Co-Star

Chapter 29

As soon as my feet hit the floor of my room, my head spun, lungs gasping, convulsing in desperate need of air.

Oh my god, I just - I just - killed -

My knees screamed in protest as they slammed into the ground, blurry vision barely able to stay focused on the figure knelt in front of me.

"Hey, shh, look at me, breathe." A pair of calloused hands gently cupped my face. "Look at me, Katherine. Breathe."

"I... can't... I can't." Tears welled up in my eyes as the pressure on my chest increased. "I can't..."

"In and out. You're okay, I've got you." Fingers stroked my hair, gently tucking away a few wayward strands. "Deep breaths."

My breathing only quickened at the soft-spoken words, hands gripping for something, anything, to hold, to dig my nails into, to soothe the tension in my muscles.

They caught onto fabric, onto firm shoulders, and didn't bother to hesitate before latching onto them, allowing space for my face to bury itself into warm, exposed skin.

"I can't - I can't -" A pained whimper left my lips.

"Focus on me, okay?" The voice softened. "When I breathe, I want you to breathe too."

Inhale.

His breath fluttered over my cheekbone.

Exhale.

Inhale.

Exhale.

My fingers knitted tighter into cotton fabric, and I took another deep gulp of air, sniffling a little as my hair fell to shield my face from the outside world.

A hand reached out to gently move aside the messy curtain of honey-gold.

The early morning sunbeams illuminated the planes of Caleb's sculpted features, his head tilted in such a way to give me a half-smile that strands of his gilded hair fell across his forehead.

"Better?"

I nodded.

His hand still rested beneath my jawbone, seeming reluctant to pull away, even more so when I leant my cheek into his palm with a soft sigh.

My gaze wandered to the scars, the burn scars, that circled his wrists.

"Oh, shit." I would have scrambled to my feet had he not placed his hands on my elbows to stop me. "What happened? Why didn't you say anything? Are you -"

"I'm fine," he soothed.

"But - how badly does it hurt? Do you need any painkillers? What about -"

Caleb placed his finger to my lips, not unlike what I'd done to him before.

I quieted.

"They don't heal, okay?" he murmured, moving to hold my hands in his. "I have trouble controlling my magic so the tribunal ruled I would have to wear these."

He raised our entwined hands, where two thin bands of light cuffed his reddened wrists, a wry smile finding its way onto his lips.

Oh.

That explains why his wrists were burnt on the plane.

I swallowed.

"Does it hurt?"

He lowered his gaze to his fingers, still tangled with mine, and mumbled, "Yeah."

Rage flared up in my stomach.

Dad is on that tribunal.

It didn't help when, a few moments later, my door slammed open, and my dad barged into the room, security guards at his heels.

"Mija! Oh, baby, are you okay?"

Wide-eyed and alert, he dropped to his knees in front of me, completely ignoring Caleb. "Did they hurt you, princesa?"

Furious heat flushed my cheeks.

"You're asking me if I'm okay?" I shot to my feet, clenching my hands into fists at my sides as security guards started to fill my room. "What the hell? Where were you? The only reason I'm not hurt is because Caleb showed up, which, by the way -"

My dad had risen by now, thoroughly confused and brow wrinkled with a mixture of anger and concern.

"Don't curse at me, mija," he warned. "You mean to tell me he didn't cause this?" My dad motioned to Caleb, who had slunk off to a corner, curling his injured wings into himself as much as he could in an attempt to avoid hitting the security guards swarming through the room.

"Why would he?" Frustrated and still shaken, I tore my fingers through my hair.

My dad's expression darkened.

"You." He whipped around to glower at Caleb. "Out."

The demigod lowered his gaze and nodded, about to limp his way over to the exit, when I held out a hand to stop him.

"No, you stay, Caleb," I commanded. My eyes never left my dad's, locked in a battle of wills. If my dad thought I would give in, he'd clearly spent too much time away from me. "Give me one reason why Caleb had anything to do with a breach in your security."

"One good reason?" His voice reached dangerously low levels. "My daughter almost died, twice now. He was present both times. That is reason enough."

My fists were bunched up so tight my nails cut into my skin.

"Dad -"

"This conversation is over, mija."  He gave an absent nod to one of the security guards. "Call Death and inform him of the situation."

I couldn't do anything but gape as he strode back out the room, an unfamiliar mixture of helplessness and frustration finding me when I sunk to the ground, my back against a wall.

Caleb came over, kneeling beside me, and I buried myself into his embrace without a second thought.

One of his hands stroked my hair.

"I'm sorry," I mumbled. He smelled like vanilla. "I don't want you to leave."

"I know." His head dipped down to rest in the crook of my neck, a soft exhale leaving his lips. "It'll be okay. Though, I'll have some explaining to do when I get home."

In a normal situation I would have cracked a smile, but I only hugged him tighter, knitting my fingers into the fabric of his white shirt.

"Miss Katherine." A female security guard addressed me from beside the door.

I pulled away from Caleb, my gaze flickering over his soft expression, and the gentle tilt of his mouth into a sad smile.

He stood and drew me to my feet, pressing a lingering kiss to my knuckles, before security guards pulled me away, blocking my view as they ushered me away.

A/N -

Okay this chapter was giving me a lot of issues and that's why it's been tWo mOntHs since I last updated

BUT

The next chapters will be really fun - some of you might already know a certain fish-man and his boyfriend.......

Anyway WEAR YOUR MASKS

xx

Ramen Noodles