Page 106 of Heart of Iron
“Then bring more ice, Will.”Leaning down, she whispered in Lena’s ear.“You must fight, little one.Fight for your man, as he fights for you.”
The night stretched out, hour after brutal hour.A never-ending vignette as he broke the heavy ice blocks into shards and carried them upstairs, then bathed her in the water.Honoria started crying, silent tears that streaked down her face.He couldn’t look at her or he would break.Lena barely stirred when they put her in the bath now.
“Come,mocridhe.”He kissed her forehead, wishing there was something, anything that he could do.But there was nothing he could kill here, nothing he could protect her from.His very uselessness battered at him.
Too late…
For so many things.Too late to hold her now.Too late to kiss her, to give himself over to her as he had always feared to do.To tell her that he loved her, as he knew she had longed to hear.
He had held her at arm’s bay, for fear of the very thing that was occurring now.
“I will give you the world,” he whispered, stroking the hair off her forehead.“I will protect you, I swear.I’ll never let you hurt again, I promise.Just come back, Lena.Come back and let me love you.”
But she didn’t hear him.
Lost to the fever, she didn’t hear any of them.
Toolate.
***
“Her heart’s barely beating,” Astrid said in a quiet voice.
Morning had broken, sunlight streaming through the window.The room was drenched, as if someone had waged war in the bath.Perhaps, he thought, ithadbeen a war of sorts.And now it was becoming apparent that they were losing.
He could hear the thready beat of her heart.Clasping her hand, Will held her close against his chest, waiting numbly for that horrible moment when Astrid would force him to put her back in the bath.He didn’t think Lena could take it anymore.
He barely could.
His hands were shriveled and he shivered as he held her wet body in his arms.He could barely see or hear the world around him, his body fighting to sleep, to renew itself.
All he could feel was the body in his arms, the heat of her skin as the fever raged, despite their attempts to contain it.In the last hour, her temperature had increased two degrees.A human would be long dead by now.
Comeon.He rocked her, muttering lullabies he could barely remember from his youth.When his mother had not looked at him as if wondering how such a monster could have stolen her son.
Comebacktome.
A soft hand touched his shoulder.Astrid.“Will, you must let her go.”
No!He snarled and shook her away.If they tried to take her, he would kill them.All of them.
Quiet whispers.“…toolate.He’s given himself to her… If she dies, he will pine away…”
Honoria.Crying.
He forced himself to his feet and staggered toward the bath.It was easier now, for he barely felt a thing.Lowering himself into the bath, he dragged Lena against his chest, her cheek resting on his shoulder.The slow tick of her heartbeat pulsed against his chest.Ice burned across his skin until he was numb all over.
The world faded.
Then hands were dragging him out of the bath, dragging Lena out of his arms.He snarled and flung them away from him, trying to reach for her.Blade’s face swam into view.“Easy now, let ’er go, Will.Let ’er go…”
He grabbed Blade by the throat and tossed him aside.Eric was helping Astrid with Lena.He went for them, throwing Eric back into the mirror.It shattered and Astrid stiffened.
“Get out,” she cried.“Everybody get out.Leave him to her.Before he kills someone.”
Shoving Lena into his arms, she backed away, dragging her cousin with her.The door closed and he was alone, the bathroom a ruined mess.
“Lena,” he whispered, curled around her in misery.Why wouldn’t she come back?“I’m sorry.Gods, I’m sorry.”
