Archive of Our Own ^beta

Camila never thought she’d reach this type of happiness. Not that she believed all joy was lost in her life after Manny’s death, despite how crushing it was. She still had her daughter. She had her job, her calling which she genuinely loved. She had the community she was a part of.

And then, her life got turned upside down when Luz left home and joined the crew of the most notorious rebellious pirate witch in the empire, which ended with Camila’s desperate search for her daughter only to discover Vee, a young basilisk she ended up adopting and the horrific experiments the emperor was doing.

With her, a mere magicless person and a hurt, young child on the run, running away from that awful man, Jacob Hopkins, who tried to imprison her for his own means, outside of the Emperor’s experiments. The way that man spoke, the way he treated Vee made shivers run down her spine even now, over a year since it happened.

While trying to save her newly adopted daughter, at the same time as she was looking for Luz, she ended up bumping into Eda the Owl Lady, the notorious pirate who she assumed kidnapped her daughter but, as it turned out, Luz was there on her own volition.

And of course, Camila joined too, what else was there to do with one daughter who was rebelling against the system and rebelling hard and another who needed to be protected against the same system? Was it easy? No, but she and Luz worked through the issues they had, Vee and Luz became proper sisters and Camila even started learning magic, in a way a magicless person could.  

What she expected the least though, was finding herself falling for Eda the Owl Lady. Cursed witch extraordinaire, even with her magic lost, one-armed badass pirate, public enemy number one, a surprisingly, if unorthodoxically wise leader and a genuinely great friend.

She tried to deny her feelings at first. Not only had she never been attracted to another woman, but Eda was so unlike anyone she was attracted to before, her late husband included. Not to mention it felt like a betrayal to Manny. And who knew what Luz would think…

Things only got more confusing when Raine, now former head of the bard guild and current rebellion leader joined. Developing attraction for them was even bigger surprise and it was when she decided that it was all in vain anyway. It was clear that Eda and Raine were an old flame and, while multi-person relationships were far from unheard of, Camila never saw herself as possibly being part of one. Let alone joining one that already existed.

Besides, what kind of chance did she, a mere non-magical medic, have next to a witch who, even with her magic lost, was still the most feared pirate on the sea and a former head who could blast a person across a room with a whistle?

Then, there was the grief she still felt for Manny. The ever-present melancholy was now mostly just a mild itch, though there were still days when it would hit her like a truck. Was she betraying him by being happy with someone else? She knew that it was not wrong to move on, but she held onto him for so long, it sometimes felt like it was. It also felt unfair to whoever she would end up with. How does one go about dating, while still grieving the former lover?

And now she was lying in bed, next to her partners, still wondering how she found herself here, how did she allow herself to be with someone like this again and what did she do, exactly, do deserve this kind of happiness once more. Luz understood when she told her. And, both Eda and Raine were all too understanding that, while she loved both, she would never forget Manny.

Hell, on the anniversary of his death, the two took the risky move of getting to the shore only so she and Luz could pay their respects the way they always did, gathering flowers and letting them flow in the wind, even if they could not reach Manny’s grave.

She turned to one of her partners, who looked so different in her sleep than up in the deck. Her make-up gone, revealing her silver lashes, head tilted back, and her not-that-soft snore. She removed the strand of Eda’s wild mane that threatened to fall into her mouth and Eda frowned in her sleep at it.

“F’ve m’r m’nts…” the captain mumbled, turning to her side and burying her face into a pillow. Eda slept in the middle that night and, turning to her right side, towards Camila, she reached for the woman with her only hand. Camila let herself be pulled into a weak, sleepy hug and heard a chuckle from her other partner on the other side.

“We’ll never get her out of the bed once she says that” they commented.

“Eh, we could captain the ship perfectly ourselves is she stays here, don’t you think?” Camila asked.

“Yeah, I think we could. What is there too it? Yelling a bit, delegating…”

“Sh’t up you two,” Eda muttered, though Camila, pressed against her, could feel a low chuckle.

“Raine is your second-in-command, aren’t they?” Camila asked,

“And Camila did once manage to get the ship out of that sticky bump in with the emperor’s goons…”

“Beginner’s luck,” Eda muttered with no real heat behind her words. Instead, she wrapped her arm around Camila further.

“Maybe we should really wake up, dears,” Camila said, glancing at the clock, “It’s eight AM already…”

“Pfft, since when is eight AM already…” Eda buried her face into Camila’s neck, truly testing Camila’s resolve to be a responsible adult and get up.

“She is right, you know, you have a ship to lead…”

Eda peaked one half-lidded eye and smugly snorted at them, “Thought you were so confident about taking that role. Also, may I remind you that we’re sailing next to the Crooked Peak, where the sea currents are cold and the air freezing?”

“Oh, I’m sure it is not that bad,” Raine waved her concern off, only to peak one foot out of the blanket and immediately retrack it, pulling themselves closer to Eda, “I take it back, it’s awful…”

“See, I was right.”

“I really need to get up,” Camila said, “Check on the kids.”

“Nooo...” Eda whined.

“Yes!” Camila freed herself from Eda’s grip, though not before she turned to give a kiss to each of her partners.

“Check if those knuckleheads of my crew know what they’re doing while docking,” Eda muttered, “If you see them, I don’t know, closing the main sail too early, let me know.”

“Eda, we’ve established I’m very new to all this…”

“Yeah just…go with your gut!”

