall and said,

"I'm fine, just really tired all of a sudden." Suddenly I was no longer standing and in my haze, and it took me a moment to realize that I was now in Ethan's arms. I looked up at him and asked,

"What are you doing?" He smiled down at me,

"I am putting you to bed." I let out a soft sigh as I let myself melt into his warm chest and pointed towards the bedroom and said,

"Bed, Jeeves." He just shook his head at me, and his white hair and smiling face was the last thing I saw before darkness claimed me.

When I opened my eyes, I noticed that I was wrapped in what looked like every blanket that Ethan owned, as well as a couple of hoodies, and the truth was I was still freezing. I looked around the room to see if I could spot the boy that tried very hard to warm me, but he was nowhere in sight, instead, I heard him yelling into the phone and smiled,

"What the hell is wrong with her Kai? I can't seem to get her to warm up, her lips are blue and her pulse is weak. Is she sick?" I gathered what little strength I had and pulled his big gray comforter around me and walked out into the living room where he paced and ran his fingers through that white hair of his. I leaned against the wall as I watched him nod and say, "Okay, I'll keep her as warm as I can until you get here with her meds." He then hung up and his gaze swung to me, and as his eyes widened he rushed over to me and asked, "What are you doing out of bed?" I shivered and through chattering teeth I said,

"Missed you." He let out a heavy sigh as he said,

"You need to get back to bed." I nodded weakly and let him lead me towards his room and back into his bed, and there as he sat on the edge on the bed looking helpless and scared, I smiled and said,

"I'm all right. I just forgot to take my medicine." His eyes met mine, and they were near panic as he asked,

"Why didn't you tell me you were sick?" I shrugged, but I'm sure it went unnoticed through all the layers and the shivering, so I said,

"I didn't think that it was important since I usually am better at taking care of myself." He placed his head in his hands, and I felt awful for lying to him. At that moment, I wanted to tell him everything, but with the nightwalkers stalking and the order lingering, it was safer for him to be left in the dark, at least for now.

"Were you always sick?" I shook my head and closed my eyes from the dizziness,

"It started after...after that." I opened my eyes and met his, and for just a second I could have sworn that I saw something like guilt flash across his eyes. I blinked, but just like that it was gone, and he was back to looking worried that I was going to die. I smiled and said, "Come here." He looked confused but scooted a little closer. I sighed, "No, come lay next to me and let me suck out some of your warmth." He then practically leaped over me and buried himself under the covers with me. He even pulled me closer so that my head rested on his chest. I could feel his warmth all around me, and I nuzzled his chest as I listened to his heartbeat. It was so steady and strong that the sound of it began to lure me back to sleep, and just as the darkness began to claim me again, I took a deep breath, and in that breath, I caught a slight scent of Ethan's blood beneath his skin. My eyes flew open as I froze, but as I laid there in his arms there was nothing else, there was no urge to bite him or desire to discover if his blood truthfully tasted like cinnamon and honey. I let out the breath I was holding and let myself relax against him as I thought that maybe I wasn't the monster the order thought that I was.