‹ Prequel: Ethereal

Purgatorial

Chapter 5 - Once Upon A Dream

Things were different this time, when I woke up. The immediate change was in my body. It wasn't achy... Well, as achy as before. I still winced every time my bad hip moved. The hurting in my head felt numbed, pangs of bearable headaches. I'd dealt with much worse when I'd been learning how to handle my Power.

Next, I took notice of the immaculate comfy surface underneath me, warm covers that smelt freshly washed and silk-to-the-touch sheets. But the reason why my lids flew open was the eucalyptus scent coupled with delicious hot shivers. The room was plunged in darkness, yet, I knew we were safe. Blurry vision faded and I saw the window behind the colossal bed. It was nightfall. Little to no light came from outside, the moon was just a silver. The multi-colored shower wall stood out as I looked around. It wasn't until I did a complete swipe that I spotted Cameron sitting at the old desk chair, he was emerged in complete darkness, wearing dark clothes. If I didn't feel his attentive eyes I would've thought him asleep.

Cam didn't stir or speak right away. Saliva slipped down my throat and to my astonishment it didn't sting. I lifted a hand to my neck, carefully probing. Not even soreness. It didn't make sense. I remembered everything. The Cambion, Tyler, he'd roughed me up back at school, then he'd taken me somewhere abandoned, setting a trap for Cam... Cam and V had shown up and I'd been clever. I'd made a good plan. My muddled brain whispered I should be proud, not even Cam had thought about using Vanessa's abilities to extract information. Yes, I thought brightly, Cameron should be proud. I wanted him to be.

A strange sensation pulsed inside me. It made me yearn for recognition, Cam's. But I couldn't very well understand why it suddenly felt so important to me that Cameron praised my smart thinking or... A memory I found delightful popped up. When I'd plunged the piece of wood into Tyler's chest. Better yet, when we'd killed him together. Yes, that was good. I liked that.

"Cameron," I called into the blackness. My voice came out steadier than I would've thought, then I added with an underlining of playfulness, "What are you doing all the way over there? Come here."

Cameron shifted, I knew because the chair creaked under his weight, still he didn't come over. A little frown crowned my face.

"Is something wrong?" he gave no answer. Alright. That stirred anger. "Why won't you come here? I want you near, why won't you..." A thought came at me like a train. What if Cameron didn't want me? I'd let Tyler kiss me, no, I'd fought against it. But it still happened. Was he disgusted with me now?

Instead of a surge of prickling tears, I felt annoyance and revolt. He couldn't blame me for that. He knew I loved him. I do, I do love him. The thought caused a bubbly giggle to slip out. Cameron got up swiftly, walking the distance between him and our bed. Glad he'd come over, I stretched out my arms toward him, eagerly. He sat on the bed's rim after accessing me through hooded eyes, they held mute hilarity.

Part of me felt like it should be embarrassed by how quickly I scrambled from under the covers, ignoring the stinging in my hip, to slide both arms around his torso. My nose ended up buried in the soft shirt. When a hand smoothed down my tawny hair I decided I didn't care. This was comfortable, safe.

"What were you doing all the way over there? I was lonely." I scolded, looking up. He was gazing down with a mix of joy, lust and reluctance. I liked the first two, not the last. Feeling giddy, I slipped my good leg over Cam's lap, smirking when he licked his lips. "Hmm. I guess you were lonely, too."

Cameron Leale wasn't the type of guy who got tainted cheeks, and true to his nature, he regarded me with a classic grin, understanding the innuendo. It died off quickly, though.

"What now?" I thought irked. A force inside me was begging to party. Or for me to laugh. Be happy. Not to be moody and broody.

Cam slid the back of his fingers along a naked arm, keeping it on a steady trail, crossing my no longer bruised neck and then he stroke a cheek. It was then I saw I was wearing a shirt belonging to him. No wonder his scent had been abundant. Usually a blush would emerge at the thought of Cameron undressing me, even after we'd had sex in a meadow it still got me red. But tonight no blush came. I actually felt knots in my stomach tighten, a want to indulge fantasies.

