Ethereal

Nina's POV

I faded in and out of consciousness for brief seconds. Enough time to flutter my eyes around the strangely mega-lit bedroom and close them, falling into an uneven sleep. I had no idea how long this repeated itself. Once, I saw Jade sitting beside me. She'd smiled before I went back under.

But this noise—a loud scream—was what finally ripped me from limbo.

I sat up, sweat running between my shoulder blades. I felt so hot. And I was sure I looked like a hot-mess, too. All rumpled clothes and sticky hair. This time my room was empty, dark. It was night.

I pressed a hand to my stomach.

It felt like someone had reached inside me and poked around with a fire-iron. Urgh, I felt positively sick.

The cry rang out again—this time, I heard voices. They were loud, yelling. I couldn't understand them, though. Come on, Nina, my head chided, You can do this... The hard part wasn't throwing my legs to the side, or setting my feet on the carpet. It was standing. My leg muscles weren't on the cooperative side. Steadying myself on the bedside table, I pushed up.

I gritted my teeth against the dizziness. My eyes saw white lights dancing, daring me to fall.

"Nina!"

The door was pushed all the way and Jade came running to my side, wrapping one arm around my waist. I couldn't help but put weight on her.

"You shouldn't be out of bed. You're still weak from the Datura seeds." Jade tried guiding my butt onto bed. I was going nowhere except the source—someone was in pain. "Please sit down, you're running a fever..."

"Jade," I rasped. "I like you a ton. I love that you care about me, too. But..." I paused to catch my breath. Damn. "What's going on downstairs?"

Jade's eyes got shadowed by her ebony hair.

"Jade..."

She bit her lip—more like chomped on it. Oh God.

"Phillip and Serena left after you showed signs of recovery." They'd left?

"Wait. Ho w long was I...?"

"Almost two days." No wonder my muscles felt like putty. "They left because... Because Serena thought she'd found a loophole and she could free Cameron."

My golden eyes focused on hers. I was so not sitting down now.

"Really?" She nodded. That was great! It was amazingly fantastic, so, why was she nervous? "It didn't work, did it?"

She shook her head. It had worked. But then...

"They left after Serena performed a locator spell. They needed to know where... where Lucifer's body was being kept." My fingers curled on the bedside table's edge. "They found it. It was under a preservation spell, which stops a body from decaying when there's no soul inside it. And they brought it here..."

I didn't think. I moved forward a step—Jade almost fell along with me. She tripped to keep me from hitting the floor, my knees hit it hard, anyway. Not that I cared. Pain got locked away in the back-burner of my brain. I would've crawled all the way to the door if she hadn't mustered the strength to pull me to my feet.

"Nina you need..."

"I need to get downstairs!" I yelled at her. For the first time since we met, I yelled at her. More out of fear than anger. Her eyes felt too big for her young face, though. "Jade... I'm sorry. I need to get down there—please."

Eyes still wide, she nodded, pulling more of my weight onto her lithe frame. Together we made it outside, she eased us down the hall and when the stairs came into view I considered rolling down them just so I could be quicker. Patience was a fading virtue with every step I took. We were nearing the library's entrance.

My heart leaped to my throat when we stopped in front of the cellar door.

Now I could understand the voices. I could identify the screams.

"...what's happening?"

"It's the seal—let me focus!" Serena yelled at Phillip.

Screams I knew all too well pierced my ears.

"What are they doing to him...?" I whispered to myself. "Jade," I snapped. "What's Serena doing to him?"

She'd said Lucas' soul couldn't be removed from Cameron's body. That she couldn't lift the seal. She'd said—more than once—that trying to pull Lucas out would damage Cam's soul permanently.

"She found a loophole," Jade started in a quiet tone. "Serena explained it to me before they left. Since she couldn't risk extracting Lucifer's soul or remove the seal, she figured..."

An agonizing scream cut her off. I squeezed my eyes shut.

"She figured she could do the opposite." The... opposite?

"I don't..."

The screams ceased. So did the chanting. For a ripple in time, everything in the house was silent. Wood creeks would've been heard, I could actually hear the cackling going on in the fireplace.

Until a gasp sounded from down below.

I twisted from Jade's grip. She called my name, but I ignored her, scrambling to walk down the slippery stairs without breaking my neck. I used the large table just outside the cell to keep myself upright, breathing heavily.

Jade was right. I had a fever. But no matter how badly I wanted to curl up and sleep for the next five years, I needed to see what they'd done. What she'd meant about...

