My Darling Katherina

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Katherina woke to a field of flowers. A sea of colors and warmth as the sun beamed down at her. The wind blowing softly, moving the tall grass like dancers bending to a melody.

Trees thick and full with life, their leaves in different shapes and sizes. Everything seemed to glow around her. Butterflies resting on her skin as she stretched.  Her hair wild and free, burning and yet no flame touched the flammable earth.

Her scars on display as she crossed her arms over her chest, her nude body drinking up the sun. She should be worried, ashamed, scared- how had she gotten here? Where was Caldor, Hemera, Thea.

The Darkness.

Shadows swirling around her, like birds of night flying in the day. Smoke of whispers form a God.

But Katherina just closed her eyes, her hands feeling up to see what was the weight on her head. Her eyes widened in alarm as she felt a crown. Before she could take it off, she noticed her hands were bloody, all where she touched, her skin stained with the red liquid.

That's when she noticed the castle behind her. White stone walls covered in vines and roses. A male at the porch.

His hair sun-kissed by the stars, his eyes of Summer's seas. His hands were stained with paint of orange, green, pink and brown. Some yellow smudged under his eyes. A paintbrush in his hand as he looked at her.

"Who are you...?" he whispered.

She opened her mouth to speak before he started to yell.

"-rina..."

What?

"-therina?"

The world around her began to turn to ash, blue flames surrounding her as she felt them touch her.

"Katherina."

She looked at the male one last time, before the fire swallowed her.

"Katherina!"

She blinked, her mind coming back to focus on the road ahead of her. The cruel sun blocked by the forest of the Day Court. Her clothes wet from the humid atmosphere.

Hemera and Thea meeting them at her apartment, bringing a welcome gift of eggs, bacon, toast and chocolate for her and Caldor. Their reaction to seeing him all warm and friendly, immediately falling in rhythm with him as though they were all long lost friends.

She tilted her head to spot Caldor walking with Hemera. A playful smirk on his face with her, competitive smirk plastered on hers. Making bets and challenges. Katherina felt her heart warm.

She turned to Thea who looked at her with worried eyes.

"I'm fine," she reassured. "I was just thinking about this strange dream I had."

"What was it about?" Thea asked quietly, walking slightly faster ahead to make sure that her twin and Caldor didn't hear in case Katherina wanted to say something personal.

Not that they could hear from all the shouting.

"I was in a field of flora, surrounded by woods and a castle. My hands were stained with blood and there was a crown on my head," she explained, trying to piece the memory together. "I was naked and when I turned, there was this male looking at me. His hands were covered in paint and he was asking me who I was.

He looked so familiar and yet Katherina could not place her finger on it. He looked just as confused as she was. Something about him that she'd seen- touched before.

Hair kissed by the stars, eyes of Summer seas, satin skin like hers, but different. Though he's been in the dark so long, light seemed to be something he craved but couldn't have.