The Heart of Camilo (A Camilo Madrigal x Reader Fem Y/N Story)

Truth

*Camilo*

When I saw Diego's ruana on the ground, time started doing that familiar slow motion sensation when I struggled to process what was happening because it was too disturbing to think about. I heard Y/N begin to scream, snapping back to reality just in time to grab her as she lunged at Ramirez.

"Where is he?" she screamed, struggling against me.

"It's late," he said casually. "Let's not wake the whole neighbourhood, let's go inside and finally have that talk."

I immediately shifted into Ramirez, who had replaced Pablo as the tallest and strongest-looking person I knew.

"No, Camilo, he has Diego, don't do anything!" Y/N begged, grabbing my arm. I reluctantly shifted back to myself, and Ramirez stepped forward suddenly, grabbing my arm, and threw me back into the house through the still-open front door. I fell backwards onto the floor, yelling out.

"Listen to your girlfriend, she has the right idea," he said as Y/N ran to me and kneeled beside me in the front hallway. Ramirez came in and shut the front door behind him. "Shall we sit?" he asked, gesturing to the couches in the living room.

"Just tell us where he is!" Y/N yelled, as I pulled myself up to sit on the floor beside her.

"No, first, I need the letter Gabriella sent to you. I know she must have tried to contact you."

Y/N immediately leapt up, running to the living room table and getting the letter before returning it and thrusting it into his hands. I slowly stood up from the floor and she came back beside me, grabbing my hand and gripping it so tightly it was painful.

Ramirez read it and then looked at us, as if waiting for us to say something.

"What?" Y/N asked. "You have the letter, we don't understand what she's talking about, so take it, and tell us where Diego is!"

"Your mother was the most ambitious person I had ever met," Ramirez said slowly. "To lose her was very difficult, but I can see even in her death, she wanted to make sure I got what I needed."

Confused, Y/N and I looked at each other.

"What ... what do you need?" Y/N asked reluctantly.

"Well, to make a long story short, I need you or Diego," he said simply, crossing the room and sitting down on the couch. "Your mother respected you, Elena. I'll answer any questions you need as long as you agree to help me. Your brother will do, but the same-gender child is preferred."

Y/N slowly followed him into the room. I grabbed her hand to keep her with me, but she shook me off and so I followed her slowly, my heart racing.

He leaned forward, putting his hands together in front of him, resting his elbows on his knees. "Elena, there is nothing more important in this world than power. Your boyfriend and his family knows that better than anymore. Power gives you freedom - freedom to change your own destiny, whether that is helping a village or escaping from militants. But a few small miracles here and there will not protect us for long."

"Protect us from what?" Y/N asked.

"Your mother and I, our whole group, we wanted to understand these gifts that people were given. Why does nature choose in this way? What determines a large-enough sacrifice? Why does it pass down through blood ties? How can it be forced?"

"My mother found a way to take it forcefully," Y/N said.

"Yes, but it didn't exactly work properly, did it?" he said back, gesturing again for her to sit in the chair opposite him. She slowly lowered herself into the chair, but I stayed standing. "Pure magic was still required to fix it through the talisman that a family's magic was stored in - the candle for your family-" he looked over to me "-and the other families we found had their own unique ones, as well."