Camila decided to use this opportunity to mess with Eda a bit, “Ok, then, if you say so…” she approached the rack of coats, and even though she was still in her nightgown and had her sleeping bonnet, reached for Eda’s red coat, “…than I’m the captain!”

Eda popped her head out of the pile of blankets and frowned under the mane of hair, “You’re lucky it looks cute on you!”

“Aww!” Camila cooed teasingly, though, she was touched she was one of only six people in the world who could wear Eda’s coat without getting possibly killed for it.

She reached the children’s cabins-four small rooms separated by a tiny corridor. She shook her head when she found all four-Luz, Vee, Hunter and King-huddled on the floor of Luz’s cabin in a pile of blankets. And, judging by the purple cape thrown over the oldest boy, who seemed to have his duvet stolen by Luz, she was not the first one to check on them that morning.

She closed the door with a soft smile and headed for the upper deck. The cold wind hit her immediately and she regretted not stealing something warmer than Eda’s red coat. No wonder that crooked Peak was Raine’s least favourite shady port. She sighed thinking how, only over a year ago, the idea of discussing her nests of black market with her partners would sound utterly ridiculous.

“Morning.”

“Morning to you too,” she turned to Darius and his distinct lack of cape. “Everything going ok here?”

“Eda sent you to spy, didn’t she,” Darius snorted.

“Maybe…” Camila chuckled, “I did want to get up anyway to check on the kids.

“At this point, we should get one room for all four of them. Or at least more blankets.  Also, tell Eda that we know what we’re doing,” Darius huffed “Steve is at the helm and the wind is good to port.”

“You think they’ll have any darkwood crystals or starspring water for Vee here?” Camila eyed the shore in concern. Those were some of the strongest sources of magic and a singly crystal or a few sips could keep Vee’s hunger for magic sated for days.

“I sometimes forget how new to all of this you are,” Darius chuckled.

“Oh, and you sailed the seven seas multiple times on the pirate ship?”

“No, but I did sail and I was aware of the ports like this one. Speaking off, it should hold them, those things are not easy to come by, but someone certainly found a way. Ask Eda though, she should know the sellers better.”

“I was wondering of you know someone who may sell things…you know?”

“Legally?” Darius chuckled, “Trust me, go with whatever Eda tells you. The more legal the business is out there, the more likely they are a spy for the emperor. Besides, whoever Eda suggested to you is safe. That woman and Raine would never put you, or your daughter, in harm’s way.”

Camila smiled, wrapping the coat closer, “Yeah. I know.”

….

A few hours later, Camila was wandering the alleys of Crooked Peak harbour. Few scouts were milling around but they were either too unbothered or overly bribed to pay mind to a million of crimes happening around them. Or too scared. She had a feeling that any scout here that tried to for more than charge a token fine would find themselves at the bottom of the ditch, killed and stripped of all their valuable belongings.

She did her best to look like she fit in, long, wool skirt fluttering around her legs, a heavy coat she borrowed from Raine on her shoulders and a bat slung over her back. Her hair in a low bun, and holding herself with power and confidence, as if her heart wasn’t jittery.

She didn’t go far, not trusting her own lack of experience with places like this, vendors and shopkeepers trying to sell her everything from kitchen supplies to weapons, but, she was looking for Old Sally.

“Just tell her Lord Calamity is sending you and give her this and she’ll give you all you need, I would not go as far as to call her an old friend, but she’s a decent ally. Oh, what am I saying, I should go with ya’!”

“No, no, I can handle it! You’re all going to be close by anyways, no?”

“Yes, we will…”

Camila held onto the small Calamity pin Eda gave her as if her life depended on it when she rounded the corner and saw the sign for Sally’s potion ingredients and spell supplies and walked towards it, a weird pit in her stomach forming all of a sudden. She dismissed it, telling herself that’s simply because she was alone in a place like this. Well, not even alone. Eda was barely a minute's walk away and, turning around, she spotted Darius’ purple cape fluttering through the crowd.

Still, she reached into the pocket, reassured that the potions Eda got her for self-defence were still there and that her bat hung from her back. A tiny abomination figure was dormant in her pocket too, a gift from Darius, who could scurry away to warn someone if she got in danger. With that, she walked into the store.

“Hello? Sally the potion maker?”

“Oh, hi!” An older woman, with light green skin and greying blonde hair greeted, “What brings you to my store?”

Camila’s uncomfortable feeling only grew. She expected someone…well, like Eda. Nonchalant and smirking, a true saleswoman, one who could sell water to a drowning man.

The woman in front of her seemed as nervous as a young person meeting their partner’s parents for the first time. She hardly seemed like someone Eda would trade with.

Only, this woman was not just nervous, there was genuine fear behind those eyes and in the way she stiffly held herself, her smile pained as if painted on and not genuine.

Camila may not have had experience with the black market.

But she did know what people looked like when they were in trouble.

And this woman was in trouble, and not hiding it that well.

“Oh, well,” Camila patted her pocket, her mind racing. She needed to get out of there and get Eda, “seems like I forgot my coin. I’ll be right back!”

As she turned, a thousand thoughts in her head, she bumped into a man towering almost a foot over her.

“Going somewhere?” he asked.

Camila took a step back and tossed one of the potions at him, making him let out a painful grunt as she looked around the store in which now 5 other people, two with spell circles and three with artificial staffs at the ready, stood.

