Reversal (Camren/Norminah)

Chapter 59: Bound by the Flame

LIX.

Picking her weapons up off the forest floor, Lauren turned and rolled her shoulders back, mentally preparing herself for the very last obstacle the journey had to offer.

"What is a bond?" I asked the open air, my toes just balanced over the ledge of the rock formation. "Once a bond is formed, can it be strengthened and weakened?" I sighed when the forest replied with only quiet. "How does all this connect together? Is there even a connection?"

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a flutter of movement and turned my head to see a blue-green butterfly was flittering through the early morning air. The insect flew past me, wings moving at a respectable speed as it was sailed away on the wind.

Dinah, did you know all this time how much power you had? I asked myself silently, wondering if somehow my voice was reaching the fiery blonde. Was it Normani that brought out all the power? Maybe you've always had it... I know you've always been full of so much life. Your ability to teach others what are truly the best, most precious parts of themselves. That's your gift.

I didn't have to turn around to know that Lauren was close by. The sun still had some time until it needed to rise, keeping the area cool and dark. Looking down into the valley, I took a deep breath and heard some pebbles shift on the rock behind me.

"I knew you'd come out here." I spoke, not turning around.

"Camila, we've won this battle and there's no need to start another... I understand now why you're acting the way you are." Lauren's voice was tired, broken as if she had just been crying. "I'm sorry for saying everything I did the last time we were here... you have to know that I didn't mean any of it."

"What's your point?"

"My point is that we don't need to do this." Lauren replied as I heard the sound of her weapons hit the rock as they were dropped feebly. "We fought once, and it didn't end well for either of us. If you'd like to bring me back to Miami, then I'd be happy to go with you. If you'd rather me stay here, then I'll stay here." She paused. "It's your power, so it's your choi—"

"Do you still have feelings for me?"

Lauren fell silent once more as I concluded my interruption. I didn't turn around, just proceeded to lock my multicoloured eyes on the distance.

"What?"

"Feelings." I repeated, closing my eyes. "Do you still have them for me?"

"Camila..." The girl replied, taking an audible step closer. "I loved you..."

I turned around, feeling the scars on my left arm grow and expand until they took over half my face again. My green eye had been completely surrounded by the lichtenberg patterning; I could feel it burning into my skin as if it was protecting the new iris. "And?"

"And feelings like that don't just go away." The girl looked different from how I had left her back in the base the previous night. Something had changed, as if she had been granted some kind of external confidence. "Of course I still have feelings for you. No matter how much you hate me, I'm always going to."

"You say that feelings like that don't just go away, yet you told me straight to my face that you never loved me." I countered, lifting my chin. "You said that I was worthless, and weak, and pathetic."

"That wasn't true." Lauren's shoulders lifted slightly. "Nothing I said that night was true... nothing about you, or your strength, or the way I feel about you. I— haven't really been able to see straight in front of me, at least not since Clara died."