The Shiver Storm - (23 parts) - COMPLETE.

[Ciuty80]

thank you soooo much for the update

i truly love this entire story

keep going please

[Aprilcot]

I love it. Enough said.

MORE!!!!!!!!!

[starpollen]

Yay! I was so worried we would never get more of this... never know where it would end up!

Please go on!

[cheetah]

I agree. You could pubish this if you wanted to.

[Kiwifruit]

I forgot all about the lack of sneezes xD I practically forgot I was reading a sneeze fic lol. I'm sooo caught up in the plot...it's incredible xD I LOVELOVELOVE this story soooo much - I can hardly wait for the next bit! And the sneezes when they do happen are delicious

*Rereads*

[PaperThings]

Eep, you all make my day!!! I love, love, love reading your comments, and I'm so glad people are enjoying this!! Thank you SO SO much, you all have no idea how much your comments mean to me . Here's the next part!

Part 12

---

He must have slipped the note through the window while they were sleeping, Amalie decided. Her eyes danced across the paper a second time, something featherlight materializing in her chest. "Kerr! Martin!" she exclaimed, crushing it between her palms. "Cadogan's bringing the medicine!" She pranced to the other side of the room, expression bright. "Tonight! Two more hours!"

Before he could object, she descended to Martin's side, embracing him. He'd been finicky lately, hesitant about her touch. There were moments, when the fever diluted his restraint, where he needed her absolutely; he wouldn't let her leave his side. Then there were were other moments, when he had enough consciousness to feel embarrassed about the situation, where he would not meet her eyes. Thankfully, though, he'd stopped trying to stifle his sneezes and pretend he was alright; Kerr talked him out of that, when Amalie was at work.

"Amalie..." he struggled, "don't..." He squirmed around her shoulder, face collapsing into the handkerchief. "Heishhew!" His nails pressed achingly against the fabric, drilling it to the sides of his nostrils. A moment passed, Amalie's gaze trained on him like a spotlight, and then his brow knitted together a second time. "Hushoo!" He kept his head bent, emitting a small sniffle from under the curtain of his hair.

"Bless you," brother and sister chimed, and Kerr wandered over from across the room. Martin was awake right now, sneezing and sniffling, so of course the older boy felt alright. It was a bit too coincidental, really, how it all worked out. Amalie glared at a patch of carpet, her suspicions beating their drum in fervor. She hated Cornelia more, every time she thought about it.

"Now Amalie..." Kerr began, voice warning.

"Stop it," she snapped, "I won't listen to you. I don't care if you don't trust Cadogan, Kerr." She split her lips to display a set of tiny teeth, her small form suddenly menacing. "He's bringing us medicine, Kerr," she continued, pleading with him. "We need it. And once we get it, we can get out of here." The words tasted candy coated, and they inspired another lap of pirouettes around the room.

Kerr smiled in spite of himself, remembering the dance lessons she'd taken as a toddler. "Amalie," he sighed, massaging his temples. "Forget about Cornelia for a moment, and whatever she might be doing. You've met with Cadogan... what, twice now?" She nodded. "And it's been a week since that first time. He hasn't had time to betray us yet, Amalie!" His voice rose, and he took a breath to calm himself. "All I'm saying is, being a Vision Child doesn't mean anything. Just because he says he hates Cornelia, says he wants her gone..." Kerr shook his head, wiping his nose with the edge of a finger. "That doesn't mean anything, Amalie. For all we know, he's using us to get what he wants. And even if he's not, that doesn't make him a good person."

Amalie's shoulders squared, and she wondered if her brother could read her mind. Yes, he was not necessarily a good person. Not at all. He'd asked Amalie, on the second time, if she could press Martin for information. Force him to delve into his kidnapping, in detail. And... she couldn't bear the idea. One look at Martin's shivering form, his slim neck taut as it stalled for another sneeze... he was in enough pain, he didn't need more. Certainly not from her. Cadogan hadn't cared, though. In fact, he'd all but said that he wouldn't hand over the medicine until she coaxed the story from the Prince. Amalie thinned her lips, pushing this away for the time being. It didn't matter, she told herself. Not right now, anyway, when there was so much to hope for.

"I want to meet him," Kerr insisted, wagging a finger at her. "I want to meet him and - "

"He wants to meet you too," Amalie replied dryly. This was true, as well. Cadogan said he wanted to 'appraise her brother and her friend before they set off on escaping together'. It sounded so stony, she couldn't bear it. Why did all the men in her life have to be such sticklers for formality? Martin and his reluctance to be near her, Kerr and his impervious strength and will... and now Cadogan. It made her dizzy and, quite frankly, annoyed.

