Chapter 104
CAMILLA’S PO.V
I had never felt panic like that in my entire life as I rushed towards the gardens. My heart was pounding rapidly in my chest. My vision blurred and my ears rang. It felt like I was in an alternate reality, I couldn’t get a grip on myself and for a second, I didn’t even remember where I was. As soon as I got out of the palace, the sdent of blood flooded my nose and I feared my heart would beat its way right out of my chest.
My feet came to a halt in front of the tree that Christine had said they were playing at. I vaguely noticed the guard who was holding a wailing Aurora in his arms. I couldn’t focus on anyone else except Audrey who was on the ground. Her b*dy was shielded by the physician who was looking over her but there was so much blood. I heard screaming and it took me a second to realize that the sound was coming from me. Ryker was holding me but I could barely feel his hands on my skin. I pushed him off and rushed over to my daughter.
I didn’t care that my dress was sitting on her blood, all I could see was her. Her head was so blo ody. I reached out to touch her and my vision blurred. I felt something hot slide down my cheeks as I stroked back her sweaty hair. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see Christine clearing everyone out.
“Your majesty,” there was a sad tone in the physician’s voice and I already knew that I wouldn’t like what he had to say so I shot him a hard look.
“If you aren’t going to tell me that my daughter will wake up in the next five minutes then I suggest you shut up unless you want to lose your head,” I spat and he
immediately went silent. I turned back to my child and cradled her gently in my arms. “Audrey, sweetheart, I’m here now.”
She was so stiff and immobile. This wasn’t the girl I knew, my child was hyper, she was always jumping from one place to another. She was always talking non-stop. She didn’t just lie down like that. It wasn’t in her nature.
I stroked her hair and I could barely see from the tears clouding my vision and dripping all over her skin. “Mummy is here, please get up. I’m not even mad at you for climbing things. I love you my sweet girl.”
I leaned down to place a k*ss on her forehead. While trying to do that, I had placed my hand on he ground and accidentally cut it on a sharp rock. I felt the sting but I ignored it because I knew it would heal and cradled her face with my hands. Ryker was next to me and he was holding onto her hand. There were tears in his eyes but he was holding himself together.
I couldn’t explain what happened next if I wanted to, one second, we were just sitting there and the next, I felt a rush of energy leave me. it left in a rush of wind and I looked down in confusion only to see my blo ody hand glowing. I almost dropped Audrey in surprise. I glanced up at Ryker who was looking at me in surprise. No one dared to speak until the hand stopped glowing. I held my breath wondering what was happening when Audrey sneezed. It was light and barely audible. Her eyes fluttered open and she looked up at me in surprise.
“Mummy?” she asked and I nodded. “Why does my head hurt so bad?”
I pulled my hands back from her face in shock and I watched before my bare eyes as the cut on my hand healed. I glanced from my hands to Audrey and pulled her into a tight hug and she squeaked in surprise before quickly reciprocating. There was still blood on her but whatever wound she had that was leaking blood was healed because she looked fine. I didn’t want to think about the mechanics in that moment, I just held my daughter in my arms. Once I released her, Ryker pulled her in and she giggled.
After he had let her go, she frowned. “Why is my head so heavy?”
She reached up but I grabbed her arm to stop her. “You just have something on you. Come with me, I’ll give you a bath and help you wash your hair. Is that okay?”
She nodded and I couldn’t resist picking her up. I didn’t want to be away from her for a second. The physician was still kneeling on the ground and he was watching me with a scrutinizing gaze. I knew there was a lot to be unpacked there but it could wait. Ryker walked with me to her room and he stood by the door while I gently combed through Audrey’s locks.
She was so oblivious to everything that happened and I planned to keep it that way. All that mattered was that she was okay and breathing. She was her usual loud self as she splashed the water on both Ryker and I. My heart was still pounding rapidly as if I had finished running a marathon.
