Love And Honour (Book 2)

Chapter XVIII

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"H...h...he..." he croaks. His eyes open to a dark shadowy room. He abruptly swallows his throat grating in pain. He tries again, "H...h..." The pain is too sharp and he stops. He feels far too cold and he shivers. He closes his eyes. A cool hand touches his forehead. It does not make sense to him. Why would the hand feel cool if he is so cold? Surely it should feel warm. His eyes open again. "D...da..." again he gives up as his throat destroys his vocal cords.

She shushes him and shakes her head. A few white blonde tendrils slip from her messy braids wound across her head. "Do you think you able to sit up?" She asks quietly. He nods slowly and tries to push himself up. His arms shake with the effort, sweat beads forming across his temples. Dawn quickly moves in to support him before he collapses back down. She builds up the pillows behind him and helps him sink back into them.

"Wh..." She shushes him before he can get further. She pours out a glass of cool water from a jug on the bedside table. She lifts it to his lips and slowly dribbles it into his mouth. Gradually it soothes his throat and a sigh escapes. Dawn places the glass back down. Gavriel exhales slowly, checking that he no longer feels that something sharp is sticking into his throat.

"How do you feel?" Dawn asks. Gavriel looks beyond her and frowns. There is no one else present in the room. Dawn checks over her shoulder to see that he is focusing on the closed door. "Gavriel?"

"Cold." He says his voice distant. Dawn checks his skin and gets worried. He is still burning up. She did not really need to check his skin, the heat was emanating from him like a furnace. He shivers again. She is torn. Should she keep applying cooling towels or wrap him up? "Where is Zara?" He asks, his focus coming back to her.

"She is with your father." Dawn answers unsure if she should mention what had happened while he lay unconscious.

"And Gethin?" She chews on the inside of her cheek. He notices her hesitation and he frowns. "Where is Gethin?" He commands an answer with his voice. It sounds far too loud in the quiet room. Dawn fidgets.

"I should go and get your sister, or your father, or your...." Her voice fades out at Gavriel's calculating look. He heaves himself up and pours another glass of water. He gulps it down and wipes his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Dawn." He says softly, all traces of annoyance gone from his voice. He speaks to her as he would a frightened child or someone he wanted to trick into trusting him. He is not sure which one he is going for but he keeps his voice low and soft as he continues. "I wake up and not one member of my family is present. I do not expect it of my parents." His grey eyes look bleak. "Zara cannot handle illness; I understand that she will be too scared to be here. She is my sister and I know her too well. I am struggling to understand why my older brother who has always been by my side is not here when I feel close to death." His voice croaks at the end and he pours another glass of water and gulps it down. The jug now sits empty. "Please tell me where my brother is."

"Do you know how you came to be here?" A flash of irritation travels through his eyes but he keeps his façade up. He is slightly intrigued as to why she has asked.

"I have been poisoned." His voice is assured and Dawn finds it peculiar. He sees the confusion. "I have not been feeling right for the last week and I was unsteady on my feet, I can only assume that I fell and hit my head."

"You are right. Do you know who poisoned you?" She enquires of him. His face stays controlled. She still has not replied to his question. Instead she seems to be leading him somewhere. Again he looks across the room. He has a hazy recollection of his brother being there but then suddenly being gone. What would have made his brother leave his side? Did he know who had poisoned him? But how could he?