48__Nemesis in a puddle of tears

The words the sorceress had spoken were ringing like an obnoxiously loud bell in Kamilla’s mind as she leaped forward to stand between Rena and Charming.
The sorceress’s beautiful smile dimmed as her gaze lowered to Kamilla’s face.
“Ah,” she said. “Kamilla. We finally meet again.”

Kamilla’s eyes narrowed to slits. “You’re that two-hundred-and-something-year-old sorceress who tried to put a spell on me, aren’t you?” Her gaze sharpened and in that moment, Kamilla didn’t know what she would do to Rena if she really knew about Charming, but whatever she’d do, she’d make sure that the sorceress didn’t even get the slightest chance to harm Viktor while he was in such a defenceless state. Not *her* King.

Rena’s gaze didn’t waver from Kamilla’s face, but what looked strangely like a plea entered her eyes.
“I’m much older than that. And I didn’t try,” said Rena softly. “I did enchant you… but you fought it and broke it.” The words were spoken with a tone of firm distaste and Kamilla could tell that Rena did not like having someone who could fight and match her sorceress power.

Well, too bad. Kamilla had no intention of losing on purpose.
“Why are you here?” Kamilla asked her. “What do you know?”

Charming suddenly leaned forward. “May I ask who this is? And why she happens to know me?” he whispered, his eyes filled with suspicion and confusion.

Rena glanced up at him. “I came here to meet both of you. I asked Sasha to bring you to me by promising her that I could break Kamilla’s bond with Viktor.”
Kamilla gasped. “That little…” Glancing in the direction they’d left Sasha, Kamilla thought of all the worst swear words she’d learned through high school.

“I need your help,” said Rena suddenly.

The words had Kamilla’s gaze snapping back to Rena’s face. She blinked at the woman. “Excuse me? You’ve schemed with that little purple-haired Barbie to get us here, after you tried to do some shady witch stuff to me in the forest, and you most probably work with Rogan. Why would I want to help you?”
Rena lowered her gaze.
Kamilla took one step forward, feeling a heat rise within her that she’d felt only once. When she’d seen that damn wolf bite into Viktor’s arm. She smiled when Rena took a step back. “How did you find out about Charming?” Kamilla asked in a chilly whisper, her eyes narrowed in deadly calculation. “Are you trying to threaten us right now? If that’s what you’re attempting to do, I’ll have you know that you won’t leave this store alive. You wanna call my bluff?”

Rena raised her hands and waved them in denial. “No, no, you misunderstand me.” The woman sighed. “Kamilla… calm down. I’m not here to try and expose Viktor’s… problem—”
“I asked you how you found out about that!” Kamilla whispered fiercely, glancing secretively about.
Rena nodded and raised a calming hand. “Okay, I’ll tell you.” Looking up at the two of them, her expression grew serious and Kamilla suddenly got the feeling that this would be very important. “When Viktor was sent away from Onyx…” Rena began. “My twin sister, Zaria, and I were tasked with finding him.”

Kamilla squinted in confusion. “Why?”

Rena sighed. “Because Rogan told us to. He threatened us and we had no choice. We found Viktor in the countryside near Yorkshire in England… and we told Rogan. He told us to kill him.”
Kamilla felt her chest grow tight. “A-and? Why didn’t you?”

Rena looked up at Charming. “Because of him. When Zaria and I returned to that place, we didn’t find Viktor. We found Prince Charming and he was in a bad way. We didn’t know what it was that was happening to Viktor because it wasn’t sorcery. We just found an entire different… aura, a different being… in Viktor.” She frowned up at Charming. “Don’t you remember us ambushing you that night? You were in pain, crying over something you’d done that you said made you a monster.” She looked back at Kamilla. “He was so distraught, so heartbroken that his sadness was nearly tangible. Zaria and I couldn’t kill him. We let him live and lied to Rogan.”
Kamilla’s mouth parted in surprise.
Rena laughed dryly. “I know. Witches are supposed to be evil and yet there we were sparing lives. Despicable, isn’t it?”

Kamilla pulled her gaze away from Rena and glanced up at Charming. “Is she telling the truth?”
Charming’s gaze was intense, focused on the floor as his frown deepened. “I… think so. I certainly remember being… being that distraught when I still lived near Liza’s property.”
He grew silent so Kamilla slowly turned her gaze away to look at Rena who was looking at Charming like a mother would.
“I went back to check on you, but you were gone. The property was empty… abandoned.” she said softly.
“That’s when… Viktor moved to London,” said Charming quietly.

Kamilla tilted her head, studying Rena. “Your lie couldn’t have lasted,” she said. “Rogan obviously saw that Viktor is alive.”