Once she was cleaned, she started to yawn. For the first time in a long time, I helped her into her nightgown and tucked her in bed. She smiled dreamily as I tucked the blankets around her.
“Can you read a book to me?” she asked and I nodded immediately.
“Of course,” I pulled the nearest book from the shelf and turned to Ryker. “Would you like to do it?”
He hesitated but Audrey turned to him. “Please daddy, you do the voices better than mummy.”
At this he laughed and took the book out of my hand. He sat on the other side of the bed and read. It didn’t take long for her to fall asleep and when I was sure she was just snoring softly and not dead, I took a step back. I watched Ryker put the book back on the dresser and come to stand behind me.
He wrapped his arms around my shoulder and pressed a k*ss to the side of immediately relaxed into his hold and he somehow held me tighter.
my head. I
“We have to talk about what happened,” he whispered to me and I shrugged. “How did you do that?”
“I didn’t do anything,” I whispered but I wasn’t fooling anyone. It was so glaringly obvious but also so unbelievable. “I am an elemental. I control water. I don’t heal people.”
“Camilla,” his voice was soft and soothing as if he was talking to a child. “The evidence is staring us right in the face. Look at her.”
“She could have been waking up on her own,” I offered. “We need to ask the physician to check on her. I don’t want any complications later.”
He just sighed and nodded. “If that’s what you want.”
When we got to the physician’s quarters, it was obvious that he had been waiting for us. He was pacing across the room and immediately he saw us, he let out a sigh of relief. There were multiple books open on the bed in front of him and he looked like: who was seeing candy for the first time.
child
“Your majesty, that was incredible,” he looked at me as he spoke. “It is unheard of for a royal to have more than one power trait. This is equally remarkable and terrifying.”
I opened my mouth to speak but Ryker shot me a look. They didn’t understand, I didn’t want to have another power. There was already so much and the last thing I needed was to have another power that I needed to master and dominate. I simply crossed my arms over my chest and stared at them.
“Pardon me, your majesty, but your daughter was,” he hesitated before saying the next words, “she was dying. There was nothing that could have been done for her. I saw it.”
“That’s not true, she is lying in her bed and she is perfectly fine. She is alive.”
you did
“Now she is, but she wasn’t when she lay there in the field. I don’t know what but you healed her. You brought her from the brink of death,” it seemed to unbelievable to me. I couldn’t wrap my head around it. “Your majesty, if you could walk me around what happened while you held your child. I know it was a traumatic experience but every detail might be the difference between right and wrong.”
The events were hazy but I tried to explain it as best as I could and he made notes. Ryker just stood by my side holding my hand and giving silent comfort. By the time I was doing, the physician sighed.
“I have a theory but I will need your help to confirm it,” he began. “Would you be willing to give a sample of your blood?”
“Why?” I asked and it hit me. He thought it was my blood that had the healing properties. I nodded and he walked over to me with a knife. I watched as he created a small ga sh on my palm and allowed the blood drip into a vial. “Who are you going to test that on?”
“Whoever walks in here next. Hopefully, it’s sooner rather than later. The quicker we get answers, the quicker we
an get an answer to our questions.”
I nodded. I was barely listening at this point. I felt overwhelmed. Ryker realized it because he responded to the guard and pulled me out of the room. He walked with me until we got to a deserted hallway and he placed my back against the cool wall. His hand wrapped around my chin and he tilted
head up.
my
“Look at me and breathe,” he ordered and I struggled to do as he had asked. “Do it again, until you calm down. I need you to breathe. You look dazed and you’re sweating.”
“I can’t.”
“Try,” there was sheer power in his voice and I couldn’t help but do as he asked. I felt the knot in my chest begin to lighten and he k*ssed my lips. “Good girl, how do you feel?”
“It’s too much,” I told him. “There is too much happening all at once.”
“I know baby, but we will get through it. I just need you to trust me. Can you do that?” I nodded. “Whatever happens, it is me and you, okay? Always.”
