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Hunter grunted, feeling like her body was being consumed by a thousand little bugs.
And maybe they were. Everything was possible. Maybe someone cursed her. It was more probable than her being sick... considering the fact that the last time that happen, she was a child.
Months had passed since the defeat of Belos, but some people still tried to murder her. Or curse her. Or drown her, but that happened only once.
It gave her a lot of anxiety, and Darius gained a few grey hairs. But that wasn't that unexpected. He lived with Hunter, after all.
She shuddered, feeling cold coming through her body. Her throat and head burned.
"Kid, you don't look well. Are you sure you're feeling alright?"
Hunter flinched, caught up in her thoughts to the point she has forgotten the older witch was here. Darius stared at her with a worrying expression that made her feel all warm and giddy inside.
(Or maybe she was just sick.)
Hunter cracked a nervous smile.
"I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be? I'm fine." she squealed, her voice shaking a little.
Darius gave her a weird look.
She gulped. She was in trouble, wasn't she?
"It's nothing I cannot handle," she whispered after a moment.
Darius just sighed.
"I don't doubt that. I just don't want you to suffer, alright?"
Hunter felt a sudden burst of warmth, her face blooming like a rose in the spring. Treacherous tears bloomed in her eyes. He did care about her, huh? She was... safe. Months after defeating Belos, she still couldn't believe it sometimes.
"I-i'm sorry. I lied. I was- I was scared you're gonna get angry... "
... like Belos used to be, every time she screwed up. But Darius wasn't Belos.
He sighed, cupping her scarred cheek with his hand. She leaned into the warm, soft touch of his fingers.
Safe.
"Why would I, princess? It's not your fault. Let's get you to bed, huh? You're really warming up."
She nodded slowly, and let him wrap his arm around her as they went to her room.
She sat on her bed, and Darius wrapped a warm blanket around her.
He placed a cold hand on her head and hummed in worry.
"What is it?" She asked, her hands stimming with the end of the blanket nervously.
"You're fired up, princess."
"Oh. So I'm really sick?"
"Don't panic, it's probably just a common mold. Every witchling has to deal with those sometimes."
"I... I never was sick. Not really. It wasn't... allowed, in the coven. Honestly, I thought grimwalkers can't get sick. Guess I was wrong."
Darius sighed.
"You're not in the coven anymore. Let me take care of you, alright?" He gently rubbed her hair, and she smiled "I'm going to make you some tea. Try not to die until then, alright?"
All of sudden, Darius heard quiet whimpers.
He turned to look at hunter who grimaced, twitching in her sleep.
A nightmare.
He shook her gently.
"Wake up, princess. You're alright." He said calmly, but the girl seemed even more disturbed.
"N-no... Uncle, I'm sorry, I--"
"Shh. He's gone, Hunter. He's dead. He can't hurt you anymore" he rubbed his fingers through her back. She shivered.
"I won't let him" he whispered.
Hunter rubbed her eyes and turned to face him, her expression hazy.
"Darius..." she gasped between sobs. Desperately trying to calm herself, she closed her eyes again.
She wasn't there. She wasn't in the Throne Room anymore, waiting for another cruel punishment. She was with Darius. She was home.
He pulled her close.
"You're alright. You're safe" she heard Darius say. She looked at him. He did mean that, didn't he?
"I'm sorry," she said quietly. "For being a burden. I didn't... mean to be sick"
Darius scoffed.
"Stop it, girl, right away. You have nothing to apologize for. I can take care of you, you know. You're my child and sometimes children get sick. So, better get used to being treated like a person. Because, darling, I am not going to stop"
Hunter felt her cheeks and ears get red, and fresh sparkles of tears in her eyes.
"Thank you," she said, swallowing down her tears.
It was embarrassing, really. She was embarrassed.
But she didn't think that Darius minded.
You're my child.
She never was allowed to be a child. Not really. Being sick meaned weakness in the Emperor's coven.
But it was all gone now, was it? The emperor, his flawed system, all of it. Hunter was free now. She could get sick and expect her guardian to take care of her, not hurt her even more.
This thought almost made her cry.