Chapter 41
Treacherous
Raven
“Raven?” Cam’s voice slices through the night, with an edge that makes my stomach drop. He stops dead in his tracks, eyes wide like he’s seen a ghost. “What the hell are you doing out here?”
The urgency in his tone is unmistakable, and it sets every nerve in my body on edge. The way he’s looking at me has all my instincts firing. “What? What’s wrong with you?” I try to keep it cautious, but the edge in my voice gives me away.
My brows knit together as I tilt my head, looking around, but he's the only one I see. “Wait… what are you doing here?”
I’m not about to let him flip this on me without an explanation, but before he can say anything, another horrifying thought barrels into me. My stomach tightens with a sickening rush of embarrassment. “Oh no,” I blurt out, my voice rising. “Have you been at the castle this whole time?”
His expression doesn’t change like I expect it to. No sheepish grin, or any stupid comments. He just stares at me like I’ve grown a second head, but his expression is twisted into something unreadable. And that look makes my blood run cold.
His jaw tightens as he takes a deliberate step closer, and I can feel the tension rippling off him. “Raven,” he says again, his tone all sharp edges now. “What the hell are you doing out here?” His gaze sweeps over my shoulder, like he’s bracing for something.
The intensity in his voice puts me instantly on edge, and I feel my defenses slamming into place. “I needed air, Cameron.” I bite out, as irritation bubbles to the surface. “I couldn’t sleep, so I went for a walk. Is that a crime now?”
I cross my arms, still holding the dagger tightly as I take a step back, narrowing my eyes. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
His eyes dart to the dagger. “This isn’t just a nightly walk, Raven.” His voice grows urgent. “You’re out here, alone, in the middle of the woods, in the middle of the damn night, holding a knife. Don’t you think that’s a little… concerning?”
“Concerning?” I echo, my voice dripping with disbelief. The frustration I was barely holding back finally spills over. “I couldn’t sleep, and this,” I lift the dagger slightly. “Is for safety. Not that I owe you an explanation.”
I square my shoulders, refusing to let him rattle me. “I didn’t think I needed a babysitter,” I add coldly, daring him to say otherwise. “And what about you, huh? What are you doing sneaking around in the middle of the night?”
His eyes widen, and he takes another step closer, and his tone drops into something more serious.
“Okay… this might require a sit-down,” he says, gesturing in the direction he just came from.
He runs a hand through his hair, clearly struggling to mask whatever's making him uneasy. “I need you to come with me.”
I hesitate, because my instincts are screaming at me to hold my ground. But when he looks back at me, there’s something on his face that makes me follow despite every nerve in my body telling me not to.
The second we step into the clearing, my eyes widen when I see a man standing there with two massive horses. I glance at Cam, confusion written all over my face, but he doesn’t offer any answers.
When the man notices us approaching his brows lift in mild surprise. He looks between us, and I can feel the silent question hanging in the air.
“Evenin', lass,” he says, nodding politely. The surprise on his face is brief, gone before I register it.
Cam’s entire demeanor shifts. “You can go ahead,” he says, nodding. “And as for what we discussed, move it to the top of the list. Make sure the others know as soon as you get back. I'll join you when I can.”
The man nods without a word, as he swings himself up onto one of the horses. Before he takes off, he looks at me again, dipping his head. “Goodnight, miss.”
And then he's gone, hoofbeats fading into the dark, leaving the clearing heavy with tension. "Who the hell was that?"
I stare after him, as the unease gets tighter.
I snap my gaze back to Cam.
“When does the explanation start? Should I be worried for my life, and this is some secret serial killer confession?” I try for sarcasm, but my voice wobbles, the edge of panic impossible to miss. My nerves are frayed, and I’m not sure if I want to laugh or scream.
His jaw tightens, and his gaze is locked on the empty space where the man just was. “It’s not what you think,” he says finally, but the flatness in his tone offers zero comfort.
His face is set, serious in a way I’ve rarely seen on him, and a cold twist of anxiety takes over. “Okay, seriously, Cam,” I snap. “You’re scaring me.”
He doesn’t respond, instead he leads me over by the two stumps in the clearing. He sits heavily on one and gestures for me to take the other. I hesitate, crossing my arms like it’ll shield me from whatever bomb he’s about to drop, but eventually, I sit, glaring at him. “This better be good.”
