IVY’S POV
My heart pounded as I ran through the castle corridors. The stone walls blurred past me as I pushed my legs to move faster. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.
"Wait!" I called out to a group of guards rushing past me. They looked panicked, their faces pale and sweaty. "What happened? Where are you going?"
"It's the Prince, my lady," one of them gasped, barely stopping to answer. "He's... he's having another episode."
My blood turned cold. "Where is he?"
"Near the east wing, close to your chambers," another guard replied before they all hurried away.
I didn't waste another second. My feet carried me faster than I thought possible. The King's words echoed in my mind from our conversation just minutes ago. He had pulled me aside after dinner, his eyes heavy with worry.
"My son is cursed," the King had whispered. "Every full moon, he transforms into something... terrible. The pain is unbearable. He's been fighting this alone for years."
Then he had asked me the question that changed everything.
"You mentioned having healing powers. Is there anything you can do to help him?"
Now I was running toward the sound of the most heartbreaking screams I had ever heard. They echoed through the empty hallways, making my skin crawl and my heart ache at the same time.
"Kade!" I whispered to myself as I turned the corner.
The screaming grew louder. It wasn't just pain I heard in those cries. It was agony, desperation, and something that sounded like he was losing his mind. I had to find him.
I followed the terrible sounds down the corridor until I reached the area near my own chambers. That's when I saw him.
Kade was on the ground in front of my door, his body twisted in ways that looked impossible. His back arched and his limbs jerked violently. Another scream tore from his throat, and I had to cover my mouth to keep from crying out.
"Oh no," I breathed, watching in horror and fascination.
His clothes were torn, and I could see his muscles bulging and shifting under his skin. His face was contorted in pain, and his eyes... his eyes were wild and unfocused. He looked like he was fighting against his own body.
"Kade," I whispered, but he couldn't hear me over his own screams.
Suddenly, he burst to his feet and threw himself against my chamber door. The wood splintered under his strength. He stumbled inside, and I quickly followed him.
"Kade, wait!"
Inside my room, he was like a tornado of destruction. He grabbed my wooden chair and threw it against the wall. It shattered into pieces. Then he punched the stone wall so hard that chunks of rock fell to the floor.
"Stop!" I shouted. "You're going to hurt yourself!"
But he couldn't hear me. He overturned my bed, sending pillows and blankets flying everywhere. His breathing was heavy and ragged, like an animal's. When he turned toward my mirror, I knew he was about to destroy that too.
I couldn't just stand there and watch anymore. I had to do something.
"Kade!" I rushed toward him just as he raised his fist to punch the mirror.
He spun around, his fist flying toward me. I closed my eyes, ready for the impact, but it never came. When I opened them, he was staring at me with wide, shocked eyes. His fist was frozen in the air, just inches from my face.
"Ivy?" His voice was rough and broken.
"It's me," I said softly. "It's okay. I'm here."
We stood there for what felt like forever, just looking at each other. His chest was rising and falling rapidly, but the violent shaking was starting to slow down. His eyes, which had been wild and unfocused, were beginning to clear.
"I... I could have hurt you," he whispered, lowering his fist.
"But you didn't," I replied, stepping closer to him. "You stopped."
His whole body was trembling now, but it was different from before. This wasn't the violent shaking of the curse. This was exhaustion and fear.
"The pain," he gasped. "It's too much. I can't... I can't think straight when it happens."
"Let me help you," I said, reaching out my hand.
"No," he stepped back. "You don't understand. I'm dangerous. I could kill you without meaning to."
"You won't," I said firmly. "I trust you."
Before he could protest again, I placed my hand on his chest. His skin was burning hot and slick with sweat. The moment my palm touched him, he closed his eyes and let out a shaky breath.
"Ivy, what are you doing?"
"Helping you," I whispered.
I closed my own eyes and focused on the warm feeling that always came when I used my healing power. It started in my chest and flowed down through my arms and into my hands. I could feel his pain as if it were my own. It was like fire running through his veins, and I understood why he had been screaming.
"I can feel it," I murmured. "The curse. It's like poison in your blood."
"Can you..." he started to ask, but his voice broke.
"I'm trying," I said, pushing more of my energy into him.
The healing power flowed from me to him, and slowly, I felt his pain beginning to lessen. His breathing became more regular, and his body stopped trembling. The burning heat under my palm cooled to a normal temperature.
"It's working," he breathed. "The pain... it's going away."
I kept my hand on his chest until I was sure the worst of it had passed. When I finally opened my eyes, he was looking at me with an expression I had never seen before. It was gratitude mixed with something else. Something that made my heart race.
"How do you feel?" I asked, stepping back to give him space.
"Better," he said, but his eyes never left mine. "Much better. You... you saved me."
"I just helped with the pain," I replied, suddenly feeling shy under his intense gaze.
"No," he said, taking a step toward me. "You did more than that. You stopped me from going completely insane."
Before I could respond, he reached out and pulled me toward him. His hands cupped my face gently, and I could see my reflection in his dark eyes.
"Ivy," he whispered my name like it was a prayer.
Then his lips were on mine, soft and desperate at the same time. The kiss was everything I had imagined and more. It was gentle but urgent, like he was trying to tell me something he couldn't put into words. I melted into him, my hands finding their way to his shoulders.
When we finally broke apart, we were both breathing hard. His forehead rested against mine, and I could feel his warm breath on my face.
"Thank you," he whispered. "For everything."