Page 104 of Heart of Iron
“You should have stayed away from her,” Magnus said, lips thinning.“There’s a reason we don’t mate with humans.”
“I ain’t touched her.”
“It doesn’t matter,” Astrid said, shooting her uncle a look.“Let me fetch my cloak.I’ll come.Whether it helps or not…”
“Thank you.”
“Where’s your carriage?”she asked.
Will shook his head.“Came on foot.By rooftop.”
Astrid stared at him, her pale white skirts swishing around her ankles.Then a blinding smile crept over her lips.“How interesting.Let me change.”
Magnus caught her arm as she turned to go.“You’re not going alone.”
“Everyone’s supposed to be at what’s-his-name’s ball.That hatchet-faced vulture who thinks he’s amusing.”
“The Duke of Morioch,” Magnus replied dryly.“Take Eric.I’m sure he’ll relish the opportunity to avoid another night of boredom.”He turned his gaze toward Will.“I’m giving you my son and my niece.You bring them back to me or I’ll mount your head on a spike, you understand?”
He nodded.A man who spoke his language.“Perfectly.”
***
“The rookeries, eh?”Eric leaped off the rooftop onto the muddy streets below, his fur-lined cloak swirling around him.
Will followed, pushing past to lead the way.The warren came into view and some of the tension went out of his shoulders.
“I expected a manor,” Astrid murmured, landing beside them and staring up at the decrepit appearance of the building.“Do you have a cellar?Or ice?”
“You’d be surprised,” he muttered, shoving the front door open.
Rip guarded the front door, his hand straying to his belt as the door opened.Charlie and Lark sat on the bottom of the stairs, arguing over who’d won the game of jacks.Charlie’s jaw dropped as Astrid followed him in.
She’d changed into a pair of tight leather breeches, with a vest that cinched her waist to a ridiculous span.Her hair had been braided back tightly, leaving her cheekbones bare, and the fur cloak she wore turned her into a barbarian princess.Even Rip’s eyebrow rose.
Eric followed.The Norseman smiled, ruffling Lark’s hair as if she were a little girl.Charlie looked like he was contemplating a fur cloak and chain mail addition to his wardrobe.
“How is she?”
Charlie blinked, tearing his gaze away from the exotic pair.“Don’t know.Honor won’t let me in.What’s goin’ on, Will?I heard Lena crying—”
He shoved past, heading straight up the stairs.
Soft whimpering sounds came from within Lena’s room.Rapping softly on the door, he poked his head in.
Lena writhed on the bed, her cheeks burning with fever.Her nightgown clung to her body with sweat, and Honoria hovered by her head with a cool cloth.Blade was trying to keep her still, a glass of water in his hand.
“Did they come?”Honoria asked, strain showing around her mouth.
He couldn’t take his eyes off Lena.“How is she?”
Honoria’s mouth twisted.“Her temperature’s getting higher.”
Something shoved him out of the way and Astrid pushed past.She took in the scene at a glance, slinging her cloak over a nearby chair.“You need to cool her.Fast.We’ll need ice, and something large enough to put her in.”
“A bath?”Blade asked.
“Do you have one?”
