Hunter: Cursed

Chapter Twenty

Opening my eyes, I reach for Logan to find the space behind me cold and empty. The cave wall isn't what I'm expecting to see and lifting myself up from the dirt, a sharp pain runs from my shoulders down my spine. I guess that's to be expected after falling into a pile of bones and as the hazy fog lifts from my still sleepy mind, I kind of wish I had stayed that way. A large fire pit crackles away in the centre of the room with its smokey tendrilsg snaking up to the roof where it's able to rejoin the world away from this place. After another quick look around, that tiny smoke hole also looked to be the only way out.

"Elise? You okay?" Hunter asked and turning behind me, I managed to give him a nod.

It was then I noticed the chain around my ankle - it matched his and the other two who had yet to wake up. Amelia had a real horrible looking cut on her forehead, and TJ looked okay; well as okay someone can look while being chained into a cave with a human eating god. Speaking of...

"Where is he?" I ask, giving our new home another look over.

"I don't know, I've only been awake for a few minutes before you. I think we're alone in here though."

Hunter groaned as he made a move to stand, one arm stayed limp at his side. "Dislocated?"

"Yeah. Think I got a few broken ribs too, I decided to break TJ's fall." He sighed, and moving closer to him he braced himself as we popped it back into place. "Got any weapons left on you?"

I quickly touched my waist to find my belt gone, which also meant Apollo's dagger was too. Checking my boots, I still had a knife tucked in there and a few throwing stars. Everything else was gone, but it was a start. Inspecting the cuff, the band looked completely sealed with no lock for us to try and pick and following the chain, it was fastened to the ground and wasn't going to budge. We tried though, two pulling one chain, then just on our own. It was no use, but we had to try. The other two finally woke up and after giving each other a once over for injuries, most of what they had was already healing.

"I guess the bee water was legit." TJ thought out loud, slumping down beside Hunter as he too gave up trying to tug the chain free.

"Shame super strength couldn't break these!" Hunter shook his leg.

"Maybe I can?" We all turned to look at Amelia who lit her palm up with a bright blue light and placed it against the metal. I nearly cried with relief as sure enough, it was like slicing through it with a block torch and she was free. Five minutes later we all stood, stretching as we started to spread out around the fire. We had to have been brought in here somehow, so how did we get out?

"That was a good plan you had, creating an illusion of us to draw him out." I told Amelia as we ended up just standing by the fire. The rod that sat over the fire pit made me uneasy, as it was easy to imagine rotating some chicken on it; or people.

"Clearly not good enough." She huffed. "My plans always work!"

"It's why I don't make them, less chance of being disappointed when they fall through." I shrug.

"So what was your plan by keeping us around and sending your friends home?"

"To keep them safe. The rest, well you guys come up with something new, and I'll either go along with it or if I hate it, work out what to do on my own." This doesn't amuse her.

"You know you can't keep your friends safe forever. I've seen you fight before, I've seen how much you care. That is only going to end up getting you killed first and them second. We're a team, but we all know it's still each to their own. We value our own lives over anyone elses and know when to stay together, when to run and to fight and-"