Chapter 21 - Stryker

“She will wake up, won’t she?” I ask Camilla’s grandmother while I keep her hand pressed between both of mine, blowing warm air on her fingers while I have her hand lifted to my lips.

Abuela mutters reproachfully under her breath in her mother tongue as she goes about the room in the retirement home, packing her things in a bag. “Of course, she will wake up, hombre dragón …” she grunts when she’s done packing and turns to me, perching her hands on her hips as if I’m about to receive a royal scolding from the elderly woman for asking a stupid question.

I stifle my amusement, only because Camilla’s grandmother doesn’t seem to fully accept that her granddaughter’s mate is a dragon shifter. She’s been grunting and huffing around the room ever since Camilla passed out in the portal to the spiritual realm.

“I am ready,” she sniffs. “We can go.”

I glance at my sleeping beauty, her lips parted as she snores lightly in her sleep. “We can’t be seen walking out of here while she’s unconscious.”

Abuela clicks her tongue. “Not through the door, imbécil ,” she grouches. “You are the dragon, no?” She gestures to the window. “We will go out that way.”

I chuckle under my breath because she just called me an imbecile. It’s safe to say that she does not like me. It’s not that I mind. After all, it’s thanks to Camilla that she came to find out who she really is, which led to her understanding of how profound and unbreakable the fated mate bond is between us.

I saw it in her eyes when she fell into my arms before she fainted. Her hazel eyes glowed with a newfound sense of understanding, and she smiled at me as if she was seeing me for the first time.

Besides, I know that deep down, Camilla’s grandmother is grateful that I found her granddaughter and ignited her innate powers with the soulmate bonding ritual that took place just now. I saw the relief flashing in her eyes when Camilla was going through the process of unblocking the energy centers in her body. It unleashed her witch powers, and I simply cannot wait for her to wake up and discover more of her gifts.

Gently scooping her into my arms, I head to the window where her grandmother waits with a seemingly normal wooden walking stick tucked under her arm. I look down at the stick that doubles up as her magical staff, and frown.

“You know…” I begin introspectively. “... You could just zap us out of here through a portal.”

Abuela clicks her tongue derisively and stares at me with a lackluster grimace. “Are you sure you are a dragon man?” she continues muttering a string of curses in Spanish.

I chuckle under my breath, invoking my dragon while, at the same time, pulling on the power of invisibility as I open a dragon arm for Camilla’s grandmother. Once both women are secure in my arms, I faze through the wall and fly us to Camilla’s apartment.

To my relief, it doesn’t take long for Camilla to finally wake up while her grandmother flurries around the room, flinging Camilla’s belongings into bags as if she’s excited about Camilla’s move to the island.

Her words to me don’t match her actions, but I know it’s because she’s putting on a strong, defensive front to protect Camilla.

Soon, she’ll know that she has no reason to worry about her granddaughter’s well-being.

Groggily, Camilla opens her eyes, the corners of her lips lifting in a struggling smile.

“Hi…” she breathes, attempting to lift herself onto her elbows.

I’m at her side in no time, lending her a hand to sit up. She presses the back of her hand on her cheek and giggles.

“I’m still alive,” she jests, to which I chuckle and take a seat on the bed.

“You are,” I concede, folding her hand between my fingers. “Did you have a good rest?”

“How long was I out for?” she frowns, watching her grandmother flutter around the room. “What’s going on?”

“Your grandmother is packing up your things so we can return to the island.”

A deep sense of sadness flashes in Camilla’s eyes. “I—I don’t wanna leave her behind…” she whispers.

I squeeze Camilla’s hand reassuringly. ‘You won’t be leaving her behind, Cami. I asked Abuela to join us.”

“Really?!” Her eyes light up, making it so worthwhile to have decided to let Abuela join us on the island.

“Yes,” I confirm with a kiss on her cheek. “I know that was the only thing stopping you from agreeing to stay on the island.”

Camilla narrows her eyes at me. “How can you be so sure? What if, after everything, I decided that I don’t wanna live there?”

I chuckle lowly, leaning in to stare as deeply into her eyes as I possibly can. In the warm depths of gold, I see myself reflected in them as if she’s the perfect mirror for my soul.

Nothing can come close to this profound feeling of being seen, understood, and accepted for who I am.

“Then you’d be lying, Camilla…” I drawl, savoring the way her eyes sparkle in wonder. “We both know that our fated mate bond could never keep you away from me…”

We’re interrupted by Abuela’s brash clicking of her tongue. “I hate to interrupt this reunion of lovers, but everything is packed and ready.”

Camilla coughs and quickly snatches her hand from mine. “Abuela!” She hops off the bed and rushes to embrace her grandmother. “Thank you for leading me to the light.”

