Hunter: Gods & Monsters

Chapter 19

The smash of glass from my cup hitting the floor made me jump, yet it was what I needed to snap me out of the shock of seeing Cain standing there. The second I stood I felt the liquid dampen my socks and a sharp sting in my heel.

"Oh for fucks sake!" I cursed, sword appearing in my hand as I had to balance on one foot. "Of all the times-"

"Not quite the reaction I thought I'd get, but it's close enough." Cain stepped closer, nearing the end of the bed.

"That wasn't about you," I notice him studying Zane, and held up a finger to give me a second, daring to rest my sword on the bed while I managed to sit back down and get the glass wedge out of my foot. "Damn it."

If he had planned to attack, it would have the perfect moment. Recently he proved that he didn't like to play fair, yet despite everything, I took my chance. There were no, going to try and kill you again vibes coming from him though there wasn't much warning last time either. With barely a second of thought, I cleaned up the mess and put the piece of glass from my foot on a tissue beside me on the table. This time when I stood, my feet were safe.

"What happened?" Cain asked softly, looking at the clipboard as if he knew what all those graphs and things actually meant.

"I got glass in my foot. And now you have two seconds to get out before I blast you so fucking far into space, they'll mistake you for a satelite."

His head tilted slightly as if he was contemplating my threat, before ever so slightly rolling his eyes. "With Zane. What happened to him?"

"I'm not telling you that. You do not have the right to even be here, let alone ask about him as if you care." We stood facing each other from opposite sides of the bed. "Why are you even here? Just worked out I decided to not listen to your orders oh mighty Lord of the Assholes?"

"Honestly, yes. I happened to cross paths with a mutual acquaintance who was attempting to open some otherwise closed portals. It didn't take much to get him talking, and he had a lot to say. Naturally, I came to see what you are up to."

"What did you expect? I'd be plotting your demise and you'd catch me in the act?"

"Maybe." He shrugged. "I've seen you seek revenge for less."

"Sorry to disappoint, though I'd be happy to take this outside?" I really hoped he didn't, not now.

I'd need to find a way to get some caffeine injected straight into my veins first of all as sitting around in this tiny room was mentally, emotionally and physically exhausting. Then again, I could feel my powers reacting, the sword in my hand tingles and there was a lot of pent up frustration I never got to take out on Hephaestus. Maybe a fight was what I needed.

Cain tensed, eyeing me cautiously before shaking his head and taking a deep breath.

"Not necessary, though I'm not exactly sure what I planned on doing when I found you. I hadn't expected this. I like Zane. He's a friend, one of the few I trusted in this world." For a second my guard wavered, yet his implication at the word trust made me tense. "If it even matters now, my plan worked. There are enough rumours in my world now, that I-"

He hesitated.

"Killed me?" I finished for him.

"Yes." He frowned.

I hated that he seemed more himself. Like the Cain I had known and not the idiot who had replaced him. He looked lost, confused even as he folded his arms across his chest and looked around the room as if he was expecting it to close in around him.

"I'm glad to hear that, because that's exactly what I wanted to have happen. You are welcome.  So welcome. Anything else you want from me or that I can do for you?" I went overboard on the sarcasm, almost tempted to throw in my part in keeping those rumours going with the assistance of my blue ally only I stopped as  I realised something else. "Actually, I've given enough. How about you do something for me, because technically, this is your fault."