Rena’s face grew pained and she gave a weak smile. “Of course he did. That was when he killed Zaria and used the bond between us to trap me into being his slave. I’ve been using my sorcery for him for over three-hundred years. That’s what I want you to free me from.”

Kamilla stared at her. “W-what? He killed your sister?”

Rena nodded, her face blank and her eyes filling. “Yes. I can’t leave him. I literally love him. But against my will. He took the bond between my sister and I and used it in some powerful sorcery when he killed her. I can’t even fight him…”

Kamilla dragged in a breath to harden her softening heart and crossed her arms. “You’re not… trying to deceive me, are you? Because if I find out that you are, I will immediately wake Viktor up even if I have to dunk Charming in a tub of ice water, and tell him to snatch the life out of you.”

Charming blinked at the appalling violence and held a hand to his chest. “How horrid,” he murmured.

“I swear, I’m telling the truth,” said Rena, her eyes once more wide with that desperate plea. “Please help me! And if you do, I promise… I promise, I will help you fight Rogan. I’m able to do anything to him besides directly fighting him with either magic or physically. I’ll help you.”

Kamilla didn’t look convinced. “Viktor hates witches,” she flatly informed Rena.

Rena clicked her tongue and shook her head. “It’s something he got from his father! He doesn’t even know why he hates us. Besides, when Rogan killed that first human to cause Onyx trouble, who warned Viktor? Wasn’t it me?!”
Kamilla blinked. “Oh, yes. You… you did do that. You told Seth.”
Rena nodded eagerly. “Yes. I even made sure that I covered the men with weak magic when they wanted the werewolf disguise to attack Viktor cause they were scared of him seeing their faces. I’ve been risking my life just to protect Viktor from Rogan’s hatred.”

Kamilla’s eyes widened. “You did that? That werewolf disguise?”

“Yes!” said Rena, clutching her hands together. “I even pretended to attack you in the forest, asking about Viktor’s weakness when I already know what it is. I figured that, under my spell, you’d tell me what I already knew about Viktor and I’d simply go ahead and lie to Rogan. But you confused me when you actually managed to fight and resist my power. If I wanted Rogan to hurt the king of Onyx, I’d have already told him about Charming.”

Kamilla bit her lip and glanced up at Charming. “What do you think?”

Charming nodded at her, his blue eyes wide. “I think she’s being truthful.” He pointed at Rena. “Look at her. She’s standing in a puddle of her own tears! Poor thing.”
Kamilla made a face. “You’re just soft! She’s a sorceress, making people feel what she wants them to feel is her day job.”

Rena shook her head. “No, I swear, I’m not playing games! Please, you’re my last resort.”

Kamilla looked at her and swallowed uncomfortably. “I… I don’t really know how I could possibly help you.”
Rena nodded. “I’ll tell you! You see, Rogan is much stronger than me because he’s the son of two royals.”
Kamilla’s mouth fell open. “What?”

Rena nodded. “Yeah. And he’s mostly Vampire, while I’m nearly a full enchantress, he’s so much more powerful than me. If I can get…” She suddenly looked at Kamilla with wide, puppy dog eyes. “If I could get just a little royal Vampire blood in me…”

Kamilla’s eyes widened. “Wait, what?! You want my blood?!”

Rena held her hands together. “Please, yours or Viktor’s would save me! I could fight Rogan and stop being so helplessly enslaved to him.”
Kamilla bit her lip and regarded Rena. “Does… does he hurt you?”

Rena immediately shook her head. “No. He treats me like the love of his life. But that’s part of the seduction. It’s a part of the sorcery.” She sighed and rubbed her forehead. “I just… I want to be free of him.”
Kamilla sighed and bit the inside of her cheek. “Still… asking for my blood is a little… Maybe Viktor could if he gets over his dislike of sorceresses.” She pursed her lips as a thought occurred to her. “But… do you know why Rogan hates Viktor so much? Or does he just want to be King?”

Rena shrugged. “I guess he wants to be King. He’s the highest ranking Onyx Elder after Damon.” She was about to say something more, but Kamilla saw her suddenly grow tense. Her eyes grew wide with fear and before they could say anything more to her, Rena suddenly began bowing to Charming.

“Forgive me, my King!” she said loudly, bowing her head over and over. Kamilla and Charming blinked at her. “I’ll never enter your Kingdom without permission again! Please forgive me this once!” she pleaded, holding up pleading hands.

Kamilla wondered if the lady was drunk on a few specially enchanted Cassius dops. She decided to ask her. “Are you—”

“She’s with me.”

The voice came out of nowhere and Kamilla looked behind Rena in shock as Rogan suddenly walked up to them, his dark gaze fixed on Charming’s face.
Kamilla went stock still.

Rogan wrapped an around Rena and looked Viktor in the eye. “King. The Enchantress is with me. So leave her alone.”