Infernal

Nina's POV

Several things made me shiver.

Cameron's still form, Felix's face turning red from lack of oxygen, but mostly, the stranger stepping on his throat. I barely noticed the fallen backpack beside me. But knew it was mine. The mysterious guy brought it with him.

I hadn't caught a single glance at his face, except blurred lines when he'd shown up. I was shell-shocked, though. Because what I could see reminded me of an older version of Cameron. Or Phillip. Except for the raven hair, that was all Cam's. Broader back, wide set of shoulders, with defined muscles peeking underneath the Tee's dark material. Tall—but I couldn't say who was taller, the twins or him.

His booted foot pressed harder on Felix's neck, causing him to squirm. No matter what, Felix couldn't push him off. Whoever this person was, whatever he was, he was strong.

Another shudder rocked me to my core. Crack. Crunch. Those noises were loud in my ears. They were the sounds of Felix's bones being crushed. It should've disgusted me but it satisfied a thirst for vengeance. The last he tried to do, before his head was separated from his body, was scream. I never heard it. But that was the expression forever on his face—his mouth open in a silent yell.

The decapitator tilted his head, I tensed. What was he going to do now? Was he friend or foe—

A small, circular vial was tossed my way. Then, where the man had stood, was no one. Just Felix's headless body gushing blood and the head. I'd never seen someone so fast before, not even Cameron who was capable of moving in a blink.

Nursing Cam's head, I reached for the glass vial. Inside were two violet, oval-shaped flowers. Honestly, they reminded me of berries. My heart spanked my ribs as I got one out, worried about smooshing it. Brain going overdrive, I tore inside my newly found bag.

"Yes," I murmured as my fingers brushed a worn cover.

Flipping through stale, yellowed-pages I held my breath, searching for a drawing that matched these fruits. It was painted black but still recognizable. The name screamed at me: DEVIL'S BIT

...cures all ailments...

That was all I needed to start rubbing the biggest cut with the purplish fruit. The tips of my fingers squeezed juice onto the open gashes, marveling a miraculous healing. Smoke rose from Cam's going away-wounds, briefly. Booms of door's smacking open could be heard outside, echoing through the halls, I let out a string of colorful cursing as Cameron still wouldn't come to.

The Devil Bit I'd applied on the biggest ones wasn't enough. I fumbled inside the vial for the last one, repeating the treatment. More smoke and healing took place before my eyes—

"What's happened here?" I looked up into the face of someone I didn't know. It was a girl; with a beauty that rivaled mystical nymphs. "Oh my—Felix!" And of course she was on these lunatics' side.

Her fair face twisted in strong fury towards me. Just as I got ready for whatever Power-ass she had, her body flattered and spasmed. Quickly, I saw blood pouring from her neck and then the set of teeth bitting into it. Deeply. When she finished sucking the girl's life out, Rory lifted her eyes to mine, straight hair framing her bloodied face.

I was so glad to see her I didn't care the veins around her eyes were still prominent and pulsing.

"How did you get here?"

She wiped her mouth with a sleeve and threw the corpus aside, it fell within inches of Felix's head.

"Long story," Rory didn't even bother covering the Brit accent. "You have to get out of here now. I have to get Romeo from the East Wing, he won't be able to handle all the Rebels himself."

East Wing? Rebels?

"Nina!" She yelled with urgency.

Right. Go. We needed to go...

"I can't. His neck is still broken." Rory whirled to the door and back to us. Torn. "How long does it normally take? For a broken neck to heal?"

"I don't know. It depends on the amount of Power. Cameron's blood is very strong." Had to be, his Father used to be an Archangel. I saw Courtney eying the scenery. I winced. "Please tell me this blood isn't all his? Just what happened here?"

"It's a long story," I quoted her as I stashed the book away and pulled the bag over my shoulders. "Can you help me carry him?"

