Sixty Camilla

I flexed my hands at my sides, studying the remaining fragments of the medallion.

“It looks like a stone should go here.” I pointed to the hollow grooves of a couple of pieces.

Hilma’s lips turned up. “Oh? Hmm, I’ve never noticed before, but then again, we never got this far.”

My instincts blared a warning, but I forced a smile. I didn’t trust Hilma. I didn’t really trust anyone here, but spending so much time with her made her feel like more of a threat.

“Listen, why don’t we call it a night, okay? You managed to get a few more pieces back together, and I don’t need you burning out for days again.”

I nodded. I had told them that my magic was depleted from being overworked. There was no way I would tell them I had cast a healing spell to damn near bring someone back from the edge of death. I’d slept for three days, drifting in and out of consciousness. I remembered Vincent checking on me, every part of him whole and unscathed. Once I’d seen that, I rested easy.

We hadn’t spoken about what I’d done or how he had ended up so hurt. He had grasped my hand on the way to breakfast the first morning I had made it out of bed, and I knew that was the only thank you I would receive. Nismera didn’t care either way. She thought the infirmary had done its job quite well, and she was back to sending him on more missions.

“You’re right. I am tired.”

She smiled, calling for Tessa and Tara to clean up after us. The girls groaned and rolled their eyes but set to work. I said goodnight to Hilma and was escorted to my room. For the second night in a row, there was no Vincent.

IT WAS WELL PAST MIDNIGHT WHEN I HEARD ARMORED BOOTS AGAINST the stone of the palace floor. I tossed the book I was reading aside and padded to the door. When I stepped out, the guards just outside my room turned to look at me. I knew they were about to tell me again how I couldn’t leave. I held up my hand to forestall the conversation we were all tired of having. They had repeated that same message for the last two days. I was stuck in my room unless my damn bodyguard was around, and Vincent had abandoned me for two days.

“Is he back?” I asked, pinning the closest guard with my glare.

He opened his mouth to answer. I was sure he was about to repeat how he couldn’t tell me anything, but then Vincent came up the steps.

My anger faded as I watched him limp up the stairs. He held his helmet at his side, Nismera’s war tassels not swinging like they usually did. His face and armor were covered in grime, his hair matted with sweat. I could smell the scent of blood from here, and I hoped that none of it was his. Vincent gave the guards a pointed look, and without a word, they nodded and left their stations. They didn’t even look at him as they hurried past him and down the stairs, probably thrilled to be rid of my constant bickering and demands to know about his latest mission.

“What happened to you?” I asked, folding my arms and leaning against my door frame. “Why does she have you going back out so soon after what happened?”

“I don’t ask questions. I just do what I’m told.” He grimaced at me before heading to his room across the hall. I knew he didn’t want to talk about it and planned to go into his room and shut the door, but hell if I was going to let him ignore me. He swung the door closed, but I lifted my hand and made a fist, my emerald magic curling around the frame to stop it.

Vincent spun and then grabbed his side with a hiss. He straightened slowly, his face ashen.

I stalked forward, still holding the door open. I didn’t want to fight, even though it felt like that was all we had done for weeks. For as long as I had known him, there had always been a push and pull between us. Vincent had always been the silent type, but I often caught him watching me.

“Don’t think you can shut the door on me and lock me out,” I said, stepping inside his room.

“Quiet down, would you?” he said, glancing at the door behind me.

I slammed the door, the walls rumbling from the force of my magic. Vincent’s eyes burned into mine.

“I was worried about you. I may have healed the outside parts of you, but you still need time to heal.”

“I’m tired, Camilla. Can you yell at me tomorrow?” He turned and dropped his helmet on the floor. I saw it then. The claw marks ran from his neck all the way down his back. The armor had stopped the claws from digging in, but I could still see the bruises spreading over his back.

“What happened?” I asked against my better judgment.

“Can you ask me that tomorrow, too?” he asked, pausing near the bathing room. “Unless you want to stay and talk about it, but I am about to get naked, take a bath, and get into bed.”