I blinked at the cell's entrance, leaning heavily on the cool door.

Lucas' body was here alright. Dressed in the same clothes I'd seen him in Hell. Bomber jacket, black T-shirt, dark jeans and boots—all tailored. The hair was the raven color I remembered from Etna's memories, a littler shorter. His face was every bit delectable, from the sharp cheekbones to the coral lips.

But this wasn't how I'd first seen him. No. Back then, he'd been sitting on a throne truly fit for a king. But he wasn't the cool, playful guy Etna knew, either. He was panting. Head buried in his hands, sitting on the dirty ground—panting.

I dared taking a step closer.

My knees went weak and not from illness. It was... Tingles. Strong ones. I hadn't felt them so strongly since our little date night. Or the time our souls weirdly connected us.

Something was wrong, had to be. Because the tingles guided me to...

Lucas' head snapped up. Towards me.

I faltered a step, covering my mouth.

The opposite.

Serena couldn't take Lucas' soul from Cam's body because the seal didn't allow it... But she...

"What did you do?" I heard myself whisper, incapable of dragging my eyes from him.

It was a stupid question to ask. Especially when I already knew. Serena's answer melted into nothingness as I watched black-as-night eyes looking himself over. Cameron was in Lucas' body, my brain chanted as a mantra. I couldn't believe what my eyes were seeing, what my own soul was telling me. The tingles came from him—from Lucas. But his eyes... they were Cam's.

I snuck a quick glance at Cameron's body. It was slumped against a wall, chained with Golden Chains. His chest was heaving fast, face twisted in pain.

My throat was so tight I could barely breathe, little alone speak.

Lucas' head swung around the room—Cameron's eyes watched us. My heart fell to my feet when labyrinthic eyes stopped on mine, drawing me closer.

"Cam? Hey—are you okay? How do you feel?"

Cam's gaze turned on his brother.

"I feel..." he started. He looked down at his hands—they were shaking.

"Why are his hands shaking? Is it from the ritual—"

I'd seen Lucas use speed before. Both as myself and Etna, but it surprised me every time. One second Cam was sitting, the next, he was up, slamming his back against a wall. The whole room shook to its core—if not the house. Serena was knocked over, Phillip barely caught her.

There was a sudden gush of Power. One I'd never felt. It was springing, like water from a fountain. It was so massive... And... and it was completely out of control. Cameron closed his hands into thick, white fists, shutting his eyes. He doubled over with a grunt.

Tearing myself from the door, I half-ran, half-limped the distance between us. Before I grazed any part of Lucas' body, he jerked away. His eyes opened in slits, glaring at me.

"Don't," he gritted. "Stay away."

"Cameron—"

Outside the sky rumbled. Lightning bolts exploded, wind came alive slamming into the house's walls. Basement lights flickered on and off, somewhere glass exploded—Jade screamed. Another explosion. Glass had shattered.

"It's... too much. I can't—I can't control it." He breathed. Cam drew his arms around his mid-section, touching his forehead against the ground.

He was in pain. I could feel it—like it was mine.

"You can do this," Phillip's voice carried over the outside storm. "You can control it, Cam. Don't let it take over, you know how to do it—"

"Shut up!" Cameron snarled in a voice that was deeper than his five times over.

Phillip had sat Serena in a corner, he took a step to where we were. The Power jarring from Lucas' body flared.

"Stop," Phillip didn't. "I said stop!"

Phillip stopped this time. Mid-step. But he hadn't been the only one. Serena's hand was frozen over her mouth, eyes unblinking. Lucas wasn't heaving in Cam's body—everything in the room had no movement.

Everything was frozen but us.

Cameron's muscles twitched when I slid closer. I only resisted grabbing his face because he was afraid of what would happen, not because I was. I couldn't be afraid. I needed to bring him back. To anchor him.

"Stay back. I don't want to hurt you."

I licked my lips, "You won't," Cameron tilted his head, one eye watched me carefully. Fear flashed in it. "I know you won't. I'm not afraid." My fingers made contact with his cheeks, curling around their edges. I guided his head up, forcing him to stand on his knees.

All the time I stared into Cam's black holes eyes, calming the storm within his soul.

"There's so much Power..."

"It's okay, darling." I smoothed a finger over a lip corner. He shivered. "You need to calm down. You can't be afraid or it'll control you. You know this, Cam."

