Page 34 of When Sisters Collide
The wind whipped harder, mirroring the turmoil inside her. Tears stung her eyes.
She turned, searching for the goddess—desperate for an explanation, for anything.
But the clearing was empty.
The Maiden was gone.
CHAPTER SEVEN
KATELL
Katell woke to Dorias’ comforting presence beside her. Morning light filtered through the tent’s canvas, casting soft shadows over the hardened planes of his face. Sleep had smoothed his expression, making him almost endearing. One arm was tucked under his pillow, the other locked around her waist as if, even unconscious, he refused to let her go.
She shifted, propping herself up against the cushions. His grip tightened.
“You’re awake,” he murmured, voice rough with sleep.
Her fingers traced the black geometric Mark depicting a shield on his upper arm. “You sleep like a man who doesn’t fear death.”
One eye cracked open, his mouth curling into a slow smirk. “Death knows better than to come for me in your bed.” He scrubbed a hand down his face, then studied her with clear, assessing eyes. “How do you feel?”
Her head throbbed, hands trembling faintly against the blankets. More than a day without Laran’s Tears had left her body on edge, the craving for magic simmering just beneath herskin—yet her mind was still trapped in the smoke and screams of the Eighth’s camp.
“I feel more rested than usual,” she said after a moment. “How long was I out?”
“A full day and night,” Dorias replied, sitting up and brushing a kiss across her brow. The warmth of his lips was a fleeting balm, quieting the storm inside her for a heartbeat. Then the blankets slipped away with him, and the cold morning air bit at her skin.
He poured water into a silver cup and handed it to her with a single Tear. “Drink.”
She obeyed without a word, his steel gaze fixed on her as she swallowed the glinting obsidian stone in three gulps. The effect was instant. Magic threaded through her veins, warming her limbs, quieting the panic still lodged in her chest.
Dorias tugged on his tunic. “You need to eat something.” Without waiting for an answer, he disappeared behind the partition.
Katell leaned back, the cushions sinking beneath her as the magic eased her pounding head. The tremors in her hands dulled. The ache behind her eyes receded.
When Dorias returned, he carried a polished tray piled with bread, cheese, cured meat and, even more rare, fresh fruit. He set it on her lap like a soldier laying tribute at a queen’s feet.
Her stomach growled, but still she hesitated.
“How bad is it?” she asked quietly. “How many men did I…”
Her gaze dropped to her hands, clenched around the silver cup. She couldn’t bring herself to meet his eyes—not after what she’d done.
“None,” he said firmly.
His fingers slid beneath her chin, tilting her face until she was forced to meet the slate storm of his gaze.
“Thocero got to them in time. No one died. No one even lost a limb.”
Her breath caught. “But I—I saw blood, I felt it. I cut through?—”
“You avoided hitting any vital organs, even if you don’t remember.” A wry smile ghosted his lips. “No killing blows.”
By the Moon… If he hadn’t been there to pull her back, she might’ve killed them all. Starting with Tyrrhenus.
She forced down a bite of bread and cheese, the taste dry as dust. When she drained her cup, Dorias took it from her without a word. He didn’t rise. Instead, he crouched in front of her, close enough for his heat to seep into her skin.
“What happened?” he asked.
