* * *
Endless whooping coughs echoed off the walls.
Despite their hopes, Lysithea’s condition worsened that night. A fever burned within her, her head spinning by the end of each round of ghastly hacking. Gasping for breath, Lysithea pressed the back of her hand to her burning forehead. Her entire body felt like she was being held over the flames of an inferno.
The worst part was that she could only blame herself.
She never should have run away. If she could turn back time, she would have chosen the warmth of Terran’s chamber over the icy wilderness. Drowning in regret, Lysithea pulled the blanket up over her head. Despite the heat boiling within her, she shook with a chill that leached into her bones.
Lysithea stifled her coughs at the sound of a knock at the door. Terran's voice echoed from the corridor, piercing the sudden stillness of the room.
“Lysithea, I’m coming in.”
