Chapter 28

Hunter

Hunter sat in the room alone, his eyes on the door as he awaited his fate. He was to be tortured today - Cassia told him so, but yet no one came.

Hunter shivered, the image of Cassia's lips on his still fresh in his mind. He could still feel her gasp against his skin, the way it electrocuted him and brought him back to life. She was both his antidote and poison. He was both dying and healing with her back in his life.

He was in the middle still. His father was yanking at him and so was Cassia, but Cassia had the upper hand now. Now that he knew that his father nearly killed hers in a fit of rage, things were changing. He was changing, but there wasn't much he could do when he was tied to a chair.

Hunter jolted when something thudded against the window. He swivelled his head to look at it and his jaw dropped when Liana appeared. She waved at him, dagger in hand and her hair cascading around her, and his eyes flew wide as she pointed towards the door.

His head whipped back and he stilled at the sound of feet pounding against the ground. Then people were shouting and slamming against the door, heavy thuds that echoed throughout the castle until the door broke open - falling to the ground with a giant thump.

And there his father and Chase stood along with Chase's parents and Liana's mother and younger sister.

"Hunter," Chase said, running towards him.

Chase sliced through his ropes easily with his sword and Hunter was freed. Hunter stood and massaged where the rope burned him, and turned to face the others who observed him with pitied looks. Not his father though. His father was fuming.

"Let's go," Hunter's father ordered. "We must capture the princess."

Hunter's heart jolted, but everyone turned to run off and Hunter had no choice but to follow. He ran out the room and into a dimly lit hallway, and his heart dropped at the sight of dead knights. Two knights lay in a pool of blood and Hunter yanked his eyes away to see his father and the others running down the hallway.

Hunter joined them.

They ran down the narrow hallway, passed the paintings of gardens and wildlife, and then they burst into to the main hall. Blinding lights shone down on them and Hunter blinked, his eyes not used to lights after being stuck in the basement for so long, and they ran up the silver staircase that spiralled upstairs.

Their feet slammed against the ground and rung out, and the sound of others running towards them soon joined in as they ran and ran, their bodies hitting the upper floor as the broke into another hallway.

Everything was happening too fast. Hunter didn't know what he was doing.

"Kain."

Hunter's father whirled around, his eyes blazing as Cassia's father appeared. King Julius stood there in black pants and a white shirt, sword in hand as his knights stood behind him. He glared at his father and Cassia pushed passed the knights to appear at her father's side.

She wore a look of pure hatred.

"Surrender now or we'll have no choice but to slay your team," King Julius threatened, taking a step closer. He was about his father's age - same height and same build. "We don't need to be at war with each other."

"We are at war with each other," Hunter's father spat. "After you stole my crown, we will war until one of us dies."

Cassia's father's expression darkened and his father lunged forward. King Julius threw his sword upwards and their swords clashed together, and they broke out into a duel.

The knights advanced on them and they went after Chase's and Liana's parents, and Hunter's eyes flew wide as Cassia dove at him. Her hair was out and it flew behind her like a sea of woodland and he threw his sword up to block her blow. Their swords collided and rung out, and Hunter winced.

He didn't want to do this.

"I knew you'd call for backup," Cassia hissed.

Hunter paled as Cassia thrusted her sword forward and he parried her blow. She scowled and swung her sword at him, and he jumped back, his heart pounding. Cassia was a blur of swords and arms, swinging and thrusting at him as he kept parrying her blows away. She was wild. Relentless. And he could do nothing, but defend as around him everyone was at war with each other.

Footsteps kept pounding against the ground and more of his father and Cassia's father's soldiers appeared. Everyone had been prepared. Everyone had backup and all around him swords blared out and people fell.

He could hear screams of agony. The sound of people cursing and dying. It was deafening and he was stuck blocking Cassia's blows as she unleashed a relentless attack on him.

"Fight back!" Cassia roared. "Why are you merely blocking!"

Hunter winced as Cassia slammed her blade down on him and he threw his sword up to block it. His arm trembled from the impact and he stepped back again.

"Hurt me," Cassia hissed. "Don't act as if you don't want to."

"But I don't," Hunter said. "I don't want to fight you."

Cassia faltered, eyes wavering for a moment before she scowled and propelled her sword forward. Hunter went to deflect her blow, but then Liana appeared and slammed her sword into Cassia's.

Cassia's sword flew back and for a mere second, Cassia was exposed. Her eyes flew wide. Her mouth dropped open as Liana struck her sword down, eyes gleaming and mouth smirking, and Hunter grabbed her.

