46__Escape

The blood slowly drained out of Kamilla’s face, leaving her pale as a ghost as she stared at Charming.
“What?” she whispered. “What… what do you mean?”
Charming released a heavy sigh and slowly spun around to face her, lowering his legs over the edge of the windowsill.
Kamilla stepped forward and clutched his hand. “Charming, what do you mean?!”

He raised his gaze to her wide eyes and swallowed. “Kamilla, I don’t know if he’ll wake up again.”

Kamilla shook her head in confusion, her heart already racing with panic. “Why not?! Viktor always wakes up again. Why wouldn’t he wake up now?”
Charming frowned as he sought the right words, his hand moving in wordless gestures as he tried to explain himself. “It just…” Kamilla watched him run a frustrated hand through his hair. “I can feel the difference, you know?”
Kamilla shook her head. “No. No, I don’t know. Charming, you’re scaring me.”

Charming bit his lip and glanced out of the window behind him before slowly turning back to Kamilla again. “Did he… did he somehow find out? Viktor. Did he find out about me?”

The question hung in the air as Kamilla stared at Charming, a feeling of cold dread filling her heart. Slowly, she nodded. “Yeah. I… I told him about you like an hour ago. But he didn’t believe me and he got really angry! I was…” A shaky breath parted her lips and Kamilla clutched her trembling hands together. “What’s going on? What have I done?”
Charming watched her eyes fill and immediately stood, slowly drawing her into his arms. “It’s alright, my lady” he told her soothingly. “I’m sure it’s not what I think. I’m sure Viktor is stronger than that. He has to be.”
She lifted her head from his chest and looked up at him and Charming lifted a hand to pat her face dry. Kamilla swallowed the lump in her throat. “Why do you say he might not wake up? What’s the difference you’re feeling?”

His expression grew grave as Charming once more looked for the right words. “I can feel it. Every time before today, when I woke up, it felt like I was somehow dreaming. This feeling of existing on borrowed time was always with me. I never knew when I’d disappear. Viktor’s reappearance never came with a warning, hence the feeling of existing on borrowed time.” He frowned. “But now…”
Kamilla looked earnestly up at him. “Now?”
Charming rubbed a hand over his heart, eyebrows drawn together in a frown. “Right now, it feels strange, Kamilla. I feel so… permanent. It’s hard to explain. I don’t have that urgent desire to do whatever I want before Viktor reappears… I feel like I have decades ahead of me.”

Kamilla’s mouth was hanging open. “D… decades?”

Charming saw her rising panic and quickly shook his head. “Oh, don’t worry, my lady! Surely Viktor won’t need that much time. I really… really hope it.”

Kamilla released a heavy breath and pressed a fist against her mouth. She raised her gaze to his. “He won’t need much time for what? Why does he disappear?”

A soft smile curved his lips as Charming held his hands behind his back and regarded Kamilla, the look of unbearable sadness back in his eyes. “Escape,” he told her. “I’m Viktor’s escape. He should wake up once whatever triggered it subsides in his mind. The trigger, in this case, being the sudden knowledge that I exist. I’m sorry I said he won’t ever wake up again, that was just my own fear. I should have kept it to myself as… I’ve always done in the past.”

The longsuffering acceptance in his words coupled with his sad blue eyes had Kamilla’s heart breaking. With a shaky breath, she took his hand and led him to a large sofa, seating him before she sat beside him and set her head gently on his shoulder.
They sat silently for a moment, looking out at the dark clouds shrouding the morning sky.

“It’s going to pour,” said Charming quietly.
Kamilla swallowed the tears clogging her throat and nodded. “Yeah.”
There was a beat of silence.

“Kamilla,” said Charming. “Don’t be sad for me.”

His words only brought more tears to her eyes and Kamilla quickly dabbed at them with her sleeve.
“I can’t help it… I’m sad for both of you.” She gazed at the rolling clouds. “Your existence is out of your control… and yet you’re suffering with all the painful memories that Viktor’s blocked out. You’re dealing with all his pain and you’re not even given the choice not to. Then Viktor… I can’t imagine the pain he must have suffered to react so strongly, to the point that his mind created a split personality. You both just… make me so sad.”
Charming sighed and Kamilla could very nearly hear the smile curving his mouth. “It’s quite the movie plot, isn’t it?” He chuckled and Kamilla lifted her head to look at him.
“Are you laughing right now?”
His shoulders shrugged. “My lady’s doing enough crying for both of us.”
With a scoff, Kamilla rested her head back on his shoulder. She pursed her lips in thought as the sky grew angrier by the minute. “Charming?”
“Yes, Kamilla.”

