The Gathering of the Hunt

CHAPTER FOUR

A/n: Trigger warning for rape scenes in this chapter. Look for the warning at the start if you want to skip. The ⚠️⚠️⚠️ will signify the end

When Aesira woke the next morning, she did so with a startled gasp, followed by the throbbing in her head, back and heart drowning out the world and muffling her senses. She bore down on the pain, pushing it back as if it was some real, tangible thing so hard that she choked on it. She took deep breaths, slowly becoming aware of her surroundings.

It was only then that she became aware of Kaedon slumped against the wall next to her bed. Even in the darkness, as she looked at him, she saw the boy that he once had been, innocent and full of light. How she missed the people that they had one been.

His dark eyelashes stood out starkly against cheekbones, highlighting how pale he was. She recognised that empty, emancipated look of him. Only those that were sent to the mine could ever look that empty.

Kaedon murmured in his sleep before his eyes flew open.

He cast his gaze around for any lurking threat to his safety - a habit that he had picked up during his time in the mines - before turning his gaze to meet Aesira's own.

His lips quirked into a one sided smile that had always driven her crazy.
"Hey, you," he said, voice still thick with sleep.

For the first time since the throne room, Aesira finally felt calm.

Leaning back against the wall, Aesira realised that her back was neatly wrapped in the bandages that she had completely forgotten about the night because of her distress.

Raising her head, she met Kaedon's steadying gaze.
"Thank you," she whispered softly. And she wasn't just thanking him for the bandages.

Her eyes glowed with warmth that they hadn't held in a long time.

Holding her eyes, Kaedon smiled back. "You're welcome."
"So, you want to tell me what you have been up to all these years?"

So Kaedon did realise who she was.

She met his gaze hesitantly, unsure of where to begin.

Noticing her apprehension, he quickly backtracked.
"You don't have to if you don't want to. I just..." he trailed off, unsure of how to continue.

Aesira took a shaky breath before replying. Why was it so hard?

"No. I-I want to... it's just that I don't know where to start."

Kaedon grinned, his eyes holding a spark of mirth.

"At the start is usually a good place."

Aesira marvelled at the way that he was able to remain so optimistic despite all that was happening. She herself couldn't remember the last time she had looked at a situation so positively.

"I failed. When it mattered, I failed, and that got me here."

Every word that left her mouth felt heavy, coated with disgust. She wasn't quite sure what she was disgusted at. Herself perhaps. The Tsar. The Cardovins. Maybe it was the whole rotten, stinking world.

"I find it hard to believe that it was all your fault. Why don't you start at what happened after I left."

Aesira balled her hands into fists to hide their shaking.
"I got out of here. It was a little after you were sent away to the mines."

"So we are diving six years back into the past?"

"Yes. You were the one that wanted to hear what had happened. You want to interrupt me again?"