The first daughter of the merchant - the last to leave the tent when Katherine began to cut the flesh off - showed Katherine to the other injured. Of course, she didn't know yet about the bet, as her father was still unconsciousness. It didn't take long to heal everyone. The other injuries were not half as serve as the leg of the second daughter. Still, there were some who wouldn't have healed seamlessly without her magic, so the people were actually quite thankful after they overcame the astonishment about her skill. That was one of the reasons she didn't dare to leave Hazel alone with the patients. Or else, who knew how big her cult would be already?While doing her work, Katherine noticed that no-one seemed to be respectful of the merchant they claimed to be their leader. Instead, they all spoke highly of his wife. It seemed like she was the real spiritual leader. The one who held them together. That matched what Katherine had seen so far. The wife hadn't been blinded by t

It was ridiculous. How come she has so much power over me?, Nathaniel wondered. She just called his name but it felt like a fresh breeze gently blowing his anger away. If her enraged self mesmerized and provoked him, this soft call made him completely helpless in front of her. He didn't expect her to do this. No, he wanted her to shout and fight like she used to. This way he could have taken out his frustration on her. But why did she have to call him so sweetly...Feeling the sorrow in his chest multiplying, he walked out of the darkness step by step. Her call was like a bond pulling him closer, despite his unwillingness.His eyes were fixed on her face, noticing every little change in it. When she saw him, her soft, pink lips slightly parted, her breath hastening. In her bright, violet eyes lingered astonishment as if she didn't expect him to finally heed her call and come forward. He himself also didn't expect it. But here he was, riddling about why this soft call w

Neither the scream nor the push managed to shake Nathaniel out of his stupor. Here he thought the only thing he needed to care for was that she didn't touch his skin. How wrong he had been. He hadn't been prepared for this softness in his hands. Mind me, even though he found her mesmerizing and sweet, he always thought that she was a bit childish. Her chest, however, was anything but that. It was a big, mature ball of softness. Uncomparable to anything he'd touched before.Always buried in his work and knowing that he couldn't go further, he didn't seek the contact with woman. Though over time more and more woman tried to cling to him, he didn't touch any of them. It was partly out of the thinking that he might be tempted more if he did, and partly because none of them interested him.Now he was left in a stupor, because he suddenly realized that the last statement wasn't quite right anymore. He should have recognized it much sooner, yet he didn't. The fascination he h

She didn't hear it. She didn't. She didn't hear me. The words repeated in his mind, calming his anger and fear. Thank goodness, she still doesn't know about it.It was a relieve, but his heart still pulsed hard in his chest. What would he tell her if she knew? Would she ever see him as a good person again? Not that he was one... he absolutely wasn't.Regret filled him when he saw the marks he left on her fair skin. Her face was buried in his chest. He didn't want her to notice the relive in his expression so that she wouldn't get suspicious.Why did he even talk about it... it was long past. Maybe the regret just ran too deep. He tightened his arms around her soft body, searching comfort he didn't deserve. Although he knew it wasn't right to hide it from her, he feared her reaction.She would hate him. She would see him as a monster, even more than now. He was sure about it. After all... he was the one who killed his aunt.Yes. That was right. He k

Driven by it's never ending hunger, the darkness left it's home... and silently began eating. When the darkness fed on something, it didn't cause any pain. To be exact, people didn't feel anything when touched and eaten by it. It just destroyed them silently.As was with his aunt. She didn't notice the black point eating in her flesh, not even when it grew and grew. When it wandered up her arm as a black vein. All her attention was on her nephew, who had closed his eyes, his brows knitted.The darkness that had taken seven lives now, the darkness she feared instinctively and was still glad that it existed because it saved her, very slowly receded on the child's arms and neck."That's good.", she encouraged him. "Compress it more." She had an inkling what this darkness was, although she wasn't sure about it. It was so strange... different from what she knew. She had only seen ice-mages and a few fire- and wind-mages in her life. This darkness was too unusual. Cou