"Have you noticed something missing from your body?" I blinked at the absurdity of his question. My body felt okay. I had all my limbs, at least I hoped so. God, had a finger been chopped... "Like pain? Bruises?"

I stopped obsessing over body parts and paid him attention. Oh. So my bruises were gone.

"Yes, did you have anything to do with it?" Wait. Another memory, this one from after killing the Cambion, rose. I turned my left palm. The pink scar I recalled seeing had healed further, regressing into a barely noticeable scar. If I had to guess a few more hours and it would be as if I'd never been cut.

"I think you already know the answer." It was no. He hadn't applied herbs or fed me some strange potion to help me heal. I'd been healing back at the abandoned house, hours earlier. "You passed out after we torched the body. I brought you home. I was taking off your clothes, cleaning you up, doing my best not to hurt you when I saw bruises slowly fading. It took way more time than my healing, some just completely faded minutes ago, but you healed."

"I..." Eyes skimming over my upturned palm, I bit a lip. "I healed."

"Yeah." I returned attention to him. He seemed calm enough, his eyes were soft and a tad amused. "I have a strong theory on 'how' if you're interested."

Cameron smiled at my quick nodding.

"Remember those seeds?"

My nose wrinkled, "It's hard to forget." Not to long ago, in hopes of boosting my ability I'd popped some wicked seeds into my mouth, only I'd swallowed too many and ended up putting myself near death. "Serena pumped my stomach with her Magic. I threw them up. They're not inside me!" I ranted alarmed, fingers fisting into his jacket.

Chuckling humorously, he rounded my waist, pulling us closer together.

"No, of course not. But they fed you Power, a lot of it. You told me you started bleeding in order to stay alive because your body couldn't handle so much." I only knew that because Phillip had given me the gory details. "I think—before that—your blood ended up absorbing some Power, assimilating it, making it permanent. When it couldn't absorb anymore you started bleeding out."

"Absorbed... like a sponge?"

"Yes. Has your ability been stronger, harder to control?"

"Yeah, I... In the caves, when I touched Ethereal, it completely slipped from control and I didn't just see their memories. I lived them. Like when the Datura was in my organism, when I saw Etna's memories."

"Interesting." He fanned a finger across my chin. "The Power you got from the seeds amplified your ability, but when it couldn't take it any higher it developed into self-healing. It's slow. But it's there."

There was a pause.

"I developed another ability...?" Cam leaned his forehead on mine making a sound of approval. "Does that make me more than a Psychic? Like a... Nephilim?"

A short laugh burst from him, warming me to my very soul.

"No, it just makes you one of kind." When I first learned what I was, I'd been told Psychic's only had one ability because their bloodline had little Angelic blood. Now, though, I had more Power flowing inside, I was more durable. "Who knows the extent of your ability now? Maybe there's more you can do."

"Seeing into the future whenever I pleased would be nice." I mumbled feeling uninterested in Power, my ability or anything supernatural related. My head felt cloudy and funny, I was painfully aware of Cameron's firm chest pressing on mine. A lush fire scampered each inch of skin, getting worse and hotter as I slid both hands underneath Cam's jacket, pushing it off his shoulders.

"Nina?" he asked, voice rough.

"Mmm?" I bit the slight throb in my hip as I stood, straddling Cam. Fingers nimbly ran along the lines of his swimmer's back.

"How are you feeling?"

I giggled, leaning close to his face, red lips brushing cherry pale ones. A spark jumped between us. I felt fine. Better than fine.

"Very good," the tip of my tongue snuck out, grazing Cam's bottom lip. I felt him contain himself, keeping his hands latched on my hourglass waistline. "Ready to stop talking..."

The suggestion was explicit. Cameron's eyes shone in the feeble light, granting me a backstage pass to his personal thoughts, the tumultuous emotions swirling. They were beautiful eyes. It struck me then, I'd fallen for his eyes before falling for him as a whole.

