Worth The Shot

Trust is a Paper

Today's fanart is by secretvjcat0406! It's the scene from the last chapter where the old man drags Camilo in the room. POOR CAMILO. I LOVE all of the emotions and shading in this drawing, they did a GREAT job drawing the clothes, too! Camilo needs a hug. Stick around for a special author's note at the end! 

BACK TO THE STORY

With a creaking flurry of dirt, cold, shiny chains shot out of the dirt sides of the cave. As if magically charmed by the old man, they artfully snaked around your arms, forcefully pinning you low on the wall.

Camilo stiffened, unsteadily picking himself up. Sebastian sharply stared at the old man, who smiled broadly, evidently pleased by their startled reactions. 

Even your father's jaw softly opened, unnerved. Head politely bowed, he stammered, "Excuse me for asking, but... you have a gift?"

"Creating and manipulating rocks and metals," the old man mused, flexing his hands. His yellowed fingernails curled from his fingers like crescent moon claws. "Quite the useful ability." 

"Ah- alright," your father uneasily accepted, smiling. "I suppose it helped you to carve out this mountain fortress." Disgust for his meek demeanor seeped into your stomach with the revolting burst of a poisonous berry. 

"There are other splendid benefits," The old man creakily laughed, materializing a glinting knife in his hand. Your father leaned forward, intrigued. The old man's eyes gleamed with the sheen of the corruption that only comes from too much power. With a whoosh, the knife poised inches from Camilo's throat, suspended in thin air. "Where are the Madrigals hiding?"

"Look, I was being honest," Camilo defensively negotiated, backing away with his palms raised in surrender. His eyebrows were angrily furrowed, but his voice hitched with fear. "I don't know anything. I swear." 

"What a shame," your father pityingly shook his head. "This would be so much easier if you wouldn't lie." 

The knife scraped across Camilo's bare neck, leaving a thin smile of bright blood. Not enough to seriously hurt him. A warning. The old man was courting intimidation first. 

"I'm not lying," Camilo rigidly swore, his adam's apple bobbing with his shuddering breath. 

"Leave him alone!" You pleaded, uselessly struggling against the chains. "Father, I'll hate you. I'll always hate you if you hurt him."

"We'll all forget about this," Your father promised, ignoring you as he delicately plucked the knife from the air. He suddenly thrust his arm forward, biting the knife into the flesh of Camilo's jaw. "Where are they hiding, Camilo?"

Camilo sucked in a breath between his clenched teeth but focused his eyes straight ahead. He didn't give them a reaction. A tiny scarlet waterfall spurted down his neck. 

"Stop. Don't be stupid," Sebastian mumbled, his narrowed green eyes confronting your father. "He wouldn't know, the Madrigals disappeared after he came here with (y/n). I'd prefer to avoid the headache from her screaming," Sebastian accusingly motioned to you, "and the nausea from seeing blood. Besides, we have more important things to discuss, remember?" 

Your father questioningly glanced at the old man. With a dramatic, disappointed sigh, the old man twitched his wrist in a tight circle. The knife's metal molecules evaporated, absorbing into his white, loose skin. 

"Come along, then," the old man lightly invited, hobbling to the tunnels like a well-intentioned gnome. Before he left, he struck out his left hand. A rippling ribbon of chain coils burst from the wall, locking around Camilo's left hand and jolting him securely next to you. "Stay put, we'll be back before you know it!"

You longed for Dolores' gift of super-hearing. Shielded in the heart of the mountain, what did the three men plot? What was the purpose of capturing and holding the Madrigals? You trusted the old man's theatrical cackles even less than your father's false sympathy or Sebastian's cold sarcasm. What did he need to tell them that you weren't supposed to hear? 

Beside you, the links of Camilo's relaxed chain pooled on the floor. With only his left hand restrained, the chain allowed for a few small steps in any direction and practically free arm movement.  

Camilo gathered the dirty fabric of his ruana in his hands and eased it off, wincing. In his white long-sleeved shirt, he tentatively inspected his red-blotched arms, inhaling a pained breath. 

And suddenly, illogically, your heartbeat drummed warily. Stop that, you fiercely scolded. He's not going to hit me again just because I can't escape.

But your blood froze into an icy river. The river uneasily whispered that you couldn't move. The river rushed and murmured that you couldn't trust him. Your wrists twisted in a panic against the winter-cold metal. 

"You doing okay over there?" Camilo finally asked, leaning his back on the wall to support his battered body.

"What? Oh, yeah!" you nervously prattled, shamefully attempting to conceal your fear from him. "I'm doing fine, of course, I mean, you're the one who got beat up." I should trust him. Why can't I?

"I know you're scared. We're gonna be okay, (y/n)," Camilo reassuringly vowed, misinterpreting your anxiety. In an effort to comfort you, he gently slid his warm hand up your jawline to hold the side of your face. 

Your skin crawled. You battled your instinct to shy away from his unpredictable fingers. Adrenaline sweated through your hands, but you smiled and bit your lip. Camilo couldn't know. He couldn't know that you didn't trust him. 

"How are they looking?" Camilo inclined his head toward the Madrigals, suspended feet above you. His threatening hand finally fell, and you exhaled with relief. Camilo didn't notice your uneasy suspicion.

"They're alive. A little bruised," you said, twitching uncomfortably in the chains. I'm being stupid. Childish. I should be able to let it go. 

"Hey, Isabella! How's cave life treating you?" Camilo conversationally called up to his cousin with a grin, theatrically waving. Isabella hmphed through her gag, obviously unimpressed.

"It's not so bad, if you ignore the dust and creepy roommates, huh?" He jokingly hurled back. He snuck a concerned glance at you. Dutifully, he played his role. The funny cousin. He was trying to get you to laugh.  

You didn't feel like laughing. You felt fragile and pathetic, a mewling baby bird. I'm not pathetic. I'm not. I'll get over it.

"Woah," Camilo suddenly murmured with a confused frown. He awkwardly lifted his arm, squinting as if it belonged to someone else. 

"What?" You worried, rolling your chin to face him. 

"Oh, nothing big, I just-" he faltered, tensing his entire body and shutting his eyes. Nothing. They reopened with bewilderment. "I can't shapeshift. At all."

Author's note: I'm going to be doing a Q and A to answer any questions you guys might have! I'm so thankful for all of you who read my story, vote, comment, or submit fanart; I feel like we've assembled such a hilarious, talented, and kind group of people here. Each one of you brings so much to this story, and I hope you know that you're valued and important! :) I'd love to answer any (non-spoiler, obviously) questions about the characters' personalities/backstories, me, personally, the plot, or anything else you can think of! You can post your questions in the comments or message me. I'm excited to see what you come up with! Love you all! <3