Chapter 31

Cassia

No matter how many times Cassia showered, she couldn't erase Hunter's touch. He was intoxicating, tattooing every inch of her body with his fingers and now she was left with remnants of him all across her. And she hated it.

Hunter may have told her the reason behind everything and she understood - as twisted as it was, she understood his side, but she couldn't forgive him. Not when they were Romeo and Juliet - destined to be enemies until their last breath.

So now, Hunter was officially banished. Out of her life. Out of her sights. He was gone and dead to her.

And finally, she could focus on taking down Hunter's father and his followers.

Cassia entered her father's bedroom and strolled over to his desk, where he sat behind wearing his usual reading glasses. He was peering down at some papers he held and when Cassia neared, he looked up and waved her towards an extra seat at the side of the table.

"Sit down," her father said. "We must plan our next moves."

Cassia settled down into the seat and crossed one leg over the other, her hands clasping together. Her father had set down all his papers and he was now observing her.

"Are you okay?" her father asked. "You're awfully red."

Cassia blushed furiously and tried to keep her expression as neutral as possible. If her father knew what happened in his very castle the day before, she would be banished from their planet.

"Yes, now what is the plan?" Cassia asked.

"We are to host a speech in town. Where we will speak about Kain and his followers and warn others of them," her father said. "But, I have a feeling Kain might show up for this event, so we will have knights littered everywhere in case. We either merely warn our people to hunt down Kain and his followers or we will have our final duel with them."

Cassia nodded, but no excitement filled her. She would love to drive her dagger through Kain, but with Hunter still following his father's orders, she wondered what she'd do if Hunter was amongst the crowd.

"I have a question," Cassia said, her hands clasping together as she wrung them. "Why did you want to become king in the first place?"

Her father frowned. "Well, why wouldn't I want to be king?"

"I don't know, it seems like a lot of work."

Her father's eyebrows furrowed and Cassia shrugged. Her hands wrung more and more as time ticked on.

"Well, it's because I feel like it is my rightful place," her father said. "It's unfortunate kings are chosen based on inheritance rather than skill because I always knew I'd be a better king than Kain."

"But what makes you think you'd be a good king?"

"I like structure and peace. I like planning and plotting. People can say what they want about me, but Oflaria has flourished ever since I became king. My citizens are healthy and our island it wealthy, and this is all my doing."

Cassia paused. As she thought of what Astra once told her, she blurted out her next words.

"I've heard you tax too heavily."

Her father stiffened, his eyes widening slightly before he wore a serious expression.

"Well, how else would we have free healthcare?" her father asked. "You are young, Cassia. You don't understand the changes I made to our island. Before the sick would have crippling debt over their health, but I saved them from that fate. So, am I still the monster you are inquiring I am?"

Cassia couldn't believe it. No one told her, her father was the one to introduce free healthcare to Oflaria. It was news that left her speechless because she never once thought her father really did care about benefitting his citizens.

"I may have been cruel to Kain and stolen his rightful position, but I'm happy I'm the one on the throne and not him," her father said. "Something is wrong with Kain. He is power thirsty and he is willing to do anything to reach his goals."

Cassia shuddered. It surprised her how much Hunter's father unnerved her with those cold blue eyes of his.

And now that her father told her his deeds, Cassia was left stunned. She always thought her father was heartless. She thought he merely cared about power himself, like Kain, but he had proven her wrong with what he'd done for Oflaria.

Maybe Cassia was his daughter, but clearly she never really knew him.

"Why didn't you tell me all this?" Cassia asked.

Now, her father's expression grew solemn. His hands clasped together on top of the wooden desk that separated them.

"I don't know," her father said. "You know our relationship has never been... perfect, so I didn't think I should tell you everything."

Cassia's heart sunk. It made sense, but that didn't mean it didn't hurt.

"Do you feel loved?" Cassia asked. The question flew out of her and it was too late to yank it back.

"What... do you mean? Why are you asking such a question?"

"Loved by your people - anyone you're surrounded by. Just answer it."

Her father's frown deepened. The wrinkles on his forehead stood out as the lights above them shone down on them.

"I don't know if I'm loved," her father confessed, pausing before he continued. "I am respected and that's enough for me. So, I don't dwell on silly things like love."

Cassia's heart stirred. She knew her heart was the same heart her father carried.

"Are you scared to love?" she asked. "Is that why you never got married, even though my mother bore your child?"

Her father went still. Panic blew his eyes wide and Cassia jolted. This was the first genuine reaction she gotten out of her father. And when he unwound, she calmed down, praying he'd tell her the truth.