She tried not to panic, but she knew that she was in big trouble even before she heard his voice.

“Well, well, isn’t it Camila Noceda…”

“Jacob!” she sneered, reaching into her pocket and tapping the small abomination figure in there, “What are you doing here, leave us alone!” she reached for her bat as she felt the little guy seeping tough her pocket and climbing down her leg. She had to cause a distraction.

She grabbed her bat, with one hand and a vial of potion with the other, tossing it to the air, and swinging the bat at it, hurling it at one of the goons. She evaded the attack, but Camila got what she wanted-a room filled with smoke that gave the small abomination an opportunity to scurry away from the folds of her skirt unnoticed.

“Oh, you think you got this fight?” Jacob mocked getting out from the back room, holding a young girl who share a light grin skin with Sally.

Didn’t Eda once mention that the old seller had a granddaughter?

“Let the girl go, Jacob!” Camila said as the old woman covered her mouth in horror.

“Ah, don’t worry. She was just my insurance. You know, that this one,” he pointed his chin at Sally, “Would not try anything. Now, you will come with me, Camila…or, well, we both know I’m not above harming children…”

“Let my granddaughter go!”

“Ugh, fine, here,” he roughly showed the girl at Sally, as to of the goons grabbed Camila, holding her firmly in place. “I can still kill you both from here anyways!”

“Six people, armed, plus you and you still need to threaten a child just to get a hold of me,” Camila snorted.

“We all know you are not here alone, Camila,” he tutted, “Speaking of which, seems like there is a commotion outside, we better leave…”

In that second, a few things happened. The three people with artificial staffs activated them, presumably preparing a teleportation spell. Sally pushed her granddaughter to the backroom and said something in a language Camila did not understand before she cast a spell circle herself, attacking Jacob, at the same time Camila noticed a wave of abomination matter hurling from the outside towards the front door.

“Darius! Dari-umpfh!” she called, but the man holding her covered her mouth. She bit him, prompting him to let go, “Darius!”

“THE SPELL, ACTIVATE THE TELEPORTING SPELL ALREADY, ONCE HE IS HERE, WE’RE SCREWED!” Jacob shouted as his people. “I shouldn’t have let go of the little bitch…”

The vortex above them formed, and started pulling them up, as Darius, in full abomination form burst through the door, reaching for Camila who tried to wiggle free and reached for the tendrils of ooze, but the men were holding her with too much strength, and the spell pulled them up.

“No!” She heard Darius shouting as everything around her became chaos.

I hope Sally does indeed have something Vee can eat, and it’s not destroyed here…. Was the last thought before she was knocked unconscious, and the vortex carried her and her kidnappers away.

…..

Camila woke to a throbbing headache and stiff shoulders. When she tried to move, she couldn’t, something tied around her wrists, keeping them in place.

A part of her brain told her not to open her eyes just yet. Still pretending to be asleep, she tried to get as much information as she could from the things she could hear, feel and smell.

She was in a sitting position, leaning against something, her arms tied behind her back, her legs bound at the ankles. She was tied to whatever she was leaning on. It was cold, and she barely kept herself from shivering, the air whirling around her. She heard the angry, worried voices of the people who took her and their heavy steps, but there was no sound of waves, the smell of seawater, or the swaying of the ship on the sea. She did smell flight fuel, though.

She was taken and tied up on the airship. This was bad.

She peaked her eyes open and immediately met with Jacob and two of his goons.

“Aw, there she is, awake! Well, this is lovely!”

“Jacob,” Camila said in the firmest voice she could manage.

“You cost me one of the men, that Daemonne fellow grabbed him while we were teleporting so…” he slapped her, hard, making her head sway to the side, “There, that’s for one of my men! The rest will wait for later…”

“What do you mean, later,” Camila let the fear seep into her voice, even though her mind was racing. Jacob was too full of himself not to talk, but only if he believed he had her. “What are your,” she let her voice break, “…your plans with me?”

It did not take a lot to pretend to be terrified.

“Well, see, I knew you had my little Basilisk-“

She felt her blood boil, “Vee,” she spat, “her name is Vee and she is not yours!”

He slapped her again, “Whatever. You would have it and you would need to find food for the little monster. And well, a little birdie told me you work with The Owl Lady and that she was heading for the Crooked Peak and she works with Old Sally who sells the best sources of magic in that harbour and, really, it was not a hard guess…I just needed insurance to make the old broad not spill to The Owl Lady and, well, that’s where that girl comes in…”

“Are they…”

“Oh, they’re fine! You should be more worried about yourself,” he leaned in, so close his nose was almost touching hers, “See, I don’t like when people take my stuff. And, well, you did so…I wanted my revenge. But then I realized, what better revenge than to use you as bait to lure those you love in…”

“No…”

He laughed, a cold, haunting sound, “Yes. Now, I wasn’t sure that you would come into that shop with your friends, so, I kept the girl there. You are all too sentimental to let a child be hurt. Deamonne ruined my plans a bit but, oh well, I’m assuming they are now planning a full rescue mission and when they do…well…”

He took out a device from his pocket. A small, metal disk with a reddish glow emanating from it.

Camila’s eyes widened in horror, “A magic disruptor…”

“Yeah! The only type of magic that works next to it are the Emperor’s staffs. Oh, also, I made a deal. See, I bring him The Owl Lady and the traitors and, well, he lets me keep my basilisk…a win-win…”

“Her name is Vee!” Camila struggled against her binds, ignoring the sharp pain in her wrists as the rope burned her skin.

