3 - Making Moves [MAV]

[ Welsh Elementary, London ]

[ 12 August 1986 ]

Camilla Brooke looked around her classroom, her smile dimmed. For almost her entire life, being a teacher had been her dream... and she had went and done exactly that. The last five years had been a wonderful experience, and she wouldn't have traded it for anything in the world. Sure, kids could be petty cruel bastards at times, but she was happy to teach and guide them all the same.

"Six months..." Camilla whispered, looking around her empty classroom.

Tears fell from her eyes.

With her full focus on her teaching degree, on fulfilling her dream, Camilla hadn't married. She hadn't had kids of her own. Hell, the most she had done was go on a few dates. Camilla had made sure to stay in shape, never smoking, only having alcohol once or twice, and never even getting drunk.

"So w-why am I dying?" she mumbled.

She wouldn't even make it to her thirties.

If she could go back– no, that was pointless. Camilla had already accomplished her dream, and even if she could go back, she would get cancer all the same. She just wished she could've had more time...

"Hello, Ms. Brooke."

Camilla nearly jumped from her seat. A rather cute boy with black hair, blue eyes, and flawless skin was standing just a few feet in front of her desk. 'How did I not notice him?' she wondered as she quickly rubbed her eyes, not wanting to show a child such an ugly scene.

It took her a few moments to recognize the boy. He was one of Mrs. Garrison's students from last year, someone she had gone on and on about being a model student and what not.

"...Matteo?"

"That's me," he answered happily.

"Um, why..." she trailed off. The 'why are you here' was left unsaid, but implied. It was the middle of summer vacation, and she wasn't even his teacher.

"I have a proposition for you."

Camilla blinked. "What?"

"Well, I understand your confusion, but rest assured, I'm serious. All I ask is for your undying loyalty and for you to do whatever I ask of you..."

She stifled a chuckle. 'Undying, huh?' She wouldn't be doing much of that.

"...And in return, I'll cure you."

Camilla stilled.

She didn't know what Matteo was up to, and she definitely didn't think that the boy could actually cure her, but the fact that he even knew... it spooked her. As far as Camilla was aware, only two people knew about her cancer. Just her and her doctor.

"W-What do you mean?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly.

"Well, we have a few options," he answered. "I could remove the cancer directly, simply eradicating it. I could 'perfect' your cellular division, and in turn your cancer would stop growing entirely. I could even just halt your aging chronologically, and you would simply continue to be a few months away from death... forever."

None sense, he was speaking utter none sense. Camilla didn't believe him for a second, even if the thought of dying before she even married, or had a child of her own, gnawed at her.

"You don't believe me, do you," Matteo chided, as if he was reading her mind. "Well, I can read surface thoughts, but not much more than that."

"W-What?" she asked, bewildered. 'Can he truly read my mind...? No. That's impossible.'

"Think of a number then," he continued cheekily.

Camilla begrudgingly complied. '489.'

"...Four hundred and eighty nine, right?"

That was proof. Definitive proof. The chances of anyone guessing that correctly were slim to none, and along with his tailored responses... Camilla was forced to take the boy at his word. 'How could he even–? Oh, he's one of those, um, what were they called again...?'

"We're called mutants," he answered. "So how about it?"

Camilla was immediately reminded of Matteo's proposition. Her breath hitched.

"C-Can you? Can you really cure me?" she asked, her voice cracking.

"Of course. But can you afford it?"

'Undying loyalty, and to do whatever he asks of me...' Camilla recalled. It was a tall order, yes, she only took her a few seconds to come to a decision.

More than anything else, she wanted to live.

"I'll do it."

***

The plan was simple.

Due to... circumstances, he could no longer live with Ms. Myers, so Matteo was forced to put his plan into action a lot sooner.

With Mastery and Magic, Matteo saw no reason to continue being poor, so his next course of action was adoption. But he also didn't want to 'play nice' with a mother and father who wanted a son of their own– Matteo didn't need nor want another parent.

Even so, he was still going to be adopted. Just not in the traditional sense.

He needed leverage over his new 'guardian,' and with the ability to cast any spell, the incurable became curable. Scrying was only a little harder than that– Matteo just had to search all of London for women on death's door, and narrow his search further and further, before eventually finding the ideal target.

Camilla Brooke.

"I'll do it," she whispered.

Matteo looked Camilla up and down once more, committing her appearance to memory.

Blonde hair, green eyes, and a well-rounded figure highlighted by her stockings, skirt, and sweater vest. Not to mention her 'love mark,' or rather, a mole that sat right beneath the outer edge of her left eye.

For someone who was dying of metastatic breast cancer, Camilla really didn't show it.

'And this beauty of a woman just promised to do whatever I asked of her.'

"Swear it on your soul," he all but commanded. Matteo's mana churned in accordance to his words, ready to quite literally bind Camilla to him.

"I... I swear my loyalty to you, to do whatever you ask of me. I swear it on my soul."

Camilla gasped as his mana latched on to the very essence of her being. "D-Did I just make a deal with the devil?" she mumbled to herself.

"I'm not the devil," he chuckled. "But tell me, how does it feel? Being bound?"

