Forever His True Mate

Chapter 4

         Camille bounced out of the car and toward her house. She was on cloud nine after her impromptu date with Conor. Maybe it was all the Caffeine... And what was with what happened on the street with the car? "Yes... I definitely need to take a peek at what is to come for me." she softly thought aloud. She prayed to the Goddess that clear knowledge would be granted.

            Camille opened the front door. "I'm home Trace!!" She called into the house as she set her bag down on the plush dark gray love seat that sat in the modestly modern living room that she shared with her best friend in the world, Tracy. Camille removed her shoes on the mahogany wood floor that ended, giving way to soft light beige carpet. "Trace!!" She called again with a puzzled look on her face and then a shrug. "Just as well." She said to herself and headed to the basement where she kept her tools, ingredients, and ceremonial robes.

            After flipping the switch at the top of the stairs, Camille descended holding on to the mahogany wood railing that matched the wood flooring that was throughout the simple two-bedroom home. Hanging at the bottom of the stairs was a beaded curtain colored in black and silver. It matched her favorite feature in the medium sized room, a large low hanging light fixture. The globe looked to be made of thick silver cords all woven together. The light that shined was soft and bathed the room in a warm glow. Underneath the lamp lay a beautiful black marble table surrounded by for high back black chairs. Across the room,  against a far wall sat a tiered black, silver, and glass table that held her candles. tarot cards, various stones, and the basic ingredients you would find in any modern witch’s storeroom or kitchen. People were funny, Camille thought and chuckled to herself as she pictured the Wicked Witch of the West, all green and slimy. Then her thoughts flashed to the three sisters of Hocus Pocus. Sarah Jessica Parker was definitely working it for witches, but Camille even put her to shame. She was a slight woman with a full soft frame. Her hair reached the middle of her back and was a soft honey blond. Her cheeks always held a light flush of pink that only deepened depended on her emotional state. She sported an hourglass figure that always seem to attract the worst type of men. Camille

            Camille grabbed her tarot cards that had been passed down for generations. No need to break out the big guns just to see if children were in her future. Before she began to shuffle the large ornate black, red and silver cards, she raised her head towards the Moon Goddess and sent up a silent prayer for clarity and guidance. “And it harm none.” She ended softly. As she shuffled the cards, Camille could feel the magic of generations of Houston witches and warlocks. It hummed to her softly like as though to soothe a fussy child. The magic felt like home to her and lulled her. She poured all of her thoughts and hopes into the cards as she shuffled them. Her eyes glowed like Amethyst and swirled with power. She then cut the deck in half and then took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Camille held her breath as she flipped the first card. The Lovers. She exhaled then flipped the second card. Death. Her breath caught for a second before she flipped the final card. The World. Camille’s brow furrowed. So much for the prayer of clarity.             Camille’s brow was furrowed as she replaced the cards and tidied up the room. She walked up the stairs and hit the light switch without seeing what she was doing. She was on automatic pilot while she pondered and attempted to make sense of what the cards had presented to her. The Lovers. Well duh, that’s me and Conor, Camille thought to herself. Harmony and union and a struggle between two paths. Her mind raced with thoughts. She padded into the kitchen and drank juice straight out the bottle, not even considering the look of disgust Tracy would give her if she were in the room. Second card, Death. The hairs on her arm stood up on their own. She didn’t hate the card, but it could be a bad sign in the wrong position. Major changes. End of a phase. Camille was never afraid of change, but she had things going well for herself. School was going great; she had her family and friends and finally met a nice guy who almost took a CAR to the FACE for her. Last but not least, The World. This is the part that truly baffled her. Completion? Fulfillment? Wasn’t she already fulfilled? Well, at least as much as she could be until she finished school. Camille was nothing like most of her family who were content to peddle spells and voodoo for income. She wanted meaningful work. She wanted to heal with her magic. Camille went and to sit on the couch. Without realizing or meaning to, she fell fast asleep. Behind her eyelids, a staticky scene unfolded.             It was night. She could feel it without opening her eyes. She knew she was dreaming. There was the strong smell of alcohol and pain radiated from her body. It took everything for her not to cry out. She could hear heavy breathing and something foul mixed with the scent of the alcohol. Camille knew that she wasn’t safe. “Take my money will you ya pissant!” A rough and dangerous voice came from somewhere to her left. She was too afraid to open her eyes. The blow came suddenly, and she couldn’t stop the scream that escaped her as she felt a heavy boot connect to her already battered midsection. She couldn’t breathe, but for some reason, she knew she had to. There was someone she loved. Someone who loved her. Then she heard movement. A loud howl rent the night and sent a shiver down her spin. It was him. Her love. Her mate. Her immortal. She heard the sword being drawn and a second later the loud thud of a body dropping to the floor. The last thing she felt before falling into oblivion was being lifted gently and held closely by the man she had loved.              Camille woke with a start. She could hear keys in the door and laughter. Tracy was home. She peeked at her watch. 12:30am. She could hear Tracy shushing someone as she opened and quickly closed the door. “Are you sure your roommate won’t mind?” came a smooth tenor voice from the hallway. “No! Of course not. We have class tomorrow, so I know she’s dead to the world by now.” Tracy replied. Camille could hear them making out coming down the short hall. She loudly cleared her throat just as they entered the living room and flipped on the light. Tracy jumped two feet in the air and away from her date. “Dammit Camille Grace Huston!!!” Tracy shouted slightly out of breath. Camille burst out in laughter with fat tears rolling down her face. “Oh, my goddess Tracy!! You jumped ten feet! Did you get caught with your hand in the cookie jar?” Camille laughed at her while wiggling her eyebrows in the direction of Tracy’s date. She shot a dirty look in Camille’s direction as she went to stand next to her date. “Camille, this is Daniel. Daniel this is Camille, my irritatingly wonderful best friend.” Tracy introduced the two while tugging on Daniel’s arm. “If you don’t mind, Daniel and I have some… studying, yea studying, to do.” With that final statement Tracy pushed Daniel up the stairs. “nice meeting you!” He called down before a door closed in the hall. Camille laughed to herself before she remembered her strange dream. It was more like a memory. Seen through a lens degraded by time like those of her childhood. The pain was so real. The love was so real. Her heart ached for the woman and her love.