For her sake, Jem would look for a cure or at least something to slow the illness a little longer. It would wrong to leave her alone in these strange new worlds. When it came down to it, her safety and happiness meant more than his own. It would waste precious hours to look for a cure but he could live with this decision. Whether it was madness or not time would tell.

"I will enjoy any story you pick, especially if you would me the honour of reading aloud," Jem said with a faint blush on his pale cheeks. He was not a great reader himself, but Will and Tessa did a remarkable job of bringing stories to life.