They’d gotten Gabriel into a bed—one hardly adequate for his big frame, and Nic wished she’d told them to move him to their own bed. Asa glanced up. He looked less grey, but his face was set with lines of strain. Iliana sat in a chair beside his, her hand on Asa’s shoulder, her expression distant, while Han hovered protectively behind her. No sign of Laryn anywhere. Perhaps she’d gone to their room to sleep it off. “Put her in that bed over there,” Asa instructed Alise, returning his attention to Gabriel.

“No,” Nic said.

Daisy and GF, on the other side of Gabriel’s bed, gave her worried looks. Behind them, Narlis sat at Selly’s bedside, patting her hands. They’d removed the straps and Nic idly wondered if that was a good idea. Not that she had energy to argue about it.

“You need to be in bed,” Daisy said, “for the baby, if nothing else.”

“Bring a bed over, then,” she gritted out, really hoping they’d obey. If she had to stand much longer, even with Alise’s sturdy support, she might soon fall over. Like a felled tree.

Asa gave her a weary look. “You can’t do anything for him right now.”

“I can be here.”

“I’ll get her a bed,” GF said. He winked at Nic. “Or, rather, I’ll get the brawn to do it. Jake, Mike! Grab that bed and carry it over here.”

With impressive speed, a bed was wedged up against Gabriel’s, and Nic sank down onto it. She was able to roll onto her side, scooting close to her wizard so she could interlace her fingers with his, clasping his hand between hers.

And the world fell away.

She woke to moonlit darkness and silence broken only by the muffled breathing of sleepers. For a long, disoriented moment, she struggled to parse where she was. She needed to pee quite desperately, and she had no idea where to go to take care of that. Then she became aware of Gabriel’s hand clasped in both of hers.

Gabriel.

With a sharp intake of breath, she remembered everything. They were in Asa’s infirmary at House Phel. And Gabriel… Nic levered herself up on one elbow, her body as stiff as if she hadn’t moved in days, the blanket someone had thoughtfully covered her with sliding down. She really hoped that it was only that it had been half a day since she passed out, not a full day or more.

Gabriel lay on his back, looking less gaunt—though that could be the moonlight, lovingly silvering his hair, making the pale shades of it almost luminous, save for that single black streak, like a reminder of darkest night amid the illumination. She still couldn’t feel him, though. No magic. No answering tug along their bond. No Gabriel.

Scooting closer, she laid her head on his shoulder, nestling into the divot there that usually welcomed her in. It was all wrong without his arm around her, and she wept silently, letting the tears trail down her cheeks to dampen his shirt. She was all alone, and she didn’t know what to do.