Chapter 26

Hunter

Hunter pealed his eyes open. He blinked a few times, feeling dozy and his eyes scanned the area before he stilled. He tried to stand up, but was stuck put; his legs were tied to a chair and his arms were tied behind him - both with rope, and that was when everything came back to him.

Cassia. Cassia had ambushed them and nearly killed Chase, and a vortex of anger ballooned in him at the sight of her launching her sword at Chase, who'd been merely talking to him. He couldn't believe she'd stoop to that. He couldn't believe she was capable of killing.

Hunter huffed and glanced around, noticing the room had nothing, but him in it. The walls were white and the floor beneath him was made out of cement, and there was one window that light seeped through to fall upon him.

And despite there not being bars, Hunter felt like he was in jail.

Hunter jolted when the door flew open and Cassia appeared. Her eyes burned into him - dark brown and full of hatred and he gulped at the sword she held. He could still feel the metal pressing against his neck, threatening him to stay put and he tensed.

She had changed.

Cassia slammed the door shut and now it was just the two of them. Her hair was damp as if she had just showered and he inhaled the scent of green apples - the scent he'd been overwhelmed with when they were lovers back in the camp.

It was horrifying to feel both joy and terror at seeing her.

"Well, look who the prisoner is now," Cassia said, smirking as she pointed her sword towards him. "This is what you tried to make me."

Hunter winced, but then his jaw clenched. Because no matter what, he couldn't forget the way she nearly killed Chase.

"You nearly killed Chase," Hunter spat. "I know you're mad, but to kill him when he was unprepared was heartless."

"You killed Astra," she snapped. "A life for a life is only fair."

Hunter's blood ran cold. Astra was dead and it was their fault, but yet it wasn't right. For his Cassia to kill wasn't right.

"You changed," Hunter said. "This is not the Cassia I knew."

"You're the one who deceived me," Cassia roared. "You manipulated me into thinking you cared for me and I nearly lost my life because of you! So don't act as if I'm the bad guy here because look in the mirror, Hunter. You are the worst type of human to exist and your father is the one to make you like him. Your blood is the same."

Hunter's eyes widened. Cassia was panting, the words heavy with meaning, and Hunter's heart dropped. Was he really the same as his father?

"Are you like your father?" Hunter asked. "Because your theory would imply that."

"Maybe." Cassia smirked. "Because we both agreed that love is pointless. It's for the weak and I will never love again."

Cassia wore a proud smile and Hunter's heart sunk. This wasn't the same girl who whispered about how she feared she would never be loved. This wasn't the girl he fell for.

He created a monster.

Cassia glided towards him and held her sword up, and his eyes flew wide as her sword wavered in front of his face. She looked as if she yearned to drive it into his heart - to stop his existence and he ashen.

"You are a cruel person," Cassia whispered - her guard for a mere second, crashing down. "To pretend to love me - to force me to fall for you in my most vulnerable state. You used me when you wanted nothing more than to ruin my life. You have a heart of stone and I am pathetic for thinking otherwise."

Hunter's heart slammed against his chest. It was a painful to hear Cassia's voice crack - to see the anger vanish as she confessed the way he made her feel. But before he could react, she whirled around and trembled, the anger returning as she kept her face hidden from his sight.

"It wasn't all fake," Hunter whispered. Despite everything, Hunter didn't want to see Cassia like this. "Cassia, I-"

Cassia whirled on him, sword flying up again and he recoiled - the rope around his limbs digging into him. His eyes flew wide as she stood there breathing heavily, her eyes blazing once again.

"Shut up," Cassia spat. "You're too good at acting and I will kill you if you ever speak a lie again."

Hunter's eyes searched her face. He wished to console her - to tell her the truth, but not when she was like this. Not when her sword was a mere inch from his face.

"What do you want from me?" Hunter asked. "Why am I here?"

Cassia smiled. Finally, the anger vanished from her and her sword fell down as she smirked.

"Now you're the pawn in our game. We will use you to lure your father out to kill him and then we will behead you."

Hunter tried his best to hide his horror, but he couldn't. Because this was Cassia speaking. This was Cassia telling him she'd happily assassinate him.

"Is this what you want?" Hunter asked slowly. "To kill my father and then me?"

"Of course. Why wouldn't I want this?" Cassia smiled. "You came for me first, so this is only fair."

"But this isn't who you are. This isn't the Cassia I know."

Cassia ignited again. Her eyes blazed up as she glowered.

"You threw me so far away from myself that I lost my path and I've been crawling back to the real me ever since," Cassia said. "This is the most me I've been in months. You never knew the real me - just the me you created."

Hunter opened his mouth to argue - to say he didn't force Cassia to change, but she threw up her sword and in the blink of an eye, it was against his throat. His eyes widened as she leaned forward, her dark brown hair cascading around her shoulders as she leaned closer and closer, her eyes locked on his. He could smell green apples everywhere, but it was her glimmering eyes that made his breath hitch.

"You have no idea what I'm capable of," Cassia said, leaning forward to whisper into his ear. He shuddered as her breath hit his skin. "I've never cared about anyone until I met you and you manipulated me. But now I'm back better than ever."

Cassia leaned away, her face still so close Hunter's heartbeat quickened - the way it used to when they were together. It was horrifying to feel that when her sword was against his throat.

"You were changing for the better," he squeaked out, unable to help it. "You know that. Even the people surrounding you noticed that and everyone was starting to like you better. The old you isn't the better you."

Cassia glowered and her sword pushed against his skin and he winced as it nicked him, and blood leaked out of his wound. It slid down his neck and Hunter's eyes were locked onto Cassia's as he wondered what he'd done to her. To make her this ruthless assassin who felt nothing for the boy she supposedly once cared for.

"Shut up," Cassia said. "Shut up before I slit you throat."

Hunter's jaw fell shut and he merely stared at her. He was tired of arguing. Tired of trying to convince her otherwise, so he said nothing as she pulled back and finally, pulled her sword away.

But then, a final thought flew out of him.

"Your father is the one who started this," Hunter said. "He stole my father's crown. You can't act as if your family is innocent when you caused our misfortune."

"My father challenged your father to a fair duel," Cassia snapped. "It's not my father's fault your father lost and decided to try to kill him. He deserves to be banished because he was nearly a murderer."

Hunter stilled. He didn't know his father had tried to kill Cassia's father - his father had left out that detail.

"Anyways I'm tired, so I will interrogate you another day," Cassia said. "But prepare yourself because to get the answers I want I will torture you until you're screaming for mercy."

She shot him a smirk - her eyes lit with sadistic delight and Hunter remained expressionless. Even though horror was all he felt, he did nothing but stare at Cassia as she turned around and left.

And when the door finally shut close behind her, Hunter's shoulders slumped. He wished for the ground to swallow him whole - to erase his existence from this world because the sight of Cassia was a sight he wished to never see.

Because he created a monster. And to create a monster, maybe he had to be a monster as well.