CURSED BLOOD

CHAPTER5

CAMILLA’S POINT OF VIEW

It’s been a day since Nikolai came back, and he’s been asleep for the whole day. The magic worked - Lilianna and Landon are filled with joy, but I’m filled with dread – something is about to happen, there’s always a price to be paid, and I wonder what form the price will come in.

I’m in the garden, resurrecting a dead flower – how easy it has become. What price is to be paid for life, did I take someone’s to give Nikolai? I’m torn.

“Camilla,” Katerina says, announcing her arrival, but I don’t get up, or look at her until she places a stack of books in my hand.

“These were your mother’s, perhaps something in here can help you figure out who you want to be.”

“It’s blood magic, isn’t it?” I ask, a knot in my throat as I stare at the books.

“Blood magic is such a wide word to encompass the magic that flows in you. You are the Granddaughter of Lilith Astor, the daughter of Eve Windsor. You are Camilla Grey, you have power in you. Your mother could move things with her mind, she could read minds, she had a very strong power, and was able to create a shield, protecting us.”

“She had so much power, but all these were limited when faced with Wanderers because they were a group of lawless rogues, Witches and Werewolves included.”

“I wish we could have fought for and with Eve when she was attacked but we weren’t there. I'd like to believe my son is here for you.” She says, and I smile at the mention of Callum. My Callum. How odd that we were always destined to meet each other.

“Yes, I’m here, till the ends of the earth and after,” Callum says, and I look at him, heart in my eyes. He takes my hand and we walk away, giving Kate the garden. Immediately we are alone, he kisses me, and I sink into him.

“Nikolai is awake.” He says, pulling away, and I nod. We get there, but he’s not in bed.

“Camilla.” He says, and we turn to see him coming from the restroom, head wet.

“How are you feeling?” Callum asks.

“Like I tasted death.” He smiles, knowing this is not the time to make jokes.

“I’m sorry if I f****d you up, Niko. I just ha – ” I start to say but he cuts me off, hugging me, tight enough to make me cry, he has so much warmth, he’s alive.

“You brought me back, and I’m grateful, but now, now they know.” He says, sadly, and I frown.

“Who knows?”

__

“I was leaving the Lab, driving back to The Pack. I went to check if there was a possibility that Camilla could heal infected Wolves. I told the Lead Scientist – Penelope what happened, she’s a friend and can be trusted. She said she’d get back to me. On my way back, I got knocked out.”

“I woke up in a dungeon and saw a woman, who seemed to be in her early forties. She had them chain me up. She had black hair and spoke like an old woman. She was the Queen of Wanderers; the one who made the virus our wolves were injected with. She didn’t tell me why she was killing wolves, but she called me a test product – said I could die.”

“She had a picture of you – in your teens.” He says, and I shiver.

“You think that’s my Mom?” I ask, heart pounding, holding my breath.

“No – No.” He shakes his head and I breathe.

“I have a feeling she’s an old woman who used magic to reverse her years, her body. She seemed delicate in the worst way possible, like she knew something we didn’t. The virus is in a syringe, black and injected into the arm and it immediately closes up. It leaves no mark but It burns. I think there’s silver in it, which probably makes it more potent. I don’t remember much after that, one thing I know is that I was killed to prove a point, the point being Camilla immersing herself in her magic.”

At this time, Callum begins pacing the room, his forehead creases and his face tightens.

“They’ll come for you, Cami. You are the cure to the annihilation they are planning, and now that the whole Pack isn’t mourning me, or burning my body, they know, and they will come for you.” He says, and I nod.

“They can’t get in here; they can’t hurt you,” Callum says vehemently and I smile. He’s cute and I love it but if there’s a powerful witch on the loose, with her army, nothing will stop them from getting to me.

“I need to extract the poison from your body, when we have a sample of it, your scientist – Penelope and I should be able to do something about it. Science and Magic. It would be excruciating; I understand if you want to wait.” I say with an air of urgency.

“Do it.” He says. Nikolai has a certain loyalty to me now being that I saved his life. There’s also darkness in him now. He did die, that must have triggered something dark.

__

Nikolai was asleep, extracting the poison was painful.

I’ve been ruminating on what Nikolai said, the woman with a picture of me. My mother is dead, else she would have come for me, saved me from years of torment at the Nightshades.

However, there’s an even greater witch – Lilith Astor, my Grandmother, Kate said nothing about her, perhaps she’s still alive.

“Camilla.” I hear my name and turn to see Kate, leaning against a wall.

“Kate, I was heading to you. Do you know anything about Lilith Astor, my grandmother?” I ask, walking to her, but she’s silent.

“Say the devil’s name, and she shall appear.” A strange voice says, and I finally see her behind Kate. My eyes widen as she pulls a knife and slits Kate’s throat. I scream and don’t stop screaming.