Lucas' face twisted in panic. It was such a strange thing to see. I'd seen many faces on Lucas—but none had been like this. It was pure fright.

"I can't." He ground out, shaking his head. I clung to his face for dear life—holding on to his gaze.

"Yes you can!"

"I can't! Most times I can't even keep my Power down... I can't!"

"You can!" I yelled back. My hands moved down, wrapping the nape of his neck, hard. "Cameron, you have to do this. Even if you can't—you have to. Do you understand? Otherwise you'll hurt people—kill them. I know you don't want to do that, so, focus."

Heaving what sounded like a suffocating breath, Cameron closed his eyes. His breaths were heavy as he tried to draw the massive cloud of Power into himself.

"Nina..." he gasped scrunching his face. "It's too—"

I pressed my mouth to his—and although they weren't his lips, I felt Cameron's soul reaching for mine. They enveloped each other in a wild dance and for a minute in time, we were truly unbreakable.

Static crackled over my skin. I stayed still, channeling all my energy to him, every amazing thing he'd ever done, to prove he could do this. My eyes flew open at the same time his did. Storminess had cleared out, leaving a lick of angst behind.

He shook his head, "How do you do it...? Every time... how?" Cam exhaled.

I broke into a stupid smile—something I hadn't done in too long—before throwing myself against him, looping my arms around his neck. Cam used one arm to keep me trapped on him.

"I don't know..." my voice wobbled. "Just hold me—please."

Skin touched my neck. I sighed at the blissful contact, melting deeper into our embrace.

"Yeah," Cam whispered. It was so soft, so low, it nearly sounded like his true voice. "It's all I want, little bird. To hold you."

I buried my face into the bomber jacket's fur collar, sniffing. It was only when Cam's arm stiffened around my waist, that I was reminded we weren't alone. There were other people—unfrozen people. Shaken, I glanced over a shoulder.

Phillip looked winded and Serena was smiling a little.

"Are you guys alright?" I asked thickly.

"I am," Serena got up, dusting her skinny jeans. "Lucifer's Power hadn't been used since the ritual, you guys know what happens to bottled up Power."

"It explodes." Phillip spoke for the first time. His vibrant eyes still on Cameron's. "Are you okay?"

Cam dropped his arm. I glanced at him quickly. Lucas' lip tilted on one side reassuringly. Understanding blossomed and I slipped my arms from around his neck. I watched Cameron walk toward his brother—in his uncle's body, God how messed up was this?—and, leaving us all dumbstruck, Cam punched Phillip.

"Cameron!" I yelled.

Serena went to crouch by Phill, but Cam beat her to it, grasping the front of his twin's shirt.

"You're a total moron! Why would you put me—me of all people—in a body with so much Power? Did you want me to kill you—everyone?" Cam shook him. "I could've killed you."

Phillip grabbed Cam's wrist, looking straight into his eyes.

"Was I supposed to leave you at his mercy? He could've destroyed you!"

"Yes!" He roared. "You were supposed to wait. Nina would've found Etna, Lucifer would've switched bodies..."

Phillip climbed to full height, pushing his brother off.

"Because she's doing a banged up job so far. She almost died—again." Cam's obsidian gaze snapped to me. I clamped my mouth shut. "She's been taking risks over and over because you being gone was killing her. Because she worries about you, like I do." Phillip pointed at himself. "I can't understand how someone can care so little about themselves."

Cam stewed, looking up to the ceiling.

"I'm going to lose control again."

"No, you won't." It was Serena who spoke up. She looked at Phill before moving toward Cam, who tensed. "I know a mortal soul can't handle controlling such amount of Power, doing so would break you down."

What?

"That's why I'm going to put a seal on Lucifer's Power."

Some lost hotness barreled into me as I got to my feet. I swallowed, leaning on a wall. Cameron was beside me in a jiffy, head angled to mine, hand on my cheek.

"You're burning up."

"That would be the fever..." I smiled innocently.

His eyes narrowed.

"Don't try to be cute about this. You should be in bed." I rolled my eyes. "Talk about self-preservation... or lack of it." He whispered, drawing me into his side so I wouldn't end up on my hands and knees. "This seal... What will it do?"

Cameron in business-mode was something that both excited and scared me. This side of him made me believe anything was possible, no matter how crazy and dangerous. If I wasn't so emotionally tied to him, I'd say it made me fall a little more.

"It will keep his Power dormant. You won't be able to use it, and it won't be able to break free. You would be like a normal human."

