62__Truth is... I love you

"So I cut him off at the corner and Damon throws the net over him so you can knock him out with the spade!" Kamilla told Viktor as she followed him around his chambers, energetically explaining ideas on how to catch Rogan.

Viktor released a breath, turning before his mirror to inspect the healing wounds on his triceps. Kamilla had been talking about safe plans to fight Rogan that didn't need to end with one of their deaths all day.

"If the spade is too harsh, we can use a broom!" she suggested, peaking at him over his shoulder in the mirror. "The light ones made of hay—"

"Kamilla." Viktor closed his eyes in exasperation. "If you don't stop talking, I'm going to send you to your mother in England."

Kamilla put a hand on her chest and looked at him. "Excuse me? When did we exchange threats? Also, you can't get rid of me, you need me."

Viktor sighed. "I'm certainly the first Vampire King in history to be this annoyed and not kill what's annoying me."

Kamilla crossed her arms. "I've told you before to not refer to me as 'what', 'this' or 'it'! "

"You behave like an 'it'," Viktor calmly informed her and turned away from the mirror to leave, but Kamilla stepped into his path.

"But just listen to me. I'm sure there's a way for us to beat Rogan without anybody dying. If you let me find a way to dig in, I'm sure I can find out what it is that makes him hate—"

"Kamilla!" Viktor said loudly, lifting a warning hand. "I've had enough. Stop." He narrowed his eyes at her. "You're sounding more and more like you're trying to spare Rogan any harm than like you're concerned for me."

Kamilla's jaw dropped open. "Well, that's... ridiculous!"

Viktor's gaze only grew sharper. "Good. Because that's the person who killed your father. The person who killed both my parents and threatened yours and your mother's lives even before you were born."

Kamilla sighed. "I... I know. Seriously, it's not about trying to save Rogan or anything."

"Since that's the case, let me handle this *my* way. I'm seroius."

She nodded. "Okay, but let me contact Maya, Dre and-"

Kamilla shut right up when Viktor pulled her against his chest and kissed her hard, his mouth gradually softening against hers when he was sure she'd lost her train of thought.

Her palms were flat against his naked chest when he pulled away, her mind unable to think any words besides Viktor, lips, kiss and damn.
Only when Kamilla blinked, did she realize he was already walking to the door.
She spun around in outrage. "You're gonna stop doing that to me! It's a form of bullying!

Viktor turned to her. "Then I'm your bully. What are you going to do about it?"

The question went unanswered as Kamilla racked her brain but found no witty response. Darn brain cells only desert her when she needs them most!
"Well... You..." she stuttered. "How can you tell me not to fall in love with you and then do things like *that*?! You think I'm made of wood?!" Kamilla blurted out.

Her words hung heavily in the air for a few moments of silence.
Viktor stared at Kamilla and Kamilla stared wide-eyed at Viktor.

Viktor pointed a finger at his face. "When did I tell you not-"

"Jokes. JK!" said Kamilla and dashed past him and out of his chambers, running as far away as her legs could carry her blabbering mouth.

Goodness, she really couldn't rely on any of her body parts. How could she blurt *that* out, of all things?!

It was something that Kamilla couldn't say to Viktor. Not yet.

He didn't remember what happened that night and he thought she didn't remember either, and Kamilla was determined to keep it that way. At least until he remembered by himself.
She knew what had happened.
Viktor's brain had recollected some of his memories at the mention of Elizabeth and Emma and what Kamilla had seen that night in his throne room, that darkness... that was what remembering had done to Viktor.
What he had remembered had convinced him beyond doubt that he was a monster and Kamilla would be damned before she let him become like that again.
If Charming had somehow taken back his memories, Kamilla would shake his hand.

She reached the ground floor and slipped out through the back where the stables were, walking wearily along the path.
What would happen now?
Viktor was determined to see this thing through with Rogan and wouldn't even take any of her genius ideas into consideration.
That stubborn iguana.
What happened if he got hurt? Or worse.
As far as Kamilla believed, Rogan wasn't all Vampire. He couldn't be! Not after what Maya and the others had told her.
He certainly had Cassius in him and that meant he had Magic in him too. He wouldn't play fair with Viktor. Sure, Viktor wouldn't play fair either, not if Kamilla knew him well, but the whole situation just seemed so unnecessary in her opinion.

The path curved into the corner of the property where wild flowers grew unapologetically beautiful. In dark scarlets, purples and greens.
Kamilla dazedly sat before a rose bush and sat her chin on her fist.

"Vampires are dramatic," she murmured to herself.

After a moment of dazedly staring at flowers, Kamilla's heart grew heavy, suddenly aware of another presence.
On guard, she quickly stood ready to either run or defend herself.

Kamilla quickly froze when she saw the" threat".
Ursula sat in a corner near her, a red cloak pulled over her head, a basket in her lap as she calmly picked wild flowers.
Kamilla blinked and looked over the tall bushes at the castle to see if anyone was coming.
The coast was clear so she quickly looked back at Diana's aunt in surprise. When did the woman even appear?

"Excuse me?" Kamilla called quietly. "I genuinely don't think you should be here right now, the King of this castle is currently mad at all existing Enchantresses."

Ursula's hand paused over a dainty violet and she slowly raised her head. Lifting a hand, she silently signaled for Kamilla to come closer.

Kamilla carefully approached the woman, glancing about at the silent terrain.

Ursula pushed her hood off her head and looked up at Kamilla. "Did you dream, child?"

Kamilla blinked. "Dream? Well... yes. I dreamt of a runaway horse, a party with the Legion-"

"Not that," said Ursula waving it away with a graceful hand. "Did you see what I showed you? Your death."

Kamilla's chest tightened and she grew quiet.

"You didn't tell him," continued Ursula. Her mouth curved. "Bizarre. I never thought I'd see a human so bent on protecting a Vampire King."

Kamilla bit her lip. "That... wasn't just a nightmare, was it?"

"You know it wasn't. I made sure you'd know exactly what you were dreaming of."

Wrapping her arms around herself, Kamilla looked at Ursula, her heart growing heavy with fear at knowledge it carried. How was it even possible? The girl Viktor had killed... she existed centuries ago. Could this really be true? She sighed. Even if it wasn’t...
"Viktor doesn't have to know,” she told Ursula. “He remembered for a moment and in that moment, he grew far darker than I've ever seen him. He doesn't have to believe himself to be a monster when I *know* he's not! I'm afraid of that."

Ursula smiled and reached for a rose. She twirled it as she studied the black thorns protecting the beautiful flower.
"That is not all you're afraid of, child. When he remembered... he warned you away. Did he not?" She looked at Kamilla. "He put up a clear boundary between his darkness and your light. To keep you away from the harm he could do to you. That... is what you do not want. You are too busy trying to keep him close, trying to protect him that you do not see that he is also trying to protect you."

Kamilla felt her lips part at the words, realizing that they were true.
Her neck prickled, her heart thudding when she felt the gaze heavy on her.
Turning around, Kamilla looked at the castle and turned her gaze up and even higher.

He stood on the terrace, still bare-chested with the wind in his dark hair as he met her gaze, staring intensely down at her.

"You’ve always known how dangerous he is. You were not afraid to lose your life before," continued Ursula as she picked more flowers, hidden from Viktor's gaze by the giant bushes around her. "And you're not afraid to lose your life now. For the sake of keeping your Vampire King close, you ignore his darkness and his danger. And for that... you will pay a high price."