For a moment, Deirdre even thought she was touching a block of ice. It jolted her into a realization of what might have happened. Alarmed, she tried to shake him awake. “Brendan Brighthall, wake up! Now!”

He answered her with a painful whimper. She tried to touch his face.

It was feverish.

There was no way he did not have a fever. The man was already half-conscious—if she left him like this, the worst could very well happen.

Deirdre felt as though her mind had blanked. It took her effort to