"Hihh..." She heard Martin's breath climb beside her, and reached out to pat his shoulder. He jerked away, leaving her feelings bruised. "Hehh -" It cartwheeled out of pitch, and his hair shook forward, shielding him. "Hehhhshoo! Ishhh!" He drew his arms up to his face for the second, elbow muffling the sound. Amalie began to bless him, thinking he was done, but he curled against the wall. "Ushoo! Ekkshoo!" He peeked up from his knees, and she caught sight of his twisted face. Bright red, the gentle symmetry of features appeared kneaded, pinched and knotted by an invisible feather. His eyelids seized shut, unable to wait, and he disappeared into his pant leg. "Aehhshoo!" Panting, his frame uncurled, eyes streaming. "Excuse me," he muttered, rubbing angrily at his nose. He surprised them both, by continuing to talk. "Anyway, if my opinion matters..." A thick layer of liquid lined his voice, making him hard to understand. "I want to leave with this boy, whoever he is. If we can get out of here... get home...." his voice broke, and it tugged at Amalie's heartstrings. "Then that's worth it, isn't it? He made a low sound, somewhere between a wry laugh and a sob. "This has gone on long enough for me." His voice dropped, and he met Amalie's gaze for the first time in days. "I don't think I can take it anymore."

She nodded, and saw Kerr follow suit in the corner of his eyes. What Martin just said... it made Amalie wonder what he'd be like under normal circumstances. She had so many images of him in her mind, so many Martins, and they didn't seem to coincide. There was the boy whom they first met, concerned with his appearance and interested in knowing about the Vision Child. There was the Martin who opened up to her, let himself relax around her. Then there was the helpless boy and the struggling boy, working against each other for this last month. And of course, miles away there was a Prince. It was too soon to tell, but Amalie worried that she might not know that boy at all.

"Fine," Kerr submitted, quietly. "But I'm not leaving you alone with him," he said. "Neither of you, ever. I hope you know that." Amalie smiled, and she thought she saw a grin cross Martin's face as well. It was nice to feel protected.

So softly they almost missed it, Martin made the first reference to his family in days. "You - you remind me of my brother Marcel, a little bit," he said, cheeks red. "He never lets us younger children go to the lake without him, in case we were to drown." His eyes sparkled suddenly, though with nostalgia or excitement they couldn't tell. Maybe he also thought escape was within reach, or maybe he was simply homesick.

Something rapped against the window, quiet but insistent. Kerr sighed, putting up a hand to silence Amalie. "I'll get it," he said, putting on a grim expression. Though she'd never admit it - after all, it was important he thought she trusted Cadogan completely - she felt glad for his presence, and for his temporary health. If Kerr had been incapacitated by sneezing, and Martin had been asleep, well... Cadogan still scared her, and she doubted her ability to face such a situation alone.

The window opened with a click, and Cadogan's wiry body slid into their bedroom. He sniffed the air, taking it in. "I see she gave you the attic room. ... She used to stay here sometimes at night, with my sister. A sort of private space of theirs." He looked away, steady bonfires in each eye. It was an odd line to greet them with, yet effective. Kerr's suspicions were momentarily stilled.

"I'm sorry," Amalie said kindly, because she didn't know how else to reply. He didn't so much as acknowledge her, so she continued. "Do - do you have the medicine?"

He cocked his head, a challenge in his silken skin. "That depends... do you have more information for me?"

Her heart sank. She'd though the would give it up, or not ask outright, at the very least. "No," she said, moving protectively in front of Martin. "And I don't intend to get it. Not until he's better."

"Amalie, what - " She reached back, taking Martin's hand to cut him off.

"It's okay," she whispered. "Don't worry about it." Kerr noticed the streamlined anger in her jaw, the way it clenched, and went to stand beside them.

"Cadogan, isn't it?" Kerr asked smoothly. "Listen, I don't mean to cause trouble, but we've had a rough time here. If you wouldn't mind helping us, the way you promised my sister, we'd greatly appreciate it." Amalie felt a rush of pride, and remembered how her brother used to court the girls at school. He could be charming, when he put in an effort.

But Cadogan shook his head, unmoved. "I'm sorry to disappoint you," he said, staring at them each in turn. "But I don't really know you, any of you. And I've head a rough time too, lately. I need to make sure that you keep your end of the bargain, otherwise this won't work. I'm sorry."

"Our end of the bargain?" Kerr looked to his sister. "What did you promise him?" She shut her eyes, too mortified to answer.

"I need him," Cadogan pointed to Martin, "to tell me about when he was kidnapped. It's important that I know, so I can deduce more about the leader of the Hunters. Amalie promised she would get the details for me."

A million questions swirled on Kerr's tongue - leader of the Hunters? What did that mean? - but he swallowed them. Instead, he stood up, staring down Cadogan's blonde head. " 'He' is the Prince of our country. You should speak to him with more respect." This made little sense, as they'd never spoken to him as a Prince, but it brought a small - albeit mocking - bow from Cadogan.

"Regardless," Cadogan said, "I need the information. Or..." He tapped the breast pocket of his ragged jacket. "...no medicine."

Who was this boy, Kerr wondered. He showed up in tattered clothes, shoeless; he kept his hair so long it could be tied back. He spoke of his sister one moment, human and empathetic, and then leered at the Prince the next. However cruel he seemed, however, Kerr guessed that he'd make a good leader during their escape.