Her grandmother pulls back and says sternly. “We have a lot of work to do, mi hija. There is so much I have to show you. Being a white witch is not an easy task.”

“Erm-” Camilla hesitantly glances at me with her lips pursed in contemplation. Somehow, I know what she’s thinking even before she says the words.

“If it’s okay, there’s something I need to do before we go to the island.”

“Sure,” I shrug, feigning nonchalance. “I’m in no hurry.”

Abuela, on the other hand, narrows her eyes curiously. “Just don’t get yourself in trouble again,” she warns. “It wasn’t this one I warned you about before.”

“I know,” Camilla sighs, pressing a kiss on her grandmother’s cheek. “But I’ll be fine, Abuela. There are just a few things I must round up before we can leave.”

Abuela nods, then turns to me with lips pressed into a firm line as if to silently instruct me to keep an eye on her granddaughter. I take heed, following Camilla and realizing that I’d follow this woman to the ends of the earth.

***

“Wait here,” Camilla says when we end up outside the museum where she used to work.

“I don’t know if your job is still available, Cami,” I chuckle nervously as she stands on her tiptoes and briskly kisses my cheek.

“That’s not why I’m here,” she relents. “There’s something I have to do before we leave the mortal world for good.”

“Okay…” I agree reluctantly, while Camilla assures me that it’s just a loose end she needs to tie. When she heads inside, I’m left on the pavement, pacing the ground until I decide to go inside myself.

I can’t just wait around for her, my nerves unsettled even though she assured me that her boss would understand why she suddenly left without a word. It’s not that she wants the job back, but she needs to get the stuff she left behind before our encounter with Rakon and before I flew her to the safety of the island.

When I entered the museum, I noticed the new tour guide gathering a group of tourists and decided to join just to bide my time while waiting for Camilla. I quickly pay for the next tour, then join the group in the foyer just before the new guide greets us, and we embark on a familiar journey through the museum.

It’s noteworthy to realize that Camilla was good at her job; her bubbly personality used to shine through despite her anxieties and previous lack of self-esteem. This guide hardly holds my attention, his flat tone doing little to spark my interest as we walk down the aisles and visit the many art rooms in the building.

Perhaps, I lament internally, it’s only because this isn’t my first rodeo in the museum. Before, I’d only been interested in one specific piece of art, and she was addictive to all my senses.

It’s my sense of smell that perks up when we near the room showcasing French artworks—the very same room where I’d spoken to Camilla for the first time when I was allowed to travel back to the mortal world after the ban on the Aurora Dragons was lifted. The walk down memory lane gives me a moment for introspection, while I consider how far Camilla and I have come since then.

In hindsight, I was wrong for forcing her onto the island, but it was only because I was protecting her. It had to be done, and those cruel, harsh words she spat at me before seemed to fade into the distance of my mind.

Even before I knew she was a white witch, I was drawn to her thanks to the fated mate bond served to the dragon shifters on a silver platter with the help of the Cube of Knowledge. But even when I snuck a sneak peek into the Cube’s knowledge and discovered who my mate was before my turn in the human mate process, I was blown away when I saw Camilla for the first time. Awe-struck, I’d been following her as if my life depended on it.

Now I can see that it does. Without Camilla, I was never whole. When the ban on the Aurora Dragons was implemented, and we weren’t allowed to travel to the mortal world, I was losing my mind. She’s the air I need to breathe for these lungs to function at full capacity.

The sweetness of her scent that dances in the air in this room is what I need. Smiling to myself, I break away from the group and head to the painting of Aurora Island, the inside joke never losing its impact as I chuckle under my breath.

“I knew you’d come,” Camilla’s voice chimes from behind, and this time, my smile isn’t an extension of humor. It’s warm and blissful as I feel her presence beside me and wrap my arm around her shoulders, then draw her into my side.

“You knew where to find me…” I whisper. She joins me in staring at the painting, nodding just enough to concede.

“I have everything,” she informs me. “I had to tell them that I had a mental breakdown and left the country on impulse.” she shrugs. “I told them I’m not coming back.”

“So, it’s final then…”

“Did you have any doubt?”

“No,” I chuckle, then stop when Camilla reaches out and touches the painting in the corner where the name “Domingo” is signed. She traces the signature in black and hums with her eyes closed.

“Your sister signed this with her real name before she painted over it,” Camilla whispers softly. “Kairo Vulkan.”

“Wait… You can see that?” I ask in awe, to which Camilla turns and blushes as she nods.

“It’s almost as if I can see through the brush strokes,” she admits. “I can’t explain it. I can just see it.”

“Your intuition and sharp vision…” I lament with a proud nod. “Impressive.”

“It isn’t much,” she says sheepishly as she shrugs. “It’s not like I can transform into a majestic dragon.”