“Call it whatever you like, it will be mine!”

“You monster!”

“No, I’m just a curious man with some vested interest. Your people will come to rescue you and walk right into my trap. Do you think they will take the kids with them? Imagine. Your kid being trapped trying to rescue you…how tragic…” he laughed, and it took all of Camila’s restraint not to spit in his face. That might just cause him to knock her out and she wanted to be conscious for whatever came next.

“They are not dumb enough to fall for this, Jacob!” She spoke.

“Oh, I’m not doubting anyone’s intelligence here. Thankfully, this is the case for sentiment. Feelings. And, well, I know the Owl Lady gave up her magic for your kid, that that Whispers was willing to die for her, hell even Daemonne was seen risking his life trying to save the emperor’s nephew. And sentiment can override intelligence…”

With that, he left to command his ship and Camila was left alone with her thoughts.

She could not escape, she knew that. Even if she could free herself from the binds, she’d have to overcome about a dozen, possibly more, people herself with only her hands, as her potions and bat were taken from her, and then she’d have to steer the ship to find Eda, or to at least get to a nearby port.

She hoped for a rescue, but, at the same time, Jacob’s words scared her. He may actually be able to overcome Eda and the others with their magic blocked. They could not even rely on staffs, as the magic disruptors blocked all wild magic.

And they only had a few pieces of stolen Emperor’s technology…

So, she sat back and tried to think of a way out.

“She’s there, in the sky!” she heard someone shouting and looked up.

Oh no.

It was Eda, in her harpy form, her staff at the ready. As she landed on the deck, in a blaze of glory, the staff took a form of a wooden owl.

“Well, crap, guess I’ll have to do this alone!” Eda said in her harpy voice, and Camila had to fight everything in her not to immediately lean into the comfort it brought. Even without her staff, Eda was a fierce sight, with a wingspan well over 10 feet, feathers bristling and dark eyes burning, the hook on one and claws on the other arm promising pain to those who dare oppose her.

“Eda, run!”

Eda stared at her with firm, furious, yet comforting eyes, “Mimi, don’t worry, I’m here to get you!”

“Eda, go while you still can, you can’t take all of them!”

“I can try, no way I’m leaving you here!” Eda’s voice was nearly a growl as she took a fighting stance, her claws and hook ready, studying Jacob’s men. It was impressive, how the eyes that brought Camila comfort now burned with hatred so fierce it could burn holes in steel?

“Eda, this is reckless!”

“Oh, would you look at this, Eda the Owl Lady, coming to rescue her…what are you, fellow mothers?”

“Let her go you walking dishcloth, and no harm will come to you,” Eda growled. It was truly intimidating but somewhat undercut by the fact that she was alone, facing a dozen men, who all had artificial staffs while she only had her talons and a hook.

“To me? You are the one who came to the ship alone!”

“Well, the others were taking to slow, so I came to Mimi’s rescue!” Eda spat brashly, staring Jacob down as if he was a piece of prey.

“Eda, leave while you still can!”

“I’d advise you to listen to her,” Jacob mused, “Or…don’t, it will be more fun for me this way. Hm…maybe the emperor will let me study that form before he kills you…”

Eda leapt at him, and he would’ve been torn to shreds but one of his men used a staff magic to toss her back, and she barely stopped herself from hurling under the quarterdeck. Instead, she sneered and rushed into the fight, holding on quite well for a while, sending goons flying around. She was a harpy after all, and even the magic worked weaker against her.

But it was still a dozen against one, and she slowly started to falter. A spell formed a long cut on her forehead, another blast made her knee buckle, they tried grabbing her wings and, pulled her down.

It was a horrifying sight, seeing Eda slowly taken down, pinned, her wings under her.

“Well, well, not so tough now. Hmm, I wonder what would happen if I broke this…” Jacob ran his fingers down Eda’s wing. He grabbed a handful of furthers and pulled them out, making Eda scream.

Camila was shouting her name, tears spilling down her face, desperately trying to free herself from her binds but to no avail. She was stuck. Unable to help Eda, unable to do anything but desperately watch as Jacob walked around her beloved.

“See, Emperor wants you alive, but not unharmed….”

“Eda!”

“…and, well, Camila caused me to lose so much…what if I return the favour…”

Eda’s form disappeared, and Camila knew why. She was not giving up, but, if Jacob harmed her wings, the pain would be too great to do anything.

“Giving up?”

“Not giving you the satisfaction to bring him the harpy,” Eda spat, “Let Camila go, you can still have your reward if you hand me over!”

Cold terror filled Camila and she tugged at her binds even harder, “NO! EDA!”

“Oh, but my beef is not with you, Owl Lady. It’s with her. You are just...a fortunate source of income. Also, well, you hurting will make her hurt so…” he grabbed Eda’s arm and twisted. Even Eda’s cursed body could not take it and Camila heard a sickening crack.

“NO!” Camila’s screams mixed with Eda’s cries of agony, as the witch writhed on the ground.

“Hear, that is music to my ears…”

“Mimi, it's—it’s ok, I’ll be fine-“As she said that, Jacob kicked Eda in the ribs, and kept at it until she started to cough.

“Well, I’m sure the emperor would be happy with you dead too…”

“STOP IT! STOP IT!

They would die, they would die, he was going to make her watch Eda die.