Kamilla bit her lip for a minute, but decided that at this point, she had to try anything. “Do you… do you know Elizabeth Ames?”

“Oh!” said Charming with a start. Kamilla lifted her head and looked at his shocked expression. “How do you know Liza?” he asked with a wide, pleasant smile.

Kamilla’s mouth curved slightly. There he was again, smiling happily. How could one have such high tolerance for life’s bullshit? “I met her in England. She saw Viktor and thought he was you. She told me about how you used to visit her family property. That you said… you were made there.”

Charming’s smile dimmed before it wavered and disappeared from his face. “Ah. I see.”
His gaze lowered and turned away.

Kamilla tilted her head to look at him. “What’s wrong?” Quickly, she understood his reaction and physically drew away from him. “Oh… You dislike that I know that, don’t you? I’m sorry… I know it’s personal.” When he remained silent, Kamilla lowered her gaze. “Should I leave?”
Charming said nothing and Kamilla started to stand. “Okay. Uhm... call me if you need—”

His hand quickly reached out and grabbed hers. “No. Don’t leave,” said Charming with an amused smile. “I’m not so blessed in company that I’d refuse your delightful presence, my lady. Please stay.”
Kamilla slowly lowered herself back on the sofa as Charming looked down at her with a fond expression. “My word,” he said with a laugh.
Kamilla blinked. “What?”
He shook his head. “It’s nothing. You just… reminded me of someone just now. I knew a girl who was just like you. Just as pretty, as caring and… funny.”

Kamilla blinked. “Pretty? I always saw myself as more of a femme fatal, you know? A little more sexy than pretty, with some je ne sais quoi…” She smiled when Charming laughed, his eyes twinkling. The joy in his face made Kamilla’s heart soar.
But sadly, her soaring heart crashed right into the ground when the door swung open behind them and a little she-devil strutted into the room.

Sasha.
Sasha on mile-high heels.

Kamilla’s smile turned into a snarl when Sasha stood before them, her long, purple hair swaying seductively behind her. Her body was tucked into a short, corset-styled, black dress, paired with that pair of silver stilettos.
All Kamilla was wondering was how on earth was she walking on those cobblestone streets in those heels?

“My King,” said Sasha in that sultry voice of hers, bowing her head a centimetre forward.
Kamilla suddenly realized. Her gaze snapped to Charming’s face just as he looked at her in question.
“Shit,” muttered Kamilla.
Sasha gasped. “Pardon me, my uh… Queen.” Kamilla didn’t miss how the woman’s sharp gaze scanned her large hoodie and jeans before spitting out the word Queen like it was made of ladybug poop. “I did not realize that my appearance would bother you to the point of cursing.”

Kamilla blinked and sighed heavily. “Yeah, I curse for everything, you’re not that special. Why are you here again?”
Sasha turned her gaze to Charming. “Viktor, I’ve come for that shopping trip you promised me before I went on my vacation. Remember?”
Charming blinked up at her. “Did Vi— I mean… did I promise you such?”
Sasha flipped back hair. “Of course.”
“Are you nuts?” asked Kamilla. She pointed at the sky through the window. “Who goes buying ribbons and buttons when a storm’s brewing?”
Sasha turned up her nose and crossed her arms.

Charming sensed the animosity the woman had towards Kamilla and instantly disliked her. This female Vampire clearly had the hots for Viktor when Viktor was Kamilla’s mate. People like her needed to get the message and get it good!
An idea slowly occurred to Charming and he smiled at the woman. “You know what? I’ll go shopping with you? I’d love to.”

“What?” demanded Kamilla as Sasha grinned.

Charming held up a finger. “But, I’ll only go…” He glanced at Kamilla with a smile and her eyes widened. No. He couldn’t be saying what she thought he— “…if my Queen comes with us!”
Kamilla’s neck immediately lost strength and her head fell against the sofa. This was when she should give up the ghost and escape this life.

“What?” demanded Sasha, crossing her arms like the spoilt girl she was. “This was for me and you only!”

Kamilla raised her head. Oh, that was right. She wouldn’t have to face the embarrassment of declining to tag along since there’s no way Sasha would accept this and Kamilla and Charming could stay at home where the whole Kingdom wouldn’t see how strangely their King was behaving. Kamilla sighed in relief. Saved!

Charming shrugged. “I come with Kamilla. Take it or leave it.”

Kamilla’s heart soared again only to crash a second time when Sasha’s eyes filled with a sly determination.
Kamilla looked up at her with wide eyes. No! Don’t say ye—

“Fine,” agreed Sasha with a smirk. “It’s a deal. Let’s go shopping for three.”