"I– it's weird," she started. "I'm sure that I should feel trapped, tricked, but instead I feel... free, soothed even. Is what you did messing with my mind, making me feel this way?" she asked, before quickly saying, "n-not that I dislike it!"

Matteo shook his head. "I don't like the idea of using mind control, but I also didn't want to have to build up trust with you, so I compromised with this. Essentially, you are wrapped in my essence. My soul is quite literally enveloping you, making you feel safe, content, and protected. Which you are. Instead of trying to enforce loyalty through fear and submission, I'm just..."

"...Giving me no reason to betray you," Camilla finished for him. "It's so... peaceful. I feel like I don't have to worry about anything at all– because I don't," she smiled blissfully, before her eyes widened in realization.

"Wait wait wait, did you say 'spell?' As in magic?" Camilla asked excitedly.

"Yes?" he answered, not quite sure where she was going with this.

"You're a magician?"

"I prefer the term 'mage...'"

"Magic is real?!" Camilla nearly squealed. "What can you do with it? Can you fly? Can you teleport? Can you shoot lasers out of your eyes?!" Then she stopped, but only because she still needed to breathe.

'That was... incredibly cute,' Matteo thought.

"Yes, a lot, yes, yes, and I prefer to shoot lasers out of my palms," he humored her. "But we're getting a bit sidetracked, aren't we?"

"Ah– sorry," she blushed. "What's my first task?"

Matteo held back a manic grin. He hadn't even cured her yet, but Camilla was already ready to serve him. She had full faith in him curing her, and to be fair, he was going to. Now that Camilla was his, wholly and utterly his, she wasn't allowed to die anytime soon.

And now that she was willing to obey his every command, her first task couldn't be clearer.

'That' would have to wait a minute, though.

'Signal.'

Camilla held back a squeal as Matteo waved his hand, a magic circle materializing right on top of her desk. Her eyes sparkling at the first display of magic she's ever seen. She'd be disappointed to know that the circle was purely aesthetic, and was just Matteo's mana etched into the table, humoring her.

After all, Matteo didn't need to do anything more than think to cast.

"Hello, Ellis. How's the hip treating you?" Matteo spoke, his voice different, deeper. Seemingly talking to no one at all.

"Oh–! Sebastian?! Is that you?" an older woman's voice called out from the 'circle.'

Camilla opened her mouth, about to ask Matteo what was happening, but thought better of it. Not only could her questions wait, but this 'Ellis' might also be able to hear her.

"No one else has this number, you know that."

Ellis chuckled. "Yeah, yeah. The hip, well, it's been great. I certainly feel 10 years younger."

"That's because you are," Matteo replied. "Now, you should know why I'm calling."

"...Right." she answered, clearly reluctant.

"For the price of your youth... I want your ninth property, your 'autumn' estate. The one with two pools. As well as 16 million pounds."

"I– wait, that's it?" she asked, baffled.

Camilla eyes widened slightly as it hit her. The boy who had just bought her like a toy, was currently using his same plethora of powers to grab another woman's money. Normally, such a thing would make her feel slighted... but it didn't.

She was perfectly fine being Matteo's. In fact, there was nothing better.

"Should I ask for more?" he asked, amused.

"No–! I mean, no... please," Ellis answered, hesitant.

Matteo laughed. "Don't worry Ellis, I don't bite. As for your payment... let's just say that you're lucky that we both have what the other one needs."

"I see," she replied, followed by a very quiet sigh of relief. "Um, Sebastian, how exactly do I go about paying you...?"

"In a few moments, you'll discover you have a long lost cousin. Camilla Brooke, an English teacher at Welsh Elementary, London. In an attempt to reach out to your newfound 'family,' you'll gift your payment to Camilla. Any questions?"

"...No. And once again, thank you. For everything."

Matteo smiled. "Pleasure doing business."

Then the circle vanished, and Matteo turned to Camilla. In a flash, Camilla was swept off her feet. Matteo's small stature easily carrying her in his arms, his hands grasping at her butt and the edge of her breast.

"What are you– mmppHH?!" he cut her off by pulling her into a kiss.

Camilla might've been surprised, but she wasn't afraid. How could she be? She belonged to Matteo, and even if he was going to indulge himself with her body, she would let him. It was impossible for him to hurt her, to betray her, for she was his. That was why Camilla didn't fight it, moaning wantonly as his tongue pushed past her lips, attacking her maw. Surrendering to his advances, and even enjoying his hands roaming over her figure.

Now, Camilla was by no means a 'loose woman,' but this was just how it was. As of a few minutes ago, she was his. Wholly and utterly his.

When he finally pulled back from the kiss, a trail of saliva connecting their mouths... Camilla no longer saw a boy, but a man. When she had first promised her undying loyalty, to do whatever Matteo asked of her, Camilla hadn't thought it lewd... but now that she was recalling his phrasing, her lady bits went hot when she realized that she couldn't refuse him. Anything that he wanted to do to her, she'd have to accept it.

She would want to accept it.

'What a lewd woman,' Matteo mused inwardly, grinning.

"Let's go see our new house. Move."

***

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