Like Manny.

And she would be gone too.

And Luz would be alone.

And Vee would lose her.

And King would lose Eda…

They will die, they will die, she will watch her beloved die

“Stop it!” she broke into sobs, watching as Eda quit resisting, and curled up on the floor instinctively, protecting her core. “Noooo! Eda!”

She was going to lose someone she loved again, and this time, it won’t be Manny drifting to sleep, his agony finally ending…it will be watching Eda be killed in front of her, and she knew Jacob would not be as merciful as the healers to make the end painless.

Something started to tug at her binds, and she looked, expecting to see a rat or a mouse chewing on it but it was Owlbert

“Wha…” she glanced at the palisman, not daring to fully tear her eyes from Eda, still letting out muffled grunts and screams of pain.

Better Plan. Owlbert just said when, suddenly, a large wave of abomination came onto the deck, carrying Lilith, Katya, Derwin, Darius and the almost the entire crew with them.

“What the…how?” Jacob demanded, looking back and forth between his crew and the newcomers, as Eda’s crew started using magic on a ship that supposedly had it blocked.

The ensuing fight was vicious, but, between Raine’s whistles, Lilith’s expertise with staff magic, Darius' abominations and everyone else’s skilled attacks, it didn’t take long for Jacob’s goons, along with the man himself, to be overtaken and knocked unconscious.

Raine approached Camila whose wrists were finally free, and she flung herself at them.

“Raine…” she sobbed into their shoulder.

“Shh…it’s ok, it’s ok…” the bard cupped the back of her head, and she felt Owlbert nuzzling against her side, bringing comfort too.

“Eda…” Camila lifted her head and looked over Raine’s shoulder to where their partner lay.

“She’ll be fine, Nadia’s here,” Raine said, almost uselessly as she saw the young, but very skilled healer leaning over Eda, already treating her injuries. She saw that Eda was almost unconscious, only occasionally wincing in pain.

“How…?” Camila let go of the hug and Raine moved to untie her legs too.

“That one lackey Darius got. Darius was beating himself up over not getting you instead, but he proved useful. A bit of blabber potion and he spilt all about the plan.”

“You…you knew…”

“About the disruptors. Yeah. That’s why Eda flew in first, just like Jacob expected she would. But she had to cover for me and Steve on Hunter’s old staff. Jacob did not count that we had some artificial magic too. And someone who worked for the emperor and knew their way around the disruptors. Steve cast an illusion spell around us with the artificial staff, and I disabled the devices.”

“So Eda was…just a bait?” Camila asked, as Raine helped her up and the two walked over to Eda.

Raine looked oddly guilty as they nodded, “Yeah…”

Camila decided it was a conversation for later, even as odd anger started to bubble inside her, “The kids…?”

“In the harbour. They wanted to come but we left them to hold the base down. The youngest member with us is Derwin.”

Camila’s mind was reeling, to the point she was glad when Nadia called, “Hey, I could use help here!”

Raine led Camila over to Eda, and Lilith was by her side soon after, sobbing into her sister’s shoulder.

“Lilith, I know you care for your sister, but we need space,” Nadia said in a compassionate, yet firm voice and Camila was glad that the black-haired healer took that responsibility from her as she was barely holding herself from doing the same thing Lilith did, instead of actually treating injuries.

Lilith calmed and started to distribute healing potions, Steve jumped in healing minor scrapes and bruises, while Camila, having taken the artificial staff, and Nadia treated worse ones.

There were cuts, and bruises. Raine looked like someone used them to sharpen knives, a few cuts on their face and arms. Darius looked so tired, like a puppet with strings cut. Lilith was limping, but her ankle was just sprained. Steve and Katya, the two least injured, were tying the crew up.

Even Camila’s own cheek was bruised and her wrists raw from rope burn.

Once everyone was bandaged and patched up, Darius was slowly building up enough strength to teleport them all back to Owl Sail.

Camila leaned against Eda, who was sleeping under a spell Camila cast while Nadia was adjusting her bones, and Raine had their head in Camila’s lap.

“What will happen with Jacob and his crew?” Camila asked, her voice poisonous.

“We’ll enchant the ship to sail to the nearest harbour and, well, let the people there deal with him.”

“The emperor?” Camila wondered. She doubted that he would be harsh on Jacob, He’d probably just give him more ammo to go after them.

“Oh, no, we don’t want him on the trail. See, we heard that some of the basilisks took home at the Bloodberg port, and, well, maybe they find a way to deal with him. We planted evidence of his…deeds, and, well, even without it, we’re sending him to a place where working with the emperor…will not be looked down upon kindly…”

“Good.” Camila said as she readied herself to help Nadia heal everyone, “he deserved no less.”

With that angry thought, she felt her eyes closing, energy suddenly leaving her.

Kids…I should stay awake till we get to the kids…

“Camila?” Raine’s worried voice came to her, but the next moment, her consciousness left her exhausted body and everything went black.

…..

Camila woke up to the sound of waves and the slight swaying of the space around her, the smells familiar.

She was back on Eda’s ship. Good.

Wait, why was that important?

Her mind started racing groggily as pain and exhaustion hit her, with memories of the events that preceded.

Eda….

Raine…

The kids!

She had to make sure they knew she was ok and then she had to check on Eda and…

She bolted upwards, shouting her daughters’ names, only for it to come out as a muffled grunt and the space around her started swaying even more, her head hurting to the point where she had to close her eyes to get it to stop, unable to focus on anything.

