His shoulder stung as Delrik bumped along in the carriage. It was a slow journey back to the castle and patience was not on his side.
Grimacing, Delrik applied pressure to his shoulder, trying to work out the pain.
Cosaria noticed, "Are you hurt?"
Delrik was sweating but didn't want to acknowledge any form of weakness. He said, "I'm fine."
The carriage came to a stop. Already it was night. Just that morning Felux had taken that maid and left without permission.
A knock at the carriage door and a knight saying, "We're stopping here for the night," informed Delrik of what he already knew.
His breathing became heavy, his shoulder felt like it was on fire. He told one of the knights, "I'll be in the woods just a distance away. Make sure nobody comes near unless they have a death wish."
"Understood," The knight said.
Delrik nodded and walked away. Once out of sight, his balance wavered and he leaned against a tree. Clutching his head, he continued into the tree cover.
A short time later, after camp had been set up and dinner had been eaten, Cosaria watched as the knights chatted around the fire. Her eyes searched for Delrik. His absence keenly felt in her heart.
She thought, He still hasn't returned. I'm worried. I'll go check on him.
Standing up, Cosaria grabbed a loaf of bread. I don't think he's eaten yet either, She thought as she snuck into the forest.
In the distance, Cosaria saw the moon's reflection in a small spring. Her breath caught in her throat when from the spring emerged Delrik. Water cascaded down his rippling chest and chiseled ten-pack abs. A black scar with a slight red glow draped his body from the chest, cresting his shoulder and ending at his back.
"Eep!" Cosaria said as she hid behind a tree.
Having heard the intruder, Delrik silently grabbed his trousers and a sword.
Cosaria peeked out from behind the tree. Delrik was nowhere to be seen as Cosaria took a cautious step towards the spring.
Flinching back, a sword being pressed to her throat, Cosaria dropped the bread.
Delrik, the weilder of the sword said, "What do you think you're doing?"
"I… I am… bringing you dinner. I thought… I thought you'd be… be hungry. You looked… I was worried."
Delrik glanced at the dropped bread.
He said, "You? Worried about me? You really should worry about yourself more. Arg!"
He grabbed his shoulder as he doubled over in crippling pain. The mark on his shoulder glowed brighter.
Cosaria took a step forward, Delrik's grip on the sword having faltered. Cosaria said, "Delrik! What's happening? Is it the scar?"
Breathing heavily, sweat perspiring down his face, Delrik glared at Cosaria and said, "It's a curse mark."
After what she had discovered, there was no stopping her from finding out the full truth. The only task left would be to kill her for knowing.
He held the sword back up to her throat, saying, "Now do you understand?"
Cosaria blinked a few times. She said, "That's why you need holy water. You, you're cursed!" Cosaria's hand reached out, moving on its own. It wanted to comfort Delrik. He looked to be in such pain, such torment.
Delrik pivoted the sword, which remained at Cosaria's throat as he brought his body inches away from hers. With venom on his tongue he asked, "What kind of fool reaches out to a cursed man?"
Delrik searched Cosaria's hauntingly sky blue eyes. He saw no terror, no disgust. All he saw was pity. He asked, "Aren't you scared?"
"Why should I be?" Cosaria asked, "You're the one who should be scared. That curse… it won't take long, will it?"
Confused, Delrik backed away. He lowered his sword and snickered, "What am I doing, trying to threaten you? This is useless. You're not going to betray me, are you?"
It's all a bluff anyway. I promised to protect her, He thought.
Cosaria said, "Why would I betray you? I… I want to help you."
"You want to help me?" Delrik spat. Rolling his eyes he continued, "I don't know if I should jump for joy or weep from gratitude."
She doesn't even know how dangerous helping me is, He thought.
When Cosaria spoke it was like a little squeak, "It's true."
"Look at yourself. You can do amazing things but it takes such a toll on you," Delrik said. She had passed out after the rain blessing. He didn't want to admit it, but it worried him. And worrying about someone else was not something he was accustomed to. "You're weak and fragile."
Cosaria stamped her foot, saying, "I am not!"
"Please, I know how weak you get after making holy water,"
"I've been growing much stronger."
It's safer for her not to involve herself in my problems, Delrik thought, She needs to stay out of my battles.
Delrik said, "Yet you know nothing of the dangers and the horrors of the real world."
Cosaria said, "And you know nothing about me." She marched herself to the edge of the spring and said, "Watch."
Closing her eyes, Cosaris stuck both her hands in the water. As her hands began to glow, Delrik's eyes widened.
Delrik said, "Cosaria! Wait."