"No!" Amalie cried, shrill. "I won't let you ask - "

"Stop talking about me as if I'm not here," Martin said, glaring up at the three of them. He'd been quiet this whole time, not a single sniffle. "You want the details?" he asked, speaking directly to Cadogan.

"I need them," the latter clarified. "I think there's someone at the head of the Hunters, someone who makes them act the way they do, and I need to find who it is. Your experience will give me clues."

"But..." Kerr started, thinking logically. "What if you don't know who the person is? You'd have no way of finding them."

Cadogan shifted into the light, the torn edges of his blue shirt now visible. "I'll find a way. You don't need to worry about that."

"You should have asked me," Martin said, staring at Amalie. "I would have said yes."

"That's what I was afraid of," she replied, sinking onto the floor. It broke Kerr's heart, seeing her so concerned. Just an hour ago, she'd been unable to contain her excitement.

Without further delay, Martin turned to Cadogan. "Where would you like me to start?" Kerr saw the twitching nostrils of his nose, though, and knew it wouldn't be long before another fit devoured him. With a sort of solidarity, he took Amalie's place next to the boy.

"The day you were kidnapped, please," Cadogan said. Martin's willingness seemed to appease him, and he also sat.

"Okay, well, I suppose the last I remember... I was in school with Darien, the palace tutor, and my siblings."

"How many siblings do you have?" Cadogan interrupted. His face showed no emotion, but the curiosity was evident in his face. Amalie half-expected him to take out a notepad and start recording the information.

"Three brothers and two sister," Martin replied. Then, with a sigh, he stared down at his lap. "I used to have another brother, but he was kidnapped and killed, about two years ago. Max." Amalie felt a twinge in her stomach, and remembered when he first told them that. The day he woke up. Was it odd for her to feel sentimental for that day, when they first met him? She kept it to herself, at any rate.

Cadogan nodded, unfazed. "I know. I read about it in the paper. Was... was he taken by the Hunters?"

Martin shook his head. "No, by a rogue from our palace, Charles. He kept Max holed up in his room, unfed, and eventually slit his throat when my father refused to pay... he's dead now." Amalie could tell that it was a painful topic for him, just by watching the crease between his eyes, but he made no outward show of emotion on the subject.

"And you're sure he wasn't working for the Hunters?" Cadogan pressed, unkind as ever. Amalie dug her heels into the carpet, wanting to ask a dozen prying questions about his dead sister. He could see how it felt.

"I'm sure," Martin replied, quickly. "He's... he'd worked for my family for ages, as a butler. We knew he was a bit unstable, but..." He shook his head, clearing his head. "Do you want - " He cut off, and Amalie recognized the in-between expression of panic on his face. His lips drew shut in slow motion, the wired air of the sneeze capturing him tightly. "EHhshoo!" he sputtered, cupping his hands to catch the spray. He didn't bother opening his eyes, instead letting them ride up his skull together. "Hah' - " They nearly met, clashing against his nose and snapping back with the sound. "Shiew!" He accepted the handkerchief from Kerr with a snuffled thanks, the embarrassment in his eyes. "Sorry," he rasped. "I meant to say, do you want to hear about the kidnapping? Or not?"

Cadogan narrowed his eyes. "Continue."

"I left the room for a moment, because we were learning about the history of the Kingdom and that makes my head hurt..." He gave a little laugh of sorts, and Amalie again wondered what he was like under normal circumstances. "So I stepped out of the room. I remember - " he paused, "I remember feeling light-headed, and I couldn't see so well... I was standing outside our study room, and that's when I blacked out."

Satisfied with the beginning of the story, Cadogan nodded. "Alright. Then what?"

"I woke up... I don't know how much later, but I was in a wide, white room. They'd strapped me on a bed." Amalie couldn't help it, she gasped in disgust.

Martin looked to her, smiling grimly. "It gets worse, Amalie. You might not want to listen." But she did, sticking her chin out stubbornly. She had to know. "They fed me once a day, bland mush, and they kept the temperature well below zero..." He shuddered involuntarily, and Amalie rose. Even if he didn't show it, this had to be difficult for him to discuss. She wanted to go to him, hold his hand as he said the rest, but his steely expression brought her back to the floor. Still, she found herself remembering the day he cried to her, saying how it had been 'so cold'.

"Sometimes they would hit me, I think just for the enjoyment of it." He shook his head, voice tight. "Never mind. I only ever interacted with two Hunters, though. One tall man, dark haired, and one shorter one. They both looked like they were from the south, large muscles and that. I - I don't know their names, they never - hehh - never sai - " He drew back into himself, waiting impatiently. Finally, when his breath refused to concede, he drew his nail gingerly down the bridge of his nose. Whether to quell the sensation or expedite it, Amalie didn't know. His jaw dropped comically, emitting the sharp breaths like a hook "Hihh'hihh'hehh..." They sped rapidly, and she imagined that their invisible twist of metal was sinking, carving a tunnel in the itches. He lurched forward suddenly, the crisp point having done its work. "Hahhshoo!" The sound was many-layered, sodden with moisture. It was violent enough to do the trick, however, and Martin relaxed.