“Camila?” a warm voice came to her and suddenly, two strong arms held her up, “Hey, hey, slow down, slow down. Take a deep breath, it’ll be ok.”

Camila followed the instructions, leaning into Raine’s touch and slowly blinked her eyes open, meeting their soft eyes, “Raine?”

“It’s me. I’m here.”

“The kids…need to know…I’m fine…I…” she tried to leave their hold, so she could get to her children, wherever they were.

“Hey, Cami, look at me,” they did not let go, and she focused on their voice, calming to her groggy yet racing mind, “Deep breaths, ok, we’re all safe, on the ship, in the infirmary. Now, breathe in…and out…” they directed, and she did as asked, the pain in her head subsiding a bit and feeling a bit calmer, “Better?”

“Yes, yes, thank you,” she blinked, looking around herself.

The warm afternoon light was piercing through the windows of the small, somewhat cramped, but homey, room. The smell of herbs and potions filled her nose as she allowed her thoughts to slow down just a bit. She smiled as she realized that she wasn’t covered with a regular infirmary blanket but that someone brought her favourite one from the cabin. Her smile widened further when she glanced to her right. Sitting on the narrow bed, next to one another were the kids. Hunter, leaning against the headboard, Luz’s head in her lap, Vee leaning on her shoulder and King splayed out over the two girls’ laps.

“We tried to convince them not to sleep here, but, alas, we were unsuccessful. Luz, King and Vee didn’t want to leave you and Eda and Hunter would not leave the three of them, so they fell asleep like this.

“And Eda?” Camila's eyes locked on the bed opposite to her in anguished anticipation. If Eda was there, that meant she was alive. But she still remembered all her injuries, even if her memory was foggy from stress and horror.

Covered by a red blanket, Eda lay there. Camila noticed a cast on her good arm and an unmistakable grey mane of hair.

“Pretty battered, but she will be fine,” Raine said, “She woke up for a bit but is back to napping now.”

“Oh, thank heavens!” Camila said. “After today I…I…I wasn’t sure how good I was remembering things and…you know.”

“That’s ok, you must be rattled. You’ve been through a lot.”

“So have you,” she said, for the first time properly focusing on them and her heart clenched. They had dark circles around their eyes, a long half-healed cut on their forehead and a big bruise on their right cheek. Not to mention the way the held themselves and a bandage on their right forearm, peaking from the thick sweater they wore, reminding her of how many cuts they received in the fight. Even their fingers were bandaged with the light purple bandages she recognized as those used when their old scars were giving them trouble.

Either way, her face must’ve looked beyond worried considering the way Raine’s face shifted into a comforting one immediately.

“Just some scratches and bruises,” they smiled softly.

“Quite some scratches and bruises,” she gently brushed around their bruised cheek and stretched to kiss the injury. They returned the favour, gently taking her hand and kissing over the bandages on her wrist softly.

“They’ll heal, we’ve got the best medic,” Raine winked at her.

“Oh, please, I’m no healer…”

“Maybe not by blood, but you handle healing spells with that staff like a master. That takes an understanding of magic and the body. Even Nadia praises you. You heard her.”

“I just wish I could do more…” Camila sighed, and her eyes darted to her injured girlfriend.

Eda, who could’ve died helping her.

Which would leave the kids alone…

“Help me up, I want to see her,” Camila said to them, worry and guilt knotting in her heart. Raine was in bad shape, and she still remembered Eda’s pained cries and screams, the horrors she went through.

She thought Eda would die, the fear, the despair, the relief when Raine, Darius and the others burst onto Jacob’s deck

The relief she felt when she realized they were not falling for his trap but, instead, creating a trap themselves…

With Eda being a decoy.

Eda who knowingly put herself into a position where she knew Camila would see her hurt…

Camila shook the odd feeling of anger and bitterness that started to creep into her. Why would she be bitter towards Eda and Raine after the previous day? How could she be?

Raine pulled her to her feet and the two made the short path to Eda’s bed and she looked at the woman she loved. Her prosthetic was laid on the bedside table, a few small scratches on her nubbin. Her other arm was in a cast that reached from her hand and over her elbow, bent under 90°C and laid on her chest. A semi-healed cut ran down her cheek and she looked exhausted, even in her sleep.

Camila very carefully sat on the side of the bed, and Raine pulled themselves a chair, “How long was I out?” she asked.

“It’s been about 16 hours since the…rescue,” Raine said, “You woke up once, briefly.”

“Oh my,” Camila covered her mouth, “So you were dealing with everything by yourself…while I was just…sleeping?”

“Raine,” Eda’s raspy voice came from the bed, “tell our girlfriend to stop beating herself up over passing out and staying out, she clearly needed it…”

“Eda…”

“You’re awake!” Camila exclaimed.

Eda peaked one groggy eye open, “Well if I wasn’t I’d be now…” she teased.

“Oh, sorry, sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up,” Camila reached over to gently cup Eda’s face.

“Pfft, come on Mimi, I’m teasing. I’ve been semi-awake for a bit now, but I let you two have a talk first!”

“Eda!”

“Hey, hey, I’d tell you If you didn’t come here anyway! I just let you two have your moment first. Now quiet down, or you’ll both wake the kiddos. How are you doing, Mimi?”

“Me?” Camila asked, choking up at Eda’s worry for her, “I should be asking you that!”

