Chapter 177
CAMILLA’S P.O.V
My head was pounding and I was a little groggy but I otherwise felt fine. For the first time since I started using my powers, I didn’t get to see the large dark room with the mirror. I didn’t know what that meant for me but I could only hope that it was something good. Ryker turned to me and the relief in his eyes was palpable. I tried to give him a small smile, tried to tell him that I was fine but he just shook his head and blinked back moisture from his eyes. I could see that he was hurting, this whole endeavor was hurting him just as much if not a lot more than it was hurting me, he just didn’t know how to show it especially since most of the attention was on me.
“How are you?” he asked, his voice as soft as cotton as he stared deep into my soul. It was almost like he was searchin
for injuries below the surface but his eyes weren’t deep enough to see the injuries that marked my soul. “Would you like something to eat or do you want something?”
“Some food would be nice,” I managed out after trying to pull myself up into a sitting position. “Could I have some fruits with that please and some water? I am famished.”
He nodded and glanced over at Lyla who immediately rushed out of the room leaving us in complete silence. Ryker helped me sit up and ran his hands through my curls in a comforting manner. His eyes were cold as usual but underneath that wall of ice he had erected for himself was sorry and anger although I couldn’t tell who it was pointed at. I wanted to ask but I knew I wasn’t going to get a response, at least not from him.
“What were you talking about earlier?” I asked. All I was able to hear was my name and I was already assuming the worse. I tried not to jump to conclusions but sometimes it was very difficult especially at a time like this. “Is there something wrong with me?”
“No,” he said almost immediately. “Briggs is awake and he was asking to see you.”
My eyes widened in shock and I immediately tried to get out of bed but Ryker grabbed me. His hand was firm around my waist as he pulled me back into bed. He stared at me as if I was out of my mind. I tried once more but he was faster.
“I will tie you to this fucking bed if I have to, Camilla. You are in no shape to go out to see anyone. You need your rest and Briggs does too. If he feels better, he can come up here but I am sure you can wait a few hours for the answers that you want.”
I crossed my arms over my chest in defiance but he had no plans of letting up. He was used to my stubbornness, more than anyone if I had to assume. He knew how to handle it and he knew how to ignore it. He indulged me a few times, more than he should have and more than any other mate would but there were certain things he was never going to budge on and this was one of them.
I let out a sigh and just sat in bed knowing that he wouldn’t let me leave any way. We waited in silence for Lyla to return. It took her almost half an hour and she returned with a tray filled with food. She gave me a small smile and placed it gently on my laps. There were oats, fruits and a lot of other things.
“I cannot possibly eat all of this,” I mumbled as I picked up the fruits first. “Thank you, Lyla, You have done so much for us. You didn’t need to come here.”
She just shrugged and gave me a small smile. Neither of them left the room and although it was uncomfortable to eat in their presence while they weren’t eating, I was too hungry and tired to think about it. It wasn’t until I had finished eating that I even realized that they were both looking at me with attentive eyes. I tried to hide from their gaze but soon came to realize that there was no hiding from it.
I cleared my throat and looked out the window. “Where is Briggs? Is he still awake?”
It was Lyla who responded. “He is, he is completely healed but he doesn’t want to alarm the people. He would prefer if your meeting was secretive. He
to ease the others into his recovery. There is no rush to see him,
he doesn’t mind waiting.”
“No,” I cut her off immediately. “I need to see him right now.”
I couldn’t explain why I needed to see him. There was an unease around me, it was something about the air. I didn’t know what it was but it had the hair at the back of my neck standing on edge. There was something about this place that just had me feeling like I needed to be quick and get out of here. It was almost like I was being watched, I couldn’t explain it, it was just there. I knew Ryker didn’t want me leaving the room but if I stayed here for far longer than necessary, I was going to run mad.
“I know,” Lyla said slowly and I furrowed my brows. She sounded like she was reading my mind but I had known her long enough to know that was impossible. “I feel them too, I was talking to your mate about it before you woke up. It is the presence of the witches who had died here. Their presence is strong because of their anger. The coven leader’s rise must have triggered them.”
“That explains it,” I mumbled as I turned to face Ryker. “I cannot be here for longer than necessary, please. I just want to get in and get out. Leaving the pack unguarded was dangerous, anything could be happing. She has us by our tails right now, I want to be back by tomorrow.”
He sighed deeply but I could tell he still didn’t agree. “Alright, let us do this.”
He helped me out of bed and together, we went to Briggs’ room. It was empty just as Ryker had ordered before we left although a maid was outside the room pacing. When she saw us, she rushed over with a sigh of relief.
“We haven’t been able to take dinner to him yet,” she explained. “Your orders were very clear and you haven’t been around all day. Can we take it to him now?”
“Give it to Lyla, she will bring it for him, is that okay?” I asked Lyla who just waved me off. She didn’t seem to mind one bit.
I gave her a small smile before walking into the room. It was amazing just how quickly the effects of my powers came to be. Briggs looked even better than he did the last time we were here. He was seated up with a wide smile on his face and he was breathing properly. Before, he had a small hunch to his shoulders but it was completely gone now as if it were never there.
“You look amazing,” I told him and he smiled.
“You look like s hit,” he countered and my eyes widened as a small smile played on my lips. Not many people got to talk to me like that since I became queen, I never realized just how much I missed it. “I don’t know what you did to me, but thank you. I feel young again. There was a permanent ache in my bones but it is gone. Did you know that? It is almost like you breathed life back into me.”
I didn’t tell him that was exactly what I did. Instead, I just shrugged and took the seat in front of his bed. He knew I was here for business because slowly, the smile slipped off his face and was replaced with a serious expression.
“Is everything alright? I presume that your visit here isn’t just because you wanted to see me,” he joked and I gave him a tight smile. “What is wrong, Camilla? How can I help?”
“When you were sick, I asked if you knew what this house was built on and you said yes,” his face darkened considerably. “I need answers in regards to that. It is a matter of life and death. Tell me everything that you know.”
He sighed and stood to his feet. He paced the length of the room until he was standing in front of his dressing mirror. Lyla chose that exact moment to walk in but barely anyone acknowledged her presence. My eyes were fixated on Briggs who looked to be struggling with his words.
“When I was a young boy, we lived in the town not far from here. My father had told me stories about the witches who lived up the hill. He spent a lot of time with them. They were kind and loving, they were s ervants of the goddess and every month, they would bring food to the village. Everyone loved them and their visits were the highlights of the town’s year.”
“I feel the need to preface this by saying everything I say is what I heard from my father. He was alive when it happened. He said that one day, they brought some food in baskets but that evening, they were all filled with maggots, rotten to the core. That was when they knew that something was wrong. They took it to the coven leader, her name was Reina but she didn’t seem to care. If anything, she dismissed the humans.”
It was a relief to finally have a name to the woman doing everything. I hated having to call her the witch in my head. Anonymity bred fear but now with a name, she was just a person like the rest of us.
“After taking it to Reina, the visits stopped. The witches isolated themselves. I cannot tell you what happened between them. All I know is that the people saw fire coming here and the entire coven was burned to the ground and Reina was missing.”
