His face was pale, and his eyes sank in. His lips were purple from the cold, though Catherine suspected hers looked the same. She understood that the servant was right, but how could she stop searching when Oliver was still out there?
“Let us hope he has found some shelter.” Alaric gestured around them and began walking into the storm.
Catherine followed, each of them calling out for Oliver. She doubted that he heard their cries over the storm. Catherine could barely see through the heavy rain. She felt herself start to shiver.
Suddenly, Alaric stopped. “Did you hear that?”
Catherine’s heart skipped several beats, and she strained her ears, but all she could hear was the roar of rain. “What?”
“I thought… There!” Alaric tore off, and Catherine sped after him.
“Alaric! Wait!” she called, and then she heard it. A soft whining. “Daisy!”
Catherine was running even faster now, but she was no match for Alaric. She watched him hurtle through the storm and saw a familiar wall in the distance. The sound of whining had stopped, but she did not care.
Alaric was going through the hole, into the space she had hidden.Please, let him be there.Catherine rounded the corner and nearly ran into Alaric, who had stopped.
“Oliver?” His voice was gentle, barely audible above the sound of the wind and rain.
The wall provided a small amount of shelter; there were tiny patches of dry space, and as Alaric knelt down, Catherine sawthem. Oliver and Daisy were huddled in the same corner she had hidden in.
His hair clung to him, and he was shaking, holding a wriggling Daisy in his arms as his lips quivered. His eyes were wide, and he pressed himself against the corner even harder, shaking his head. He was as pale as a sheet.
“I... I am scared.” Oliver’s lip trembled, his tiny voice nearly lost in the wind.
Catherine felt her heart shatter inside her chest. A few days ago, his speech would have filled her with joy and pride, but now, they were mixed with sadness and fury. Oliver was speaking, and his first words to her were filled with fear.
If I ever find Mrs. Langley—Marina—whatever that witch calls herself, I will make her pay for what she has done to my family.
Catherine moved toward Oliver and knelt beside him, searching his body for some sign of injury.
“I know, little one, I know.” She spread her arms wide, and Oliver moved toward her, allowing her to hold him in her embrace. “I am here now. We both are, and we will not let anything happen to you.”
Daisy was licking Catherine’s cheek, her tiny body trembling. Catherine noticed Oliver relax a little, but his body kept shaking.
“I am so sorry, Oliver. I should never have let this happen to you.” She pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead and rocked him gently. “You gave us quite the fright.”
She felt something hot against her neck and realized that Oliver was crying. “Sorry.”
“Why did you hide from us?” Catherine asked, still holding him and rocking him gently.
“Not you.” Oliver shook his head, sending droplets of water spraying.
“You hid from Mrs. Langley?” Alaric’s deep voice cut through the storm as he knelt beside Catherine.
She smelled the familiar cedar and amber scent mingling with the storm, the puppy, and Oliver. Catherine leaned against Alaric as he wrapped his arms around her, and Oliver.
“Had to.” Oliver’s voice was muffled as Catherine and Alaric held him. “Didn’t want to leave.”
“You have nothing to apologize for. You did the right thing.” Catherine saw Alaric rub Oliver’s back and felt Oliver relax even more against her.
Daisy let out a tentative whimper and a yip. The storm rumbled overhead, and Catherine looked at Alaric. His face was difficultto see in the dark, but she could see the same relief and frustration she felt reflected in his expression.
“There is a secret passage that leads to my chambers and another that will take you to my study,” Alaric murmured, shifting slightly, the warmth of his body comforting Catherine. “I will show you how to find them—if something like this happens again, you use those passages and hide in my study or my chambers.”
Oliver nodded.
“We will always protect you, Oliver.” Catherine squeezed Oliver’s hand. “You will always be safe while we are around.”