"Is there anything else you need to know?"

Cadogan frowned, fingers drumming against his chin. Amalie remembered, if only for a second, that he was barely older than her, and younger than Kerr. He seemed an older man, practiced in the art of inquisition. "Do you have anything else important, that you remember?" he asked. "Anything significant? Do you know where you might have been, for instance?"

Martin shook his head. "I ran for two days straight once I broke out, and - "

"Oh right, how did you break out?" Cadogan asked.

"I lost enough weight to slip through the bolts on the bed," he said, matter-of-fact. "I'd learned where the door was, at this point, and I crept out of it when they weren't around." He shrugged. "It was pure luck, really."

Cadogan rolled his eyes. "Alright. Next time you're kidnapped, please do a better job at learning where you are." He said, glaring at Martin. Amalie opened her mouth, incredulous at his audacity, but she remembered that they didn't have the medicine yet.

"Do you have...?" she asked, tapping her foot meaningfully. She spared Martin a quick glance, wanting to make sure he was okay. Much to her relief, Kerr was talking to him quietly; she hoped that his words would slip through that calm mask of Martin's, because she knew the Prince could not possibly be as content as he let on. The experience would not have dulled so much in effect, or else those nightmares wouldn't plague him every night. Nightmares about white rooms, frozen temperatures. Beefy hands slamming into his cheekbones. It made her sick, just thinking about it.

"Right," Cadogan replied, reaching into his jacket. "The instructions are inside the cap. Oh, and, I forgot to tell you... there's only one bottle. We didn't have enough. You'll have to decide who gets better, and who doesn't." He nodded his goodbye, and promptly shimmied out the window, out of sight.

---

Okay, so the next chapter will be the effects of the 'medicine' and then they'll be on the road, soon there after . As you can probably guess, Cadogan will just have to sneeze at some point , probably from allergies. Haha, half the fun of introducing new characters is thinking about how they're going to sneeze . I'm kind of excited to write the bits where they get to the palace.

Thank you so much for reading everyone!

[ilovesneezing]

this is still great!

[Aprilcot]

I am soo glad they are actually going to be alright!

I can just imagine something bad happening and them all dying! Sorry! I'm soo pessimistic!

Anyways, thank you for the update! I love it!!!!

Please continue quickly!!!!!!!!

I will die without!!!!!

[starpollen]

"Hihh..." She heard Martin's breath climb beside her, and reached out to pat his shoulder. He jerked away, leaving her feelings bruised. "Hehh -" It cartwheeled out of pitch, and his hair shook forward, shielding him. "Hehhhshoo! Ishhh!" He drew his arms up to his face for the second, elbow muffling the sound. Amalie began to bless him, thinking he was done, but he curled against the wall. "Ushoo! Ekkshoo!" He peeked up from his knees, and she caught sight of his twisted face. Bright red, the gentle symmetry of features appeared kneaded, pinched and knotted by an invisible feather. His eyelids seized shut, unable to wait, and he disappeared into his pant leg. "Aehhshoo!" Panting, his frame uncurled, eyes streaming. "Excuse me," he muttered, rubbing angrily at his nose. He surprised them both, by continuing to talk. "Anyway, if my opinion matters..." A thick layer of liquid lined his voice, making him hard to understand. "I want to leave with this boy, whoever he is. If we can get out of here... get home...." his voice broke, and it tugged at Amalie's heartstrings. "Then that's worth it, isn't it? He made a low sound, somewhere between a wry laugh and a sob. "This has gone on long enough for me." His voice dropped, and he met Amalie's gaze for the first time in days. "I don't think I can take it anymore."

Man, I love this passage! Only slightly less amazing than this one:

I - I don't know their names, they never - hehh - never sai - " He drew back into himself, waiting impatiently. Finally, when his breath refused to concede, he drew his nail gingerly down the bridge of his nose. Whether to quell the sensation or expedite it, Amalie didn't know. His jaw dropped comically, emitting the sharp breaths like a hook "Hihh'hihh'hehh..." They sped rapidly, and she imagined that their invisible twist of metal was sinking, carving a tunnel in the itches. He lurched forward suddenly, the crisp point having done its work. "Hahhshoo!" The sound was many-layered, sodden with moisture. It was violent enough to do the trick, however, and Martin relaxed.

The way you describe his tickly, itchy, cold-ridden nose and how drawn out each exhausting sneeze... I think I'm in love!

[Sawyer]

YUMYUMYUMYUM. Martin behaving so formally through a fit of sneezes was SO DELICIOUS. Oh man. This is so exciting and lovely!

[Ciuty80]

a wonderful looooooong update!

and very well written!

thank you for that!

i´d love to read even more and more and more and

[cheetah]

How to describe this story is hard put into words. It gives you an edge that just makes long to read more.

Are you sure you're not a professional author?

