Praetorian Rising, стр. 57

she did care. Camille held her tongue all the way down the hall, up two flights of stairs, and through several doorways to the weapons room with Theo and Charlie leading the way. Watching them walk practically hand in hand in front of her, she realized how much it bothered her. What was Theo's game plan here? It was painfully apparent, as she watched them, that Charlie was the main instigator to their flirtation. She couldn't keep her hands away from Theo, no matter how many times he smiled and shrugged her off. Always with a smirk or joke, but he didn't tell her to stop.

Together they pushed through the iron door of the weapons room, Theo jumping through first before Charlie giggled and ambled after him.

"Ugh," Camille sighed as she pressed a hand to the door and followed the couple into the room. Her breath caught in her throat when she took in the surroundings of the weapon's hold. There were swords, knives, daggers, bows and arrows, spears, shields, guns, bombs, chains, and ropes covering every inch of the walls and floor space. Several long tables displayed the weapons for easier access, but even more guns and blades stood at attention against the walls, as though waiting for an invasion. She mutely picked up several different weapons at random, uncertain of what she could use. Everything at her fingertips and yet she couldn't decide.

The brilliant smile that lit her features immediately crumbled as Charlie picked at a few items, brushing her fingers against Theo's whenever possible. They bumped against each other as Charlie hovered in his space, seemingly desperate to touch him at any cost. There was a sense of normalcy to their interaction, and it was as if Camille's presence made it uncomfortable, which dug under her skin like a sharpened knife.

Zipping over to a table laden with swords and daggers, Camille grasped several choice weapons and loaded up her belt before locating the travel packs for outdoor use. "Can we go?" Camille barked roughly when she was done, tapping her toe with impatience.

"That anxious to fight with me, hmm?" Theo teased, sauntering across the expansive room toward her as he perused the array of weapons at his fingertips.

A loud and very unladylike snort escaped Camille's throat. "Let's just get this over with. I'd rather be with Vesyon, anyways." The second the words escaped her lips, she regretted it. Camille felt the blazing heat of embarrassment bloom through her cheeks and spread across her skin like a flesh-eating disease, hungry to envelop the entirety of her.

Theo's head whipped toward her so fast she thought his head might snap off. "Is that so?" he said, eyes narrowing with suspicion. "Why?"

Her mouth popped open, her lips unwilling to say the words burning against the lining of her tongue. She wasn't sure what made her say those words, but she knew being with Vesyon was easier. The erratic jump of her heart and spike of nerve endings along the sensitive membranes of her skin didn't seem so acutely aware of Vesyon as opposed to Theo. Theo's presence came with a hefty dose of molten flame, burning through her veins at a mere glance in her direction.

"I'm dying to know, Cam. Tell me why you'd rather be with him than me," Theo growled, prowling closer. She instinctively backed away from him, and he paused his stalking motion, the ocean depths of his eyes searching for truth in the blank, passive expanse of her cemented features.

"Because he's hot," Charlie said plainly from across the room. "Honestly, look at the guy, all dark and mysterious. You'd be blind not to notice."

Theo snorted, his eyes rolling skyward at the comment, but Camille noticed a hardened line grace his lips. He didn't like the idea of Camille being attracted to Vesyon, and the realization made her lips split into a wide smile.

"You misunderstand me," Camille whispered under her breath for only Theo to hear, eager to change the current dynamic in the room. "I only meant that if I had to choose between training with you or him, it'd be him."

Theo's expression went dark, teeth bared in a malicious grin. "What if Charlie wasn't here? Would you still want to be with him then?"

"I don't understand you, Theo," Camille snapped back. "Last night you stomped away from me in a huff and today you're using Charlie to get under my skin—no, don't deny it." Theo's mouth popped open as though to reply, but Camille's quick words efficiently cut him off. "What's your game here?"

"There's no game, Cam," he said taking a step closer. His glance flicked over to Charlie, but the gentle softness sliding over his features was angled at Camille. "I'm sorry I got angry with you last night. I didn't intend to. It's just..." he paused. When the azure blue of his stare peeked up at her from beneath the sweep of his sooty lashes, Camille saw a tenderness she hadn't been expecting. "Camille, I waited for you, for eight years. Every day I waited. When I heard you were alive and in Sierra Village, I had to see you. It was a shock at first, but not so much a shock as when I realized you didn't remember me. I was determined to fix that. I thought maybe I could bring your memories back."

The words were tender, his eyes gentle, but his actions throughout the morning didn't match up. "So, after one night, you turn to someone else?"

Tucking his chin and slouching inward on himself, it appeared as though she'd stabbed him in the gut, her words cutting into him viciously. "That wasn’t my intention. At least not entirely," he conceded. "Though it was worth it to see you get a little jealous."

"I'm not jealous!" Camille harshly whispered as Charlie bounced across the room toward them.

Theo's eyebrows shot skyward. "Oh? Could have fooled me."

"She's going to hear you, you know," Camille snorted in response, taking several purposeful steps away from him.

"Her hearing is