"You're sexy as hell right now," a languid half-smirk showed. "And high on Power. It's normal when a new ability kicks in. It'll die down and then—"

With a pout, I tugged him forward crushing our lips together. I didn't care about 'then' I cared about the 'now'. My fingers threaded in silk locks, keeping him locked on me. Cameron lost his chivalrous demeanor, getting with the program quickly. Our mouths danced over one another, our tongues clashing in a fight for domination. The daily worries of our paranormal life faded into a deep hole, because Cameron was okay. If something bad had happened to Gary or Vanessa he wouldn't be without anger. The tiny inch I felt inside him was for Tyler kissing me, violating a privilege belonging only to him.

Cameron was growing increasingly happier, though, like I was feeling.

Pulling away, I heard a disappointed sound coming from Cameron. A slow spreading smile caused a change in his face, black-sky eyes became sheltered, overrun by molten lava. I shivered slipping off bed, walking back, to where he'd been sitting. I walked backwards until I hit the chair, moving it from the desk's front.

I crooked a finger his way.

Cam's head tilted in a bird like manner.

"I've had a very stressful day. Now, I'm ready for some fun." My lips puckered. "Come on over."

Tugging a wavy hair behind an ear, I licked my lips pretending his steamy gaze wasn't tingling my insides. I faltered back a step as his hands met the built-in shelf behind me, arms caging me in.

"You like teasing me, don't you?" he breathed straight into my ear. My chest heaved. "Don't you remember what happens when you tease me?"

Oh yeah, I remembered waking him up in Rockwell. Cameron could take being teased, but he dished it out on a larger scale.

I gave a push into his unyielding chest. "You have too many clothes on."

He smirked, stroking a thumb across my jaw. The ceiling light and the bedside lamp flickered to life. My hands moved along his arms.

"Little bird," Cam teased. "My lovebird." His voice lowered making me dry heave. "Mine." He growled sexily lowering down, the skin on my neck shivered at his warm breath.

I breathed into him, "It's hot in here." My fingers dug into his forearms.

There was something about this... Bits of conversation, actions, they felt like dejà vu. I just couldn't...

"Let's make it hotter." He challenged touching his forehead to mine.

Our eyes crossed and our heartbeats kicked in simultaneously.

Hands latched for his shirt, tugging it apart—buttons popped, flying everywhere. Cameron's hands curled on my hips, hauling me with ease and ferocity. My palms moved down his chest, driven by a deep seethed carnal want—his mouth met mine halfway.

Oh my...! I remembered. Cam and I had done something like this, I'd seen this happen, sort of. Some details were changed, but I'd dreamed this. Only we'd been at Haven Hills' Public Library. It was the steamiest dream I'd ever had and it was... God, it was turning into reality.

"Nina," he moaned.

Pulling to the side, I gasped, "Shut up." My arms went around his neck like ivy.

I covered Cam's soft lips, tasting their hunger. Cameron swiped papers and books off the table, making room for me to sit—he pushed me back. Nails dug into his shoulder blades when he jolted me against the bookshelf. Suddenly, my front was rubbing into his lower stomach. I cupped his cheek, grabbing his lip with my teeth—moaning.

Cam's hand worked under my T-shirt, fingers grazing my breasts, their center, making me hypersensitive to any touch and breath. The delicious thought of this fantasy coming true... It made me smile. Anticipation of what would come caused a flood of memories, they trampled me into a state of sedated bliss. Memories of our first time and everything he'd made me feel inside.

"I think you liked our first time." He breathed arrogantly like he'd read my mind.

Fingers groping his onyx hair, I pulled his head away and listened to the whine coming from the back of Cameron's throat. Pure ecstasy.

"I said... no talking..."

He grinned mischievously. An arm wrapped me up, keeping my thighs clipped on his hips as Cam moved us somewhere else at hurtling speed. Strangely, it peaked my desire. We flailed for more of each other so violently that I sent a perfume bottle crashing to the ground—barely hearing it break. He sat me on the vanity.

