Golden Slumbers

Chapter 7

Everything was moving too quickly.

Yesterday evening, Edric had looked like death and Hunter had been having a conversation with Belos. And now, Titan, Hunter was about to betray everything he had ever known. For a boy, no less.

The group was hiding behind the thick bramble of trees that surrounded the palace, churning the plan Luz had presented over in their heads.

It wasn't a full coup d'état, much to Eda's dismay. But, if they pulled it off, Hunter and the other's would be safe... for now. It wasn't fool proof by any means, and Titan knew how many fools were on their assembled team.

Hunter tossed his loyalties back in forth in his mind. Go with Luz and betray the Emperor's faith in him? Or stay with the Emperor and lose, well, everyone else.

Dammit.

Luz side eyed Hunter who was only spiraling deeper into his little pit of self-doubt.

Pulling him away from the rest of the group, (Amity and Eda were busy arguing over some trivial fact in the plan) Luz began to question the blond.

"What's going on in that brain," she said, poking his forehead.

Not bothering to act annoyed by the human (literally) poking his buttons, he explained his internal turmoil.

"I don't know, Luz. Belos took me in and I probably would've died without him! How can I just break his life's work and then leave like I never cared?" He was spiraling into a full blown anxiety driven rant.

"You know, Hunter, I think you need to take into consideration how Belos started treating you since he took you in. Sure, he took you in, but Eda took me in and look at how different we turned out! I'm just saying, man, we all know where that came from," Luz finished her pep talk by poking Hunter's scar and giving him an encouraging smile.

"That being said, if you betray us this late in the game, we'll probably have to tie you to a tree and leave you for dead!" She smiled mischievously and punched Hunter's arm.

Hunter smiled at the ground and grabbed the red palisman that had been nesting in his hair for the duration of their planning.

Luz had already rejoined the group's arguments and was voicing her own opinions about what Emperor Belos's bedroom looked like. Come to think of it, Hunter wasn't even sure what it looked like. He let their conversations drone incessantly in his head.

He still wasn't comfortable with the whole betraying his only remaining relative thing, but he couldn't help but mull Luz's words over in his head as they prepared to launch their plan.

- - -

Sunset.

It was time.

Everyone but Eda pulled masks up over their faces.

"Well kid," she said to Luz as King perched on her shoulder, "I'll see you on the other side."

With that, the Owl Lady dawned her harpy form and stormed to the front of the palace, creating a diversion for the other four to enter.

"Come and get me, suckers!" She yelled, barreling towards a group of scouts.

The group slipped through the chaos Eda was so talented at causing easily. Once inside, Hunter and Edric were able to lead them through the empty hallways and towards the throne room near the back of the palace.

Titan, Titan, Titan, Titan, this plan was going to fail, Hunter's brain seemed to chant.

He could tell everyone else was on edge. Amity was clinging to Luz. Luz was silent for once. And Edric was glancing between his sister and Hunter.