Chapter 4

Hunter

Hunter, Liana and Chase stood on a field. The sun was setting and twilight lit the grass, and they could see the shadows looming from the forest they were next to. The sky was transforming from an orange sunset to a purple haze and the campers that littered the area were lit with purple hues.

Dawson had set up two circular target boards and they all carried bows and arrows. There were two lines in front of the wooden targets and they were waiting their turn to shoot at it. Because this time, the contest was to see who scored the highest points in archery.

Hunter stood in the first line and Cassia was in the line next to his. Her brown eyes were wide with wonder as she held her bow and arrow, and watched the person in front of her shoot at the target, missing it by a landslide.

And all Hunter could think about were her eyes. Her big brown eyes.

"She boils my blood," Liana spat.

Hunter turned to see Liana fuming. Her eyes were on him, but with a hardness that caught him off guard.

"You'd think as a princess, she'd learn to be more likeable," Chase muttered. "She deserves the fate she'll receive."

Hunter said nothing. They moved up in the line and soon, Cassia was up next. She held the bow in place and set the arrow along the bow, so that it was perpendicular to the ground. She then pulled back the arrow and aligned it correctly, and then released it. The arrow flew through the sky and pierced through the target perfectly - right in the red centre. Someone whistled and Cassia smiled, looking pleased.

Soon, Hunter was up and he held the bow in front of him, his finger tugging at the bowstring as he pulled it back carefully, setting the arrow in place. He concentrated on the target and released the arrow and it went soaring through the sky, fast as lightning, and it settled perfectly in the centre. Liana cheered and Hunter smiled, his eyes sliding towards Cassia, who glowered at him.

They continued shooting arrows until Dawson started pulling out people with low scores and soon, once again, it was just Cassia and him.

They stood side by side, facing the targets that were now hazy with the sun dipped below the horizon. It was nighttime and Cassia stood straight and rigid, her eyes on the target and Hunter's eyes were on her. Her brown hair was out and it tumbled down her back in waves, and he caught a whiff of her shampoo - the smell of green apples.

"Well, looks like it's just us again," Hunter said. "Who would have thought."

Cassia shot him a dark look and Hunter smiled. He loved riling her up. He loved the way she would scowl, her eyes darkening as if she wished she could banish him from her sight.

"Be ready to lose," Cassia hissed, shooting him a smirk.

Her eyes slid back to the target and Dawson encouraged them to take their time and shoot at the same time, to add suspense to who the winner was. Cassia fumed at that, but Hunter smiled and set his bow and arrow in place.

He pulled back the bowstring along with the arrow and waited for the feeling of tautness - the proof that the arrow was ready to shoot forward and land in its target. Cassia had settled into her spot as well and she was sticking her tongue out, her eyebrows furrowed and Hunter couldn't restrain the words that flew out of his mouth.

"You look cute like that."

Cassia whipped her head to gape at him as if he said something scandalous, and Dawson shouted at them to release their arrows. Hunter swiftly returned to his target and did so, and Cassia followed a beat behind.

Their two arrows soared through the sky, piercing the air until they impaled their targets. Hunter grinned when his landed perfectly in the centre and Cassia's didn't - hers was a centimetre away.

Cassia wheeled on him, her eyes blazing and Hunter continued to smile. He beamed at her and she trembled, her small hands curling into fists.

"This is your fault!" Cassia said, throwing her hand up to point at him - to once again, banish him from her sight. "You cheated. You said something - something to throw me off. This is unjust!"

Hunter chuckled and Cassia grew more livid. Her brown eyes were luminous with a fire that burned through her, leaving her body shaking as it boiled.

"It's not my fault you get shy when I speak honest words," Hunter said.

Cassia's cheeks darkened with blush and she shot him a look of hate - of pure detest and Hunter grinned cheekily. This was too easy.

"Leave him alone," Chase said, his voice clipped. He appeared at Hunter's side, his eyes cold on Cassia.

"It's funny," Liana said. She slid towards them, stepping in front of Hunter to block him from Cassia. "You're the princess, but you're losing to the boy you called a peasant. How pitiful."

Cassia shot Liana a dark look. "Let him fight his own battles. What are you, his trained hound?"

Liana scowled. "No wonder your father is ashamed of you. Not only were you born out of wedlock, but you also can't do anything right."

Cassia faltered. The anger in her was sapped out and Cassia paled. Hunter's heart jerked. It alway did whenever Cassia wore the expression she wore now - as if she was a whipped puppy.

"Hunter is more prince-like than you," Liana continued, smiling smugly. "So on you go, princess. Get out of our sights."

Cassia whirled around. She was still trembling, but she stalked off and Hunter couldn't resist. As his heart lurched forward as if to chase after Cassia, he slid away from Liana to follow Cassia.

"Where are you going?" Liana asked.

Hunter ignored her and rushed to Cassia, who was coursing back to the cabins. He broke out into a jog and soon swung to face her, halting her in her spot. She narrowed her eyes at him, her familiar scowl returning.

"What do you want!" she snapped. "You won. Now leave me alone."

Cassia moved to go past Hunter, but he stepped in front of her again. She stopped and glared at him as if she wished to burn him alive.

