Lucien leaned over Ashton's body. "Good Lord. Is he dead?"

"Help him up, you fool." Charles hadn't gotten back in time to stop his friend's fall, and Lucien's joking tone was about as ill-timed as humanly possible. "It's the grippe. Rafe brought it home. They have both been sick the last few days." Lucien got down and helped Godric hoist Ashton up by his arms and legs.

"The grippe?" Godric paused. "What the devil was he doing out of bed?"

"It wasn't my intention, ...