[PaperThings]

I know this part is obscenely short, but I figured I would post it anyway, just in case I can't do the second part before I leave for camp (I will do my best, but just in case...) Thank you SO much for all of the comments . I am so, so happy that you guys are reading my story . Hope you like this part, even though it's short!

@ ilovesneezing - Thank you so much!!

@ Aprilcot - I am so, so glad you're enjoying the story!! Haha, actually, um, I can't promise that they're all going to survive the story I like my sad endings, and a lot still has to happen! Heehee. Don't worry though; they're safe for now.

@ starpollen - Honestly, hearing that someone likes the way I write is about the nicest thing in the world. Your comments are always so, so sweet, and I really appreciate it .

@ Sen Beret - Yay! I'm so, so amazingly glad you like the updates .

@ Ciuty80 - Thank you!! I am so glad you're liking it!!

@ Tata - Aww, that's very, very sweet of you, and I do hope I'll be published some day, but I know I have a lot of improving to do before then. That means a ton to me though, so thank you .

I wish I could think of a more original way to thank you guys, because seriously, nothing that I say is worthy of explaining how happy your comments make me. I'm so glad you like the story!!!

Part 13

---

"You take it," Kerr said at once. He sniffed almost ironically, contradicting his point. "I'm not nearly as sick as you are, anyway, and I know - "

"Maybe you can split it," Amalie said, because Martin was already shaking his head. "You know, if you each take half and get... partially better?" It sounded like a fragile idea, even in her head.

Martin looked skeptical a moment, but then froze, his finger perched halfway between the his leg and his nose. His nostrils waved a moment, swelling and shrinking the pockets of air inside them. Flustered, his eyes snapped mechanically shut. "Hhhggsshhuh!" he sneezed, the spray visible even through his drooping hair. "Hhh -sorr - hehh'gnnxt!" He clutched his nose between three fingers, and sighed heavily. "Sorry," he sniffled. "Kerr should take it," he said, voice thick and hard to interpret. "I'm no use to you, on the road." His arms lifted slightly, resigned. "Even if I'm better... I've never done anything of importance, anything that requires physical strength. I couldn't find us food, even." he admitted. His bitterness brought a frown to Amalie's face, and she strode over to feel his forehead.

You're warm," she announced, lines appearing between her eyebrows. "Not that I didn't expect you to be, but... you haven't been delirious today."

Martin peered up at her, his eyes round and glassy. He sniffled heartily, the bulk of his nose raw with red. "That's what you expect from me then? Delusions?" He shook his head, glaring at the carpet, but dissolved into a coughing fit before too long.

"Martin..." Amalie sighed, sitting beside him. "I didn't mean - " He shot her a look, and she stopped in her tracks. The delusions had not been so bad, honestly; she wanted to tell him that she hadn't mind taking care of him, except for the part of her that wanted to cry over his pain. But the care taking, that had been easy. His new behavior perturbed her more, in a way, particularly the sourness and self-deprecation. They'd been together so long at this point, and she barely knew him; maybe self-deprecation was his style, when he wasn't plagued by fever.

"Um, Amalie?" Kerr looked up from the cap of the medicine in his hands. With a wry laugh, he read part of them aloud. "Side effects include sneezing and coughing, congestion and possible hallucinations." He blinked twice in derision. "I think he's trying to give us back whatever Martin has."

Martin dropped his own gaze, stung. Did he really hallucinate so badly, then? In the past few days, he could only remember the frightful dreams, waking him from sleep with a sheen of sweat. Was he that bad when awake, too? His waking hours were fuzzier to remember. Sure enough, his senses clouded over once again, muffled by a coating of invisible itches: tiny pink feathers that provoked him, popping and prodding his sinuses until he blew them away in a blast. He felt his breath begin to coast, gathering up speed in exhausting pants. "Hh'hhh'ehhh" The sneeze skid against the bridge of his nose, using the liquid as a propeller. It egged him a moment longer, then finally inspired release. "Huhhhhshhoo! Ksh'ushh!" The itches torched his skin, and he cupped his hands in preparation. "Hehhhehhh - hehhh" The last one breath sounded shrill, matching his manic eyelash flutters in haste. "HehhSHUH! ESHH'oo!" .

"Bless you!" Amalie exclaimed, marching over to the handkerchief pile. She tossed one over, giving him the freedom to move his hands.

"Thang you," he muttered, clearing his nostrils with a blush. His throat ached horribly, starving for tea or soup, but Cornelia didn't serve that here. He tried not to groan at the weight in his skull, pressing in against his temples.

"You're sure you don't want this?" Kerr interrupted, holding the bottle high. Martin grimaced at the puce-colored liquid, the side effects scrawled in the cap.

"No thank you," he sighed, too tired to move from Amalie. She'd draped her arms around him again, holding him against her. It was kind, certainly soothing, but... he couldn't bear it a bit. What would his mother say, if she saw this behavior? Or his father?

"Okay, then." He tipped his head back, pouring the bottle's contents down his waiting throat. "Now we wait."