“Nismera isn’t coming in for her nightly rounds, then?”

He made a face at me, one I didn’t know him well enough to read, and reached for the collar of his armor. A latch moved, then another before it fell, landing on the floor with a dull metal thud that reminded me of a drum. Scars formed patterns over his muscled bare chest, but it was the fresh cuts and bruises on his midsection that drew my attention right now. I didn’t think that wherever he had been was just a routine mission.

I turned away as he reached for his pants. “I’ll be right back.”

I heard him snort before more armor thudded onto the floor. I left his room and hurried across the hall to mine. I grabbed a few things and headed back. Armor littered the floor, all spikes and sharp edges. I wondered if that was truly what Nismera looked like on the inside. Her outward beauty made even me pause the first time I saw her. The long, silver-blonde hair swept behind her in waves. Her frame, while small, held power so immense that it wafted off of her like a perfume. But it was her eyes that told the truth of her nature. They seemed to soften around her brothers, but something dark and hateful lurked behind every emotion. It was something my magic acknowledged and reacted to. Every time I was near her, I felt it retreat, wanting to hide so deep within me I feared I would never get it out again.

I stopped as I entered the bathing room, my heart lodging in my throat at the sight of him. He was standing in the glass-enclosed shower, water pouring down on him from the ceiling. Even with the steam filling the room, I could see his heavily muscled chest and tapered waist, leading to . . . I placed the few items I’d brought on the counter, setting them down hard enough for him to hear me.

“That was fast,” he said. “What did you do? Run?”

I sighed. “Our rooms are only a few steps from each other.”

He made a noise, and I heard a rattling from the shower. I straightened my shoulders, staring at the potions and salves I’d laid out on the counter.

“Anyway, I brought you things,” I said, watching his reflection in the mirror but careful to keep my gaze above his waist. Things? Holy gods, Camilla. I mentally slapped myself. What was wrong with me?

He nodded and wiped a hand across his face, the water clumping a few of his eyelashes together in a way I wouldn’t think about. I was a super powerful, world-shattering witch. He had no power over me. I turned around decisively and leaned against the counter.

Vincent turned off the shower, and I squared my shoulders, proving I wasn’t affected by his nakedness in the slightest. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist before stepping out, and I realized how much of a liar I was. Vincent was always so well put together that I had no idea he had muscles on top of muscles under all that self-righteousness of his.

“What is that?” he asked, nodding toward the few small jars I had with me.

“Come. I’ll show you,” I said, gathering the bottles and walking into his room.

He sighed and followed, setting the salves on his bedside table. I heard shuffling behind me and turned just enough to see the towel on the floor and Vincent pulling up a pair of loose pants. I waved for him to sit, and he did with a huff.

“What are you doing?” he asked, watching as I settled behind him.

“Helping you,” I said, opening a single jar. “You know, again? I should probably charge you at this rate.”

His lips turned up in a smile, and I hated that it made my breath hitch.

“Be still.” I rubbed the liquid in my hands. “This may be cold.”

“What?” Anything else he might have said died on a sigh and a deep groan as I rubbed the salve over his shoulder and down his arm. The muscles tensed beneath my touch, but I saw the knots ease and the small bruises beneath disappear. “That is . . . amazing.”

I tried and failed to ignore the sounds he made as I moved across his back to his other shoulder, but I knew they would be burned into my brain like a brand. I also tried to deny the way my lower belly clenched, but I knew I’d probably touch myself while thinking about it when I bathed tonight.

“Camilla?”

“Hmm?” I asked, shaking away the illicit thoughts.

“I said, what is that?” He half turned toward me.

“Oh,” I said, “it’s a homemade salve I made from an herb I had. I found a few plants that are similar to the ones on Onuna. It heals through your pores and nerves . . . and I’m rambling.”

“You’re fine.” He chuckled softly. “You really are one of the smartest, strongest witches.”

I felt my face burn. “My family would proudly disagree.”