"Hunter, leave her be!" Liana shouted. "Let her cry herself to sleep."

Chase and Liana strode towards them and Cassia tensed. Hunter's heart jerked at the momentary weakness Cassia showed and he couldn't help it.

"Enough," Hunter demanded. "Being unnecessarily cruel is pointless. Just leave us be."

Liana's eyes flew wide as if Hunter had smacked her. She froze in her spot and Chase shot Hunter a look as if to ask what his problem was.

"She's the one who started it," Chase said, pointing towards Cassia, who's eyes were lowered to the ground. "Why are you mad at us?"

"I'm not," Hunter said. "Adding fuel to the fire won't set it out. So please, leave us be."

Chase hesitated before he grabbed Liana's arm and led her back to the archery sight. And soon, Cassia and Hunter were alone under the moonlight that casted a glow on them.

"What do you want from me?" Cassia whispered.

Her eyes rose to meet his. She wore a frown, her eyebrows furrowed as she gazed into his eyes, and he hesitated. His mind was muddled as those big brown eyes of hers captured his soul into a trance.

"Stop playing with me. Stop acting like this."

Hunter blinked. "Like what?"

"I know you're trying to make me lose focus. I know this is so you can win. So stop acting like you don't hate me."

Hunter frowned. Cassia was now glaring at him, her small body rocking. And once again Hunter couldn't resist acting the way his heart told him to.

He leaned forward, his body looming over hers as if to shield her from whatever was bothering her. He kept moving his face closer and closer and Cassia's eyes flew wide horror as Hunter paused, smiling down at her.

"And how am I making you lose focus, princess?" Hunter asked, his voice dropping to a whisper.

Cassia's eyes searched his face. She looked like she was debating between whether or not he came out of a horror movie and he smiled.

"Back off," Cassia said, her notorious scowl returning. She ducked away and brushed past him. "Or I'll call my guard on you."

"Why? Because you can't fight your own battles."

Cassia's eyes darkened and Hunter chuckled. Now, Cassia looked at him as if he was insane.

"I hate you," Cassia said. "Stop bothering me or else."

"Stop reacting so adorably and then we'll have a deal."

Cassia glowered at him and shot him one last look before she stormed off and Hunter chuckled. He ran his fingers through his hair and shook his head, thinking about the girl who somehow, made him smile more than he'd smile in years.

*****

Hunter laid in his bed alone in his cabin, merely illuminated by the lantern on the nightstand next to him. Chase was still out training like he always did because unlike Liana and Hunter, Chase wasn't born with a sword in his hand, so he had to work extra hard for everything he earned.

Hunter held a sketchbook in his hand and he was sketching a princess. Not Cassia - never her, but he was sketching a princess who was stuck in a tower, her brown hair flowing out and cascading down it. His eyebrows were furrowed as he replicated those big brown eyes he always thought of.

He then jumped when someone knocked against the cabin door. Frowning, he sat up, wondering why Chase hadn't just come in and he went to open it.

And he went still when Liana stood before him.

"Hi," Liana said. "Can we talk?"

"Of course."

Hunter turned around and hopped into bed, laying again. Liana settled down on the edge of his bed, looking uneasy. Which was strange to Hunter because they'd known each other since they were eight years old. Uneasy wasn't a feeling they shared.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" Hunter asked.

"Cassia."

At the mere name, he tensed.

"Why did you tell us to back off?" Liana asked, her blue eyes sliding to his. "I don't get why you were supporting her when... when well, you know how horrible her father and her are!"

Hunter winced at Liana's raising voice. Her eyes were blazing. Fiery and hot, but he could see passed the inferno and into the hurt she really felt.

"I'm sorry," Hunter said. "I don't know why I reacted like that. I think I was just surprised to see Cassia show some weakness, but it won't happen again."

"It better not happen again. Because you have no idea how much it hurt me."

Liana slid to sit on his lap and he stiffened, surprised by the swift movement. Her red hair was out and it ran down her back in waves, like a waterfall of lava, and his eyes searched her face. Her hands slid to cup his face and he stilled.

"Kiss me," Liana whispered. "Kiss me until I forget. Like we always did back home."

Hunter's eyes drifted to her lips and they lingered there. She said the same thing to him months ago and they'd kissed and kissed all night, clothes slipping away and Hunter had welcomed the distraction. With the life they were given, he welcomed anything that would distract him from the fate they received.

So, Hunter pulled Liana forward and kissed her. He kissed her hard, his lips flushed against hers as she melted into him. His hands gripped her hips as they kissed and kissed, their bodies tangled up until Liana was laying next to him.

But before things got more intense, Liana pulled away from him panting, her eyes full of emotions. And Hunter froze, stunned by what they were doing. Liana was his friend. And kissing her was like sky diving - feeling something so new and exciting that you forgot about everything you dived into. But, whenever they broke away, he was horrified by what he was doing with his childhood friend.

"Remember why we're here, Hunter," Liana said. "Don't lose sight. Because at the end of the day, it's just you, Chase and me. Okay?"

Hunter paused. Liana's eyes were dark with lust and his body rose and fell with every breath he took, and he nodded numbly.

"I know."

Liana broke out into a smile and they kissed again, their bodies tangled up together as they got lost in each other.