Chapter 31: Blue Convolvulus, Part 1

Aubrey groaned, eyes fluttering as he battled sleep to stay conscious. Groaning again, he slowly found purchase and struggled to sit up.

"Stay still," said a gentle voice, and after a moment, he realized it was Stregoni.

He grunted and ignored the command - but was promptly defeated after a wave of dizzy dropped him back down on the bed. "What...what's going on?"

"You've been asleep a little over a day," Stregoni said. "You lost a lot of blood helping Ruthven save Gilles."

That he remembered - well, passing out he sort of remembered. Whatever Ruthven had done, by the end of it all, Aubrey had felt weak as a baby. Only his refusal to drop before Ruthven was safely in their bed had kept him from passing out sooner.

He slowly turned his head to look at Stregoni, who was slumped tiredly on a chair pulled close to the bed.

"You look exhausted," he said, immediately feeling guilty. Of course it would be Stregoni who took care of them all. "How are the others?"