Chapter 33

"Good evening to you as well, Cam," I smile back at him. With a flick of my wrist I put my sword to sleep. In her dormant state she can't not hurt anyone.

"What brings you out on this night?" I ask him. He is sitting quietly on one of the logs that serves as benches for the Protector Training Grounds.

"Oh the usual, I saw the lights and got sucked in." is his reply.

"How are things?" I ask. He is too still and calm for me to believe that it was just idle curiosity that brings him out.

"Better," he says again his voice is low and calm.

"How is Gwen?"

"Much Better," Camulus actually grins when he says that.

"Really."

"Ah yeah, the big guy came over and give her the same thing he gives every year. she burst into tears and then kissed him." he stops and mules over what to say next.

"And then what?" I prompt. I have been watching and helping this couple for a month now. I am not going to be pulled out of the loop now.

"Well ... um ... I haven't seen them since." And right after he mentions I realize that I didn't see either of them at dinner.

"Do you think they have made up?"

"It sure seems that way. " Now Camulus' face lights up at the thought of his sister and her long time beau. I smile back, well what do you know, one thing has gone right in all this.

What do you know my dopy romantic advice acutely worked. Maybe there is something to the watching people thing.

"You know you can come sit with me. I don't bite." Camulus says and lifts his cloak invitingly. "I. um, learned my lesson with Ajax."

"Thank you." I scurry under the cover of the cloak.

"You know I had my doubts about you. but now," he lets his hand settle on my shoulder. I sense some male interest but for the most part he is just interesting in my company. So I let him keep the hand.

"Really why?"

"Well you are kind of all over the place. And have influences on well everyone who has ever met you." He slants me a cocky grin.

"The Killmick boys are really not my fault," I say to defend myself against the one thing I didn't really do.

"Ha!" he mocks me.

"What changed your mind?"

"Gwen." He fininally says, "you didn't stop trying to help her. I mean yeah you pulled her out of a tough situation, but then you have been around to help with the fall out. That takes guts. That takes caring. And I think you've got that in spades." He says seriously and I can feel from his contact that he means it.

"Gwen is a friend. I gave my pledge and that is my life," remind him. "my word is my bond my life on this."

'Well it was more than that. look at us. we are planing the biggest I don't even know what to call it." He shakes he head and looks up at the night sky. " What were planning on some people who could turn us to mush. We would never have done that in the past." He stops and looks down at me, Camulus' eyes narrow as he thinks about he next sentence, "And you, You seem to know every step before it happens. I have been watching you."

"It is the universe that guides me." I give my usual reply.

"How so?" He asks.

I have to think for a minute about this. Camulus sits with me, just as quiet and calm as I try to come up with the right words to answer him. I think that much is allowed.