Hunted

Chapter 16

Note: I'm still doing the dedications to random commenters but I'm now extending it to random voters too. You'll have more of a chance at getting picked if you comment and vote. So...ya know. Wink wink, nudge nudge ;)

-----> Ash ;)

Chapter 16-Azula's POV

“You shouldn’t have told him about her.”

                I couldn’t get those words out of my head. What had Amias meant? Reynolds’ had said that it had been Amias who’d told him about me. So then why was Amias accusing Byron?

                I shook my head. I’d been at this for Moon knows how long and I hadn’t gotten anywhere. Nor would I ever get anyway by being a coward and hiding out in this cave all day. But what else could I do? The thought of going out there and facing everyone made something clench in my stomach.

                ‘There’s no point in stressing over it,’ Mahina told me. I could feel her sense of calm creeping over me and for that I was grateful. ‘Just try and think of other things until you’re ready.’

                Almost instantly, my mind flitted back to Amias. Moon, the way his muscles had rippled as he’d attacked Byron. Vicious. Intense. Powerful.

What I couldn’t get over was the look in his eyes. They were pure ice, even as they burned with the power of a thousand suns. And then when they’d risen to mine, they’d changed so quickly, softening in a way that had my heart racing.

When he looked at me, I could see the shock written clearly on his face. Had he really expected me not to wake with all the shouting going on? His shock had quickly given way to horror, which confused me now as much as it had then. Had he not wanted to see me?

Inexplicably hurt by that thought, and angry at myself for feeling so, I’d turned and stomped back into the cave, where I’d remained since. I was trying hard not to remember the agonising sadness that ate at Amias’ features as I turned away. Trying hard not to focus on the clench in my gut every time my mind conjured up the image regardless.

Sighing, I tugged my fingers through my knotted hair, appalled when a leaf came out in my fingers. I looked down at myself, not entirely shocked when dirt and dried blood greeted me. A horrific reminder of events I’d much rather forget.

Hands branding every inch of my skin, restraining. Corrupting. The cruel glint in his eyes. The pain. The unmatched agony of innocent being stolen. There was no greater theft.

I shuddered, hugging myself to try and gain some sense of comfort. None came. Eventually the tremors died down as my racing heart calmed some.

‘He’s not here. He’s dead. He can’t hurt you anymore,’ my mind reasoned. Even with that reassuring thought, I still couldn’t bring my hands to unclench.

“I thought you might be hungry,” a tentative voice said. My head snapped up to meet kind green eyes. I relaxed.

“You scared me, Dobry,” I replied, not bothering to get up from where I sat against the wall. I closed my eyes and inhaled deeply, allowing Dobry’s smell of trees and dust to wash over me. Accompanying it was the distinct scent of moose meat. My stomach growled.

“I take it I was right about the hunger then,” Dobry continued, amused. I opened my eyes to see him stepping into the cave. He came down and sat beside me, handing me a large piece of cooked meat. I dug in, ravenous, ignoring him when he chuckled. The food was gone in less than half a minute.