“You slept for 16 hours,” Eda pointed out. “And it’s not like you got out of it unscathed,” she gestured to Camila’s bandaged wrists with her nubbin.

“I’m fine, I’m fine. But you…”

“A broken radius, bruised ribs, a few cuts, a nasty burn on my thigh… I’ve been through worse. At least I still have all three of my remaining limbs!”

“Eda!”

“Sheesh, a woman can’t even jok-” she was cut off by Camila leaning down to press a soft kiss to her lips.

“Stop joking, I was worried,” she said, a sob seeing into her voice.

“Hey, hey,” Eda reached for Camila with her nubbin and Camila locked her hand around it, “I’ll heal. We got you out, the kids are safe, got that bastard where he belongs, we’re together, that’s what matters, Right?”

“Yeah…right…” a sob escaped Camila’s lips.

“Oh, get over here,” Eda scooted over with a pained grunt before Camila could stop her, and since the act was done, Camila squished herself at the edge of the bed next to Eda. Her girlfriend pulled her residual limb under her and pulled her closer. Raine brought their chair closer to the bed and leaned over so they could rest against Camila.

She, in place, grabbed on Eda as if she would never let go, her fingers worriedly running down Eda’s cast.

“We freaked you out, didn’t we?” Eda asked, her voice still raspy from sleep but incredibly gentle, and Camila once again wondered how the hell did her partners got her as well as they did. She buried her face into Eda’s chest and Eda placed a kiss into her hair.

“On that ship…I thought…I thought I was a goner,” Camila said, “He was bragging about how he was using me as bait. For you. And for the kids. And then you came and…and…”

“We had to trick him, he had to buy it he had me.

“But you tricked me too!” Camila blurted out, feeling awful even as she could not stop the flood of words.

“Oh…”

“Oh? That’s all?” she lifted her head to face Eda, angry tears streaming down her face, “I thought I would watch you die, Edalyn! That he would kill you in front of my eyes and that I would lose someone I love again!” Eda winced at her words, her eyebrows curling in worry, “And that then I’d be gone too and that then Luz would be…” her voice broke, and she brought her knuckles to her mouth, trying to calm herself a bit.

“I know she’d be loved, and Vee’d be loved. I’m not doubting that they’d have Raine,” she turned to them with a teary smile and they returned, their eyebrows upturned, “But she’d lose both of us. After Manny…”

Raine rubbed circles into her back, while Eda reached over with her broken arm, gently running her free fingers up and down her side.

“And Vee…she’d lose us too. She’s finally getting properly used to us all being together. And King…”

“I’m sorry.” Eda said.

“I’m sorry,” Camila blurted, already regretting her previous words, “What kind of person gets angry at her partners for rescuing her?”

“You’re not angry for the rescue,” Raine’s voice was painfully understanding, “We know that. You know that. But we…I, because it was my plan, did not consider how it may affect you in other ways. I only realized that later. I’m sorry too.”

“I feel it’s so unfair to feel…angry. Because you two risked your life for me and…what right do I have to feel mad…” She wiped tears off her face, looking away from both.

“Hey, hey,” Eda pulled the end of her stump under Camila’s chin, “Look at me. You can be angry, ok. That’s’ fair. If we hurt you, we hurt you. And I can’t even apologize properly because…considering it all ended well…I can’t say I would not go through this whole charade again.”

Maybe the admission should’ve made Camila angry. Or even more hurt.

But oddly, it brought a strange sort of relief.

Because it was honest, and she would lie if she said that, had roles been reversed, she would not have done the same for them. She chose risks as soon as she joined the ship, long before the idea of liking, let alone being with Eda and Raine crossed her mind. Hell, she chose the risks that came with a life of a rebel the day she chose to take Vee in and, eventually, protect her and run away with the kid.

“I…I know.”

“I’m so sorry, Camila” Raine said again, “It was not our intention to hurt you. But…we did. We had to put your safety first. If we had more time to plan, maybe I would’ve had a better plan.”

“What, exactly, was the plan. You told me today…yesterday but…”

“We grabbed one of Jacob’s goons. Eda made a mean blabber potion and we had to work around it a bit because he took an antidote for it.”

“Pfft, like Lily and I are not aware of those…”

“Anyways, he spilt Jacobs's whole plan. We knew we could not barge in without magic blocked. Aside from Darius, Steve and maybe Lilith and Eda, none of us are that skilled at physical combat-something we really should work on, I realize now-so, we had to…distract him. While we disrupted the disruptors.”

“And I was the perfect choice for the distraction. I mean, my first instinct was to just fly there and snatch you anyways, so pretending to go trough with it was a perfectly believable plan,” Eda sighed, “We did not take into account that seeing me hut would affect you so much, the inconsiderate asses we can be,” she swallowed thickly, looking at Camila apologetically, “If you need time away…”

“Time away!? Time away!? I don’t want to be away from you two for a second I don’t need time away!” She grabbed at Eda’s nightgown with one hand and at Raine’s shirt with the other.

“Ok, ok…” Eda chuckled, seeming a tiny bit taken aback by the intensity.

“But…thanks for understanding,” she said.

“Heh, you know us. Complicated feelings are kinda our area of expertise,” Eda chuckled, “and we’ll have time to talk.”

“With all the mess around us?”

