Chapter 41 #2
I stop pacing and whip around to face him, narrowing my eyes as I try to gauge if he’s serious or just messing with me. “Cam, I'm seriously questioning my judgment in trusting you right now.”
A not-so-subtle wave of emotions surges through me and I want to cry.
Confusion, frustration, and a spark of curiosity, to name a few.
But panic is strangely absent. I can feel my heart pounding, but there’s an unsettling calm spreading through me, like my brain has skipped the meltdown phase entirely.
I wonder if this is what shock feels like.
Cam’s expression softens, sincerity etched into every line of his face. “I get it, Raven. I really do.” His voice full of quiet understanding. “I promise I'm not trying to make things harder. I’m trying to help you. I think if you see it for yourself, it’ll start to click. Hopefully.”
His tone is calm, almost soothing, and it tempers my irritation just enough to keep me from snapping back. I search his face, looking for any sign of deception or hesitation, but all I see is honesty and maybe a hint of worry. That alone is enough to keep me listening.
Part of me wants to demand answers right now, to make him spill every detail before we take another step. But a bigger part of me is intrigued. He said he could explain what's happening, and that's what I've wanted this entire time. Answers. At least it’s something. No matter how crazy it sounds.
He looks like he’s trying to untangle a web of thoughts. “Let me try again,” he says, standing and gesturing in the direction the horses disappeared.
I decide to follow, hoping I don’t regret it. I fall into step beside him, scanning our surroundings.
The trees sway gently in the breeze, whispering secrets to each other, but there’s something about it that just feels off.
I look at Cam, half-expecting him to be focused on the path ahead.
Instead, I catch him looking over at me, like he’s expecting something.
For a second, neither of us speaks. The only sound is the soft crunch of the leaves beneath our feet.
“I’m sorry,” he says finally, breaking the silence. “This is just… not something I saw coming, and that’s kinda my job.” He shakes his head as a frustrated huff escapes him. “Where was I? Oh, right, you have magic. Abilities—unknown?”
My fingers tighten around the dagger as my mind races to keep up. “Magic?” I echo flatly. “You realize how insane that sounds, right?”
His eyes snap to the blade. “Why do you really have a dagger?”
“To protect myself, obviously,” I reply, lifting it slightly to emphasize my point. “Don’t make me stab you, Cam,” I add, smirking despite the tension. It doesn’t entirely land, but it’s better than nothing.
He laughs, and for a second, the weight of the situation lifts, and I catch a glimpse of the Cam that Rachel’s always drooling over. He looks like the same tall, handsome man I saw that first night at the bar. He’s always been attractive, but something about him feels different right now.
“Did you bring it with you to the castle?” His tone is serious, snapping me out of my daze.
I hesitate, “No.”
His eyes widen slightly, looking at the blade in my hand. He notices my stare and holds up his hands again. “Look, I know you're questioning if you can trust me right now, and you should be. It means you're smart. If you don’t want to tell me about the knife, that’s okay. You don’t have to.”
I study him, weighing my options. He seems genuine, but I've been wrong about people before. Still, there’s something about the way he’s looking at me that makes me want to believe him, even if I don’t understand why.
“I had my suspicions about your background, but this…” His gaze drifts back to the dagger, and his voice trails off as if he’s putting pieces together in his head. “This might be the answer to so many questions.”
“Cam, you keep saying things without actually saying anything. Enough with the cryptic bullshit. Just tell me what’s going on.”
The wind picks up, rustling the leaves around us, carrying a chill that brushes against my skin. I'm really trying to keep it together right now, but this sounds insane.
“What am I missing here?” I demand, narrowing my eyes. Skepticism fills my voice, but curiosity creeps in too, uninvited and insistent. Maybe that’s why everything about my family feels like a puzzle missing too many pieces. Am I losing my mind for even entertaining this idea?
Is this how people get kidnapped? By thinking that insane things are somehow a good idea? Or maybe I’m having a complete breakdown. Hell, maybe I’ve fallen asleep somewhere and stumbled into the weirdest dream of my life or forgot that I followed a white rabbit down a dark hole.
Cam's voice cuts through my spiraling thoughts like a lifeline. “Okay, so…” he begins casually, like he’s just thinking out loud.
