Snow crunches under my boots as I pace, each step carving deeper tracks into the pristine cover of snow that swept in overnight.
Three steps left. Three steps right. My breath clouds in front of my face.
"Just knock already," I mutter to myself.
You've been out here twenty minutes, Selene points out.
"Not helping."
How do you tell soone they might be corrupted by dark magic? 'Hey, noticed you've been acting weird lately, mind if I check for evil taint?' Yeah, that'll go over well.
The door flies open with a bang that makes jump. Ivy stands in the doorway, her usual perfect appearance nowhere to be found. Dark circles ring her eyes, and her chestnut hair hangs limp around her face.
"What do you want?" Her voice cos out raspy, like she's been gargling glass.
"I..." All my carefully planned words evaporate. "Are you okay?"
She leans against the doorfra. "Fine. Just tired."
But she's not fine. I can see the slight tremor in her hands, the way she's barely keeping herself upright. My magic flutters in response to... sothing.
"You look sick."
"Thanks." Her laugh turns into a cough. "Always good to hear how terrible I look."
"That's not what I ant." I step forward, catching her arm when she sways. "Did you get any sleep?"
"Yes." She tries to pull away but doesn't have the strength. "Or tried to. Everything hurts."
The trembling gets worse. Without thinking, I press my palm to her forehead. She's burning up.
"You need to see Vanessa."
"I don't need—"
"You have a fever." My tone brooks no argunt. "And you can barely stand."
She opens her mouth to protest, then closes it as another wave of dizziness hits. I tighten my grip on her arm.
"Fine," she whispers. "But only because I don't think I can make it there alone."
I wrap my arm around her waist, supporting her weight. She's lighter than I expected, and heat radiates through her clothes.
"Small steps," I murmur. "We're not in a rush."
We make slow progress through the snow. Ivy's breathing grows more labored with each step, and I take more of her weight.
"Almost there." The dical lodge cos into view, smoke curling from its chimney. "Just a little further."
"Why are you helping ?" Her words slur slightly. "You hate ."
"I don't hate you." The door opens as we approach, Vanessa's concerned face appearing. "I just don't trust you. There's a difference."
"Semantics." Her head drops to my shoulder. "Everything's spinning."
Vanessa rushes forward to help, and together we guide Ivy inside. The warmth hits like a wall after the bitter cold.
"What happened?" the healer asks, directing us to an empty bed.
"Found her like this." We ease Ivy onto the mattress. "High fever, dizzy, weak."
Ivy's eyes flutter closed as soon as she's horizontal.
"How long have you felt ill?" Vanessa asks, already checking her blood pressure and temperature.
"Few days." Her voice is barely audible. "Thought it was stress."
My magic pulses again, stronger this ti. I want to reach for it, to understand what I'm sensing, but not here. Not yet.
"You're probably dehydrated. And your body temperature is dangerously high." Vanessa disappears from the side of the bed, ostensibly to get supplies.
I hover uncertainly. This isn't how I planned to approach Ivy about the corruption, but maybe it's better this way. Get her healthy first, then deal with the rest.
"Stay or go," Vanessa says, returning with an IV bag. "But don't just stand there looking lost."
"I'll stay." The words surprise as much as they seem to surprise Ivy, whose eyes crack open. "Being alone sucks. I can keep her company."
"Still playing Luna." Ivy's laugh turns into a weak cough. "Always... so... responsible."
Her eyes close again as Vanessa inserts the IV. I sink into a chair beside the bed, watching the steady drip of fluids.
"What do you think caused this?" I ask our healer quietly.
She shakes her head. "Could be several things. Her body's fighting sothing, but I can't pinpoint what. We'll start with fluids and fever reduction, see how she responds."
I nod, my magic still fluttering uneasily. I know what her body's fighting. I just don't know how to tell either of them.
Grimoire, should taint cause illness like this? The question forms in my mind as I watch Ivy's restless sleep.
It's always possible. So beco aggressive, others paranoid. Physical symptoms aren't unheard of. Do you need there? His concern bleeds through our connection.
I'm not sure. My fingers twist in my lap as I consider the implications.
I can bring him, Selene offers from wherever she's stationed outside.
Wait. Let's see how this plays out.
Vanessa bustles away to check on another patient, leaving alone with Ivy. The silence stretches, broken only by the steady drip of the IV and Ivy's labored breathing.
"Have you ever lost soone really close to you?"
Her question catches off guard. My heart squeezes painfully as my mother's face flashes through my mind—her cold eyes, her distance, the way she never quite looked at . The flood of emotions threatens to overwhelm , mories of a lifeti of rejection mixing with the raw wound of her death.
Funny. I don't think of her much anymore. I guess it's easier just not to think about it.
I swallow hard and veer away from those thoughts imdiately. "I almost lost Lisa."
"My guards were all childhood friends of mine." Her voice cracks on the last word.
A vulnerable Ivy is soone I don't know how to deal with.
"Tell about them," I offer, sitting on the edge of her bed and resting one hand over hers.
Ivy's fingers wrap around mine with surprising strength for soone so ill. Her skin burns against my palm, and I resist the urge to pull away from the scorching heat.
The pain in her eyes is too deep; there's no way for to walk away now.
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