He grabbed her and yanked her back.

Liana stumbled back, gasping as Hunter wheeled on her. He struck his sword forward and it hit hers, and the sound rang out as Liana staggered back. A look of horror blossomed on her face and Hunter stood there panting.

"What are you doing!" Liana screamed. "I'm not the enemy."

"Get away from Cassia," Hunter spat. "I won't let you hurt her."

Liana gaped at Hunter and he glanced at Cassia, who was frozen in her spot as she stared at him. Her eyes were wide and her mouth was dropped open, and her body rose and fell with every heavy breath she took

But for the first time ever, she wasn't furious.

"There's too many of them!" Chase shouted. "We must retreat."

Hunter's father growled. He was still duelling with Cassia's father and they were equal foes, but Chase was right. There were too many guards now. Too many people against them and they couldn't win. Not when there was merely ten of them.

"Fine," Hunter's father said, thrusting his sword forward to make King Julius stumble back. "Retreat everyone!"

Everyone was a blur as they fought off guards who tried to catch them as they began to run. All of them pounded down the stairs, throwing extra daggers and whatever they had at the guards who tried to chase them, and they soon hit the first floor and vaulted towards the front door.

Before they knew it, they were throwing the front door open and they hit the bridge that led towards the town and forest, and all of them ran. As if their life depended on it, they ran and ran, finding a forest to go within and they dived in and spent hours running away as guards chased them until they grew weary.

*****

They'd been hiding in bushes for hours now. They lost the guards a while back, but Hunter's father demanded they remain hidden until the coast was clear. And now that five hours had passed, his father was barking at them to leave their hiding spots.

Hunter slid out of the bush he hid alone in. He entered the clearing his father, Chase's parents, Liana's mother and sister, Liana and Chase stood in - beneath a canopy of trees. The sun had set and they were hidden in the darkness of the night, but even now Hunter could see the fury in his father's eyes.

"Come here," Hunter's father barked at Hunter.

Hunter hid his expression behind a mask of nothingness as he stepped towards his father. And when his father raised his hand, he did everything he could to not react.

Hunter's father hand came forward and cracked across his cheek, making his head whip to the side. Hunter remained frozen as his hands shook. He reached up to touch his cheek, which burned with the pain.

"Liana told me what you did," his father sneered. "She could have killed the princess and you stopped it! Why did we even bother saving you?"

Hunter met his father's eyes again and he did nothing but stare at his father for a moment. Because maybe he should be terrified. Maybe he should be hurt. But, he felt nothing. For the first time ever, his father wasn't in control of his emotions.

"What would we get out of killing Cassia?" Hunter asked. "She-"

His father raised his hand again and Hunter stilled, but then his eyes flew wide as Liana slithered forward. Her blue eyes were wide with panic and she blocked him from his father, her entire body trembling with the same fear Hunter possessed.

"Enough," Liana said. "Hunter is right. I would have killed her and that would have ruined everything because we need to capture her. I'm at fault here."

Liana bowed at his father and his father wavered there for a moment. He looked as if he was debating between striking Liana or not, and anger rose within Hunter.

"All of you ruined our plans," his father said, dropping his hand. "We could have had everything."

"We'll attack another day," Chase said, sliding to stand at Hunter's side. "We should be happy we were able to save Hunter at least."

He was serious. But, Chase's hands were shaking.

"Fine," Hunter's father said, his eyes meeting Hunter's again. "But you better not disobey me ever again. Understood."

Hunter was silent. He wouldn't say yes. Not this time and if it weren't for Liana and Chase lingering at his side, he was sure his father would have beat him right then and there.

"Understood," his father repeated.

Liana shot Hunter a pleading look - her eyes glazed over and Hunter tensed. Everyone looked scared for him. Everyone was worried for him. So for them, he would lie.

"Okay," Hunter said. "I understand."

"You better," Hunter's father spat. "And I will punish you later, so that you remember who you are. Because you've been changing boy. You are not the son I raised."

Hunter's jaw clenched, but he said nothing. He couldn't say anything when his father was the one with power.

"Very well," Hunter's father said. "This was a failure, but we will try again another day. But for now, we will find a new hideout and plot some more."

Everyone nodded, but no one spoke. Hunter's father whirled around and stalked off, and numbly everyone followed him. Not an ounce of joy was in any of them as they followed their father as if he was the dictator in their world.