"Kerr!" Amalie snapped up from her seat, eyes wild in fright. "But - but it says hallucinations, and - " she gasped, looking horrified. "Oh Kerr, if it makes you sicker..."

He spoke right over, voice infused with a peculiar strength. "It says it takes effect in thirty minutes, and cures you in two days. We can leave day after tomorrow, then."

The look of horror stayed in place, dimpled with dots of yellow shock. "But what about Martin? We can't just... we can't just leave!"

"Amalie," Kerr sighed, "trust me on this, the way you used to." He met her eyes, a twisted little smirk on his face. "I think Cadogan might be right about this, if I remember correctly. I don't think Martin will get better until we leave here, Amalie. I think, no matter how strange it seems, we have to leave first." He straightened, flexing his muscles. "And anyway, I can help you with him if I'm better."

Martin blinked and turned away. 'Help you with him'. His nose had calmed down though, fortunately. He'd be alright for at least eight hours, no matter what happened to Kerr.

"So what do we do?" Amalie breathed, evidently deciding to follow Kerr's lead. "Just wait?"

Kerr nodded, climbing onto the second bed. "We wait."

---

I swear, I will do the second half of the medicine chapter soon . Thanks for reading!!

[Ciuty80]

wooooooow

wonderful

i´m soooo excited what happen next

[Aprilcot]

Okay so at least some of them will survive... I suppose that's okay.

I confess, if I try and write a sad story, I end up feeling too sorry for the character I'm torturing, and so I have to make it all better.

Sad I know, but true...

Thanks for the update, of course I'm enjoying it... IT'S FANTASTIC!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[obsessed]

Mmmm, .

I'm in love.

Poor guys.

[PaperThings]

Most probably the last part until I leave for camp. Thank you for the comments, guys!!! You make writing so much more fun.

Part 14

The room's atmosphere felt heavy, weighted with the inevitable of the next few hours. Amalie began to drum her fingers against the bedpost, a nervous habit she found calmed her nerves.

"It really will be fine, Amalie," Kerr said, smiling at her. "I hardly feel a thing."

Her eyes flipped automatically to the clock on the wall. "Thirty six minutes since you took it. You should either be getting better, or... you know."

"Worse." He grinned at her, and she flinched. "Would it make you feel better if I slept through it? I can try, if you'd like." She tilted her head in an attempt to conceal her true answer. Yes, it would probably make her feel much better.

He saw straight through her and sighed, collapsing onto the pillow with a huff. "Good night, Amalie. Wake me if you need to."

"I will." She smiled at him and tried to ignore the dark patches of his auburn hair, where perspiration altered its original color to a murky brown. She also tried to ignore the way he rasped through the silence of the attic chamber, hardly the athlete brother she'd had last year. Too depressed to stare at him much longer, she turned her attention to Martin.

Curled up against the pillow, fast asleep in the aftermath of his sneezing fits, he hardly reminded her of a Prince at all. Beside him, watching him dream away the world - calmly, for once, unlike his usual nightmares - she pretended he was the boy of her dreams. Not a Prince, not someone she hardly knew. Just Martin, the Martin she'd grown to care about.

Her gaze managed to grow tired of Martin in a few minutes, and Amalie discovered she did not like this kind of quiet. She felt so alone this way, it almost made her wish for Cadogan to show up. She tossed a cursory glance at the clock, trying not to feel too curious. One hour since he swallowed the medicine, and he was fast asleep. No signs of improvement, but no side-effects either. Well, she thought with a sigh, she would accept it. But what to do with herself? She'd kept herself busy for every moment of their stay, never daring spend too long idle or by herself. They slept in shifts because of the two beds, and she always split her waking time with one of the boys. When was the last time she'd been alone, been trapped in her own thoughts this way? To pass the time, she swept the room. And dusted it. And even sudsed some of their filthier clothes in the bathroom sink, hanging them to dry against the windowsill.

"No... No! No! I didn't mean to..." It started as a whimper, but the escalating volume sent her dashing back into the bedroom. "Please... please..." She clapped a hand to her mouth, wondering if you could swallow fear. She would try to, anyway. Kerr tossed and turned against the bed frame, his broad body jumbling up the sheets. She reached forward and snagged them from underneath him, figuring his sweat-drenched body didn't need them anyway. "You can't..." his voice caught on the word 'can't' and dissolved into mumbles she couldn't make out.

She froze on the spot, liquid terror intoxicating her bloodstream. For the first time since they arrived, she did not know if she could bring herself to offer comfort. The way he rolled around... she could hear the floor shudder and groan with his violence. Angry, mismatched blotches appeared on his face, stark against his ivory skin. Though she wanted to reach out and hold him, absorb his pain from, a great part of her wanted to crawl into the bathtub until he'd finished.

