The sound of cars hits my ears from behind me. The sheer volume of them makes me think that we're stood on a road leading off from a freeway. Kyle doesn't care about our safety, which isn't much of a surprise, as he has us stand in the middle of the road, which is more like a dirt track. The trees either side of the road, dip over it like an archway leading down to an unknown destination.
On the other side of the road to the trees, running down the road into the distance is a chain-link fence that looks to have been battered a couple of times throughout the years. By the wind or people, I'm not sure.
Behind the fence are small houses, that almost look like trailers, their yards strewn with toys, tools, and other odd bits and pieces. Some houses have obviously been kept better than others.
Kyle makes us walk down the track, and toward what seems to be the best-kept one of the row I can see.
Not having any regard to the gate, he jumps over it and then makes me push it open forcefully.
"Where are we?" I ask him, not liking that we're going into the unknown. Kyle stays silent before motioning to the door. He stands in the same position as he watches me walk past him.
My hand lifts and raps my knuckles against the door before it moves down to the handle, twisting it until there's a clunk of the lock breaking. I push the door open, allowing the swing to make full contact with the wall, causing a loud crash.
Kyle makes me step up into the house, and my eyes fall on Hunter, midway between lying on the floor and fully standing. His hand hovers over the belt of his pants, and I can see the undeniable metal of a gun, poking up over the band. His hand falls on it but I can tell that he's not fully relaxed. I haven't seen him since first returning to the Grim Reaper's house, and he left on not the best terms.
I focus on different parts of the room within my line of vision and find it to be basic, and sparsely furnished. It's the complete opposite of the Grim Reaper house. I don't know exactly where we are, but it must be Hunter's family home.
Hunter's hair looks ruffled, his cheeks are tinted a light pink, and his clothes look they have been twisted around his body. He's obviously been rolling around on the floor, and when I look behind Hunter I see that he's accompanied by two children, both the same age and with the same look.
I recall Hunter telling me about his twin half brother and sister, and assume that they must be Jaxon and Emily. They look in the same state as Hunter. They must have been play-fighting.
"Scarlett," Hunter says surprised. "How'd y-"
"What cute children," Kyle says, but Hunter continues, unaware of Kyle being here.
"Jake," I answer Hunter.
Instead of Hunter, I focus on his siblings. They look young, and I'm scared of what they could see. It'll affect the rest of their lives. I need Hunter to get them out of here, or for me to leave, but Kyle isn't going to allow that until he gets what he wants.
"Hey," I hear myself say, with a grin in the children's direction. I don't have to look in a mirror, to know that it's not coming across genuinely, but more like Kyle, an evil genius.
"Hey, Em, Jax, why don't you go and find that film," Hunter suggests and I If I weren't being held up by Kyle my shoulders would fall in relief.
Emily and Jaxon both look to me, and then to my surprise their eyes fall onto where Kyle has stood himself. It's only brief, but maybe they could see him.
Once they're out of the room, Hunter walks up to me. His arms come out as if to herd me, and motions for me to walk back the way I came. Instead of standing still, like I thought Kyle would force me to do, he follows Hunter's directions, not allowing him to touch me. We emerge into the humid air outside, and I make a guess at us still being in Florida somewhere.
"Look, I don't know why you're here, but you should leave," Hunter tells me.
"What, you don't want to see me?" A pout comes to my lips with my words.
"To be honest, no. We'll talk when I come back to Miami."
"Come on, Hunter," I say, my voice a purr. Kyle makes me step forward, getting as close to Hunter without touching him, as I can. My face comes within millimeters of his, but Hunter pulls back. His jaw is clenched, but his eyes are firm with his decision.
"Hm," Kyle says beside me. Kyle pushes me away, but to Hunter, I'm sure it just looks like me getting annoyed and stepping away. Kyle steps until he's looking directly into his eyes, moving his head as if examining a suspicious thing.
"Hunter," I say, Kyle watching me as he controls the situation. "I've come to talk to you because I left Reid. My time with Kyle made me realize my feelings for you, and how I don't want to let this go. I don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, so I want to spend the time with someone who means something to me."
Hunter's face transforms. It gets angry, his face clouded with shadows as crevices form. He had been saying for so long that he had feelings for me, and now that "I" have admitted my feelings, his reaction isn't something that I expected.
"No, you don't fucking do that," Hunter says, storming up to me, his hand coming within inches of my face. "You don't come here when it suits you and expect me to accept this with open arms. I waited for you, for so long. I was there when Reid wasn't, and I was patient. I waited long enough, and all this time you have strung me along. You don't get to pick and choose between me and Reid. You make up your fucking mind and stick with it. I'm not doing this anymore, I'm not going to be your second choice any longer, that you'll play with until Reid's interested in you again."
If I could I would gasp. Even with Kyle's control, tears still make their way to my eyes.
"It hurts, doesn't it? Why would that be? Maybe because what I made you say isn't wholly a lie?" Kyle says from beside me. I didn't want to hurt Hunter, and I know I have been over the past months. He's right. Everything he said was right, and I don't know what hurts me more. To know I've lost Hunter and hurt him, or to know that I was the one to cause it all. I did this, not Kyle. Kyle just opened the door to this whole conversation.
"So, are you really being truthful? Have you finished with Reid once and for all?" he asks. I know Kyle's answer, even before he makes me say it because it's the thing that will hurt both Hunter and me the most.
I feel my mouth opening and fight it.
"Scarlett," Hunter says, his hands coming down onto my face, making me look at him. Like being pulled back on a bungee rope, the wind is pushed out of my lungs with the sensation of Kyle's hold on me being pulled from me.
I gasp, the first gasp with Hunter that came from my own brain. Unlike with Reid, Kyle leaving wasn't voluntary.
