CURSED BLOOD

CHAPTER4

CAMILLA’S POINT OF VIEW

I’m not a Witch. I’m not a Witch. I’m not a Witch. I’m not a W – a sob tears out of me because I don’t know what I am, who I am, who my mother was. How could I bring a flower back to life?

The tension is so thick you could cut through it. Callum has not looked at me once. His mother’s eyes are on me.

Lillianna, Landon, and Nikolai walk in, and they immediately feel the tension in the room.

“What’s going on?” Landon asks, looking at Callum and me but I say nothing, cleaning my tears.

“I need to tell you a story, and I need you to listen.” Katerina – Callum’s Mom says, her eyes on everyone, and I sigh. She seemed to know something no one else knew and it was shady. Callum is at the end of the couch, keeping his distance. I don’t blame him, I’m scared of myself.

“A very long time ago – I was Rina Flores, the only daughter of a trader and a teacher. Being an only child and a girl, I strived to make it worth it, to pay them back, to do as a man would. I wasn’t alone though; I had a best friend – Eve Windsor.” She says, looking at me, and I hold my breath.

“Eve… My mom?” I ask, my heart pounding in my chest, and she nods. I sit across from her in pretend composure, tears pooling in my eyes threatening to spill over.

“Eve was from a wealthy family; her father was a rich billionaire, and we were best friends. Eve lost her father early and met Caleb Grey right after. Understand this – Witchcraft was extinct, and Humans and Wolves occasionally married then, it’s rare now, because humans left our territory. Eve and I were daughters of Wolves, but she was also the daughter of a Witch, her mother was Lilith Astor, one of the last witches, the ones that hid and lived amongst us.”

I get up, there’s a ringing in my ear. Callum looks at me as I pinch myself to distract myself from my need to cry.

“I met Callum and Lillianna’s Dad – Isaac Steel in my twenties, Eve met Caleb a few years after. We were the couple of the town; beautiful and in love. Isaac and I got married and not long after, I had Callum, my perfect baby boy. Eve doted on him. She loved him but Lilith was skeptical because of Eve’s true heritage; She had magic in her veins.”

“But we were careful, just the four of us – Caleb, Isaac, Eve and I knew. It was our little secret until it wasn’t. One night, while camping, Eve performed silly little tricks to make baby Callum laugh and suddenly, we got attacked by wanderers but Eve saved us; she saved my boy but unfortunately, one of the wanderers escaped, and word got out.”

“Lilith was furious, but a year went by and nothing happened, no backlash so we continued our lives. Eve and Caleb got married, and she got pregnant, pregnant with you – Camilla Grey.” She looks at me, and I sit, trying to steady my wild heart.

Katerina continues with a gentle voice, filled with emotion -

“She was far along in her pregnancy when they struck — the wanderers, with a mage. The mage cursed Eve and me, with our blood. The only way her baby and Callum could survive was if we stayed far from each other, countries apart. So I left my best friend.”

She pauses to wipe her tears as she continues.

“I was told I could never see her again because that would only result in chaos if we disobeyed so we did it. It was hard but we separated and that was the last time I saw your mother; Camilla.”

“Fuck.” Landon says, looking at me.

I sit still trying and failing to grasp what this means. My heart hurts as I struggle to take deep breaths.

“What happened to her?” Callum asks.

“She died. She was killed, with her baby. They were slaughtered — Eve, Caleb, and her child. The curse was broken, or so I thought”.

Katerina looks at me, then at Callum as she continues

“Callum has stayed in Atlanta all his life, and now, so is Camilla. Then, out of nowhere, Camilla’s magic shows forth, she heals a flower.”

“Oh God!” Lilianna exclaims, “Callum and Camilla can’t be together, and with the blood bond for the marriage, I’m sure it will heighten everything. How come she can heal Cal’s hand, and not hers?” Lilianna asks and I sigh, exhausted.

“Everyone, out.” Callum snaps suddenly, and I look at him, but he doesn’t look at me.

__

It’s past nine at night, and I’m in the library, avoiding Callum. I don’t want to look at him. He hates me I’m sure. My mom was Eve Winthrop, I wonder what happened to Lilith Astor.

The door opens and Callum walks in, tired.

“I can leave if you want me to,” I say, wanting the opposite.

“No, come here Camilla.” So I go to him and touch his arm. He groans and I bite my lips, needing him more than anything. He kisses me deeply, hugging me, holding me tightly.

“You are not leaving, ever! I will follow you to the ends of the earth Camilla. You’ve bewitched me.”

He sinks to the ground before pushing me softly against the bookshelf and peeling me apart. He feasts on me like I’m his last dinner and he doesn’t stop. He pushes me over the edge, again and again, reassuring me of his steadfastness.

__

“What do you want to do?” He asks, my head on his lap, and I sigh.

“Chaos seems like a lot to pay for us being together.”

I squeeze my eyes and take a deep breath.

“They took your mom, our childhood, even if you leave – which you shouldn’t, they won’t stop.” He argues and I smile wearily.

“You could figure out what you do with the magic in you, harness it or not, it’s yours to decide but I’ll be here every step.” He assures me and I kiss him.

The door bursts open and Landon and Lillianna rush in, carrying Nikolai’s unconscious body.

“The venom, DO SOMETHING, PLEASE.” Lillianna cries, and I jump up, rushing to his body. I feel it, and it’s cold. Oh God no, Nikolai can’t be dead.

“Please.”

I stare at my palm, then at Callum, I take a knife from Landon, and slice my hand and Callum’s, mixing our blood. I drain a bit of the mixed blood in a cup and pour the mixture down Nikolai’s throat.

“Oh God, please work,” I mutter under my breath, my eyes welling up.

Time passes, seconds, minutes, and I try not to give up. Lillianna is hysterical and Landon is punching the wall. Callum is in a daze.