"I want to say no - to say I have no weakness, but yet I am afraid of love," her father said. "Because love itself is a weakness and nothing hurts more than loving someone. First my parents died and I felt like someone had killed half of me. And then I met your mother and she was sent away, and I felt like I no longer had a heart. And then there's you... You are here and healthy, but I'm constantly worried about you. Sometimes I can't sleep because I fear someone will hurt you and it drains me everyday."

Cassia's heart slammed against her chest. She feared whether or not she was a burden then.

"I'm sorry," Cassia said. "I didn't mean to be so bothersome."

"No," her father said - quick and simple. "I didn't mean it like that. I mean that I love you so much that my heart just tries to cling onto you, which is why everything you do has such a big impact on me."

Cassia's heart was stammering - pounding against her chest because this was the first time her father ever told her he loved her. For years she thought her father hated her - that he resented her because she was born out of wedlock. She had spent years fighting for his attention because of that, but it turned out he did care. All this time, there was no need for her to act out in hopes of him finally noticing her.

"I thought you hated me my entire life," Cassia confessed. "Because I was born out of wedlock and because I always acted out, I thought you despised me. And I thought no one could love me because of that."

A look of sorrow clouded her father's face. Pity filled his eyes and Cassia bit her lip, feeling vulnerable. But for the first time, she didn't run.

"I'm sorry I made you feel that way," her father said. "I may have been cruel to you because I was angry at the world for taking away my loved ones, but you are my daughter and I care for you. I'm just bad at showing it."

Cassia's bottom lip quivered. It was embarrassing, but now Cassia's heart had unlocked and everything was pouring out.

"I'm scared of love, too," Cassia admitted. But then she paused as her deepest darkest secret rose within her - going higher and higher until it leaked out her mouth. "But, admittedly I was the happiest when I was in love.

"When I loved Astra, I felt like I was at home with her. And when I found out you love me now, I feel as if you have sewn my heart back together again. I thought love was stupid and for the weak, but maybe all I ever wanted was to be loved. And maybe that makes me weak and pathetic, but that is my deepest desire."

Her cheeks became rosy. Hunter was also on her mind, but she wouldn't dare speak about him. Not when her father's eyes were gentle on her now.

"There is nothing wrong with desiring love," her father said, his voice quiet. "It's human nature to crave affection."

"But it is weak," Cassia whispered. "Even you say that."

Her father paused. A conflicted expression passed through his face before he spoke.

"Maybe. Maybe to love is to be weak, but do we call people who subject themselves to their worst nightmares weak?" her father asked. "If someone who's scared of heights climbs the tallest trees and jumps off it, is that weak? Or is that courage."

Cassia said nothing. Her heart stuttered, stunned by what he was saying.

"I may be hypocritical in saying this, but there is something courageous about loving someone. And I may be an old man, but I fear love in a way others fear killers." Her father smiled now - his eyes gentle. "I used to envy you for the way you loved back when you were a child. Back when you would steal food from home and give it to the homeless in our town."

Cassia blushed. It had been so long ago, but she remembered it vividly - the way she stole leftovers and gave them to the poor of Oflaria. She remembered the way she felt so strongly for them - as if parts of her were linked to them.

And maybe that was Cassia's problem. She cared too much.

"But then you started acting out," her father said, his expression growing solemn. "You started being so angry - it was like you were mad at the world and I didn't know what to do. So, I sent you to Camp Trillion to see if that would help and I see that it didn't make you more obedient, but you are different, Cassia. In ways I can't explain."

Cassia's eyes lowered. Her heart thumped against her chest because Hunter had told her that once too - that she was different and he had meant it in a good way. It was miserable to reminisce about Hunter who she shouldn't think of.

"I know you're stressed," her father added. "But, we will figure things out together. The speech is the first step and after that we will eventually find Kain and his followers and eliminate them. So before you know it, Kain and his son will be out of our lives for good."

Cassia tried to smile, but she couldn't manage to. Because of Hunter - always because of him, her heart stirred with unease because she could still remember his confession. She may have banished him, but that didn't mean she didn't pity him.

But at the same time, Cassia couldn't drop down her guard for him. He could fool her once, but she would never be fooled again. No matter how she felt, no matter his excuse, Cassia had banished him. He was out of sights - out of life.

"Good," Cassia said. "I can't wait for this to be all over."

Cassia's father smiled - his eyes lighting up as Cassia smirked. They both gazed at each other and plotted and planned some more, awaiting the day they would finally take Hunter and his father down.

Because this needed to end. Not just for their safety, but for Cassia's sanity as well.