Hunter forced him to leave. It all makes sense: why Kyle wouldn't allow Hunter to touch me.
I then realize something, Reid had been touching me without breaking the connection. I thought it was both of them, but it was only Hunter. It was only Hunter who could save me. I don't know the reason why, but I'm thankful for it all the same.
"No," I answer honestly. Being under my own influence, I can think straight. Now is probably not the time, but I find myself thinking about what Hunter was saying. I have the apeiro thing with Reid, but I still can't let go of Hunter.
"Thought so," Hunter says, going to retract his hands, but I catch them, returning them to my cheeks.
"Hunter, listen to me, please. I don't want to lose you, but this is more complicated than you think. I have feelings for you, I know I do, and I would love to be able to tell you that I will drop Reid to be with you, but Reid and I have this... bond, and," I sigh. "It's just complicated. I can't think straight right now. We'll talk about this, we will, but I need you to do something for me, first. You need to keep touching me."
His eyes go over my face, before returning to my eyes. "Kyle?"
"Yeah. He's the one doing this all, and... he's not going to stop. I don't know why, but he's torturing me and everyone I love today, and no matter what I do, he'll find a way to continue, so I need to go home right now and track my dad down. Kyle has him, and once I find him, he'll be able to help me."
"Scarlett, I can't just leave my family. What if he-"
"He won't. I won't allow it, I just need you to come with me, please," I plead, my voice getting desperate at the end.
His eyes meet mine before he turns to look back at the house. "I'll send some demons up, right away, ok, we need to go now, though. They'll keep your family safe." I take his hands away from my face, and hold them in my hands.
He closes his eyes, gritting his teeth.
"No need to make that decision, buster," Kyle says, and I spin around, keeping a hand on Hunter, pushing him back toward his house.
"What the-" I start. "Can you see him?" I ask Hunter, over my shoulder.
"Yes, unfortunately."
"Don't worry I'm not going to hurt you, or those precious children, I'm just here because that," Kyle says pointing to where I'm holding onto Hunter. "Is a problem. You can't keep your hands off of each other for one conversation, can you? Now I'm here, you can let go, but you don't want to, do you?"
I narrow my eyes at Kyle. "That's not the case, and you know it."
"I promise that I won't do anything, I think we should talk."
"Oh yippee," I say sarcastically.
"This," he says motioning around us. "Is annoying, and I really don't want to do it anymore, so why don't you just come with me, because as much as I don't want to do this anymore, I'll continue to make your life... well, hell, until you realize that this human side of you isn't you. You might think I'm crazy for this, but at the basis, I'm just returning the underworld to its former glory. We were once feared and worshipped, and now we've been forgotten. If you were like your family, this wouldn't hurt you as much," he says, twisting his hand in the air, causing Hunter to cry out behind me. I spin, bending with him to look him in the face.
"What's wrong?" My eyes race over his face, seeing the pain etched there. "Stop it," I yell over my shoulder, not caring how he's doing it.
"You've never actually listened to what this is all about, you've just assumed it's bad. All I'm asking is for you to come and listen to what I've got to say, and see what I'm doing. I think you'd be surprised about what you think of it. If not, you know I'll continue this until I've got my way." Hunter cries out again, as he bends more with the increased pain.
I look at Hunter one last time, knowing that everything Kyle is saying is right. He's proved to me today that he won't stop. He's not only torturing me today, but he's also torturing my family, my friends. He can easily do it again. I can't keep him out for long, and maybe I'd be able to learn more about it and put a stop to it from the inside.
"My dad, you release him," I command.
"Already done, he was never in any danger. You really think I would be able to get your dad like that?"
"If I agree, you stop tormenting my friends and family. You've got me, that's what you wanted."
"Done," he says, and when I look at all the pointers for telltale signs of him lying, he seems to be telling the truth.
"Then, I'll come with you," I tell him, not caring about what he'll do to me. As long as he stays away from my family and friends, I'll be fine. I've survived him before, I can do it again. Maybe this will be the thing that I needed.
"Scarlett," Hunter pleads with me, still bent over in pain.
"Kyle," I warn looking at him. Kyle lets his hand fall to his side, causing Hunter to straighten, recovering slowly from the pain.
"Hunter, I'll be fine."
His eyes find mine, and instead of anger, I see sadness. Hunter tries to hold onto my hands when I move them away, but I manage to slip them out, not looking at him anymore, otherwise, I would change my mind and regret the decision. I'm so tired of Kyle having control over me. I want to take back the control, and at least this way I would be going into it with my own free will.
Once I'm free of Hunter, I expect Kyle to take over my mind, but he doesn't, instead, he watches me walk toward him.
With the first couple of steps, I find myself stumbling a couple of times. I just hope that it's not a precursor of what the rest of my time with Kyle is like. I want to be sure of myself around Kyle, otherwise, he could take advantage of those weaknesses.
There we go! It's finally finished. This is only a rough idea of how I want it to end, as I am rewriting it. Because of that fact, I found it hard to go back to this story, so I'm not exactly happy with how this went, but it's still the way I wanted it to go. I felt like it was only fair to finish this story. Again it's a sort of cliffhanger, but when I publish the rewrite of the second book the ending could possibly be different, and the third book will hopefully not be so far after the first book, like this one was/is. If you want to see some teasers for this book, and some others I hope to release next year sometime, you can go to my Instagram (@cc_thewriter) where I will be posting them.
At the top of this part, I have added an aesthetic/inspiration board for Hades' Daughter I created. Let me know your thoughts on it.
I just want to thank you all again for being so supportive, and patient. Things are going to happen next year, and although nothing is set in stone, I hope to have a busy year!
I wish you all a very happy holidays and I hope you all have a great new year! Next year will hold more books from me!
Thanks,
CC ;)