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“What do you mean he’s injured and sick?” I demanded. I’d seen him an hour ago. Or was it more? I couldn’t tell now.
“He flew home, and some farmers found him. They said they watched him get struck by lightning in a storm.”
My hand went to my chest. “Oh, God. Is he...is he...”
No. He couldn’t die. Not now. Not after everything I’d said to him.
“I don’t know,” Dymitri said. “Our dragon forms are strong. We can withstand many things. Lucian doesn’t seem to be at his full strength, though. His body has seemed to recover from most of the injuries, but he has an awful fever. I think he’s exerted too much of himself to heal and it’s left him susceptible to illness.”
I shook my head. “No, no, Lucian is strong. He’s the toughest guy I’ve ever met.”
“Normally, I’d agree, but the man lying in his bed is...” He closed his eyes. “That’s not the brother I’m familiar with.”
“It’s my fault,” I whispered.
“Hmm?”
I brushed the hot tears away from my eyes. “It’s my fault. He’s been living his life here as a human. I’ve been making him ignore being a dragon. We got into a fight and... and...”
“That fills in a few gaps.” Dymitri walked over and put his hands on my shoulders. “Dwelling on our mistakes won’t fix our future. What matters is what you choose to do next.”
I nodded, amazed at how gracious and kind he was being even though I’d basically killed his brother.
“I need you to come back to the castle with me,” Dymitri said, his voice steady and calm. “If you return and show him how sorry you are, then it might give him the courage and will to keep fighting.”
That all sounded so easy. Could it be? Would Lucian so easily forgive me? I’d only scraped the surface of our problems. I’d done so much more than keep Lucian from turning into a dragon.
But I didn’t want to tell Dymitri about the baby. Not yet. My sister needed to know before him, and she needed to hear about it from my lips. Lucian would want to share the news with his brother, most likely. Who was I to rob him of that experience?
Not after I’d already taken so much from him already.
“Please, Katerina,” Dymitri begged. “I’ll take you back. Things can be made right again.”
So much hope shone in his eyes. “Do you think he’ll get better if I’m there?”
“I think you’re the only one who can save him.” His voice was so quiet, so shaky. He was genuinely scared.
Lucian might die.
My heart thumped at the thought, and that was exactly the spark I needed to get moving. “Let me pack some stuff. I’m going to need more than just the clothes on my back. If he’s sick, this might be a long game.”
Not to mention the fact that was was freaking freezing where he lived!
“Yes, good thinking.” The worry on Dymitri’s face shifted to relief. “I’ll drink some more water while you pack and get myself ready for the journey back.”
“Do whatever you need. My house is yours. We’re family now, right?” I gave him a smile.
He nodded.
“I’ll be back in a flash.” I hurried to my room and began packing a bag with some of my more winter appropriate wear. It was always cold in Lucian’s realm, and I hadn’t been prepared for that last visit. Extra layers would be good.
I also packed my doctor ordered vitamins and some other medical supplies. While Lucian’s realm had witches and magic, I wasn’t sure if there was a need for modern medicine. Silly, I suppose, but it made me feel useful and like I could make a difference.
That, right there, was part of the problem, I guess. Lucian was a dragon and from a world of magic, mystery, and things I’d only dreamed of. I was an ordinary woman. I couldn’t even say I was drop dead gorgeous like my sisters. Just boring, ordinary, me. How could I compare?
I thought that by making him a part of my world—by making him more ordinary and ignoring the scaly elephant in the room—that we’d fit together better. That I could make it make sense. But I couldn’t.
The idea had only made things worse and now Lucian was paying the ultimate price.
