Hot.

So hot.

Damien’s dreamscape was a whirlwind of memories, feelings, and shadows. Selene could barely maintain control of her raven form along the currents of his mind. Every time she brought him back to the coastline of white sand and calming waves, his dreams would take a sharp turn, thrusting her into a new place.

People from his past flashed across his mind: a loving couple who looked vaguely like Damien; a boy with unkempt hair and a mischievous smile; a trio of children with light blond hair gathered under an ancient oak tree; Damien standing on the beach on a stormy day, watching tiny boats put out to sea.

Over and over they flashed by at dizzying speeds. And the heat inside the dreamscape was almost unbearable. Even when she was flying above the stormy sea, it felt like she was inside a fire.

A low moan echoed inside her head, then Selene found herself flung from the dreamscape.

She woke with a start and sat up. Darkness still lingered across the forest and road, but the first rays of dawn were spreading across the sky. A brisk cold wind swept across her body, sending shivers over her skin.

As she wrapped the blanket around her shoulders, there was another moan to her right. She looked over. Damien’s face glistened in the dim light. His brows were pressed together, and his lips moved as if he were speaking. Then he jerked to the side and moaned again.

Suddenly Taegis was there, kneeling beside Damien, his hand along his forehead. “Hot,” he muttered. He looked at Selene. “Can you be ready to go in five minutes?”

Selene didn’t even need to think. “Yes,” she said, standing. She shook out the blanket and went into the forest while Taegis woke Cohen. By the time she was back, both men were packing the horses. Damien lay on the ground, oblivious to the movement around him.

Once they were packed, Taegis turned around. He stared at Damien and frowned. “I’m not sure Lord Damien can ride by himself. We will need to take turns holding him up and switching horses. That way we can make our way back to Nor Esen as fast as possible. I’ll go first. Cohen, I’ll need your help getting Damien up onto my horse.”

Selene headed toward her horse while the men placed Damien up on Taegis’s steed. Minutes later, they were on the road again, traveling north toward Nor Esen. The sky had brightened, and birds sang in the trees overhead. Sten and Karl’s horses were attached to Cohen’s saddle.

Selene rode ahead and caught up to Taegis. “Is it poison?” she asked.

“I don’t think so. I think his wound is infected. Hence the fever.”

Damien’s head lulled to the side, then his eyes blinked. “Wh-where am I?”

“On the road to Nor Esen,” Taegis said.

Damien turned his head. “Why am I riding with you?”

“Do you feel like you can ride by yourself?”