Phill wiped the blood trickling down his chin. Bad Cameron, I thought sulking.

Lucas' jaw grew tight. I knew Cameron wasn't liking the idea of being Powerless and with Cam's track record for attracting trouble I wasn't sure what was safer. Him being a ticking-time bomb or sealing Luc's Power away.

After the fear I'd felt in him...

"Do it." We said in union.

Cam chuckled softly, "You heard the woman."

Serena reached for his right arm, lifting the sleeve. A deep breath later, she started moving her finger—like she was drawing on air—and chanting. There was always chanting in Witchy-manbo-jambo. Lucas' body jerked. Phillip and I peered at his forearm. Everywhere Serena moved her finger a new cut showed. Little drops of blood ran down the sides of his arm, falling to the floor.

But the cuts formed something. A symbol.

The cuts began closing; the blood that had oozed out shifted, rearranging itself at Serena's commanding finger. It changed color, becoming a tainted black-gray, then it sunk into the skin, drying in a pinch.

Serena had just Witchy-tattooed Cam with his own blood. Wow. I was impressed.

Cam turned his arm with a grimace. I could see the tattoo clearly. It was a key. Triangle-shaped, just like the keys used to unlock Golden Chains.

"Nifty," Phill gave Serena a privy smile. Dimples and all.

I glared to the side, where Lucas was still knocked out and chained. I missed seeing Cam's dimples. I missed Cameron's body and soul...

A shiver creepy-crawled from where he pressed his lips to my toes.

But I'd missed Cameron's soul much more.

"What about him?" Serena jerked her chin to Lucas. "We should leave him down here, right? He can't hurt anyone while he's chained."

"He has nothing to gamble with. Cam's safe," Phill paused eying his brother sternly. Kinda like he wanted to carry out their previous argument. "You don't need to find this girl, Nina. With some time we'll find Lucifer's Witch and force him or her to undo the seal."

Right.

How could I tell them that I wanted to find Etna—wanted to help him? They'd think I was crazy. Frankly, I wasn't too sure I wasn't. But what I'd seen, felt, those things came from the highest connection... I looked into Cam's eyes enough time to lose myself.

A strong arm squeezed me into a hard body.

"He stays here tonight," Cam was looking down intensely. Did he know what I was thinking? "You need to get into bed, Rapunzel."

That nickname fit the bill anymore. Cam seemed to think the same because he smothered short waves between his fingers.

"Hey—Cam!"

I blushed ten shades of pink before covering my face. I was having a hard time believing he'd just swept me into his arms and walked out the room—well, I was having a hard time believing he was actually here.

Cam grumbled about humans being too slow. While I was busy studying the twenty-five year old face, wondering how Cam was going to survive without Power—had he ever been completely without it?—we reached the library. Jade was standing next to one of the bookcases. All across the room windows had been blown out. Shattered pieces littered the floor.
Cam's tension became palpable.

"Are you alright?" he asked gently, almost in a childlike voice. It didn't suit this body.

Jade took five seconds to understand Serena had done her job.

"Y-yes," she stammered half-smiling. "I just had a big scare. It's good to see you, Mast—I mean, Cameron."
Lucas' lips itched up.

"Nice to see you, Jade. Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to get a certain someone into bed." Oh. That sounded so bad.

Jade actually tittered. For God's sake!

"Cam..."

"Shut it. You're just as irresponsible as my brother." Just five seconds back and already he was moody. I rolled my eyes trying to maintain a stupid grin off my face. I missed his moodiness. "Only a few days home from the hospital and you're already playing hide and seek with death. What were you thinking? God, Nina, seriously... Are you listening to me?"

I was. Sort of. I just couldn't stop staring at his eyes like a total creeper. The hot and cold shivers marched from the start of my spine, melting me. My soul was somersaulting in all its glory. Of course, being in Lucas' body was a damper. I doubted Cameron and I would be making it to first base, little alone second. God forbid—third! It would be mighty weird considering whose body this was and what I'd seen Etna and Lucas' doing...

Hard stone muscles coiled around my body. I blinked out of my daze.

"I really hate you ignoring me, little bird." He whispered, dipping his head. His mouth was awfully close to mine. I swallowed thickly so I wouldn't get caught in the moment. It was hard... Cam's obsidian gems glinted mischievously, inviting me to a long awaited party. And heck, I wanted to take his invite.

"Cameron." A tremor ran wrecked him. Like me saying his name was a hidden divine truth.

