Chapter 5 Blood and Fire

Camilla'sPOV

The planet paused.

All grew calm and hushed, as if minutes were stuck still. I watched Elena leak on the ground. I glared at that council guy holding steel. I eyed Lucien, plus I saw his world snap in bits right then.

"No way," said he. That wasn't just a word. It was a painful shout from deep inside his core. He went to his mom, but that council guy lifted steel once more.

"Don't step, Alpha," the council guy spoke. "Or she will die way faster now."

I knew him right then. It was Elder Marcus. He was of the oldest council guys, plus he gave the order to kill me five years prior. His face had rage and fear, like some trapped wild thing.

"But why?" Lucien asked, his voice quaking. "So why are you doing this now?"

"Prophecy's real," Marcus spoke. "This dame plus her cursed child are the sole things in the path of the doom of all we built." He eyed me hard. "The council knew when she came back. We could scent magic on her, the curse that brought her back from death. We knew her real form. We just had to prove it to the whole pack."

"You harmed Elin," I spoke, figuring it out then. "You struck her to frame me here."

"Of course," Marcus said, so clear. "If we show the pack a cursed stranger hurt their dear child, we kill you no sweat. No court date. No grace. Just dust, like before."

Lucien knelt low then, placing both hands on his mom's hurt form. Elena's sight dimmed as her breaths slowed down a bit. Her life was fading, with no way for him to halt it.

A part deep inside me snapped.

My whole life, hate was my strong grip, never letting go. It blazed inside me like hot coal, keeping me cozy in dim times. As I watched Lucien's world crumble right there, hate felt like a toxic drink. I'd been sipping that poison for five years, it even hurt those near me.

"Flee now," Elena softly said, staring straight at me then. "Take your little girl. Rewrite fate by choice, not by her dying. Let love be what saves all."

She shut her eyes gently, her hand went still as stone.

Lucien's loud cry still lives in my mind still. It was like hearing someone lose all at once. His own mom. His bright future. The real story of his past.

Marcus gave a laugh. A nasty, awful sound he made. "When Camilla dies soon, no one will ask why. No one trusts her lies on the council now. All will see a cursed thing back from death just to break us."

That's when I felt some weird pull. The power napping inside since I rose from death then. Like a new heartbeat, a live thing hungry, waking up deep inside my chest. The curse that saved me wasn't just to live. It wanted a change for real. It wanted to be more tough.

A thing fire could not kill.

I gazed at my hands, which started to shine. Gold light flowed through my skin like fire juice. It didn't sting at all. It was like being back home now.

"Just what are you?" Marcus took one step back, his sword trembled a bit in his grip.

"I am the person who is finished with running now," I mentioned, with my voice like it bounced back from very far away. "I am one who is done hiding from all."

That bright light burst out from me like a crazy rush of pure energy. It knocked into Marcus so hard and tossed him across the whole wide room. His sword fell down on ground, and he bumped into the hard stone wall, hardly getting air.

I went to him, feeling power run through my veins like quick bright light. I may have finished him. Just a hit would do that. A moment of soft heart, and I could wipe him out from being here.

But I did not do that.

Instead, I paused there, then I let bright light go away. Because I saw something deep inside his eyes now. I saw his huge fear. The thought he was beat. That guess was true, and it was more strong than they made.

"You're about to tell all the real truth now," I mentioned, my deep voice still and icy cold now. "You're about to tell of guess. You're about to tell of the bad curse. You're about to tell each fact."

"No way," Marcus said. Red blood was there on the side of his dry mouth.

"Yes, you surely will," Lucien spoke.

I then turned and saw him just standing there, his mom held there in his arms. His eyes felt empty but full of hot rage all at once. He stared straight at me, and then, I noticed change in his face. Knowing. Gaining. Warm love, maybe, under all hurting.

Lucien went on, "Or else, I'll smash this group up with my own two hands. I'll torch every file. I'll kick out every old leader who played a part in this made-up story. And I'll ensure the whole crew finds out what you all have pulled."

Marcus tried standing, but Lucien moved quick. The Alpha grabbed his neck, lifting him like a feather. "My mom hid for five years thanks to you. My love got killed thanks to you. My sweet girl was harmed thanks to you."

He slammed Marcus back into the wall, the leader fell, out cold.

Then Lucien faced me, his face twisted up. "Camilla," he spoke, my name sounding like that made my heart hurt. "Is that actually you really?"

I wished to just say yes. I wished to rush to him, telling him all. I wished to show the spell, hurt, and the trip that got me back here. But before moving, loud alarms went off all through the house. Loud and pressing.

Guards showed up. A huge number.

"The leaders," I said. "They had to have heard what just happened. They want to jump-"

But Lucien started moving fast. He put his mom's body soft on the floor, grabbing my hand. "Let's go. We must sneak you from here now."

"Where to go?" I then asked him.

"To Elin," he then said. "We should keep Elin safe now."

The steps came too near now. I could hear the guards shouting hard. They came down stairs, rushing here toward us. Soon, they all would be here. Soon, all will shift for good now.

Lucien tugged me to the hidden room, but I froze up.

I saw someone strange while standing by the chamber doorpost. This lady was pretty and super tall, and her eyes shined like hot gold. She grinned at me, acting like she knew me well.

This woman spoke, "Hi, Camilla. I have waited such a very long time. I'm Sage, here to show you what you truly are."