Darkest Desires → Caliban [CAOS]

xvii. faith

FAITH
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Dahlia's sharp fingernails dug into the sensitive skin of the palms of her hands. She was emotionally and physically drained after the immense pain she endured just hours earlier at the academy. Though her skin still screamed with remaining pain despite the Spellmans' help, Dahlia took no notice, mind glued to the dreaded events that she knew were just days, if not hours, away. A burning sensation still lingered on her back, but even so, her mind was in a whirlwind of worries. Her brain was an anxious mess, tangled up in her fear of what the Pagans would do to her if they found her. As much as she still blamed herself for the destruction of Arkala by the Pagans, she still wanted nothing more than to destroy the cruel creatures herself.

Dahlia was also sorry for all that Sabrina and her friends had gone through and the suffering that the Pagans also caused them. More than anyone, Dahlia understood how Sabrina felt, and she wanted the Pagans to be stopped before they could inflict any more damage. Of course, from Dahlia's position, there was not much she could do; she was perhaps the most wanted out of anyone else. The constant reminder of what the Pagans had done to her family and friends did nothing to ease her fears for what the Pagans would do to her and what horrible things they'd use her powers for if they found her.

Heavy footsteps stopped Dahlia's train of thought, the fists that her hands were balled into finally loosening as she let out a breath she hadn't realized she was holding. She looked up from her lying position in her bed, eyes connecting with Caliban's as he slowly walked into the small room. "Dee..." Caliban said with a low voice as he approached her. "How's your back?"

"It's fine." Dahlia shrugged. Although the scarred section of skin was searing with pain, she would rather prioritize the forthcoming events rather than her aching shoulder blade. The anticipation of what was going to happen next and when it was going to happen was mortifying. Her past experiences with the Pagans left her so paranoid, she couldn't really think of anything else apart from how to stop them.

"Let me see." Caliban sat at the edge of the brunette's bed and she turned slightly so her back would face him. She flinched slightly at the cold touch of his hands as he dragged the strap of her top down her shoulder, leaving part of her back bare. Caliban looked over the reddened scar, gently circling his thumb over the sigil. When Dahlia flinched again, he quickly withdrew his hand, worried about inflicting more pain on the girl.

Guilt rose in Caliban's chest as he realized just how much she'd been through, and how he prioritized winning the throne so much that he didn't realize the danger Dahlia was in. Now, he was devoted to letting anything happen to her, even if it meant teaming up with Sabrina Spellman and her friends to stop whatever the Pagans were planning.

"Cal?" Dahlia whispered, tearing his attention away from his own thoughts. She glanced at him to see him looking at her expectantly, which she took as a cue to continue. "Did you mean what you said before? In the bath..."