Chapter 156
CAMILLA’S P.O.V
Two days later and Audrey was still sleeping in our room because the bad dreams kept coming. They were getting worse and more graphic and we had done so much to try and reduce them but it only seemed to be getting worse. We did all the herbal treatments we could think of but now Audrey was terrified to sleep. It was terrifying watching her move around like a zombie each day with pure exhaustion and fear in her eyes. Neither of us had slept properly in the past two days and I knew I had to find a permanent solution.
“Camilla!” I didn’t realize Christine was speaking to me until she had to yell my name. I blinked twice before turning to her. She had a soft look of worry on her features. “How is she?”
“Horrible,” I admitted feeling the familiar acid taste of guilt climbing up my throat. “She doesn’t even sleep, Christine. She doesn’t want to. I haven’t seen her smile in about four days. I want my daughter to be healthy and happy, not whatever is happening to her right now.”
She sighed and ran her hands through her hair. “Have you considered that maybe it is her powers? It hasn’t happened before but a lot of weird things have happened with your family. You have two powers instead of one and one is out of control. It wouldn’t be shocking that your child got hers early.”
“I don’t care if it is early or not, I just want it to stop.’
She frowned. “Isn’t that unhealthy? She needs to learn to control it. It doesn’t matter if it comes now or when she is twenty one, she will have the same reactions to it.”
“At least she wouldn’t be a child then,” I exclaimed and her brows furrowed. “At twenty one, she is an adult ready to take on the f ucking world. Right now, she is a five year old who is terrified out of her mind every second of the day. I don’t know about you but that is not the life I want for my child. At twenty one, we can work together and deal with it but right now, I just want her to have her childhood.”
I ran my hands down my face after my short speech. Christine was staring at me with a mix of pity and worry. If it were another day, I would have told her off but right now, I was more focused on Audrey. Speaking of my daughter, the door opened and Juan walked in with Audrey in his arms. She was asleep for the first time in almost twenty four hours. She was clinging to him and he didn’t seem to mind as he made his way in.
“I am so sorry,” I rushed to my feet once I noticed them. “I can take her from you if you would-”
“I don’t mind,” he assured me hoisting her up higher in his arms. “You look like sh it. I think you need the break more than I do,” I gave him a small tired smile in response. “Look, I know this really isn’t any of my business but I think I have something that might help. This isn’t set in stone or anything and there is no guarantee that she will be able to help. I just know that she always has her ways.”
“I am willing to try anything at this point.”
I was aware of how desperate I sounded but the truth was that I was desperate. I needed an answer and I needed it fast. There wasn’t much I wasn’t willing to risk in order to get her back to the child I knew.
“There’s a seer, she used to work with my dad. She warned him about Alara but my father was a proud man and he never liked to listen. If there is anyone that can help you with Audrey then it has to be her. I can give you directions to her or I can take you there. I had completely forgotten about her until Christine came to me last night.”
“Thank you,” I didn’t realize when my eyes started tearing up until a few drops slipped out and down my face. “When can we see her?”
“We can leave now but we will get to her cave late at night. I don’t know how long we will be there but we won’t return until tomorrow morning. Does that work for you?”
I nodded. “Of course, let me just talk to Ryker.” I stood to my feet before quickly remembering something. I turned to Christine. “You wouldn’t mind helping me watch Aurora, right?”
She waved me off. “Of course not, go help Audrey. We will be here waiting.”
I thanked her before rushing off towards Ryker’s office where he was seated over a stack of papers. I told him everything Juan had said and the relief that grew on his face was palpable. His shoulders sagged a little and it was obvious that I wasn’t the only one carrying the brunt of the stress. Within minutes, we were saddled on horses and ready to leave. Juan offered to take a carriage because Audrey was sleeping but Ryker was adamant on horses as it would have been faster.
The seer’s place was a distance away from the palace. I couldn’t help but feel that pinprick of unease as we rode late into the night. Even though the vampires were not a problem anymore, it didn’t stop me from feeling anxious about them. I was so relieved when Juan said we were at her house.
It wasn’t what I had expected. It was a fairly sized cottage with ivy growing on the sides and weird looking plants in front. The place had an aura, one I couldn’t quite put my finger on. It was obvious that there was magic in the air, I could feel it rolling over my skin and I could feel my powers reacting and pushing as if they wanted to expel straight from my skin. I had my gloves on but that didn’t stop the electric feeling from running over my entire body.
“Are you alright?” Ryker reached out for me but I shook my head and took a quick step back.
“Don’t, please, I feel unstable right now. There’s a lot in the air.”
His brows furrowed and I realized that I was the only one who could feel it because I had powers. I glanced over at Audrey who had woken up during the ride to see if she felt the same. Her eyes met mine and she broke away to look over the cottage.
“I feel funny,” she mumbled with a frown.
“I know, baby,” I placed a soft kiss on her temple. She had refused to get out of Juan’s hold and he didn’t seem to be bothered by that. “We are going to fix that.”
We had barely taken two steps towards the cottage when the door opened and the most stunning woman ever stepped out. Her hair was cut short by her chin and it was as dark as the night sky, her eyes were a light brown color that seemed almost unnatural and her skin glowed like ivory. She was bare faced with a simple long black dress. The corner of her lips kicked up in a small smile.
“Hello Juan,” she never took her eyes off him. “It’s been a while since I’ve seen you. I saw that you dropped everything behind.”
“What can I say? I found something else worth living for,” he shrugged and her lips pulled up into a wider smile.
She looked away from him before settling her eyes on me. “I’ve seen you, Camilla and I have been expecting you. Come on in, I have some tea set.”
I glanced over at Juan with worry in my eyes. I was aware that she was a seer but did that really mean she was privy to my name? Juan gave me a small nod of assurance and I chose to trust him by forcing my feet forward.
The inside of her house was warmer than the outside. She had trinkets hanging all around and sure enough in the center of the room was a table with a tea pot and three cups. I glanced over at Ryker to see that he had the same suspicious look in his eyes.
“I am not going to harm you. I doubt I could even if I wanted to. I am a seer, not a normal witch or a fighter. My powers lie solely in what I am able to see or discern. I have knowledge in potions as well but not as much as a potions master would have,” she spoke without even looking up at us and when she did, her eyes fell on Audrey. “I didn’t see her. Who is she?”
“She is why we are here,” I said simply and her brows furrowed in confusion.
“This is the first time I’ve never seen someone before,” she turned to Audrey and held out her hand. “What’s your name, sweet girl? I’m Lyla, I’m from a long line of seers.”
“I’m Audrey,” her voice was soft as she took Lyla’s hand. I expected some form of recognition on Lyla’s face but there was nothing. If anything, there was confusion. “Are you going to help me?”
“I’m going to try but I can’t see you. I’m touching you but I can’t reach you, almost as if someone or something is blocking you from me.”
“What does that mean?” Ryker cut in and Lyla sighed.
your office powers and
“The way my powers work is that I see things. For example, I saw you in when she told you about me. I can see Camilla and her out of control the mess that they are going to cause later,” I subconsciously pulled my hands closer to myself. “I see your other daughter, there is so much about her that you don’t know but this little angel right here is hidden from me and I don’t know why.”
My mind was running a mile a minute from the words she had spoken.
“What do you mean by mess and what about Aurora?” I asked not wanting her to gloss over it.
“I can’t tell you the future, Camilla, otherwise it will be set in stone. The future is a fickle things prone to change. If I tell it has to happen and believe me when I
You say that you do not want it to happen.”
