Finally, I was sleeping. Isighed, waiting for Reif to appear. "Stasia?"
"Here," I answered.
He approached warily. "Areyou alright?"
I shrugged. "Anders andDaeron are stumped. I woke up with a headache and a fever. I feel alldisconnected from reality."
"Your image is hazy," hesaid, reaching toward me. "As if you aren't fully here."
"I feellike that when I'm awake. I'm just thrilled to be getting somesleep," I confessed.
"I'm going to board Spiritin Dravin and shorten my trip. Don't ask me how," he said.
"You're going to run," Iguessed with a jealous gasp.
He looked guilty. "I'msorry I have to do it without you, but I don't want to put offseeing you for so long. I'm extremely concerned for your wellbeing."
"Fine!" I crossed my armsover my chest. "But after I have this baby, you owe me a run. Alongone."
He smiled. "It will be mypleasure."
"Our pleasure," Icorrected.
"I will see you in threedays. Sleep, my Salonul Sange." He gave me a short kiss.
"I can't wait," I saidas the dream faded.
My condition worsened in the daysbefore Reif's arrival. My fevers pushed me in and out of extremes.I would go from teeth chattering cold to need an ice bath hot. I losttrack of the days in my delirium. In the short periods when I cameback to myself, my head would throb so bad I spent most of the timewrithing and whimpering.
I barely noticed when Reif cameto me breathless and exhausted. He climbed into the bed with me,whispering words my foggy mind couldn't comprehend. He hadn'teven stopped to catch his breath before coming to me.
"I've missed you so much,"I said, or so I thought. I had no way of knowing if the wordsactually made it to my mouth. I was on the cusp of one of myshivering spells, my arms and legs twitching with the urge to curl upas tightly as I could and hide under as many blankets as Anders couldpile on me. The only upside to my need to be in bed all of the timewas, my body was getting the rest it needed. I wasn't irreparablyexhausted when my fever would break.
Reif curled around my body,lending his warmth and breathing heavily on my neck. I felt ourconnection strengthening with his skin next to mine. I knew he musthave been exhausted so I huddled as close to him as I could, tryingto control my shuddering and let him doze off. I wasn't sure when Iactually fell asleep, but when I woke up, I felt better than I had inweeks. Reif's influence was helping.
I tried to roll over so I couldgreet him, but he held me tight. "Shh," he soothed. "I'mtrying to see if I can't find out what is causing this distress."
I lay still, letting him take histime with me. I was enveloped in a soft feeling of home. I sighedcontentedly and he went eerily still as he turned his wholeconsciousness over to roving my essence. My eyes flicked to thedoorway as I heard Anders approaching. I gave him a smile.
He came and knelt next to thebed. "When did Reif arrive?" he whispered.
"A few hours ago," I repliedquietly.
"Has he found anything outabout our predicament?"
"He's trying now," Iexplained. "He arrived exhausted from his run." My voice was fullof a vast admiration for his dedication to me.
"So that's how he got here soquickly," Anders nodded in understanding. "You're lookingbetter."
"I feelbetter. No fever, so far."
