Free Walpurgis Night by Katherine Kingston Page A

her, and asked, “Should I get my father? Is this the end?”
    Fianna debated, and finally said, “Nay. Not yet.” She sighed, and added, “It may not be long, though.”
    Henrik looked dubious but accepted her word.
    Riga, the woman who’d stayed with Ranulf the previous night, came in and asked if they would need her again. Through Henrik , Fianna told her that they would stay with him themselves.
    For several more hours they worked over Ranulf , bathing him, holding him, feeding him as much of the infusion as they could get into him. She prayed again for his recovery, fearful that only a miracle could save him. Late that night, or perhaps it was in the early morning as Fianna had long since lost track of time, he had a prolonged spell of violent thrashing around that included screams and angry outbursts of hoarse yells. Henrik declined to translate his words.
    They wrestled with him for what seemed a very long time when he suddenly went limp in their arms and stopped moving completely. Henrik’s eyes widened and his face went white. He looked up at Fianna .

Chapter Eight
     
    Ranulf didn’t appear to be breathing, but when she felt for his heartbeat, she could still feel the pulse of it. She leaned down to put an ear to his chest. Air still moved in and out. Sweat dappled his flesh but that skin was cooling. Alarmed she felt for his heartbeat again, pressing her fingers to his throat to check the rhythm. It was stronger than she expected and steadier.
    This might yet be the prelude to his sinking into a deep sleep from which he wouldn’t awake, so she said nothing to Henrik either way. But he saw something in her face and knew that her hope for the outcome was rising. “He is better?” he asked.
    “Aye. But do not rejoice over it yet. It might be an interval of peace before the fever attacks again.”
    It wasn’t. Another hour later it became clear Ranulf was indeed improving. Though the fever didn’t disappear completely, it was much lower and he no longer had the periods of delirium.
    Shortly before dawn, when the first rays of light began to wash away darkness, Ranulf opened his eyes and looked around. He saw her first and frowned. He said a few words that drew a shout of relieved laughter from Henrik .
    Ranulf’s gaze slewed far enough to the side to see his brother. A smile struggled to form on his face. They exchanged a few more words and both chuckled, though in Ranulf it was just a bare hiccup of amusement.
    “What is the jest?” Fianna asked.
    “He wondered if you were a Valkyrie or an angel. He wasn’t sure, if he died in this land, which afterlife he’d find.”
    “You assured him I was neither.”
    “I told him you were both. But he wasn’t in any afterlife.”
    Her heart did a strange little flip-flop at those words. She stared at Henrik , meeting his intent gaze where the dawning haze of gratitude and joy lit his eyes. She wanted to go to him and throw herself into his arms. She wanted to feel him on her, around her, in her. He was a man like no other she’d ever met. She knew him well enough to know he felt the same, but this wasn’t the time or place.
    Ranulf looked at her. His eyes were more blue green while Henrik’s were blue gray, but the resemblance between the two of them was even more pronounced with him awake and alert. He said something more and Henrik laughed again.
    “He said he’s sorry he’s been asleep so long if he had you working on him.”
    The two men had a much longer exchange. By the end of it Ranulf appeared ready to fall asleep again. Fianna got him to drink a few sips of water before he did.
    “We’ll need meat broth for him for the next day or so then some soft bread, porridge and other light foods until he is able to sit up.”
    Henrik nodded. “I’ll see to it. And I must tell my father.” He stopped on his way to the door, turned and came back to her. He drew her to her feet and kissed her. It was much quicker and lighter than either of them wanted