"And take you where? The exit is down the left of this corridor, the East Wing is in the opposite direction. If we want Phillip back we need Romeo. I can't leave him..." the shudder that wrecked made me wonder if that was the only reason why she couldn't leave him. "Rats..." she dropped to her knees and took my shoulders. "Okay, listen closely. You're going to stay here until Cameron wakes up. If someone comes in here you use the Azure Dagger, got it?" I nodded happy that I had my backpack back, otherwise... "As soon as he comes to, you two get the hell out of here."

No room to argue, I nodded. No matter how much Cameron cared for Courtney or even how much I liked her, I wouldn't jeopardize this mission. Finding Phillip required us staying alive.

All I saw her do was tilt her head, then, a blur and then nothing.

So we wouldn't be out in the open, I pulled, or tried pulling, Cameron behind a pillar. After, I set his head back on my lap and watched as his face gained color, taking its golden glory again.

Who could've been that man?

I jerked when suddenly Cameron's eyes flew open and his chest gave one big jostle. Like a Zombie being born or something equally gross. But I couldn't deny that the minute our eyes gravitated towards each other, the moment my hands cupped his warming cheeks and I watched him breathe lungfuls of air... I couldn't say it wasn't the happiest moment of my life.

"...Nina..." his name slipped from between his lips as he gasped, hand grasping at his chest. "...I... I..."

"Shh, hey, Cam? Cameron?" I gripped his cheeks firmly keeping his focus. "Breathe, just breathe. You'll be okay... You're okay."

Ever so slowly, I felt our foreheads bump and rest against each other. Cameron dove inside my soul pulling strength and self-control, I let him. It only lasted seconds. More crashes and screams—deadly ones—played from wherever Rory had gone to.

"We have to go," I got one of his arms over my shoulders, helping Cam to his feet. At first, he swayed, then after placing a hand on the nearby column he shook out his hair and rolled his shoulders back and forth.

"Damn, this feels weird." Getting his neck broken and coming back to life? Yeah, I'd say so. "Where's that prick..." I nodded to Felix and unknown-dead girl. "Shit, Nina. Did you grow a pair of wings while I was out?"

"I wish," I still had the same old-boring ability. "It was... hum... I'm not actually sure. He just showed up, I couldn't see his face, but whoever he was we should send him a gift basket the size of Texas. See that? It had some super-healing fruits and thanks to my book I knew exactly what to do with them." Cameron touched my backpack understanding every word I spoke but not really liking them.

"He?"

"Yeah," I started pulling him along, hurrying to turn left at exit of this room. "And Rory's here. Romeo, too. She killed the girl, whatever she was."

"Rory's here?" Cam's voice quieted once we were outside the altar room. When I looked at him, he was looking right, where yells vibrated each single air molecule.

"She is." I bit my lip. "She said we had to get out, Cam. We have to." His head didn't turn to me. "If they don't make it out, we have to. For Phillip." His shoulders pinched with tension at his twin's name. Darn, that had been a low blow.

All of a sudden, he was the one doing the pulling. I'd played a dirty hand and hated myself for sounding so selfish. Deserting a friend? That wasn't me. But whether I liked the feeling it left in my gut or not, Phill was more important than Rory.

"She came here of her own free will, she knew the risks." Cameron murmured in a monotone, catching me eying over a shoulder. "Outside isn't far, I smell fresh air." His nose twitched. "Well, fresher."

We prowled the endless hall, Cam's hand never letting go of mine, his eyes never stilled, always alert. I wished I could be half as impressive as he was. Cameron was incredible.

The corridor lit by floating light balls ended in a cave hole. Up ahead, was light. Reddish.

"We're inside a cave?" I whispered.

Cameron didn't say a thing until we were hit by actual light, well, red-sun light from Hell served with a blue moon on the side. My hand darted for my eyes.

"Not a cave," Cam whistled. "Mountain."

Blinking my eyes, I whirled like he had, spotting a colossal pile of rocks, soil and the occasional green stretching up. We were sanding in a circle of sand, trees from the forest we'd been at days ago greeted us.

"Let's go."

I looked at Cam, straight face on. "Go where? We don't know our way around this hell hole."