Cam exhales sharply, dragging his hands through his hair like he’s trying to steel himself. His jaw flexes, and for a second, he looks away, scanning the dark woods before his eyes snap back to mine. “Fuck.”
My patience is almost non-existent at this point. “Cam,” I snap. “What’s going on? Spit it out.”
He rubs the back of his neck, stalling. Then, finally meets my eyes. “Look, I know this is going to sound weird. Hell, it’s going to sound insane, but there’s something… unique about you. And I think I might know what’s happening.”
I blink at him, thrown completely off balance. “What?”
He lets out a nervous laugh. “Honestly, I can’t believe I didn’t figure it out sooner. It’s been right in front of me this whole time. I had suspicions, but damn.”
“Cam.” My patience stretches thin, like a rubber band one tug away from breaking. “This isn’t funny.”
He holds up his hands in apology, his face sobering instantly. “I know. I swear, this is just as weird for me as it is for you. I promise.”
The words tumble out of my mouth before I can stop them. “Are you in love with me?”
The second the question comes out, I freeze, my hand flying to my mouth as if I could somehow shove the embarrassing words back in.
Cam blinks, and his eyebrows shoot up in surprise. He looks so stunned I almost feel bad. Then his expression softens, and a genuine, hearty laugh bursts out of him, echoing through the trees. The sound is so unexpected that I just stare at him.
You could just say no, pal. It’s not that funny.
He shakes his head, as his laughter gradually fades and a grin spreads across his face. “Raven, did you hit your head on the way out here? Of course I'm not in love with you. I like my head right where it is, thanks.”
I frown, caught off guard. “What does your head have to do with anything?”
He's clearly enjoying my confusion way too much. “You're beautiful, don't get me wrong. But, let’s just say getting involved with you would likely lead to… consequences. And none of them would end well for me.”
I don’t know what the fuck is going on here, but if he doesn’t tell me soon, I might stab him. If that's not it, then what else could it possibly be?
“Okay, first of all. Rude. Second, what are you talking about? You’re being cryptic as hell, and I’m losing my patience. You said you know what's happening to me, so spit it out.”
He wipes the smile off his face, and seriousness takes over. “Yeah, I think I do. It’s the only explanation for why you’re even out here.” He gestures vaguely to the forest around us.
“Uh-huh…” I cross my arms, staring at him waiting for more, but it doesn't come. “Care to elaborate on that, or are we playing guess what Cam means all night?”
He blows out a long breath looking at me with an intensity that makes my stomach do another flip. “I don’t know how else to say this,” he pauses. “But I think you have magic.”
The words hit me like a slap to the face. My brain stalls, trying to process what he just said without having a complete meltdown. “What do you mean, it’s the only explanation for me being here?” I ask, confusion slamming into me like a truck. “Wait… magic! What the fuck are you talking about?!”
I jump to my feet and my voice echoes through the trees, startling even me as my pulse pounds loud in my ears.
Cam glances around scanning the tree line like he’s worried someone’s going to hear us. “Hey, stay with me,” he says quickly, standing up like I’m about to bolt. “This is going to be a lot, so let's just rip off the Band-Aid, okay? I'll tell you everything, but you’ve got to stay calm.”
I cross my arms, glaring daggers at him.
“You’d better start talking.” I snap, though my voice betrays me with the slightest tremble.
I don't know what to feel. Shock, anger, disbelief? I need the whole story because right now, I’m teetering somewhere between wanting to laugh hysterically and spring into the woods like a lunatic and never come back.
And neither of those options are looking good.
I slowly lower myself back onto the stump, forcing myself to stay calm and focus. I count my breaths—one, two, three, four, five. Trying to steady my heartbeat that’s two seconds away from a prison break.
Cam rubs the back of his neck like he’s not sure where to start. “Okay, um,” he begins, and I can tell he's trying to be careful. “We aren’t exactly in Scotland anymore.”
My head snaps up as alarm tears through me. “Cam!” I shoot to my feet. “Why would you start with that, of all things you could’ve started with.”
I throw my hands up, pacing back and forth as my mind scrambles to make sense of what he means by not in Scotland. It’s like he dropped a grenade and walked away. Where the hell am I then?
Cam winces, holding up his hands defensively. “Sorry! I’ve never had to do this before.” His tone is half-apologetic, but it's not helping. “Can I… show you instead of trying to explain? That might be easier, and we can talk while I do.”