Finally, I tugged off his ruined shirt.

One hand crawled down his spine, my fingertips dragged greedily. He claimed his way down my throat, pulling down my T-shirt's sleeve to nip my shoulder. Cameron shivered as the tips of my fingers slipped under his waistband. His hands gripped my face kissing me savagely—my lips would be bruised for days—then he took a hand to my leg—hoisting it—helping me hook it around his waist.

I lifted my arms and he pulled off the shirt, sending it somewhere.

I leaned back admiring Cam's disheveled appearance. His own eyes sampled me adoringly. Smiling seductively, I reached for his belt and he splattered my cheeks with long fluttering kisses, moving behind my ears, down my chest.

I managed to pull off his leather belt. Cam snatched it, throwing it like I'd done with our dark shirts.

Pushing closer, I mounted his hips, using his shoulders as supports for my arms. I looked down grinning, before pressing our faces into one. Cameron's arms held me tightly, his skin felt glorious, the more I touched it the crazier it made me.

This is it, I thought, I woke up around this time... I felt a rush of acceleration for what could happen.

"Nina..." I put a finger to his lips, closing my legs harder around him. Said finger began slipping after being kissed tenderly. "I love you."

A sudden sheen covered my eyes, I locked both arms around his neck, laughing softly.

"I love you, too." I let my head fall backward, meeting humorous eyes of an infinite dusk in a chiseled, lightly tanned, and proudly handsome face. Holy baby Jesus. I wanted to love him, this person, his soul—forever.

Cameron snorted as a slender hand slipped between our bodies, unhooking his jean's button and undoing his fly. Things only escalated from there. Jeans and underwear was shimmied, lost on the floor. We fooled around on the vanity for a bit, before Cam felt bored and moved us to bed where he did many clever things with his hand. We lost track of time as we explored and relived each other in the most intimate way.

Eventually we slipped under the covers, although Cam practically kicked them off when we started moving together.

Cam kissed me when a louder, softer, sound spilled from my swollen lips. His kisses had long ago washed away any trace of Tyler's nastiness. I kissed Cam's chin, detouring to his Adam's apple. His whole body squirmed making me shudder. Burying my head in the crook of his neck, I smiled as he regained control, lowering himself onto me. I heard him mutter "little vixen" or something close, enjoyment evident in his tone.

"Are you okay?" he asked while lifting himself off me.

"I've..." my eyelids fluttered like butterfly wings. "I've never felt more alive.

***

It was late and since it was a school night, we should've been sleeping instead of spooning after sexy time. I was tired physically, my brain was a whole different story. Cameron must've been right, I'd been high on Power which apparently made me a seductive Bond girl. Now, I'd come down from cloud nine and wanted more answers.

I twisted my head backward to catch a glimpse of Cameron, I knew he wasn't asleep, either. His arms coiled protectively around me, crushing my back to his chest. I could feel the toned muscles and all.

"I'm sorry," came the low, velvety whisper. Before I asked what for, he continued, "When I went to the boiler Vanessa was a little... rabid. She hadn't bitten Gary, but she'd licked the stab wound and it was driving her mad to be closed up with him. I had to fight her off myself. I... broke her neck." I gulped silently. Finding one of his hand's, I rubbed it, offering consolation. "I was putting pressure on Gary's wound—who was lights out—wrapping some gauze around it, when I heard a scuffle. It was far, but I caught it. I heard you scream one time. That's all it took for me to leave V and Gary. Once I got upstairs the lights were out... I started following the noise but I heard... I heard your voice in my head."

"What—how?"

"Tyler," he spoke the name like it was acid burning his tongue. "He could more than project his voice into peoples' heads. He could imitate any voice you knew." I hadn't been victim to that. "I heard your voice calling for me, but then I heard my voice—but it wasn't mine. Not really."

"Phillip's."

"Yeah," he sounded saddened. "I lost it. I couldn't tell where to go, all I could focus on were your voices. Calling for me at the same time. Begging me and I..."