"You and your puns," he smirked. "Now, don't be a downer and have some faith." An eyebrow puckered. "Faith in me, of course." Oh that was rich.

"Fine, Mr. Fearless Leader, where do we go? Back into the forest where winged freaks wanted us for lunch?" He gave me a glare, one that promised he'd shut me up and I wouldn't like it. Exhausted, I sighed. "Whatever."

"Really? Just like that?" I followed Cam as he got us away from our prison-mountain and closer to the edge of forest. "You're not putting up a fight, firing a few more quick-mouthed comments?"

I side-glanced him with crossed arms.

"I don't want to fight."

"That's a new one. You sure the spell's done for good?"

I gripped the straps of my bag tighter. Now that we were outside, the smudges of blood left from the healed cuts mocked me. Something worse and deeper than guilt tore through my insides making me sick to my stomach. The little tremor in my hands was the only heads up before I sunk to my knees. My eyes were wide and unfocused even as Cameron crouched in front of me, lips parted questioningly.

Even as he started talking, I didn't listen, not right away. Because all I could see was his torn shirt where skin was still red from recent healing... healing from me. From things I'd done to him! Me.

"I did that... I did that to you." I whispered looking into his softening eyes. "I could've killed you. I... They wanted me to, I was going to kill you, I was going..."

Cameron's hand touched my face, fingers brushing my jaw line gingerly, stopping on my chin. He angled it and lowered his head down. His lips didn't touch mine, only by inches though.

"I was never worried," his breath caused a whiplash of emotions in my heart. "I don't blame you for anything that went down in that place, Nina. How could I? You were under a spell! I've never been under one but..." Cam's finger slid along my lower lip. "It can't be easy to break one."

"I tortured you... I was under a spell but it was still me. I was still in there, Cameron!" I cried pulling away, burying my face into my palms.

***

Cam's POV

Of all the times to have a break down, Nina had to have one during our little escape. That made me sound like an insensitive dick, but I'd just woken up from a broken neck injury. And I still hadn't come back from being her sexy-voodoo-doll. Not to mention my pseudo-aunt could soon be MIA.

I was in a craptastic mood.

My stomach coiled at the sound of her sobbing. Sighing heavily, I got to my feet, ignoring all the complaints from my muscles and joints. I reached down and stripped Nina's backpack from her shoulders, slinging it over my own. Next, my hands found her curvy hips and squeezed before setting her back on her feet and before Rapunzel realized, I had her in my arms.

I heard the breath she sucked in. Felt the second her head tilted into my shoulder. She was a nervous wreck and I didn't blame her. It couldn't have been easy to break that spell. I had no idea how she'd done it. But I knew if the situation had been reserved I'd be beating myself up just as much.

Nina didn't deserve this.

I trudged carefully into the darkened forest, looking for a spot where we rest for a while without having to worry about every bush rustle. For the first time I felt thankful for the canopy created by the thick branches above the whole forest, 'cause unlike near Abyssal Lake, this part of Hell wasn't chilling.

Spotting one of those white versions of Willow trees, I took us under its snowy vines, lowering Nina down then the bag.

If she was anyone else I'd ask her when she'd be done crying and talk about the fact some vigilante saved us. Nina wasn't just anybody, she was a somebody I couldn't tear from under my skin. When she was up and shaking tawny hair from her eyes I held a breath. Distraught golden irises held mine.

Leaning my body into the trunk I tilted my head as invitation. Even with her heaving chest she took it, her face didn't change from a red-tear-stricken state, but she half-walked, half-stumbled to me, holding up a hand. Her palms fell over my chest. Very softly. I knew what she was afraid of.

"It's all healed. Scars will go soon, too."

Her hands rubbed their way to my shoulders and I wanted to close my eyes. My muscles were so sore. That felt sooo good.

"I'm sorry," she said. "I lost it." A hand found its way to her back, clasping her closer. Any other time Nina's soft chest against mine would drive me mad. "Can I... can I ask you something?" she rasped out.

"Okay."

