“Only because a copper came,” she said darkly. “He managed to crawl back to that hidey hole and then everything got worse.” She worried at her lip. “I can’tdoanything for him except hold his hand. I can’t make him better. I wish I could.”
“With blood?” Kendrick said neutrally.
“What?” Genevieve recoiled. “No! He’s achild; I would never turn anyone, butespeciallynot a child!”
“Good,” Kendrick said. “I wouldn’t have let you.”
She could practically feel steam boiling out of her ears. “Then why did you suggest it?” she hissed in a whisper.
“I didn’t mean turning him. When an illness is not life-threatening, vampire bloodcanhelp humans recover. But it isn’t wise. It is…not fast-acting. There is always a risk. If you had wanted to attempt to heal him, I would have advised against it.”
Her eyebrows shot up. “I never knew that.” Genevieve glanced over her shoulder at Fletcher. “They never told us that.”
“Time was, kings or lords wanted one of us among them so they could cheat fate, but wyrd always finds a way in the end.”
“Really? Humans have known about—vampires?”
Kendrick nodded, his face dark. “Men have always made use of monsters. I am not surprised the boy knew of us as night-stalkers. Rupert was incautious in his rule.” Kendrick nudged her back towards the bed. “Don’t be afraid. It isn’t you he’s wary of. You proved yourself to him before you knew you had to.”
Genevieve turned back to Fletcher and helped Joseph with a plaster that he spread on his chest. Joseph instructed him to let them know if it burned or if he felt different and then went downstairs to prepare more brews.
“Smells rank,” the boy muttered.
“That’s the mustard. It will help you breathe.”
“Don’t go, miss,” Fletcher said, his eyes fluttering shut.
Genevieve took his hand, still too hot. “I’m right here, Fletcher. You rest. I won’t go anywhere. You’re safe.”
The puppy, washed, snuffled from beside the boy. “We shall have to find something for the both of you,” she murmured.
“I bought food,” Kendrick said, coming back in the room with a cot under his arm. She hadn’t even heard him leave. “Let him sleep, and when he wakes again, we’ll feed him.”
“He’s drunk water,” Genevieve said distractedly. “What are you doing?”
“Sunrise is soon.”
“Oh—but what shall we do? I can’t leave him alone.”
“The cot is for you, Genevieve,” Kendrick said. “I’ll stay up with the boy.”
She stared at him in astonishment. “You can stay awake in daylight?”
“Enough to get him what he needs. Centuries of practice.”
Genevieve murmured, “Rupert would not have allowed this. I don’t know if anyone would’ve.”
“He is important to you,” Kendrick said simply, stacking the bedding on the cot. “So he is important to me.”
Genevieve swallowed, a deep warmth spreading through her. She had not been warm in so long. “You know, if we do marry, there will be resistance. Change of any sort does not go over well with our kind.”
“They really don’t get a say,” Kendrick said mildly. “But if you are worried, we can give them a fait accompli. They can be as unhappy as they like, but it will have no bearing on whatever lies between us.” He paused and then added, “If that is your only impediment, I can arrange it all very quickly.”
“Given it some thought, have you?” she said dryly.
“I confess I have.” He smiled.
Genevieve twisted her free hand in her skirt.It’s not myonlyimpediment, but if I am considering this, I had best lay out my stipulations, as Elspeth advised.“I have conditions,” she said, straightening her shoulders.