Shaking my head a fraction of an inch, I turned around. In the midst of doing so, I felt my hip. The pain was no longer present. It was neat, yet, strange. It was going to take sometime to get used to healing faster.

Cameron's expression was the reflection of conflict, brushed with a touch of helplessness. He'd been tricked. It wasn't the tricked part that ticked me off, though, it was the position he'd been put in. To choose between me or his brother was a horrible thing to do.

"I'm glad we killed him." Was all I said in light of the subject. "What about after he took me? Was Gary okay?"

"I zoomed him to the hospital. He'll be fine. It was a flesh wound and he only lost a little blood. Vanessa woke up when I returned to school. She was already catching the scent of your blood, though." I'd have to thank her for that. Well, not just that. "The trail he'd left led to an abandoned house. Phillip and I used to go there as kids, people said the place was haunted." He shrugged, seeming a tad annoyed. "Phillip insisted on ghosts being real even after Dad told him they weren't. Anyway, I knew there were three Cambions. If they were working together setting a trap would've made sense."

"So you sent V to scan around the house." He nodded. "Good thinking."

"Maybe, but not as good as yours. That was very clever, little bird, getting V to feed on him and forcing him to talk. I didn't think of that." A snug feeling grew inside my chest. I nuzzled closer and Cam slipped a leg between mine. "I was afraid."

A pang stabbed me in the heart.

"Oh, Cam."

He placed one of my hands on his chest. Against his left peck, my hand felt petite.

"I felt your fear, your pain. I thought I wasn't going to make it. I stretched out my hearing when we were closer, I heard him saying..." Cam's teeth gritted so hard I was afraid they'd split. "I heard him saying he wanted you as a prize! Then he... kissed you. I heard it. I saw red, Nina. I swear to you it was one of the worst feelings, worse than seeing you and Phillip kissing. Back then you wanted him to kiss you. But this bastard was pushing himself onto you. God, he could've..."

My free hand curved on his cheek, smoothing a thumb over his lips.

"Hush, darling. It's alright. He didn't do anything more, you got there. You saved me." My Prince of Darkness, I thought, watching rage in his eyes slacken. "Cam?" I asked when he looked relaxed. "There was no storm."

Smiling tightly, he said, "I know. I remember when Lucifer was using my body, my Power, he was a lot more efficient. He could've killed Uriel, an Archangel. It's because he was in control, so, I've been trying to handle it better. It's not easy. Today I knew I had to save you, I knew what kind of harm a Cambion could dish out, and I knew I'd cause more damage if my Power was focused."

"I'm glad." Controlling his Power was a big deal for Cameron. Every time he lost control his mind probably took him back ten years, when he'd accidentally killed his Dad. "This new ability thing, how are you sure it was the seeds?"

"I'm not one-hundred percent certain. But it's the only thing that fits." There was a beat of silence where I combed my fingers through his hair and Cam's eyes shut. "Sam's in a coma." My fingers halted. "Vanessa went to the hospital to see how Gary was doing after I brought you home, she texted me. The doctors were able to stabilize her, but she hasn't woken up yet. I'm not sure she will."

I turned onto my back, feeling Cameron's eyes fixed on my face.

"I'm not going to lie. I don't like her, most times I actually hate her. But... Zeke died and she lived. Because I wanted to save Samantha, because I chose not to kill her when the Succubus and her were merged." I sighed deep with frustration, rubbing my palms along my face.

Sheets shifted and the mattress dipped, a soft pair of lips settled against my forehead.

"It wasn't your fault Zeke died. It was the Succubus." He gave an elegant one-shoulder shrug. "We make choices everyday, but once they're done, there's no going back. You can't turn back time, Nina. You just have to accept it."

Cameron was right. He'd once said the future is ever changing. That's why my dreams and visions of it weren't always accurate, or they didn't feed me enough detail to understand them. From the moment we opened our eyes we made choices, from what to wear, to what to eat. If we didn't have choices life would be a routine.

But sometimes free will was a bitch.