The glow from Cosaria's hands transmitted to the water and spread throughout the entirety of the spring. Moments later, the light settled and the pool was left, emitting a glowing, sparkling light, contrasting the ever constant reflection from the stars.
Cosaria staggered to her feat, whipping her forehead, wet from perspiration.
"See," She said, "I'm stronger than you think I am."
Then the world around her spun and Cosaria found herself falling back. Delrik reached to catch her but just as he did, his curse flared up.
"You… Arg!" He said as they both fell into the pool of sparkling water with a remarkable splash!
Cosaria lifted herself up only to find that she landed directly on top of Delrik. Tension lay thick between them as they stared into each other's eyes with hearts pounding. They were so close. Cosaria could feel Delrik's breath. A few more inches, and their lips would meet. Cosaria broke eye contact and glanced at his shoulder.
"Does it hurt?" She asked.
Delrik asked, "What?"
Cosaria brushed her fingers on the darkened cursed skin.
She said, "The curse."
Delrik moved away from Cosaria and put his hand over his eyes and face as he said, "It feels better."
Cosaria asked, "The holy water helps it?"
"It does."
Cosaria scooted closer to Delrik and reached towards him as she said, "Maybe I can do more." Her wet dress clung tightly to her petite frame.
Delrik flinched, saying, "What foolishness is that? You're soaking wet. We need to get you somewhere safe."
Being this close to him, at this time of night, under these conditions, was not what Delrik would consider 'safe'.
"I want to try. Please?"
She was begging him with those irresistible, entrancing eyes. He gulped. She terrified him.
Knowing it was a bad idea, he said, "You may,"
Cosaria put her hand on his mark as she closed her eyes. With a flash, the mark glowed white for just a moment until it settled into a duller shade across Delrik's skin.
Staring at the change, Delrik said, "Incredible."
Cosaria closed her eyes and her head bobbed as she asked, "How do you feel?"
Delrik leaned her against his chest as Cosaria's body went limp.
"Hmmm" She said.
Delrik lifted her out of the water. He said, "Let's get back to camp." She was too vulnerable in this state. And he was too desirous.
She fluttered her eyelids as she said, "I have a confession."
"What is that?" Delrik asked, trying to take his mind off of her meek little lips and her feminine-
"I'm really not very strong. I just wanted you to think I was strong," She said as she passed into unconsciousness.
He pulled her body closer to his, breathing in her scent, he whispered, "I am the same."
༻✧༺
Light flooded in through the carriage window as Cosaria awoke, blinking away the signs of sleep. She was resting on a lap. Duke Delrik's lap. She jerked up immediately, face flustered.
"Delrik-!" Cosaria said blushing. He was fully clothed in a fresh new outfit.
Delrik leaned closer to her, their noses almost touching. He said, "Don't tell me you get flustered by that? And to think, it was just last night that you were falling all over my exposed body."
Cosaria's face reddened like a tomato.
Delrik burst out laughing.
Cosaria pouted, "You're teasing me."
"So I am," Delrik said.
Cosaria put her hand to his forehead and asked, "You're feeling better?"
"I should be the one asking you that." Delrik said, grabbing her hand. He began finding any small excuse as a means to touch her, to be close to her.
"Did I help?"
"You did," Delrik said as he interlaced their fingers, "Whatever spell you cast was more potent in affecting that dreaded curse than any holy water I've tried."
"It wasn't much." Cosaria was painfully aware of his hand engulfing hers.
Delrik snickered, "If that wasn't much then I would like to see what would happen if you actually tried."
"There was a scroll, one of the ones Sir Felux brought. It said 'mundare', which I think means purify." Cosaria moved away from Delrik, as if she was going to search one of their bags for the scrolls.
"You're saying you could purify the curse?"
Shocked, Delrik let her go.
"I don't know if I can, but maybe I could perhaps try," Cosaria said as she reached the bag she was looking for. She rummaged around inside.
Delrik said, "We'll have to rewrite the contract since I'll be using your divine powers for more than just providing holy water. Greater services will require greater compensation and I am prepared for that."
Cosaria put the bag down since it didn't have what she was looking for. She said, "I require no greater compensation. You're my Duke and I am glad to be able to help you as I can. Even if that means I have to grow my power to do it."
"I have yet to see you reach the limits of your potential," Delrik said, smiling.
Cosaria fidgeted, saying, "You think I could do it? I could heal a curse?"
"What I think doesn't matter. If it's possible and if you accomplish it, then you'll do it whether I think you can or not."
Cosaria felt so invigorated by his words. She blushed as she said, "Thank you."