“There’s the realm where you live. Where people have jobs, go to school, pay bills, and do all the normal, boring human things.
” He gestures around us, smiling slightly.
“And then there’s this one. Where magic is as real as the air you’re breathing.
People have jobs and go to school, but we do fun magical things. ”
I blink, trying to wrap my head around what he’s saying, but it feels like grasping at smoke. Realms?
“You’ve read stories, haven’t you? About other worlds, about magic and things most people don’t believe in? Did you ever wonder where those stories came from?”
Of course, I’ve wondered. So many late nights were spent devouring tales of magic and other worlds, secretly hoping they were real. Hell, there was a time when all I did was fantasize about being kidnapped by pirates.
Cam smiles, and even though I’m in the middle of all this insanity. I can’t help but notice how annoyingly good-looking he is when he smiles. Why does he have such perfect cheekbones, and such perfect hair? That’s when I see his ears. His pointed ears.
His laugh snaps me out of whatever that was, and I look at him. “You think this is funny? What exactly is so amusing about any of this?”
“Relax, Raven.” His smile is still plastered on his face. “Yeah, the looks are a perk. That part of the stories are true.”
“As if your ego needs more inflating.” I stop dead in my tracks as a new, horrifying thought crashes into me. “Wait, is Kane…” The words catch in my throat, too heavy to say out loud. My stomach churns with a nauseating mix of dread and suspicion. Has Kane been keeping more secrets from me?
Cam’s face shifts, and his amusement vanishes. “That’s… a complicated question,” he says carefully. “But the short version? No.”
Relief washes over me, but it’s brief. “Complicated? What the hell does that even mean?” My mind races. If Kane's not involved, then what is this? What am I in the middle of?
“Raven, I think everything is connected to you. To who you are.”
The weight of his words hits me like a freight train. “What do you mean?” I ask, hating the tremor in my voice.
He sighs, raking a hand through his hair. “Your family. The trail just… disappears. And then there’s the fact that what I did find, said your grandparents were royalty.” His voice is almost casual, like he’s ticking off items on a checklist. “There's so much we don’t know about them, or you.”
I nod slowly, trying to keep up, but my thoughts spiral faster, the more he says, the more outrageous it all gets. None of it feels real, but there’s a part of me that can’t dismiss it outright.
He takes another step closer. “Raven.”
The way he says my name makes my heart stutter.
“I’m telling you everything I know,” he continues, his voice is calm, but he's not telling me something. “I don’t want to overwhelm you, so if you need a minute, tell me. I just can’t have you freaking out.”
I raise an eyebrow, feeling defensive. “You’re not exactly filling me with confidence here.”
His jaw ticks, but his expression softens. “If something happens, I'll have to put a stop to it. And that’s not because I don’t trust you. It’s because it’s the safest option for everyone.” His voice drops lower, carrying a weight that sends a chill through me. “I need you to trust me on that.”
I freeze, and his words settle over me like a heavy fog. Stop what?
Cam watches me carefully, his eyes searching mine. “I mean… if your magic starts reacting to you, it could be dangerous. For both of us.”
My stomach tightens and I think I’m going to be sick.
“I need you to stay calm,” he continues, his tone careful. “To stay in control. Can you do that?”
I swallow hard, nodding slowly. Breathe in. And out. “I’ll try.” I whisper. Ignoring the fact that he's treating me like I'm going to blow at any second.
I watch the relief flash across his face. “I know this is a lot, and I know it sounds insane, but I'm here to help.”
The sincerity in his voice throws me. For the first time since this bizarre conversation began, I feel something other than fear. Trust? Or maybe I’m just desperate for some kind of anchor in all this madness, but right now, I don’t have any other choice. Especially if I want answers.
I take a slow, deliberate breath, forcing my heartbeat to steady. “I’m fine, just keep talking.”
He nods once, then turns on his heel, walking down the path. I follow him, still trying to untangle the questions and fears that refuse to settle. This might just be the dumbest thing I've ever done.
“Fae, witches, and other creatures with magic, live here. We have for a very long time. But that’s a story for another day.” He looks over at me, probably making sure I'm still with him. “Right now, what matters is figuring out how you got here.”
“So…” I hesitate. “How did I get here?”