by Soledad Cartwright
A Swordfeast universe story
Timeline: about a year after ''Finally''.
Sixth part of the Cameron-storyline, follows my own SWF-story ''Homecoming''
Disclaimers: None of the ''Kindred''-vampires belong to me, and the background situation and the Richmond Tremere belong to the Swordfeast Universe. Cameron's bloodline, however, was created by me. I took his ancestors from the Brujah genealogy on the web-site White Wolfe Online. Some of the blood relations are authentic, others I simply made up. All the L.A. Kindred can be found in my original stories of the ''Pathways in the Dark'' universe, as well.
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
Cameron let the women lead him into the room that had been selected for him. It was a spacey one, with beautiful, Spanish-style furniture, separated into sleeping and working areas by artfully-carved bookshelves and heavy brocate curtains, and it was fitted with a bathroom on its own.
''It used to be Carlito's room, before he'd become independent'', Gloria explained. ''Salvador didn't want to put you in one of the guest rooms; you're family, after all.''
Cameron didn't answer. He seemed to have fallen back to huis sullen state. The women exchanged worried looks. ''I'll go and run that bath'', Allison offered. ''Which herbal oils do you want in it, sis?''
''The most potent destillation'', Gloria answered. ''It's in the bottle with the red cap, up in the medical cupboard.''
Allison nodded and disappeared in the bathroom. Not much later the soothing noise of running water could be heard and the scent of healing herbs waved back to the sleeping area.
''Cameron'', Gloria said gently, ''we're gonna remove your clothes now. Is that all right with you?''
The young man gave her a bleak look. Then he nodded. Carefully, the two women undressed him, hissing in compassion when they saw the state his lower ody was in: thighs criss-crossed with angry red whip marks and scars of very deep knife wounds, ge-nitals severely bruised, almost into deformation from the sick SM-toys he had been forced to wear too long.
''If Salvador doesn't call a Blood Hunt on that Tremere bastard, I'll go to Richmond myself and tear his guts out with my bare hands'', Valeria hissed, her chocolate eyes taking on the icy silver glare of a deadly Anarch warrior, which she, in fact, has been al her unlife. ''None of his tricks will help him.''
''Calm down, let Salvador handle it'', Gloria soothed. ''Let's handle here first things first. We need to heal our baby, above anything else.'' She paused, gently turning Cameron's face toward herself. ''Little brother, I need to examine you in the inside, to see how much damage you have taken. I promise to be very careful, but... it still might be unpleasant.''
Without an answer, the naked young man turned away and bent obediently over the back of an overstuffed armchair, giving her access to his anus. The deeply submissive reaction almost broke Gloria's heart. She knew what a tough fighter Cameron had been... seeing him like that was almost unbearable. ''Valeria, take his head'', she instructed her elder sister. ''Try to relax him, I try to avoid any more pain.''
Valeria kneeled up onto the armchair, gently pulling Cameron's head into the crack of her neck, alternating between stroking his hair and massaging his back to ease the discomfort when Gloria pulled on her rubber gloves and carefully inserted a diagnostic finger into his anus.
''Sweet Caine!'', the doctor hissed, feeling the full amount of damage. ''You're practically torn to shreds, baby! What's he rammed into you, spiked steel?''
''Sometimes'', Cameron murmured in a detached, emotionless voice. ''Sometimes he invited his pet Gargoyle to play, too. But mostly, he was just big... and not really fond of lube.''
''Oh, honey!'' Gloria removed her finger, peeled off her rubber gloves, then pulled him up again and hugged him tightly, tears of compassion rolling down her soft face. ''Why would you let him do this to you?''
Cameron felt horribly tired. Now that he felt safe, protected from his long-time, sadistic tormentor, he only wanted to sink into unconsciousness. But her... realtives wanted answers, so he tried to give them some. ''I... needed his help. The Clan was falling apart, Fiori's people stabbing me in the back and I didn't even know who belonged to them. The warlocks are mind-readers... they did help me to find them, so I was able to clean up the whole mess.''
''You did this for Clan politics?'' Valeria asked, unbelievingly. ''You Camarilla types must be really sick.''
''That was what Sorrel would have expected me to do'', Cameron murmured. ''It's not that different from what I had to do in Chicago... well, it hurt a lot more, but other than that... Once a fucktoy, always a fucktoy.''
''Sorrel was a sich bastard'', Valeria hissed, repeating Carlyle's statement of earlier. ''Why didn't you come to Salvador for help? He'd have never denied it from you.''
''A few days ago I didn't even know his name'', Cameron said, tiredly. ''Sorrel never told me who his Sire was... just that he'd been disowned.''
''That stupid bastard'', Allison came back, having heard everything, despite the running water. ''Your bath is ready, sweatheart... I've made it lukewarm, just about body temperature so that it won't burn your injuries.''