"I know, I know... Wrong body." He hurried down the upstairs hall, cutting off the steamy glare. "Which room?"

"You pick," I murmured into the cotton of Lucas' tee.

Cam didn't hesitate, going for my already open bedroom. He kicked the door closed, walking towards my rumpled bed. Our noses twitched. It smelled like sickness in here.

"Don't start," I hastened before he got more scolding out. He shut his mouth. "Good boy." I cooed once he'd lowered me onto bed.

Him faintly smiling caused relief to explode in my chest. All this time I'd been afraid of what Lucas could've done to him, afraid he'd tortured the hell out of Cameron and once I got him back he'd be... changed.

Cam sunk on the bed's edge, tugging up sheets and comforter, tucking me in snugly. I squirmed once he leaned back.

"It's a little tight."

"Good. That way you won't wonder out of bed and catch a pneumonia." He looked around for a minute, letting his gaze fall to his lap. "Thank you."

I managed to shift onto my side.

"I'm pretty sure you should've thanked Serena and Phillip. Not me."

"I should kick Phillip's ass, not thank him. He put everyone here—including himself—at risk. I'm not..." he paused, tracing his thumb over the seal Serena had placed on him. "He knows I can't control big tidal waves of Power. When it that happens with mine... Phill knew what would happen with Lucifer's. On a scale of one to ten? My Power reaches a six, seven, maybe. His? It's a freaking nine."

Cam fisted his hands into his hair, groaning.

"You were right," he whispered. "I could've hurt people—killed them. He shouldn't have done it."

Cam dropped his hands to his knees turning towards me. Outside, faint traces of moonlight streamed in. They washed over his shoulders, bathing the tanned skin in a whimsical vision, accentuating the beauty of his eyes.

I dug out an arm from the sheets vice-grip and reached for one of his hands, lacing our fingers. He could've been stuck in a ginger kid's body and I wouldn't have cared. I loved Cameron despite his appearance.

I tugged on his arm. Cameron complied, lying on his side over the comforter. I slid in behind him, draping an arm over his chest, nestling my chin on the curve of his neck and shoulder.

"You didn't, though. You shut it down. That's what matters."

He caressed my palm.

"I could've hurt you."

"You didn't." I squeezed his fingers. I knew where Cam's fear of losing control came from. It was because of his father's death. He'd felt guilty over ten years and he still blamed himself.

"Because of you," he whispered. "That's what the 'thank you' was for."

I smiled against the nape of his neck. The smell coming off him caused memories to spring to life, only not mine. I blushed furiously. Would I ever forget those? They'd been... personal.

"Nina?"

"Hmm?"

"Are you tired?" I was.

"Nope. Why?"

I felt his chest shake, he chuckled deeply.

"You're lying. I know you're beat." I eased my eyes closed. "I can feel a lot of things. Things not my own. Do you... feel it to?"

My brain backtracked to the cellar, when I'd felt Cam's pain like it was my own. Like I was bursting at the seams.

"I do."

Cameron fell silent after that, simply tracing circles on the back of my hand. Feeling what he felt didn't mess with me, I liked it. It made us closer than ever.

I pressed a quick kiss to his neck.

Cam shifted in my loose hold. I remembered Etna kissing Lucas' neck... My cheeks turned beat-red—I wished I could blame it on the fever. It was a soft spot on the Devil's body and I really didn't need that kind of info hazarding my head. Cam's self-control didn't go a long way, I could feel him trying to hold it together and not kiss me—because he wanted to.

I needed to stop tempting his resolve.

But... it was sort of fun. Testing him.

The tip of my nose brushed his hair, my breath teased his skin.

He tensed.

"Nina," he breathed as if my name hurt him. "You need to stop before I do something I'll regret. We'll regret." Oh. Cam really was exercising self-control. "Seriously, if I feel my virtue isn't safe with you, I'll leave."

I laughed. Loudly. I tried to quit by pressing my face into the pillow, it just kept coming.

"Jeez," I mumbled through giggles. "Your virtue ran away when you were fourteen."

"I'm a free spirit."

"Huh-uh," I shook my head, settling back down. "I missed you, darling. So much. I have a lot to tell you..." a yawn, not-so-charmingly, slipped past my lips. "Can it wait until tomorrow? I am tired."

Cam kissed my fingers, each one of them. My heart fluttered.

"Sure," he whispered with Lucas' voice. "I'm not going anywhere, little bird. I promise."