“Oh, Cami…” I sigh as I pull her back into my side. “You’re more majestic than you give yourself credit for. I knew it long before we discovered that you’re a witch.”

“Really?” She turns soft, vulnerable eyes on me.

She’s never needed validation—I saw firsthand how strong and capable she was when she stood her ground against me. But my inner dragon is stirred to recognize that she’s only seeking this validation because it’s me.

I’m not just anyone, whose words do not weigh on Camilla’s reality. Anything I say would mean the world to her, and strengthen her natural powers. Just like her existence strengthens my dragon.

“More than you know,” I admit, pressing a kiss at the top of her head, her floral scent soothing my being as it drifts into my airways. It’s a scent I could never grow tired of sensing. “Maybe we’ll come back one day when no one remembers us.”

“Hm…” she sighs, leaning even closer. “I think we should go home.”

My heart skips a beat when Camilla refers to the island as “home.” With excitement building in the pit of my belly, I nod fervently, eagerly, as I take her hand in mine.

But there’s a look of disappointment that lingers in her eyes, and she pouts when she says, “I thought you’d ask me for my number.”

I chuckle lowly, realizing that just like me, Camilla had taken a walk down memory lane, down the path that led to our meeting.

“I don’t need your number, Cami…” I whisper in her ear. “... I need so much more than that…”

My raspy confession at her ear causes a gasp to escape her lips as her body tenses around the arousal I’ve just ignited. She blushes profusely when I take her hand in mine, and I know I have her right where I need her, anticipating what’s to come when we return to the island.

We’re so in tune with each other, I have to do my best to hide my true intentions to keep up the surprise I have planned for her.

***

Approaching the island, I slow down and feel pride well in my dragon chest when Abuela finally drops her armor and gasps in awe.

“I’ve only traveled here through the illusionary portal,” she tells Camilla. “It’s more beautiful than in real life.”

“I’m glad you’re here with me, Abuela,” Camilla reaches out and takes her grandmother’s hand while we enter the dome and I glide down to the front of the castle. Seeing Camilla’s sincere smile of admiration when I set her on her feet is the most fulfilling smile I could have asked to see on her face.

I know it’s because her grandmother is with us now, and nothing could have made her happier.

I’m only hoping that tonight, I can make her the happiest when I tell her how I truly feel and profess something I’ve been holding back for a while.

Shifting into human form, Abuela remains oblivious and uncaring to the transition while Camilla still marvels at me with an appreciative twinkle in her eyes. Her grandmother scans the cobblestone wall of the castle, shielding her face with one hand until her gaze reaches the arched roof that aims for the sky.

“ Impresionante …” Abuela offers a curt nod before she marches toward the entrance of the castle, leading the way for us to follow. The roles are reversed, but I’m just glad that she feels comfortable enough to proceed into the castle, showing no signs of hostility toward the land of the dragon shifters.

“She’s impressed,” I sigh as I take Camilla’s hand and smile broadly from ear to ear.

Camilla giggles lightly, the sound filling my eardrums with pleasant tones of sweetness that put to rest any qualms or inhibitions I had before.

“Of course, she is,” she concedes as we head toward the castle, crossing the bridge that arches over the thin stream. “ Abuela only acts fierce, but she’s really just a softie at heart.”

“Hm… The apple doesn’t fall far from the tree, does it?” I quip.

That earns me a playful punch to my shoulder that hardly stings. “Hey!” Camilla mockingly derides before laughing again. “But no, it doesn’t. I guess I’m just like her.”

“Well, I hope you’re ready to keep up that bold pretense. You’re in for a treat,” I say as I open the door and step aside. Abuela heads in, leaving Camilla on the verge of crossing the threshold, but stopping to frown at me.

“Why?” she asks.

“Everyone’s returned from their travels,” I explain, but it doesn’t seem to diffuse her hesitance. It’s only when I follow her gaze to her feet, cemented on the porch, that I realize why she isn’t coming in.

“Sorry,” I apologize before stepping forward to scoop her into my arms. She shrieks in surprise but smiles warmly and wraps her arms around my neck.

“You sensed my thoughts…” she carefully speculates.

“Something like that,” I smirk, taking a deep breath before I carry her over the threshold.

Once we’re inside, Camilla grabs my face between both hands and crushes her lips to mine. She’s moved by the gesture; I can tell by the passion in the kiss. But it’s not because we just acted out some kind of tradition.

It’s because we’d just created our own sort of tradition. While I may have kidnapped her and flown her to the island without her consent before, walking her over the threshold to enter the castle that will be “home” for the rest of our lives is special.

A special moment between Camilla and I that will be cherished as the turning point in our relationship—the day I brought her home.