The Messenger

56

Adrian is causing this,” Tyler said. “He’s trying to revive. He must be trying to control Daniel as well.”

Amanda looked up at him and smiled. “Here’s where all that sleeping on the floor is going to pay off.”

He thought the fever must have her further in its grip than he imagined, but she turned to Wraith and said, “Now.”

Wraith eagerly leaped onto Adrian’s carcass and bit into what remained of his neck. Adrian burst into fire, although the dog was untouched by the flames. A moment later, Adrian disintegrated without a trace.

The spiders on the staircase halted their march, bumped into one another in confusion, then began to scurry back up the stairs as if they couldn’t wait to be away from the place.

Daniel remained curled up in a ball, shaking as both Shade and Wraith approached him next. The dogs merely breathed on him, then went back to their masters.

Daniel gradually looked up at them.

“Feeling better?” Tyler asked.

“Yes, sir.” His face clouded. “I’ve no right to ask it, but what’s to become of me?”

Tyler looked to Amanda, who read the question in his eyes, and nodded.

“Would you like to live with us?” he asked. “We can always use-er, discreet staff.”

“You’d allow that? After all I’ve done to you?”

“You gave him the key to the manacles, didn’t you, Daniel?” Amanda asked.

“Yes, ma’am, but I also robbed his place, and nearly killed him on a road, and delivered him to Adrian, and what I’ve done since-”

“We know,” Tyler said. “Now, if you’ll lock up here, we’ll wait for you outside.”

“In the van at the end of the drive,” Amanda said. Tyler felt her skin growing warmer with the rising fever and watched her struggling to stay awake. She reached to touch Tyler’s face and halted in amazement. “Oh, look! My finger! It’s back.”

“Yes, you’ll get used to such things. Eventually. Now about the van-” Tyler’s eyebrows drew together. “How did you find this place?”

“Colby helped me,” she said drowsily.

“Colby helped-”

“Yes. I think we need to try to help him one day soon. Whose fever am I feeling against my skin, yours or mine?”

“Both, I’m afraid,” Tyler said. “Although Adrian gave me a potion to reduce the effects of mine. I’ll be able to guide Daniel home.”

“Oh, good,” she said, and fell into a deep and healing sleep.