"It's important to me." I frowned. So much mystery meant I wouldn't like where this was heading. "Please don't make this hard," Nina pleaded seeing my walls wanting so slam her out. "Don't shut me out."

Totally not liking this.

"What do you want, already?" I hissed like a cornered animal.

Nina bit her lip, wiping a few lost tears. "What things was she talking about? Helena. She said you hadn't killed my family but... you'd done other things?"

Narrowing my eyes, I side-stepped her, leaning against another part of the tree.

"Real mature, Cam." Her cheeks puffed in sudden determination. "Can you please, for heaven's sake, stop running? It's all you do when I say we need to talk. But when it's not talking-when it's about kissing you're all for it. Guess what? I'm not a kissing booth."

"Weren't you just all heart broken because you nearly bled me? What a turn."

She flushed from head to toe.

"I'm trying not to think about it. You're being a great help, as always." She muttered.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means you do me more harm than good!" She yelled, standing face to face with me, leaving my ears ringing. I was more interested in the burning flames that were her eyes. "I broke that spell because of you, I came back because of you! Because I... I know who you are to me even when I don't know who I am, when nothing else makes sense, I still know you." Her hands fell on my shoulders, squeezing. "I thought Felix killed you. I thought you were gone and that..." a tear rolled down her cheek as she choked in a breath. "It was the worst feeling I ever felt."

She dropped her hands and hugged her lithe frame, shaking her head.

"I'm honest with you, why can't you be honest with me?"

Sighing, I tipped back my head, not sure I'd fully processed what I'd heard. This was not how I thought our after-escape-party would go.

"Why are we talking about this now?"

"Because I don't want to do this anymore, Cameron. I don't want to pretend. Life's too short and unpredictable... What I realized about us was that... I don't want to run away anymore." Feelings for me... Secrets... She had my head in a spin. "And secrets keep us apart."

Ah. Crap.

Dragging a hand through my hair, I met her eyes. They were stronger than ever. She was right. Secrets were keeping us apart.
I probably should've wagered the pros and cons before I talked, but my brain was too fried, my body too beaten, so unlike any other time touching the subject, I didn't think once.

"I don't feel guilty about the things I do, Nina. At least, I didn't used to." I said with a brief glance to the side. "I kept everything to myself, everything bad that I'd ever done under wraps, I actually enjoyed being who I was..." my eyes roped her in, I felt it, and she came closer. "Do you remember that time at Haven Park? Where we talked about how I didn't belong anywhere?"

"On Halloween night, yes, I remember."

"It's true. I never felt like I belonged anywhere. The closest comfort was my brother, but even he couldn't—can't—understand what it feels like. Because he doesn't just try to fit in with humans, he succeeds." Nina's eyebrows had drawn together but now her eyes grew wide and her lips parted. I stopped her before she went on a crusade about some mushy-heart-to-heart talk. I couldn't lose my nerve. "Phillip has always been more human than me. It comes naturally to him." And for that, I both cherished and envied my twin. Always had. "I was always different. I never wanted to be a simple human." My grin was a bit short and somber. "There's no fun in that. I like being impossibly strong, incredibly fast... To have Power." I let out a bark of laughter, loosening my crossed arms. "Then you happened."

Nina's chest heaved like I'd just knocked her over.

"You came along, Nina, and nothing made sense anymore. Suddenly I felt guilty for what happened with Vanessa. I felt disgusted for taking pleasure in killing and torturing things—even Demons—just to make myself feel lighter." I blew out a ragged breath. "I tried pushing you away, but the more I did... you kept coming back—you keep coming back. You tear me apart, make me feel bad for all the horrible things I've done. Thing's I never wanted to look back on—"

In a blink I was standing face to face with her. Nina didn't gasp or shrink back, if anything she tipped forward, giving into the magnetic pull between us.

"You undo me... You make feel like I belong. Like I'm not alone." My voice fell into a low whisper. "I belong with you—to you. Even if you don't want me, I'm always yours."

"Cameron..." she began, out of breath. I almost smirked at that.

I swallowed and it felt like stomaching acid, "I killed my Father."