Of magic and blood

Chapter Twenty-Four

I hadn't seen Caspar since that night with the seeker. I was cursed by his phantom. I felt his absence in an ache of my body, and woke with the feeling his lips meeting mine.

I felt sickened by my sudden and new emotions. He was Morgana's son. The enemy. The woman who was killing my people nd burning my land.

It was too confusing for me think on for long.

I tried occupying myself in anyway, anything to distract my worried thoughts, but they always came back to Caspar.

Where was he? What happened to the seeker?

Was he...?

I couldn't think like that. I wasn't sure how I'd react when all of my feelings were hopelessly twisted and muddled.

All I could do was wait and worry.

It was late morning when I finally saw Caspar again. I was wondering the third floor yet again, even though I had studied all of the tapestries many, many times. It was a distraction.

"R-Rose..."

I froze, heart pounding fast, and spun around.

"Caspar!" He was in bad shape. His clothes were torn to shreds. He was leaning heavily against the wall, his left hand holding his stomach. A bright bloom of blood was spreading across his torn shirt. I rushed forward and wrapped my arm round his waist to support him.

It took a moment for his eyes to focus on me, glosses over from obvious blood loss, "Hello, Rose."

"What happened to you?" I asked urgently, taking almost all his weight on my shoulders. However, it was awkward because of our varying heights.

"The Seeker is still after me." He said warily, limping along with me, "I've been chased all over."

I narrowed my eyes, "Caspar, you said you could defeat it. What if you had been hurt severely and I hadn't found you?"

He tried for a crooked grin, but it was overtaken by a grimace of pain, "It isn't that bad. Besides, the seeker won't stop until I kill it or—"

"Or it finds you, yes, I know." I snapped, more because I was frightened and worried, "You need rest and medical attention."

It was slow going. Caspar could barely keep himself up and I wasn't very big to begin with. We struggled down the stairs, taking one step at a time until we reached the east wing where my chambers were.

He groaned as I helped him onto my bed, eyes closing. I hurried over to the dressing table, poured water from the pitcher into a basen, and brought it over to the nightstand. I had to rip open his mangled shirt just to properly see the damage, exposing his chest. Dipping a rag I ripped from an old petticoat in the water, I carefully began to gently wash away the blood.