My Darling Katherina

Chapter Twenty-One

Katherina applied a warm towel atop of Caldor's head, using small bits of magic to slowly heal away his wounds.

Small bits of memory kept coming and going.

She remembered walking around Velaris in the rain when she collapsed due to stress and a cold.

Even though Katherina couldn't picture what happened to lead to this moment, she could still remember hearing the Darkness' voice, Caldor's screams...

She had woken up just in time as her body was consumed in fear as she saw the Darkness standing over him; his wings torn and ripped. His body was covered in cuts and bruises. His head stained with blood.

"Caldor...?"

The Darkness turned his gaze from Caldor to her, hatred and rage swirling his eyes.

Letting shadows encircled him and vanished as quickly as she blinked.

Blinking out of her trance, Katherina carefully lifted Caldor as she dragged him back to the Training camp.

She couldn't process what happened. But she knew she had to get some help.

The Illyrians were startled awake by the sounds of screaming and the scent of blood.

Eyes widening in terror as they saw their High Princess dragging one of their corades.

Yet as soon as Katherina ordered them to get help, they moved as quickly as possible, helping her as they set Caldor down on his bed.

Tending as softly as they could to his wounds.

Katherina's father came as quickly as he could. Along with his brothers Cassian and Azriel  who brought Madja with them.

As soon as they saw her, drenched, tears running down her face and in her blood stained nightgown, Rhysand exploded in anger.

With his Daemati abilities he searched through his mind as Madja healed Caldor.

Cassian proceeded to the camp to inspect it, questioning everyone who had witnessed or heard what had happened.

Azriel had lent Katherina his jacket to conceal her see-through nightgown. Glaring at any males who had been staring at her for an extended period of time.

He used his shadows to clean some of the blood from her hands and face, yet kept her nightgown untouched.

"Are you okay?" he said softly as she sat in one of the beds, crouching down to her level.

"Will he be?"

"I'm not sure."

Tears seemed to flow quicker and faster.

They believed her when she said she was worried about being the High Princess and went for a walk.

They believed her when she said she wasn't feeling well and had collapsed.

They believed her when she said Caldor was helping her one minute and then was attacked by a creature with teeth and claws the next.