"No!" He shouted so loudly she was sure he'd wake the building. That was all they needed: Cornelia's angry reprimand at the door, telling her to keep them under control. His face caught suddenly, and her whole body tingled in fear. Would he sleepwalk? Was he that delirious? Would she have to stop him from tearing apart the place? She almost felt relieved when she saw his eyelids ripple, an expression of irritation panning over his face. He jerked forward, helpless in his motions, and his lips shammed shut with unsurprising intensity. "HESHHHHHHH!" He sprayed mattress, and Amalie reached at once for a handkerchief. She grimaced, overcoming her fear of proximity to Kerr as she clamped it to his face. "IKSHHHHHH!" He paused a moment, and she could feel the heat of his breath against her hand, even through the fabric. "ETCHH!" He drew back from her, his face twitching when she tried to put the cloth back. He didn't want it and lacked the words to tell her, so she slunk away. His nose hooked sideways against his cheek, practically dislodging from his face in an effort for release. Finally it caught, his blinking, water-filled eyes trapped as they landed on the breadth of the sneeze. He sneezed into the air, unable to help it. "EISHHHHU!"

Amalie reached forward, gave his face a gentle wipe, and curled up in a ball. He was mumbling again now, a snuffled 'no' and 'please'. It hurt her heart, wrung it in a way that even Martin's nights of delusion never did. She had met Martin when he was sick, she cared for him while he was sick. Seeing Kerr ill was hard enough for her, and she didn't think she could stand something this serious. Kerr was her unbreakable hero; how dare he shatter on her now? It was selfish and horrible, but didn't think she could stand him sick another second.

"Amale?" Martin sat up, rubbing his eyes tiredly. "What's... what's going on?" He sounded a bit disoriented, but over his sneezing for the moment. Actually, he sounded calm, Amalie realized after a moment.

"Oh, my brother's just mumbling something," she said, hearing the strain of tears in her voice, "nothing to worry about." Martin stared at her for a second, letting the scene fall into focus, and then strode over to Kerr's bedside. It was as if, in one moment, he'd become the person she needed right now.

"He's burning up, Amalie," he whispered, looking at her. "This is - this is from the medicine?" She nodded miserably, transfixed on the carpet with shame. What must he think of her, shying away from her brother when she should have been at his side? "Well... it passes in two days, right? That's what the medicine says? So it'll be over soon enough." He joined her on the corner of the bed, willingly near her for the first time in days.

"It's only been a few minutes, and I can't stand it already," she whispered, half-hoping he wouldn't hear.

"What?" he asked her. She looked up and realized just how astonishing the dimensions of his gray eyes were. They lit up his face, identical little moons. "I said that... um, I said that... it's already hard," she summed up, biting his lip. "And Martin, you're still burning up too, I bet."

He was quiet for a moment and then spoke, matching her soft tone. "Talking about it helped." Noticing her confused expression, he elaborated. "When I recounted the kidnapping, that helped me. My - my dreams aren't so scary anymore." He leaned back, head resting against the wall. "I might still be sick, but I'll be... better."

The thought warmed Amalie's gut, because finally, finally, something had gone right. "Really?" she asked.

He nodded. "Cadogan had the right idea, I think. I agree with you that he's trustworthy." She wanted to correct him and say that she didn't find Cadogan trustworthy at all, actually, but it wasn't the right time.

"I DIDN'T MEAN TO!" Kerr's voice broke through their quiet conversation, nearly sending Amalie onto the floor with surprise. "Please, please, ple - hhhHUSHHHOO!" His face contorted wildly, stuck between further sneezes and a subconscious desire to finish his thought. Undecided, he muddled through both in a painful, gut-wrenching medley. "I did - ESHHH!" Amalie tried to give him the handkerchief, but his body flailed around too quickly to accept it. "I didn't - USHHOO! Mean to hur - hh' hurt - hhh" He spasmed, senses trained too tightly to the sensation for words. "HIIHHCHOO! ESHOOO!" Martin succeeded with the handkerchief, his will stronger than Amalie's for the moment. He held it tightly against Kerr's nose, trapping the last three sneezes. They built slowly into Martin's hands, deep and airy, the fabric both delaying and swelling their resolution. "HUhhhHCHHH! HEHTCHH! EISHHHH!" They cut off abruptly with a sniff, though Kerr hardly looked relaxed. His face shone with a coat as red as an apple's, twisted in an agony that the other two couldn't reach. Martin drew back and tossed the handkerchief onto the floor, trying not to look entirely disgusted; he was not Amalie, he did not have stomach to deal with... this... in others.

"I'm sorry," Amalie whispered, as if she sensed it. She grabbed his hand and he let her, figuring she needed it. "I should have..."

"Don't worry," he said, shriveling her apologies with a look. "What do you have to apologize for?" He felt an odd seed of contentment in his gut, mostly, he guessed, for their roll reversal. After all this time, at last he got to help her and tell her not to worry, for a change. Finally he could be confident, ordinary and conversational as he was back home.

"I didn't mean to Amalie, I swear..." Kerr no longer sounded violent, merely sad. Amalie gasped when he choked suddenly, tears appearing from nowhere under his eyelids. "It's not my fault..." The tears mingled slowly with his sweat, masking his face with a sheen of water. The sight of him there, crying silently over something she'd apparently blamed him for, broke her in two.