“Your family? You never talk about them.” He tipped his head forward, stretching his muscles as I rubbed my hand down his spine. His wet hair clung to his shoulder, inky black and heavy. He arched, the sound he was making more in pain than anything, and I wondered how much damage he’d done to his spine.

“You never talk about yours.”

I saw his jaw set in a hard line and felt the tension beneath my fingers. I knew he was about to shut down, so I went on.

“There isn’t much to say about mine. I grew up in a big home with a few siblings. We all competed for the head of the coven once we hit eighteen. That’s when our powers surge the brightest. I was considered the weakest of my siblings.”

“How many siblings did you have?”

“Just my older brother and sister.”

“What happened to them?”

I swallowed hard, my touch faltering. Leaning forward, I grabbed more salve, rubbing it between my palms before sliding them over his back. “I told you we competed. It was normal then. Most covens only had one child who would inherit their family’s powers, but all three of us inherited from my mom’s side. I wasn’t as popular growing up and was often bullied. My siblings were the cool kids, I guess. It wasn’t until I hit puberty that anyone even paid attention to me.”

Vincent grinned a very male grin and glanced over his shoulder at my breasts. “I can see why.”

I pressed a tad bit harder into his back, and he yelped. “Hey, I’m trying to tell you a story here. Pay attention!”

“I’m sorry.” He smiled softly, and I knew he wasn’t truly sorry. “You just looked sad for a second. That’s all.”

My hands paused on his shoulder before I pressed deeper into the muscle. “It wasn’t a happy childhood, but when do we villains have one?”

“You’re not a villain, Camilla. I have you beat by a mile.”

“Is that how you see yourself?”

He nodded. “Keep going with your story.”

I swallowed, returning to his aching muscles and a past I hated. “As I said, most covens only give power to one child, not three. In each generation, the families compete for control. Whoever is left standing is head of the covens for the next fifty years or so.”

“They made you fight each other?”

“It’s tradition,” I whispered. “It happened on El Donuma. The first trial separates us in the deep forest. We have to rely on magic to find our way to the main temple. You would think that whoever collects the gem would win, right? Wrong. You have to transport the gem all the way back to your family without using magic. That’s where it gets bloody. The contestants cheat, of course, but whoever makes it wins.” I paused, remembering the sounds of crackling bushes and screams rending the night. It had rained so hard, and I was soaked and muddy, trudging through that damn forest.

“We don’t have to talk about it—”

“Aguiniga,” I whispered. “That was his last name. His power rivaled mine and my family’s, and he knew it. The ones he allied with knew it, too. They planned to take us out first. I remember running with my siblings at my side, that damn jewel clutched in my hand, but he cheated, used magic, and not just any magic. He used a death curse. The ones they don’t teach us. I remember trying to give that damn jewel to my sister or my brother. They were stronger than me, more loved. They were needed, not me, but they refused. I used to think they hated me, you know? Like most siblings do, but . . .”

I didn’t realize I had stopped touching him, my hands resting in my lap as the memories took me. The lights flickered in the room, Vincent’s head whipping toward them.

“We almost made it back in time. I heard a shout, then a thud, and they lay at my feet when I turned around. He had caught up to us. He had aimed for me, and they jumped in the way. I remember kneeling in the mud, dropping the jewel as I reached for them, and then I remember . . . power. I flattened the entire continent in an instant. There was nothing left. Not even me, I guess. Everything was different after that. I wandered the ruined forest for days before I heard a helicopter overhead. It was Santiago’s father who found me. They took me in, and the rest is weird history.”

“If that . . . Why let everyone think Santiago was stronger than you?”

I shrugged. “It was a good cover story. I got to live a semi-normal life after. Only a handful of covens remained after that, and we all just pretended it was a freak accident. A trial that was too brutal. They never had them again.”

“Camilla.” He glanced at me as if seeing me for the first time. “I’m so sorry.”

“Don’t be. It was barbaric to begin with. I blamed my family for the longest time for what we lost, but I guess I got my revenge. This is also why I hated what Kaden made me a part of. It’s also why I kept Gabby’s body. I never got to bury my siblings, and I knew if Dianna was coming to kill me, at least she could have her sister back. How could I ever blame her for wanting vengeance? I did the same.”

