56__A whole new cousin

Kamilla watched Viktor roll Damon’s words around in his mind with zero reaction.
He pursed his lips and nodded. “Could be. If Rogan was initially my father’s enemy, then that’s very likely.”

His expression was perfectly suited to his words so Kamilla tilted her head at him. “You’re so unaffected.”
Viktor looked at her. “What do you mean? What am I supposed to do? Weep?”

“Did you maybe always know why Darrius sent you to England?” asked Damon.

Viktor looked at him and moved his shoulder in a miniscule shrug. “We lived in many countries over the past few centuries, Damon. The reason for which my father sent me away from Onyx got lost in those travels. I stopped caring. England became home anyway. I eventually returned there, didn’t I?”

Damon sighed. “You hated it though,” he said. “The fact that Darrius sent you from here. You hated it. You hated him.”

Viktor tilted his head with a frown. “Did I? I don’t remember ever feeling anything for my father. He was just… the Vampire who, along with my mother, birthed me.”
Kamilla looked at him in wonder. “I think you’ve forgotten,” she said quietly. “Those memories of your first years in England… I think those are the memories that Charming holds.”
Viktor closed his eyes and ran a hand through his hair with a sigh. “Yeah, I heard about that. I can’t put energy into that right now, I have somewhere to be.”

Damon looked surprised. “Really? Where? Can I come?”
Viktor gave him a look.
Damon blinked. “What? Are you rejecting my company?” He scoffed in disappointment. “You realize that being your companion was the role appointed to me by the previous King and it is literally all I live to do?”

Kamilla made a face at Damon. “Pathetic,” she murmured.

Damon gave her a sharp glare. “As if you’ve ever been chosen by a King for such a noble position!”

Kamilla set her hands on her hips and put her nose in the air. “I have too! Who’s the King’s soulmate, huh? Is it not me?! Chosen by the previous King before birth!”

Damon laughed loudly. “Exactly! Before birth! If Darrius had only waited for your birth and seen what a nutcase you are, I’m sure he’d have thought twice!”

Kamilla gasped. “What did you say?! Damon, I do not care if you’re five centuries older than me, I will pluck out your fancy white hair!”

“Platinum blonde!” Damon growled back.

Kamilla was a second away from dropping into a martial arts crouch when she noticed and blinked at the empty hallway. “Wait. Where’s Viktor?”
Damon’s head snapped around to look behind him and he visibly deflated. “He left me!”

Kamilla pursed her lips and rolled her eyes. “Oh, get over it. Come on, we’ve got things to do.”

Damon watched her walk to the stairs and grudgingly followed. “Like what?!”
*******************

Kamilla spun around as the library door opened and frowned at Damon in puzzlement. “It’s been half an hour! What took you so long? Is Grace okay?”
Damon nodded and wiped a thumb across his bottom lip. “Yeah, she’s okay now.”

Kamilla eyed him, noticing the red at the corner of his mouth and made a face of disgust. “You two are nasty. That’s why you had to leave in the middle of our conversation?”
Damon gave her a sly grin. “The blood’s mine. She bit my lip, that little wild cat.”

Kamilla gagged. “Stop!”

Ignoring Damon’s dark chuckle, she put the phone on the table between them as it dialled. Kamilla shook her head. Soft, gentle Grace? A wild cat? One who bit Damon’s lip and drew blood? Huh. You just couldn’t judge a book by its cover.
She and Damon both sat and leaned forward, waiting for her mother to pick up.

“Remember,” warned Kamilla, looking up at him with wide, green eyes. “It’s a very sensitive topic for my mom, so we have to be very gentle. Also, she has a bad history with Onyx Vampires. So I’ll do all the talking.”
Damon pursed his lips and gave her a curt nod. “Got it.”
Kamilla nodded back.

“Hello?” came the answer.
Kamilla smiled broadly and sat straighter. “Hi, mum!”

“Hello, love! How are you? Are you back at the Kingdom?”

Kamilla nodded. “Yup. Long ago. How are you?”

“Oh, I’m alright. Having a good time really. The yoga for insomnia isn’t working so I woke up at five am again. Ha-ha! We baked all day since then.”

As her mother spoke, Kamilla felt her throat close up and she swallowed hard. “That’s great…” she managed before she had to clear her throat. Damon lifted his gaze to glance at her and Kamilla forced her emotions under control.

“Are you alright, love? Was Viktor very angry that you’d met me?” asked Adelaide.

Kamilla shook her head. “No, he wasn’t. He was totally okay with it and even said he’d let me see you whenever I want. So, I’m good. I just really miss you.”
“I miss you too, darling! Come and visit me soon, okay?”

“I will!” Kamilla said, meaning it. She dabbed at her eyes and cleared her throat again. “Uh… mum? I’ve got something to ask…”
There was a moment of silence. “Oh?” said Adelaide. “What is it?”

Kamilla leaned closer to the phone. “Well… just… you know, about my father and such. About… before.”

There was a longer moment of silence. “I’m not quite sure I understand you, Kamilla. Before what?”