She hid in the back of her hand, crying twice as hard as Kerr. "Amalie?" For the first time ever, Martin moved into touching her. His arm slid around her easily, almost as if he wasn't the shy boy who barely accepted hugs. " Amalie, it's okay..." he whispered, pulling her against his shoulder in a swift motion. "Don't cry," he pleaded with her. He stepped even further from his comfort zone, reaching a hand to smooth her hair. It calmed her almost immediately, and she leaned into him, tears dripping onto his shirt.

"I'm sorry," she whispered, wiping hopelessly at her eyes. "I'm sorry for getting so upset over this."

"It's okay," he replied, smiling a little at her. "Please don't apologize, Amalie. After all I've put you through...." He stopped, clearing the thoughts away for the time being. "You've been under so much stress here... just - just tell me next time, when you need a shoulder, okay?"

She gave a watery chuckle, shaking her head. "It's not that," she said, realizing just how warm his arm was, around her this way. She hoped he wouldn't move it. "I... I just don't know what he's talking about," she whispered, eyes on Kerr. He looked keyed up still, tumbling around the bed as if he meant to escape from it.

"He's not talking about anything, Amalie," Martin replied. "Trust me, when this happens, it's like your thoughts all get pushed together in a way that doesn't make sense. He loves you more than anything, and so he's worried about doing something to hurt you. Making you mad." He wanted to reach up and wipe her face, make her smile again, but feared that would take this a bit too far. She seemed to appreciate his arm around her, though, so maybe....

She sighed. "I guess - I guess that makes sense. But I just want it to be over...."

"I know." He gave her shoulder a little squeeze, and she repositioned her head. When she moved to the right, a bit too far, her hair brushed the tip of his nose. No, he thought, cursing inside his head. It wouldn't... it couldn't... He quickly tucked it under his chin, but the spark was lit. Too late to stop it, the itch wiggled around in the tip of his nose, catching his skin and spreading like wildfire. It wasn't even his half of the day to be sneezing, and he had his arm her, and he was going to sneeze now? That was unfair, in so many ways.

He clamped down on his jaw, trying to ignore the way it escalated, sending icy shots of fire up his nostrils. Finally, they flared out, more than ready for release. He squeezed his nose tightly with is hand before he let go, ensuring a stifle just before his eyes gave way. "Hhhnchht!" He strangled it, feeling the tickle tiptoe away, ready to lurk again another day.

"Bless you," Amalie whispered, not even a little unsettled. She squeezed his hand and he squeezed back, making a decision in that very moment. If he was sick, so what? He didn't have to be helpless from now on. He could get up, assist Amalie in preparations for their leaving, and try to actually change something about his lack of real-life skills. Determination built in his bones, heavy with the warm weight of her head on his shoulder. "Martin...?"

"Yes?" He stared back at her, unafraid. Oh yes, he would also stop pulling away from her. Not that he'd need her so much that way anymore, if he forced himself to get better, but he would keep it in mind...

"Thank you." They stared at one another a moment, something quivering in the air. Then, quick as lightening, Amalie leaned forward and pecked him on the lips. It was quick, hardly more than a brush of their lips, but Martin knew in that instant that he wanted to try it again. Was it possible that, as he fled from the Hunters' mad tirade, he actually found a girl? It seemed unreal. He leaned forward, taking her smile as a sign that she wanted to try again as well, when they were interrupted.

"HEHNNSHUHH!" Kerr begin muttering again, Amalie's name cropping up every so often. Martin felt her shudder beside him, afraid.

"It'll be okay," he said, rocking her gently back and forth. "You don't have to worry, anymore."

[obsessed]

OMGOMGOMGOMG.

THAT WAS TOO CUTE.

Ohmigawd, you have made my crappy evening lovely. <3

I hope you have fun at camp!

[starpollen]

YAY! YAY! Squeebee-lovey romance. I have been waiting - hoping - for this!

Have fun at camp! Take a notebook and write a lotta lotta lotta more to bring us when you come back!!

[Infernal]

Oh, man. This is really excellent. I really enjoy Kerr's character, along with the others. You're a great author, my friend.

[Sawyer]

ADSFHSDKFJHALFSHKSA OHHHH MY GOD. How did I miss the last update?! This is so excellent! Something about the begging and delusions mixed with the sneezing is... strangely sexy. Didn't expect it to be and can't fathom why, but it certainly is. And the character development and relationships are just stellar. I'M REALLY LOVING THIS.

[Kiwifruit]

Ohmigawd, you have made my crappy evening lovely. <3

Same here! xD This is ah-MAZ-ing! The plot, the characters, the descriptions and the SNEEZES - it's all so incredible! I looove this story sooo much!!!

Have a great time at camp!

[Ciuty80]

it´s absolutely perfect!

well done

hope to read even more when you are back

[Merino Sheep]

I read this all today and it's really great. I can hardly wait to read more I hope that you have a good time at camp. Oh and I love your signature too!

[Aprilcot]

I love this so much it is unreal!

Please continue!!!!!