115 - Camilla Scott

115 - Camilla Scott
Camilla Scott

I spent the week in that hospital, being cared for by the best team the Carter family could demand from the institution. Even though I was frustrated at not being able to do half the things I wanted, I understood it was necessary to ensure a smooth pregnancy and give the best chance to my quartet.

Today, Benjamin was going to meet with Ralf, someone who had managed to stay well-hidden. But, unlike he thought, the wolf was not in New York; he had traveled to Mexico in search of other Bishops.

I was curious to know how their conversation would unfold. I believe Ralf is going through the same as Miley, who is still hospitalized and suffering from mysterious pains that the doctors can’t identify.

“I think it’s more about her than about the other man!” I turned toward Helena, who was flipping through a gossip magazine.

“I’ve thought about that too…” I sighed and tried to find a more comfortable position.

Charlie was sitting in front of me, wearing a smug smile, confident she held the best cards in her hand.

“Your turn!” she said, playing tens of spades.

“I think you should talk to Ruby. Maybe she can help if you can’t find her uncle!” Helena suggested, looking at her daughter, who seemed overly confident in the cards she held.

I smirked and noticed she had a Full House. I watched her collect the gelatin pot, and just as she was about to grab the ice cream cup, I held her hand.

“Hold on, you’re in too much of a hurry!” I said, hearing Helena laugh.

“Of course she is; she was born at eight months when we were coming to New York…” I began laughing, running my hand over my babies, who were unusually quiet today.

Proudly, I laid my cards on the table, where my bets, a pot of gelatin, a cup of ice cream, and three cookies, were placed. A Royal Flush, as I learned from Denaro’s soldiers, is the highest hand in cards, and by luck, I had it.

“You lost, speedy!” I said triumphantly.

As I was celebrating, the door opened, and I saw a girl who looked my age or slightly older. She was stunning, with shiny red hair and a perfect face!

I hadn’t seen her during this week in the hospital, even though I had met everyone from the Carter and Alcântara Al-Makki clans.

“Hello!” I greeted her, admiring the beauty in her eyes.

I could sense a serenity in her, like looking at the reflection of the moon on a beautiful lake. There was something in her that radiated tranquility, calming even my babies, who had been moving restlessly.

“So, you’re the Bishop’s little devil?” she asked, a laugh forming among everyone.

I nodded, watching her approach Helena and kiss her cheek.

“Are you the reason they’re all looking?” I asked, shifting a little to sit beside her.

“And I’ll kill every one of them if they even glance at my Moon!” Gavin said, kissing the top of her head. “Mom, I brought Ruby here so I can head to Manhattan…”

I didn’t pay attention to their conversation. I was too focused on the girl, who seemed to have as many questions inside her as I had curiosity inside me.

“I’ll pick her up later at my parents’ house!” Gavin said, caressing her cheek.

But Ruby didn’t move; she kept her eyes fixed on mine.

“There are too many secrets, aren’t there?” she asked, and I noticed Gavin leaving the room while Charlie remained silent.

“Just one!” I said with my chin held high.

“In the past, for me…” I watched her touch her chest and close her eyes.

I heard a soft growl, something oddly comforting and familiar.

“I believed your husband was one of them. His name is on the Bishops’ list. For everyone in the family, losing my uncle still hurts!” I narrowed my eyes and, for the first time, looked away.

When Benjamin returned from the church in the Bronx, he told us he might have found her uncle alive, the little wolf who fell out the window. I assumed she already knew, but from the way Helena looked at me, I realized I was horribly mistaken.

“Benjamin was a Bishop when I met him, but he would only become a member of the order after his preceptor passed away,” I said, remembering when my husband explained how one became a Bishop of Assassins.

“I discovered that when I decided to leave the forest in front of your house and return to New York!” she said, a smile crossing her face.

“Gavin was dying!” I affirmed.

I knew part of their story, though there was certainly much more, things that were only theirs to share.

“Yes, just as Miley is now…”

I sighed, nodding. I knew that if we didn’t find Ralf soon, my friend might not survive what she was going through.

“The magic in my family is hard to explain to all of you, but I’ll try to put it simply…” she said, holding Helena’s hand. “When we break our bond with the person our goddess chose for us, it’s excruciatingly painful and often fatal.”

I nodded, taking in everything Ruby had to say.

"Did you know my uncle broke his bond with a human because he found her happy with someone else?" I nod. "But I didn’t hear him say that the girl did the same. It seems she was unconscious when he broke the bond…"

I recall the memory, and Miley was indeed unconscious when he said he was breaking it.

"So, are you trying to tell me that what’s missing is for her to say the same thing he did?" I ask, a little confused.

"No, I’m saying she needs to hear him say he rejects her. But know this, she’ll feel an unbearable pain, far worse than what she’s feeling now." My gaze wandered between the three women who were keeping me company.

"Is it really worth it for your friend to keep feeling this pain? Is it so hard for her to let Sebastian go and meet the other man?" Charlie asks, holding my hand. "When no one could find Ruby, we thought Gavin would die at any moment. We saw him clinging to the life that kept him here with us."

I learned he was sick because he was in love, but our lives took such a turn that I never really found out what happened to him afterward.

"I never imagined I’d see that girl entering the most heavily guarded hospital in New York," Helena starts laughing as she recalls something. "When Gavin saw her walk into the room, his weak heartbeat changed. It grew stronger, and his face regained its color."

"I believe my uncle needs to reject her while she’s conscious!" I hear, and then I realize how much sense that makes.

"I think you’re right!" I say, convinced that it might really work.

I turn on the bed and stretch to grab my phone from the nightstand. Smiling, I finally feel like I’ve found a way to put an end to what my friend is going through.

"Just know that if the bond is broken, it will never be restored. The Goddess never grants second chances with the same people!" Ruby says, and I feel Helena’s hand holding mine.

"I think you should wait. I know you want to end this agony, but we’ve seen what happens when they’re apart." I start shaking my head. "I understand you want the best for Sebastian and Miley, but you need to understand, she’ll be marked forever!"

"What do you mean by ‘marked’?" I ask, looking at Helena.

"She’ll never love someone the same way she would’ve loved the person she was bonded to!" I hear Charlie say, and I’m surprised.

"What’s the matter? My sister-in-law is one of them; she told us how things work."

"That’s why I’m here. I understand what your husband is doing, and I’ve waited all week to speak to my uncle, something that hasn’t happened." I furrow my brow, trying to grasp what she’s thinking. "I ask you, before calling Sebastian, talk to your husband and tell him what I just told you, please!"

There was a plea in her eyes, a hope that I couldn’t quite understand.

"Why?" I ask.

"My uncle is a good man; he deserves to be happy!"

"That doesn’t explain why I should give your uncle a chance to be with Miley…"

"That’s not what I hope for. After all, the choice isn’t ours; it’s theirs!"

"You’ve been through so much to avoid being handed over like a mere prostitute to a Russian, haven’t you, Camilla?" Helena says gently. "What my daughter-in-law is asking is that you give Ralf the chance to do things the right way. And if they choose to stay together, that all of you understand!"

Now I get why this conversation is happening, they want to give Miley and Ralf the best chance. But is this really the right thing to do?

"And what if she dies while we’re waiting for your uncle to show up?" I see Ruby’s smile grow wider.

"She won’t. My uncle won’t let that happen!" How can she be so confident?

I take a deep breath, piecing together everything she explained, the possibilities of seeing my friend unhappy with Sebastian, who doesn’t deserve to be unhappy either.

"Alright, we’ll wait then…"

And I’ll hope I’m making the right choice for Miley and Sebastian.