CAMILLA''S POV


    Ryker told me all about his n to speak to Briggs and while that seemed like the smartest choice, we still had to


    wait for Briggs to arrive and in the meantime, I thought about how I was going to make sure everyone in the pce


    was safe if Reina decided to attack. The easiest choice would have been to just ensure that everyone left the pce


    but that would have meant a lot of exnation which I was unprepared to do.


    “What do you think?” I asked Christine who was seated opposite me. She had a book open in herp as she looked


    up at me.


    “Think about what?”


    “How do I get Riley and Damien out of here?” I exined and her mouth formed an o. “Also, how do I get the girls


    out? I don’t want anyone getting hurt again.”


    I don’t know what she heard in my voice, but it had her sighing as she put her book down. “if you want them to leave


    you could just ask but I dont think it is the smartest choice.”


    “What do you mean?”


    “As at right now, we don’t know where exactly she is. She could be waiting for you to send one of them out and she


    will take them,” I opened my mouth to protest but she held up a hand to stop me. “I didnt say she would, I just said


    that she could. I think they are safer here than anywhere else. At least within these walls, we can keep a close eye or


    them. What harm could possiblye to them here?”


    “You don’t understand,” I whispered. “Thest time she got them both, they were within these walls. She had


    someone in here taken them to her”


    A dark look crossed her face as she realized what exactly I was talking about. She reached over the table and held m:


    hand in hers. I knew she wanted me to look at her but I couldn''t, if I did, I knew there would be tears in my eyes. I


    didn’t want to think about that situation. If you are n0t reading this novel on JObnI b, some sentences are


    iplete. It had never left my mind but I had somehow managed to push it into the recesses where I wouldn''t


    have to worry about it.


    “Cami,” she whispered softly but I shook my head. “He willingly betrayed you, I know that, but no one here will


    betray you. Your children are safe. The girls are safe. If I have to watch them every day of my life then I will but


    nothing will happen to you.”


    “No, you can’t do that. You have more important things to do. I could watch them.”


    “You have important things to do as well,” she reminded me. “Look, if you want to keep them safe then I suggest tha


    you leave them with Riley and Damien. You get to keep everyone you are worried about together.”


    “Riley and Damien don’t know what we are facing.”


    “Then tell them,” she shrugged as if it were the most important thing in the world. “You don''t have to tell them


    everything but you should tell them. They will understand and they will be willing to help. It is one week, Cami,


    and you cannot do it all by yourself. You need to take help.”


    I knew she was right so I ran my hands down my face to try and calm myself. “Do you want toe with me while I


    tell them?”


    She nodded immediately. “Of course, you don''t even have to ask.”


    She walked in step with me and it was only the fact that she was right next to me that stopped me from running


    away. I lifted my hand to knock on the door but before my fist hit the wood, it was pulled open. Riley was shocked to


    see me there with my hand mere inches from her face and sheughed.


    “l was justing to find you,” she eximed. “Do you know where Ryker is?”


    “Yes, but he can’te right now, he is doing some important work.”


    She stilled. “Are you alright? Is everything okay? You seem a little pale and you look worried.”


    “I''m fine, but can I talk to you and Damien, please?”


    I saw worry sh across her eyes but she gave me a small smile and nodded. She pulled the door opening revealing


    Damien who was seated at the edge of the bed. He looked up and as soon as he saw Christine and I, he sat up


    straight.


    “Your girls are asleep in their rooms,” Riley exined as we walked into the room. “Audrey knocked herself out after


    a few hours of running around with Damien.”


    “I didn’t reallye to talk to you about them,” I cut her off. “It concerns them but that isn’t exactly what everything


    is about.”


    I swallowed deeply and told her. I didn''t tell her everything but I told her what she needed to know to make an


    urate picture of what was going on. I exined how I got new powers and Reina attacked. I exined how I lost


    my memories and how we lost Aurora the first time. Then I exined what had happened now and how Reina was


    prime to attack in about six days.


