Once we had started the second leg of our trip, New York to Dublin, I stood up and held my hand out to Drake, “Come with me.” I led him to the rear of the aircraft and found the bedroom that Chip had pointed out. I didn’t want to think about her chasing us, where her brother’s loyalties might lie, if we could find the pasture, or even if the arrow existed.
I was exhausted and hoped this flight would take three days. I was sure I could spend that long in bed—longer, knowing Drake was not only alive but with me. Drake snuggled in close, and it only took minutes for his breathing to slow down. All those conversations I’d had with his spirit, or so I thought, I’d confessed everything. I swore if there was any chance ever to tell him how I felt, I wouldn’t hold anything back. “Drake?”
His eyes were closed, his lips turned up in a content grin. He looked like he was seconds from drifting off to sleep, “Hmmm?”
“I love you.” I’d never said those words to anyone but Mom, and I knew I’d never feel them for anyone else.
Drake’s eyes snapped open and his grin morphed into a wide smile. He leaned toward me on one shoulder as his free hand caressed my arm and his lips crushed onto mine. When he pulled his lips away, his ice blue eyes were staring directly into mine. “Say it again, Camille.”
I couldn’t help beaming back at him, “I said, I love you, Drake.”
He wrapped both his arms around me, pressing himself into me and whispered in my ear, “For how long?”
I cocked my head to the side, “What do you mean: for how long?”
“How long do you promise to love me?”
“Always, Drake.”
Before I could blink an eye, Drake had pulled me up to a sitting position on the bed. My legs were draped over the side of the bed and he was kneeling in front of me. “Camille, I promise to protect you. I promise to always put your needs before mine. I promise I’ll never let you go to bed angry, and you’ll never wake up alone. I promise to love you the rest of my life, and when this life is over, I’ll spend my eternity in the pasture with you.”
I was speechless. Luckily, Drake didn’t wait for any kind of a response from me. He pulled me into his chest, “I’ve never wanted anything more than you to love me back.” He crushed his mouth onto mine again. I didn’t have to say the words. He knew I’d made my choice.
We both gave ourselves over to the exhaustion. Hours later I awoke from the deepest sleep I’d had in months. My hands traced the chiseled lines of his chest, his arms stayed wrapped around me. I knew Zandra wouldn’t fade into the background. Before I came to South Carolina, I’d never given much thought to my future; I caught myself now thinking of the possibilities. Somewhere between awake and asleep I smelled my mother’s perfume. My eyes snapped open. I saw her sitting on the edge of the bed; she was so beautiful—her skin almost glowed. She held her finger to her lips, silencing me, pointing at the sleeping Drake beside me. “Be careful, Camille. Centaurs are not what they seem. Most are like Rupert, more beast than man.”
“You mean Drake?” I shook my head at the absurdity. “But, I love him.”
“I know, Camille. But do you love him enough to save him?”
“Save him from what?”
“No one is safe with you right now. The Lost Herd seeks you. I had to give up Kyle for the same reason, it was the only chance he had at life. They still found me.”
I’d never gotten a straight answer from Gretchen and I wasn’t able to ask my father. Mom might be the only one I could ask right now. “Brent says we’re part of the Lost Herd. Are we?”
“Trust yourself, Camille. Know that you and you alone can find what you seek. If you love Drake, do not put him in danger. Do not allow him in your life.”
“Mom, I can’t . . . I can’t give him up.” I looked at him sleeping peacefully beside me, muttering more to myself, “I almost didn’t make it without him.”
“I know it’s hard, Camille. But if you love him, you’ll send him away. Take the fight to your enemies and give them nothing to hold over you. Drake is your only weakness. They will exploit him and you will fail.”
“But you never fought your enemies: you went into hiding. Gage told me all about it.”
“You’re right, if I had it to do over again, I would have fought. I did not see what would happen to you. You, too, will have a son and daughter one day. You need to make the choice now, before it’s made for you. The Lost Herd will find you. When they do, you and your descendants will never be free.”
I could see pain welling up through her eyes. “Your father. . .” Her lips moved but her words were muted. I saw her figure fading into the background.
“Mom! I can’t hear you! Mom!” I reached out to where she had been sitting and felt nothing but air. Everything seemed to be in slow motion. “Mom, don’t leave!” The sound of my own voice startled me. I awoke to the dark bedroom, trying to figure out if she had been there or if I’d just dreamed her. I took in a large whiff hoping to catch even a faint hint of her perfume – but I smelled nothing. She wasn’t there.
I struggled to go back to my dream, but I didn’t have any luck. All I found was a dreamless sleep. I awoke hours later to Drake’s arms still around me. I didn’t want to flinch because it still felt a little euphoric to be there with him. My mind began to wander. Did I really have a twin brother somewhere in the world? Mom said I’d have a son and daughter; Zandra must have been telling the truth about twins. What would Zandra do if she saw me again? How would we know Bianca and Gage were okay? Did my mom really appear in a dream or was it my imagination? Why couldn’t I see or hear my mom? What did I have to fear from the Lost Herd? What did Drake mean when he said we needed to find our own magic? Could I share any of this with Daniel?
All these questions were sailing through my mind when I heard Drake murmuring in his sleep: the lullaby that broke down my defenses at Zandra’s, “Choose me, Camille. Choose me.” I snuggled in closer to him, pushing the questions to the back of my mind. I’d worry about all of that later. For now, I would live in the present – savor the love of a man I thought I’d lost forever. Mom’s warning was probably just a dream; after everything we’d gone through, my mind wanted to believe that real happiness was finally mine.
Author Note
I hope you enjoyed Blood Debt! I would love for you to write a review. It doesn’t have to be long, just let others know what you thought of the story.
I am an independent author, which means I do not have an agent, a publicist, or a publishing company backing me up. I DEPEND on word-of-mouth advertising. If you enjoyed Blood Debt, it would mean the world to me for you to recommend it to a friend (or ten friends!). If you recommend it to someone who tells you they do not have time to read, let them know it is also available as an audiobook!
Cami and Drake’s story is continued in Centaur Legacy, Touched Series Book 2. A sneak peak of Centaur Legacy’s first chapter is on the next page. I hope you love it!
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Happy Reading,
Nancy
Beau Strayer – Camille’s oldest half-brother, Charleston, SC