Page 108 of Glass

“I’ll check.” Ducking away from Kit, I pad down the steps to the kitchen. “She’s not down here!”

At my call, Kit follows, glancing around at the empty counters. His mouth turns down. “Check her room.”

I stop him when he goes to knock, sudden fear gripping my throat. “Let me.”

When a voice calls out, relief slumps my shoulders. Pushing open the door, I glance around. The room is just as neat and tidy as I would have expected. Ellen groans, pulling herself up from the bed.

“Stasi,” her voice is a croak, her eyes bright. “I’m coming. I just… I don’t feel very well this morning.”

And she coughs. A long, hacking cough that has me striding up and gently pushing her shoulders down when she tries to stand. Frowning, I feel her temperature. “You’re really hot, Ellen.”

She protests weakly, but she’s already asleep again by the time I move back out. All three of them are standing in the hall. As my eyes sweep them, I notice Rafe’s bloodshot eyes.

But he looks as concerned as the others. “Ellen is sick. She can’t work.”

“That’s fine,” Silas says immediately. “We’ll fend for ourselves.”

I give him an incredulous look. “You cook?”

To his credit, he doesn’t even try to lie. He crosses his arms. “I can try.”

“We’ll all try,” Kit says smoothly. “What’s wrong with Ellen? Does she need anything?”

I frown. “She’s very hot. Burning up. And… she has this really vicious cough.”

Everyone stills.

“What?” I ask.

Silas looks around. “That fucking virus. They came here last night – could have passed it on.”

“I’ve been in the city most days,” Rafe points out, his voice quiet. “Could have been me.”

“Either way,” Silas says grimly. “It’s in the house now. How close did you get, Stasi?”

They all turn, staring at me as though I’m about to sprout a fever in front of their eyes. I cross my arms. “Not that close. I’m hard-wearing. Don’t worry about me.”

Kit presses the back of his hand against my forehead, and I slap him away. “This virus is nasty, Stasi. And fucking contagious, too.”

“Fine,” I say shortly. “So more of us might get it, right? Possibly all of us. We prepare now, just in case.”

All three of them look a little lost.

Sighing, I roll up my sleeves. “We’ll use the sitting room. It’s the biggest.”

***

A few hours later, I glance around. The couches have been pushed back against the walls, making space for the mattresses spread out across the floor, each one made up with fresh bedding. Kit walks in with his arms full of pillows. “If we don’t catch it, at least we can have a good slumber party.”

I stare down at my list.

Another damn list. But at least this time, I’m not on my own.

Silas pops his head around the door, green eyes meeting mine. “Ellen’s temperature has jumped.”

“I’ll come now,” I say immediately. He looks like he’s going to argue with me. “I’ve already been exposed to it, Silas. If anything, I’m theonlyone who should be going in.”

“Not going to happen.” His voice is hard. “Tell me what you need.”