''We should change the sheets, too'', Valeria suggested. ''The normal ones would chafe his skin. I'll bring some silk sheets from Salvador's own stock.''
''No, his are all dark'', Gloria objected. ''Normally, I won't be to worried about infections by one of us, but he's seriously weakened and who knows what that warlock used to inflict these wounds on him. I've some white ones in my room, bring those, will you?''
''Sure'', with that, Valeria left.
''Can I help you with anything else?'' Allison asked.
Gloria shook her head. ''No, it's okay. I'll give him a bath and then tuck him into bed to rest.''
''You staying with him? I could...''
''That's not necessary, thanks. I'm off-duty fir the next 12 hours. You can take over watch tomorrow, though.''
''Will do. I'm gonna see Carlyle now and tell him what's up.''
''You do that, sis. But try to calm them down a little. Now is not the time for a crusade against the warlocks.''
Allison shrugged. ''I can try, but there's no guarantee that they'll listen to me.''
Allison left, too, and Gloria took Cameron into the bathroom to give him his bath. It was heaven, floating in the lukewarm water, in the soothing fragrance of herbs and scented candles, letting the gentle hands wash his broken body. He'd lost track of time completely, yielding to the feather-light touches, forgetting where he was and why he had to come here. He was in peace - for the first time in the last twelve years.
After a blissful eternity Gloria helped him out of the tub and dried him with a fluffy towel and with infinite care, as if she'd handle a newborn baby. ''You should sleep nude for awhile'', she advised. ''Clothes would only irritate your wounds. Besides, we won't let anyone in you don't want to see.''
Cameron nodded tamely and sank onto the soft, cool silk sheets Valeria had draped over the bed in the meantime. ''Stay with me'', he murmured in a broken voice, not wanting to be left alone, not yet.
Gloria smiled at him fondly. ''I'm not going anywhere'', she promised. ''In fact, we decided on not letting you sleep alone for awhile. You're probably gonna have nightmares... bad ones, and soon. Body contact is helpful in those cases.''
With that, she took off her cloths and slipped to him under the blanket, naked as he was, spooning up agaisnt his back, gently hugging him from behind. After the first shock had passed, Cameron relaxed against her soft body and sighed. ''You feel so good... so warm...''
Gloria smiled against his bony shoulder. ''I've just fed. Go to sleep now, little brother. I'll stay here and keep you safe.'' Cameron murmured incoherently, sinking back into utter exhaustion again. Gloria sighed, kissing gently the nape of his neck, where a verbetrae almost pierced the pale skin, and fell asleep, too.
* * * * * * * * * * * * *
About eight hours later Allison came in and took over for her. Gloria showered, got dressed and went to her Sire to report him before she left for work.
''It's bad, really bed'', she told him. ''He's had terrible nightmares, tossing and weeping in his sleep all day, begging to be left alone. I could hardly wake him every time. I do believe, however, that this is a violent reaction after having surpressed it much too long. He probably had endured the whole terror without a sound when it really happened and it all comes out now, that he feels safe.''
''So it will take a long time of healing'', Salvador said.
Gloria nodded. ''I can't even guess, how long. it was a good thing that you had Miguel take over for him as Primogen of San Francisco, for the time being.''
Her maker shrugged. ''It's a temporary arrangement. The kid will have to return some day and face his own demons. But for the time being, he's safe with us, and I expect you to love and protect him like he were a baby.''
The others nodded in agreement. He didn't really need to order them to make so. They've already warmed up for the kid and felt increasingly protective about him.
''What are you planning to do about the warlock, Salvador?'' Valeria asked in a hard voice, her eyes burning silver. ''Are you going to let that bastard get away with victimizing one of your own progeny? Because if you do, I'll go after him myself.''
''You won't be going alone'', her husband added, with a murderous look on his handsome face.
''The Tremere is my concern'', Salvador answered icily, hard, obsidian eyes cold like ice. ''Let me handle him.''
''I will'', Valeria said, not the least bothered by her Sire's apparent cold wrath, ''after you've told me what your plan looks like.''
Salvador nodded. ''Fair enough. The plan's this: after we've taken care of these Sabbat, I'll go to San Francisco, challenge him to a life-and-death duel and kill him.''
''Just like that?'' Valeria asked sardonically.
''Just like that'', Salvador said.
Valeria shook her head. ''He's a warlock, Sire. They have no honour. He won't give you a fair fight.''
''I know'', Salvador agreed, grimly. ''That's why I'm taking Lady Abigail with me. She', much stronger than that bastard, she won't let him play his dirty tricks.''
''If she'll be ready to accompany your'', Valeria said. ''Don't forget, she's one of them, after all.''
''She's different'', Salvador answered calmly. ''But even if she weren't... that warlock has wronged her, too, big time. She'll do everything to repay him. And I plan counting on it.''
The End
