Chapter 22

Hunter

Hunter was stuck in a room in an abandoned house his father found. It was hidden in the outskirts of Oflaria - near where they lived, but yet so far off no one would ever be able to find it.

It was their new home. At least, until they figured out their next steps and it resembled a jail cell. There was nothing, but a bed in his room. The walls were white, his bedsheets were white; everything was white. It was harrowing to be stuck with nothing but your thoughts.

Because all he could hear was Cassia screaming. It was as if he had tinnitus and the sound that rung in his ears was her scream. It was a sound so heartbreaking, so bloodcurdling he wanted to cleave off his ears and chuck them away.

Because he didn't know his father would attack then. He thought he had at least one day - maybe days before his father's attack and then his father ambushed right when Hunter was about to warn her, and it had rendered him motionless.

Because although he wished to help Cassia, he also wished to never face his father's wrath.

Someone slammed their fists against Hunter's bedroom door and Hunter said nothing. He didn't want to talk to anyone. In fact, he never wanted to speak again, but the door flew open and Liana appeared, her arm bandaged around the dagger wound. His room was already tiny enough and with her there, the walls seemed to be closing in on him.

"Why haven't you eaten?" Liana demanded. "You've skipped breakfast and lunch, and now you're skipping dinner."

"This was your doing, wasn't it?"

Liana faltered. Her blue eyes widened for a mere second before she concealed her expression.

"It was your father's doing," Liana said. "This was always his plan and you knew that from the start. So don't go blaming me."

"But you knew when he was going to attack! And none of you told me. Now Cassia thinks I lured her into an attack."

"But that was all you, Hunter. You could have told her earlier or helped her during the attack, but you did nothing. Because deep down you want her dethroned. You are lying to yourself if you think your intentions are nothing but pure with her."

Hunter's jaw clenched. His teeth ground together, but it terrified him how fear left him speechless once again.

"I was in shock," Hunter said. "I spent my entire life being ordered to do what others want, so I didn't know what to do."

Liana shook her head. She strode over to Hunter's bed and he tensed, praying she wouldn't do what he feared.

"I don't think you love her," Liana said. "You are in love with her power and status, but not her and the sooner you realize that the better because she is the reason why you have nothing. If it weren't for her you would have been a prince, so think of her as the person to steal the same thing you admire her for."

"I don't care that she's a princess," Hunter hissed. "Why is it so hard for you to believe I love her for her?"

"Because you can't, Hunter. You know that and now that she hates you, you need to get over whatever you felt for her and help us take her down. Because there is no way she can ever love you again. And the sooner you realize that the better."

Hunter was quiet at that. Because she was right - Cassia would never love him again.

"Why did both you and Chase tell me you want me to be happy and then do this?" Hunter asked. "You told me to go for Cassia and now you're demanding I feel nothing for her. This is your fault."

"Because from the start the plan was for you to get close to her, so that we can capture her! But somehow you became interested in her," Liana said. "So we had to push you to go for her and get her in a vulnerable positon. Because only then we could ambush her and it nearly worked if it weren't for her guard."

Hunter tensed. He could still visualize Astra collapsing and the sight rose bile to his throat.

"I do want you to be happy," Liana said, simmering down. Her body grew slack as if this conversation had drained her. "I wasn't lying about that, but I didn't mean with Cassia. But once we get the crown I'm sure you'll be happy. Because you'll be a prince and isn't that what we dreamt of? You a prince and Chase and I your loyal knights? We almost have everything we ever wanted and you need to start assisting us before you end up with nothing."

Hunter didn't speak. He was overwhelmed. With thoughts of Cassia and Astra, with what Liana threw him at him, he felt as if he would burst.

"Anyways, you father is going to come and talk to you," Liana said. "I came here to warn you, but I had to tell you this first."

Hunter's blood ran cold. And as if timed perfectly, Hunter's father entered Hunter's bedroom with a belt in his hand.

"Excuse me, Liana," Hunter's father said. His eyes were darkened with emotions and the veins on his arms were straining. He wore black slacks and a faded brown shirt, and his leather boots were muddied and bloodied from the attack the night before. "I must talk to my son alone."

Liana nodded, but she shot one last fearful look towards Hunter before she strode off. And now, it was just Hunter and his father left in the room that was entirely too small.

"Well, it's nice to see my son after two months," Hunter's father said, smirking. "Welcome home, I've missed you."

Lie. His father was buttering him before what would happen.

"Hello, father," Hunter said. "I've missed you, too."

"Enough of this rubbish," his father hissed - as if he wasn't the one to start the train of lies. "We were so close to capturing the princess, but she escaped our grasps in the last moment. And it's your fault."

Hunter was silent. There was nothing he was allowed to say to that.

"It won't matter because we will attack the castle soon. I've been recruiting a team that will help us infiltrate the palace, but still... it would have been better if we had the princess as our prisoner." His father's eyes darkened. "And you caused this. You nearly told the princess our plans and you didn't assist us during the attack."

Hunter opened his mouth to say something - anything, but nothing came out. He was frozen - like when they were back on the field, he was rendered motionless. His father loomed over him, his grip on the belt tightening with every moment that passed.

"You almost betrayed me," his father spat. "After everything I did for you, you nearly revealed my plans to the princess that took everything from us. I must not have raised you right."

His father grabbed Hunter's shirt and yanked him up. The material ripped under his father's ironlike grip and Hunter tensed. Even though he was taller than his father, even though he was legally an adult, he trembled at the mere sight of the man who raised him.

"Take off your shirt," his father barked out. "Now."

Hunter peeled off his shirt and dropped it onto the bed. Scars littered his body and his father's eyes lit up at the sight.

"Now turn around," his father ordered, shoving him. "You must be reminded that you will be punished if you don't follow my orders."

Hunter turned around slowly and stood there, hands reaching out to lay against the wall - his body quivering at the mere thought of what would happen. And he hated it. He hated the way his body was crumbling at the fear he always felt around his father.

And he cried out when his father unleashed the belt onto his back. It slammed against him - hard and fast and Hunter gasped as his father cracked the belt over and over again onto his back, making it feel as if his back was being burned alive.

And it was humiliating to cry out the way Hunter did. He felt pathetic as his eyes burned as the belt slamming against him over and over again, every blow harder than the previous one.

"Don't ever betray me," his father hissed, cracking the belt harder. "You are indebted to me."

Hunter bit his tongue at the final blow. Blood slid down his sore back. Everything stung now with the dozens of blows printed upon him. But, he stayed put. Until his father spoke, he had to stay put.

"Now, turn to face me," his father demanded.

Hunter turned to face him and he stilled. His father's eyes were gleaming with a viscous delight - as if he enjoyed this and Hunter remained expressionless. Despite his pain, despite his fear, Hunter hid his feelings behind a mask of nothingness.

"Say you're loyal," Hunter's father hissed. "Say you will obey me and only me."

Hunter was silent for a moment. Despite everything, his teeth gritted to fight back the words he never wanted to say again.

But then, his father raised the belt and Hunter spat, "I am loyal. To you and only you, father."

His father smirked. "Good. You must be."

Hunter's father stepped back and Hunter craved to collapse and curl up on his bed, but he wouldn't show signs of weakness. Not when his father lived off making others quiver at his feet.

"We will be acting again in a week or two," his father said, turning around. "And I expect you to assist us. Understood?"

Hunter nodded, but his father was already striding out of the room. And once the door shut, Hunter fell to his bed, ignoring the way the blood on his back stained the white bedsheets. He curled into a ball and just lay there, wishing this was all a nightmare.