Kamilla bit her lip remembering how her mother had cried at the kitchen table when she had to tell her about her father and how he’d gotten killed.
“Well,” said Kamilla hesitantly. “Around the time I was born, we were already in the US… but before you left England, when my father was still alive… Mum, do you know any… reasons?”
Adelaide sighed. “Kamilla. You’re not making any sense.”

Kamilla cringed, but before she could try again, a blur of black swept across her vision as a long-sleeved arm swept in and snatched the phone off the table.
Damon and Kamilla looked up in shock as Viktor stepped back with the phone, giving them an impatient look.
“Viktor!” Kamilla hissed. “No!”
She darted off the sofa to grab it back, but he easily put a hand on her forehead, preventing her from coming any closer.

“Hello,” said Viktor into the phone as Kamilla struggled to stop him. “Miss Drew?”

“Oh!” said Adelaide in surprise. “Oh, my! Is this... Viktor? Uh… His Majesty?”

Viktor’s mouth twitched. “It is I. Are you well?”
Kamilla kicked his shin and Viktor gave her a bored look.

“Well, yes,” said Adelaide. “I uh… believe you’re well? Well… of course you are. You’re a Vampire King.”

Viktor nodded. “Indeed, I am. Miss Drew, let me ask you what your daughter appears to be unable to. Before Klayton, the late Vampire Elder, was killed—”
Kamilla hissed at his word choice. “Viktor!” she growled, but he held up a hand, deciding to withstand the burn of her glare.
“—did he tell you anything related to why he was sending you and Kamilla into hiding?”

There was a heavy silence for a short moment. “Oh…” said Adelaide unsteadily. “W-well, no. Klayton only said that somebody evil would try to hurt us in order to threaten him. And that’s… that’s why he hid us in the States. But then… not long after we’d gone, he was killed.”

Kamilla’s struggle ceased and she looked sadly at the phone in Viktor’s hand.

Viktor nodded gravely. “I see. And you never knew why that evil Vampire was threatening Klayton nor why they had that enmity? Maybe Klayton once told you why that evil Vampire hated him or maybe even my father, the late King?”

There was only a very short pause. “No…” said Adelaide and Kamilla could picture her shaking her head. “Not at all. He said the less I knew, the better.”
Viktor nodded. “Ah, I see. Alright, Miss Drew, thank you. Goodbye.”

“Wait!” said Adelaide.

Viktor raised a brow. “Yes?”

“When’s the wedding?”

Kamilla frowned in puzzlement and Viktor blinked at the phone. “Pardon?” he asked.

“You know,” said Adelaide. “I’m sure you Vampires don’t do that, but as a human, I think you should give Kamilla the wedding she deserves! You can afford it!”

Viktor’s mouth curved in amusement when Kamilla’s jaw dropped open in horror and she leaped for the phone, wanting to cry when Viktor held it away. He caught her with one arm so she wouldn’t grab it and grinned as her mom went on.

“My darling daughter is only 22 so, obviously, you two cannot get married yet, however, it *must* happen eventually! Knowing Kamilla, she’ll never tell you this herself, but she’s always dreamed of finding her perfect man and riding off into the sunset. The classic hopeless romantic—”

Kamilla finally snatched the phone. “Mum!” she growled.

Adelaide audibly gasped in fright. “What?! What did I tell you about growling at me? Are you a Grey Hound?”

Releasing a heavy breath to calm herself, Kamilla forced down her anger. “No, I am not a dog,” she muttered the same answer she'd given that question for years.

“Then don’t growl, love,” said Adelaide. Kamilla vaguely heard someone speak in the background and frowned. “Oh!” said Adelaide. “I’ve got to go.”

“Wait, mum. Are you back home? In the States?”

Adelaide chuckled. “Well, no, I’m still in England.”

Kamilla glanced up at Viktor with a frown and he looked back at her.
“What are you doing in England, mum?” she asked. “Who are you talking to?”

“Oh, dear, I didn’t tell you, did I?” asked Adelaide with a chuckle.
“Tell me what?”
“About a week ago,” started Adelaide excitedly. “I went for a final walk before I would leave, when, suddenly, a young woman came racing up behind me, calling me mum!” Adelaide sighed. “Gave me the fright of my life.”

Kamilla frowned in confusion. “What? What happened then?”

“Well, I thought she might be ill, but no, not at all! Turns out, I greatly resemble her mother who died in a car crash not long ago. Kamilla?” Her mom’s voice grew grave and Kamilla became tense.
“Mum?”
“This young woman is *related* to me! After calming her down, as she was rather upset, I took the poor love for coffee and eventually found out that her mother was in fact my cousin, Lilly! After going into hiding, I had to break ties with all those who knew me, so I had no idea that Lilly's passed on. This means you have a cousin now! It’s shocking, isn’t it?”

Kamilla’s mouth wouldn’t close as she stared at the phone on her palm. “W-what? Who is she?” she asked in disbelief. “Are you sure about her?”

“Uh-huh,” said Adelaide. “She’s an interior designer, lovely girl! Her name’s Elizabeth. Elizabeth Ames.”