“Well, in the brief time, I was lucid since this all went down, I set course for the Horn Isles. Chaotic, filled with all sorts of crooks, but less dangerous for us specifically and far enough that the emperor barely has influence there. We all need rest, and kids need some normalcy for a bit. We can plan further rebellion there, from some comfort.”

“It’s safer, for comfort’s sake, but, from a practical standpoint, it makes sense too,” Raine agreed.

“Ah, Raine, ever the pragmatist,” Eda chuckled, though it was not a condemnation of any sort.

“Aw, you guys…” Camila melted into Eda’s side, pulling Raine down so she could hug them too. She knew they were doing this for her and the kids much more than for themselves.  

Raine leaned forward and pressed a kiss to Eda’s uninjured cheek and then another one, to Camila’s hair, “We’ll be good,” they said, leaning their head on Camila’s side.

“We should all move to my cabin; There is no space here, and Mimi deserves some cuddles after the shit yesterday.

“Mimi thinks you should stay here and rest,” Camila huffed.

“Well, I rest the best in my bed! It’s comfy!”

“But with me and Raine next to you?”

Eda smiled, “That will only make things even better!”

“Sap!” Raine accused her.

“Shush!”

“They are right, you are a sap!”

Eda frowned, “This. This is an attack. This is an attack at an injured woman who can’t even point a finger in accusation!”

“Your glare is more than enough dear!” Raine leaned over Camila to kiss Eda who huffed at it half-heartedly.

“Is that supposed to be grumpy?” Camila asked, only to earn another frown from Eda.

Raine pretended to study Eda and nodded, “I think that’s what she’s attempting!”

“You two are horrible together!” Eda accused them.

“But you love us…” Camila smiled, and Eda rolled her eyes before she kissed her.

“How could I not?”

“Can you three shut up, I’m dying from all the sappiness…” King’s muttered remark came from the other bed. “Wait…YOU ARE AWAKE!”

“Huh?” Came a muffled grunt from Vee.

“Eh?” Luz shot up.

“Ow!” Hunter grunted as he was awakened by Luz bumping her head into his chin.

“Mum and Camila are awake!” King scurried across the floor to Eda’s bed.

“They are?” Luz wondered.

“MUM!” Vee’s voice pierced through the room, as the young basilisk slid across the floor after King.

Within seconds, the throuple was surrounded by the kids, King climbing on the bed while Vee and Luz reached over to hug the two women from the bedside.

Raine pulled back a bit, only to get tackled by King, and Hunter stayed next to the bed, but Luz pulled him into a tangled hug.

“All, right, all right, let go of me, my ribs are screaming,” Eda grunted at Luz’s hug.

“Oops, sorry…”

“It’s fine, I’ll live. Also, pretend I’m ruffling all of your hairs! You too, Blondie,” she smiled at Hunter, “Titan, one would say I was gone for days…”

“You were not waking up!” King said, tears spilling from his eyes, “For a while! That’s scarier than you being away on a trip for a few days or something!”

“Well, I’m ok now, and-”

The door of the infirmary burst open and worried Darius walked in, “Is everything ok in there?”

“Aw, glad to see you worry, Darius,” Eda snickered at the man’s concerned face, which immediately turned into a disgruntled one.

“I heard…what were probably the kids cheering and not screams of horror, right?”

“Yup! Learn the difference Deamonne!” Eda chided, and Camila laughed at Darius' forced grumpy expression.

“Well yeah, mums are awake and our parent is fine, what did you expect!” King said from Eda’s lap and Camila exchanged a glance with Raine. It was still rare for King to so casually refer to them both as parents.

“Darius, what’s happening there?” Amber’s voice came from the corridor.

“Eda and Camila woke up!”

Not a minute passed before all three young bards were by the door only to be shown away by Lilith, “Move, my sister is ok now!”

“Hey, rude!”

Eda got hugs from them all, and Camila too. They reassured everyone that they will be fine. Darius did not join the hug/cuddle pile, but stood on the side, a content smile on his face.

“Ok, ok, it’s getting stuffy in here,” Eda said, “get me on the deck, come on!” She shooed the kids away and started to get up.

“Eda, you should rest…” Camila said.

Eda looked at her and, with a heavy sigh, retreated into the bed, “Ugh, fine…”

“I expected more of a fight…”

“Look, I feel like I really need some air, but, you’re the medic. I don’t want to worry you,” she glanced at the door with such wistfulness, it broke Camila’s heart. Eda had to care a lot for someone to listen to a request like the one Camila made.

“Ok, if we get you up, and you promise to take it easy, then fine.

“I’m taking that compromise!” Eda jumped at the suggestion immediately, “Now help me up, come on!”

Darius ended up being the one to help her, as he was the only one tall, rested, and uninjured enough to comfortably support her.

Once seated on the stairs to the quarter deck, surrounded by her family because, the crew members greeting Eda and her, which prompted Eda to wave their worries of like, in her words, “a proper captain with a reputation should”, Camila felt at peace.

Life would be difficult, she knew. There would be pain and hurt, and troubles.

But, in that moment, things were, despite everything, good. Vee curled up close to her, and King was on Eda’s lap, while Hunter and Luz ran around the deck, emptying their nervous energies. Eda closed her eyes, stroking King in her lap and took a deep breath of sea air. Lilith sat next to her sister, and the three young bards also joined, all of them chatting about dinner. And Raine leaned on Camila, covered in a blanket to shield them from the chilly air, nodding off.

And she knew, no matter what, they would be good.