Page 63 of Catalyst

With the way Shin was doting on Callie, you’d think he was her actual dad. Ever since I caught him in our apartment, he’d been hyper-vigilant about everything involving her and the baby.

Doctor’s appointment? He needed to know.

A slightly higher fever? He needed to know.

She sneezed—you get the idea.

The most important of Shin’s rules? Callie was not to be left alone. And while I thought she was an adult—perfectly capable of not dying or burning the place down when left unattended—Shin wasn’t someone you defied.

Not if you wanted to stay alive, anyway. And me? I had a pretty girl and a baby on the way. I needed to stick around for at least five more years. Hopefully longer, but hey—I’d take what I could get.

That said, as over-the-top as Shin’s rules were, the guy had a point.

Callie’s body had adjusted to a higher dosage of suppressors far quicker than her doctors anticipated. And, while they still kept her abilities in check, Sawyer burned through them–pun intended. At first, I thought we could manage it.

Shin had loaded us up with a laundry list of remedies he’d used to help his wife during her pregnancy with Sulien. It was comforting to know we had tested ways to cool her down. But Shin’s wife still died, and according to Shin, Callie was heating upmuchfaster than she did.

The only silver lining? Callie was a super, and Shin’s wife wasn’t. That made her more durable, so she’d probably be okay. Still, knowing all of this, I was grateful I’dofficiallygiven up my whoring-around days. Now, I could focus on being there for her.

She was due right after I started nursing school in January, so I’d be able to take care of her up to the final stretch. What happened after I started school? That was a future Jace problem.

For now, my only job was to make sure Callie drank her tea and ate the ice-cold pears Shin swore up and down would help. I wasn’t sure if there was any science behind his home remedies, but Callie liked both.

At least she had liked them—until a few days ago. She’d woken up on Tuesday and had refused to eat since. We assumed it was just the fever. If we could help cool her down, she’d feel better.

So, we cranked up two air conditioners, set them as cold as they’d go, and locked her in Sulien’s room. That worked to cool her down a little, the only problem? That made Callie fucking miserable.

She’d been shivering and crying anytime Kane or I left her alone, but that room was too God damned cold for anyonenotrunning a 110-degree fever.

Because of all of that, I’d been wanting to take her to the hospital for two days, but both Kane and Shin said absolutely not. Unless it was an emergency, they wouldn’t help us.

With all of that in mind, I put on a hoodie and made Callie a glass of whatever citrus tea Shin had sent us. She said it tasted better warm, but unfortunately, I couldn’t justify heating it when she was the temperature of the sun.

The door creaked as I nudged it open, bracing myself both for the chill and the sight of Callie curled up in the bed. Somehow, it was easier to prepare for the cold. I wasn’t phased when the icy air snuck up the sleeves of my hoodie, causing a chill to run down my spine, but seeing Callie covered in sweat as she weakly cried into the pillow caused my chin to tremble. I ignored it, electing to clear my throat and put on a brave face.

“Hey, Princess, I’ve got some tea for you,” I said softly, sealing the door behind me.

Callie stirred at the sound of my voice, her head lolling to face me.

“Jace,” she whimpered, her voice barely audible over the hum of the air conditioners.

Forcing a smile was one of the hardest things I’ve ever had to do. “Yes, beautiful?”

She heaved in a shaky breath before reaching up, her arms falling to the mattress almost as quickly as she raised them.

“I need you.” She pleaded.

The raw desperation in her voice gutted me, and without thinking twice, I crossed the room, placing the tea on the nightstand before crawling into bed beside her. The damp sheets stuck to my clothes as I laid down, allowing her to grab onto me as if her life depended on it. The second her head hit my chest, she erupted into tears.

I wrapped my arms around her, doing my best to pretend she wasn’t shaking like an earthquake as I pressed a kissto her sweat-soaked hair. Her body burned against mine, the heat radiating off her almost unbearable, but I didn’t care. She needed me, and I wasn’t about to leave her.

“It’s okay. You’re okay.” Those words sat heavy on my chest, mostly because they felt like lies. “Daddy Jace has you, you’re alright.”

I’d hoped to make her smile or at least stop crying, but she held onto me tighter. It was like she was afraid I’d disappear if she even dared to let go.

“I’m so tired, and my skin is on fire.” Her words punched a hole straight through my heart.

I pressed another kiss to her temple as I tried to desperately fight off the tightening in my throat.

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