    “Do you want us to leave?” she asked after I was done but I shook my head.


    “I don''t know if she is waiting for you to leave to attack. There is nothing she would love more than to hold one of


    you as an exchange for what she wants,” Christine exined. “What we wanted to ask is if you could stay.”


    “I don''t trust anyone with my children right now. I know I am asking a lot but I will go on my knees if I have to,” I


    sped my hands together. “Please, watch over my kids for me while you stay. You are the only people that she can


    use against us and I just need to ensure that you are all safe”


    There was silence for a minute before they both nodded. I felt immense relief pour out of me when I realized they


    had agreed. I knew they would but knowing and seeing it were twopletely different things.


    “We will watch your kids with our life,” Riley assured me as she pulled me into a fierce hug. “You never even have to


    ask. They are my nieces and I want them to be safe.”


    “Thank you,” I wiped the stray tears that had dropped from my cheeks. “I need to go because I have some things to


    go over.”


    Christine and I had gotten to the hallway when Damien came rushing after us. His eyes were on Christine so I knew


    who he wanted to speak to but when I tried to give them space, she grabbed my wrist in a bruising grip and shot me


    a warning look that promised all forms of bodily harm if I let her go.


    “Hi, I just wanted to know if we could talk,” he began but her face betrayed nothing. “I just wanted to say


    congrattions and ask if we could-"


    “Please don''t,” she whispered and he frowned. “My mate hates you and out of respect for him, I can’t do this.”Upstodatee from Novel(D)ra/m/a.O(r)g


    “You don''t even know what I want to talk about.”


    “Honestly, I don’t need to know. I don’t want any blood between us but I will not put Juan in a position where he


    feels ufortable or defensive. You can write it in a note or something or you could tell it to him.”


    “He will not listen to me.”


    “Exactly.”


    He finally understood what she was saying. “Okay, I understand. Congrattions on the baby.”


    “Thank you!”


    He walked off without another word leaving us in ufortable silence. I watched him leave and Christine let out a


    exasperated sigh. Without warning, she dropped into the nearest bench and buried her face into her hands. She


    didn''t say a word but I knewpany would go a long way so I sat next to her inplete and utter silence.


    “Do you want to talk about it?” I asked after a beat of silence but she shook her head.


    “Ask me anything else that doesn’t have the word mate in it, please,” she moaned, almost begging and I wracked my


    brain when I finally figured out what I wanted to ask about.


    “Where are the other dolls?” I asked and that seemed to do the trick because she sat up straight.


    “I kept them in my drawer. After what I saw with the first one, I couldn''t bear to look at the others but Juan does. He


    said that they look normal.”


    “Do we have any idea who they belong to?” I asked and she shook her head. “Do you think we could find out?”


    “How do you propose we do that? We aren''t witches. We don’t know how to control them.”


    I bit my lip before asking the question that had been guing me for a while with careful precision. “If we were to


    burn them or destroy them, do you think the people would die?”


    She raised a brow in amusement. “Are you serious right now?”


    I nodded. “We have to destroy them or at least try to. Do you think they would die?”


    “I don’t know, when Marie died, the doll got destroyed too. It might work the other way too.”


    “Okay, what if we didn’t kill them but rather hurt them?” I offered and her brows furrowed but I could tell she was


    listening.


    “We could do something to the dolls and see if it reflects on the human.”


    “You want to deliberately main or hurt someone because of a doll?”


    “l want to figure out who those dolls are for and yes, I am willing to be dramatic in order to find that out.”


    Her eyes were wide but she didn''t look disgusted, if anything, she looked intrigued. Still, I expected her to refuse


    because Christine was a stickler for the rules. To my surprise, she sighed and crossed her arms over her chest.


    “Fine, but you better not disfigure or main anyone just in case the doll belongs to Juan or I. I would very much like to


    have my kid in one piece.”


    Iughed. “You have a deal.”