Page 62 of Catalyst

“Sleeping, he–”

“Go sit.” I pinched the bridge of my nose, silently cursing him for being such a child. When someone you loved was ill, you needed to care for them.

She tried to fight me, but I pushed her toward the couch. Poor thing didn’t have much to give. That or she knew better than to resist me. After guiding her down, I returned to the bags.

I’d grabbed a few things from the store, mostly fever reducers and gel sheets for her forehead, but under them, I brought a few things Eun swore by. A jar of yuja-cha to make tea and a thermos of soup I’d asked Gianna’s chef to make yesterday. I knew Callie wasn’t feeling well. I should have forced her to stay in one of our guest rooms. That way, she would have been in capable hands.

I glanced over my shoulder to see Callie struggling to stay upright. Her eyes were half closed, and every few seconds she’d jerk a little straighter. I crept behind her, readjusting her blanket before making her lay down. She resisted for a beat and I shot her a look. After that, she gave in, sinking into the cushions.

“You don’t have to–”

“Quit saying that,” I warned. “You’re sick; I’m here. Let me take care of my grandson and hisstubbornmother.”

She stared at me for a moment, but eventually her eyes fluttered shut. With that out of the way, I tucked the blanket around her more securely before I finished unpacking. I placedthe thermos on the coffee table before grabbing the gel sheets and medicine. Carefully, I tore a sheet from the pack before pressing it to her forehead.

She shivered, her eyes cracking to meet mine.

“What now?” I asked, trying to sound irritated as I fell back on my heels.

Her lips curved into a faint smile. “Thank you.”

My eyes widened. “Don’t do that, not yet. Once you’re better, you can say it then.”

She nodded, and I twisted the lid off the thermos before grabbing the spoon. The scent of chicken and ginseng filled the air.

“You’re different than I thought you’d be.” She murmured as if talking to herself.

I arched a brow, scooping up a spoon of soup before blowing on it. Part of me wanted to ask what she thought I’d be like, but then I remembered she, like most of the world, had been brainwashed by hero media. To Callie, I was probably a monster.

“I thought you’d hate me.” She continued.

“Why?” I nodded toward the spoon, hoping she’d realize I wanted her to take a sip.

She hesitated before leaning over just enough for me to feed her. I patted her head as she swallowed.

“Because of my dad.” The way her voice broke caused my stomach to flip.

“Let me make something clear,” I said, trying to sound firm but not harsh. “You loved my son, and now you’re carryinghisson. You are family, and in my family, we don’t hold grudges.”

Her lip quivered as tears formed along her lashes.

“What?”

“I just–” She cut herself off with a breath. “You want me in your family?”

My jaw clenched. Flynn Voltaris was a terrible human, but I assumed that behavior was limited to the streets. Unfortunately, I’d been wrong. And while I couldn’t undo whatever he’d done to Callie, one thing was for sure: She was no longer his daughter. In my eyes, she’d forever be mine. But, for now?

“Stop that,” I said, feeding her another sip of soup. “You are no burden, Calista Voltaris. When you are with me, you arewanted, and you areloved.”

Before I could react, Callie unwound herself from the blanket. Her arms wrapped around my shoulders as she buried her face in my neck. The warmth of her skin caused me to sweat. She shook as a sob wracked her body, and my eyes began to burn as I comforted her.

Never did I think I’d pity a Voltaris, but here I was. WindWeaver had dared to hurt what was mine. The next time I saw him, he would die. It was as simple as that. But none of that mattered until Callie was healthy and Sawyer was here.

Chapter 20

Jace

Two weeks later…

---