Snow crunches under my boots as I pace, each step carving deeper tracks into the pristine cover of snow that swept in overnight.

Three steps left. Three steps right. My breath clouds in front of my face.@@@@

"Just knock already," I mutter to myself.

You''ve been out here twenty minutes, Selene points out.

"Not helping."

How do you tell someone they might be corrupted by dark magic? ''Hey, noticed you''ve been acting weird lately, mind if I check for evil taint?'' Yeah, that''ll go over well.

The door flies open with a bang that makes me jump. Ivy stands in the doorway, her usual perfect appearance nowhere to be found. Dark circles ring her eyes, and her chestnut hair hangs limp around her face.

"What do you want?" Her voice comes out raspy, like she''s been gargling glass.

"I..." All my carefully planned words evaporate. "Are you okay?"

She leans against the doorframe. "Fine. Just tired."

But she''s not fine. I can see the slight tremor in her hands, the way she''s barely keeping herself upright. My magic flutters in response to... something.

"You look sick."

"Thanks." Her laugh turns into a cough. "Always good to hear how terrible I look."

"That''s not what I meant." I step forward, catching her arm when she sways. "Did you get any sleep?"

"Yes." She tries to pull away but doesn''t have the strength. "Or tried to. Everything hurts."

The trembling gets worse. Without thinking, I press my palm to her forehead. She''s burning up.

"You need to see Vanessa."

"I don''t need—"

"You have a fever." My tone brooks no argument. "And you can barely stand."

"Still playing Luna." Ivy''s laugh turns into a weak cough. "Always... so... responsible."

Her eyes close again as Vanessa inserts the IV. I sink into a chair beside the bed, watching the steady drip of fluids.

"What do you think caused this?" I ask our healer quietly.

She shakes her head. "Could be several things. Her body''s fighting something, but I can''t pinpoint what. We''ll start with fluids and fever reduction, see how she responds."

I nod, my magic still fluttering uneasily. I know what her body''s fighting. I just don''t know how to tell either of them.

Grimoire, should taint cause illness like this? The question forms in my mind as I watch Ivy''s restless sleep.

It''s always possible. Some become aggressive, others paranoid. Physical symptoms aren''t unheard of. Do you need me there? His concern bleeds through our connection.

I''m not sure. My fingers twist in my lap as I consider the implications.

I can bring him, Selene offers from wherever she''s stationed outside.

Wait. Let''s see how this plays out.

Vanessa bustles away to check on another patient, leaving me alone with Ivy. The silence stretches, broken only by the steady drip of the IV and Ivy''s labored breathing.

"Have you ever lost someone really close to you?"

Her question catches me off guard. My heart squeezes painfully as my mother''s face flashes through my mind—her cold eyes, her distance, the way she never quite looked at me. The flood of emotions threatens to overwhelm me, memories of a lifetime of rejection mixing with the raw wound of her death.

Funny. I don''t think of her much anymore. I guess it''s easier just not to think about it.

I swallow hard and veer away from those thoughts immediately. "I almost lost Lisa."

"My guards were all childhood friends of mine." Her voice cracks on the last word.

A vulnerable Ivy is someone I don''t know how to deal with.

"Tell me about them," I offer, sitting on the edge of her bed and resting one hand over hers.

Ivy''s fingers wrap around mine with surprising strength for someone so ill. Her skin burns against my palm, and I resist the urge to pull away from the scorching heat.

The pain in her eyes is too deep; there''s no way for me to walk away now.