In Your Footsteps *Book 2- Thrill of the Hunt* (COMPLETE)

Dance Battle To The Death!

Chapter 35 - Dance Battle To The Death!

I haven't been able to sleep since that nightmare I had in Garak's buildings. I tried once we got home but as soon as I closed my eyes, I could see Thatch covered in blood standing over me. I could hear him calling me a traitor and that I ruined everything. I know it needed to be done but I apparently feel some sort of guilt, that's the only explanation I can come up with. I haven't mentioned it to Dad, just stayed in my room through the night until the sun rose. I'm thoroughly exhausted but I just can't get it to go away.

I spent some time at the pond over the last few days, talking to Mom and Uncle Torin about what happened over the past year, hoping they'll be proud of me for getting away and taking the organization down. I'm not sure how Uncle Torin felt about The Pack but he was a dedicated right hand to Mom so I'm sure he would've followed her anywhere if he'd lived. Dad's been gone off and on, going to the castle to sit in on the interrogations and trials of the members they captured. Since the raid they managed to capture a few more people, including Doe. Dad is hiding something though and I have yet to figure out what it is.

I look up from my book as I hear a knock on the door. No one is ever out here and no one ever knocks. I arch a brow and grab my sword as another knock sounds. Dad is gone at the castle so it's just me. I know that Thatch and the others are under strict supervision so it's highly unlikely that it's any of them, but the concern is still there. It could always be another Pack member who survived the raid and is seeking payback. Even then, they wouldn't knock. The knock sounds again and I take a deep calming breath before raising the sword with one hand and opening the door with the other. Calian's smile fades quickly as he sees the sword and scrambles to draw his to block my attack.

"Sorry, I thought you were here to murder me." I mumble as I sheathe my sword and prop it against the wall.

"Do you commonly get murderers polite enough to knock?"

"No, but I don't quite live on the beliefs of impossibilities. I also haven't slept in days." I run a hand through my hair and sigh. "What are you doing here?"

"They're bringing Thatch in in an hour. If you still want to come along I can sneak you in. We just have to be careful not to be seen."

"Let me get properly dressed and we can go. Come in and don't touch anything."

I step out of my room dressed in all black as usual. It's late evening so I'll be able to blend in more with the surroundings until we get into the castle. I follow Calian back to the castle, unable to tune out his incessant chatter about how him helping me is totally going to help him win his bet. I still don't think he's going to get anywhere near winning anything, but I won't burst his bubble too badly. Not yet. I still have ten years to go. I'd give him some credit that he could get somewhere, but I don't want to inflate his ego with a lie.

"If you don't stop talking I am going to end your chances of winning your bet."

"How so?"

"I'll end your life, of course."

"That's mean."

"Well again, I haven't slept in days. I'm a little mean."

"Why haven't you been sleeping?"

"Some things don't really end when it's over." I answer, avoiding his gaze.

"You may be able to talk to Garak and see if she has something to help with your sleeping problems."

"She offered before we left the other day, but I'd hoped that going home would help."

"So what have you been doing since you haven't been sleeping?"

"Reading or spending time at the pond. Or of course being suffocated under Dad's protection and affection. I guess he really did miss me while I was gone. He seems afraid that if he blinks I'll be gone."

"Well I kinda understand where he's coming from. If I had a kid and they suddenly disappeared and reappeared a year later, I would be scared too."

"Don't make me feel worse than I already do, castle lackey."

"Not my intentions, criminal lady."

"Hey, my records were expunged. And I'm not a lady, I'm a nightmare."

"In that case you're the most beautiful nightmare I've ever had."

"You irritate me." I sigh and he chuckles, mumbling something about slowly winning me over.

We reach the castle and while he goes through the gates, I sneak off and scale a tree to make my way over the walls. I meet him at the base of the tree on the other side and he leads me across the grounds and sneaks me in through a window before entering the castle himself. We snake our way through the corridors with me hiding behind statues and in alcoves as needed, but so far I seem to be undetected. I give him credit that he's been doing well at not lingering glances at me especially when passing someone. He does check every so often but it's a subtle glance that would be almost unnoticed by untrained eyes. When we get to the lower levels of the castle where the cells are, there's nowhere to hide but it's dimly lit so it isn't as bad.

We stop in front of a door and he pulls me inside. I grumble at him not to touch me but my quiet threat dies on my lips as I look up to find the window that he told me about. Through the window I can see Mitsuhide and Kiki standing against the wall by the door while Prince Zen and my dad are settled at a table, but my eyes are glued to who is sitting across from them, their wrists and ankles bound in thick chains that are bolted to the floor. His curly, unruly hair is messier than normal, something that seemed to happen whenever he'd get stressed and run his fingers through them. I spent many a night gently running my hands through his hair to detangle it and soothe his stresses. His eyes are ringed with dark circles and I can still see slight smears of dried blood on his skin. His clothes have been changed to what appears to be a low quality sort of uniform in a muted shade of grey. His eyes lift from the table toward the window as an amused smirk graces his lips, his eyes meeting mine directly.

"I thought you said we couldn't be seen." I manage to choke out, unable to look away even as my hands start to shake.

"We can't... I don't know why he's looking here. Perhaps he knows it's a room, but there's no way he knows you're here, I promise." Calian tells me quietly. "We can leave if you'd like."

"No... No, that's alright. I need to see this..."