Vincent was quiet for a moment. I knew that talking about what happened on the remains of Rashearim made him withdraw into himself.

“You know I don’t think you’re the villain either.”

He huffed. “How so?”

“You don’t gloat or brag about what you’ve done. You avoid the ones you hurt and pretend your pain doesn’t exist. I’ve worked with villains my whole life. You don’t make me feel that way.”

“Well, you worked with Dianna, who nearly destroyed the world, so I’d say your judgment of character is off by a lot.”

“What is it with her?” I said a bit too firmly. “Why do you hate her so much? I used to think it was a weird crush. I mean, I know she’s gorgeous—”

Vincent let out a bitter laugh. “That is the furthest from the truth.”

“Okay, so what is the truth? You share a bed with Nismera, who is far worse than Dianna, yet you hear her name and . . .”

“Just drop it, Camilla. It’s late. I think we’re both exhausted.” He rubbed a hand across his face.

“No, tell me. I just told you my family’s secrets. I deserve this. After everything.”

Vincent shifted on the bed so he could look at me without twisting his back. His eyes held none of their remote coldness. Instead, all I saw was a weird sense of . . . longing.

“It was when Kaden first held . . . I guess the word would be auditions, for his sept. He wanted only the strongest for what Nismera had planned. He asked me to be a witness but to stay back. I was a secret, and there were those in his sept that he didn’t fully trust. It was fall in Onuna, and the leaves had just turned golden brown. I flew in under the cover of night, arriving late. Vampires, werewolves, witches, and every Otherworld creature in the realm attended the briefing, mingling and chatting, some even dancing. I hadn’t realized it was to be a party, but it worked perfectly. Everyone was so distracted that they did not notice me watching from the shadows. Kaden stood with me, wanting to talk about the potentials he had gathered, but I wasn’t listening. I’d spotted you through the crowd. You wore a dress of ivory and satin that spilled to the floor, and your hair was pulled back, part of it draping over your shoulders. Then you laughed, and I thought you were the most beautiful woman in the entire world.”

I remembered that day. My breath hitched, recalling the event in vivid detail. I’d been so nervous. I had tried on seven dresses before finally landing on that one. My heart thudded in my chest. No one had ever called me the most beautiful woman in the world or remembered me in such detail, especially after hundreds of years.

“Why didn’t you approach me, talk to me?”

Vincent snorted, a portion of his cold demeanor returning as he sat up and pulled away from me. “Because I may have been watching you, but you were watching Dianna.”

My gut rolled. Yes, that’s who I was laughing with that night, who I’d befriended first.

“That was so long ago . . .”

Vincent shrugged. “It doesn’t matter. She got to you first.”

Fool, I thought, cursing him. It did matter. This whole time, I’d assumed he hated her for her power and what she could do. But he hated her because she had me. I couldn’t breathe, my heart racing.

“Vincent.”

“Camilla. It’s fine. Everyone seems drawn to her. I still don’t see why, but I just wanted you to know.” He offered a soft smile. “No matter what happened in your past or who made you feel less than, you are, and have always been, special. No magic required.”

My hands dropped to my lap, tears prickling my eyes. No one had ever said such a thing, yet here he was, memorizing what I had looked like on one of the most nerve-wracking nights of my life.

Vincent groaned and stretched, rotating his shoulder. “I think your magic salve worked. I don’t feel as though my shoulder is being ripped off.”

He started to stand, but I was quicker. I lurched forward, my hand cupping the back of his head as my lips slanted across his. Vincent froze, or maybe time itself did. I wasn’t sure, but I swept my tongue across his lips, pleading for entrance. A sound escaped his lips before he grabbed my arms, pushing me back.

“What are you doing?”

I blinked a few times. “I don’t know.”

His eyes scanned mine, something ancient and powerful there before his eyes darted to my lips and back. “Do it again.”

And so I did.