WitchHunter ✔️

Revelation

Ace

I am awoken in the morning by knocking at Hale's door. Cozen and Candor speak in hushed tones outside in the hall. Their voices are urgent.

I sit up. It's still early. Is there a mission? I press my ear to the door, just as I hear Hale's door open. His groggy voice meets my ears. "What is it?"

I'm still in my pajamas, my gloves tucked away next to my bed. I open the door. The twins are fully clothed, their tunics damp from some unknown water source. Is it raining out? Candor's bow is on his back, along with his quiver, and Cozen's battle axe hangs at his hip. "A mission?" I ask.

Cozen shakes his head. "Better. We saved the two of you. In here." He motions for Hale to let them in and for me to follow them. I do as they command, suddenly uneasy. He saved us?

Hale crosses his arms over his bare chest as I close the door behind me, the four of us sealed away in his room. Hale was clearly just roused from sleep, wearing only his sleep trousers, his dark hair a ruffled mess atop his head. "What exactly do you mean, you saved us?" He asks. He's suspicious as well. What could they have done?

"The aquaous lochri. We took care of him." Cozen says proudly.

The blood drains from my body. He isn't talking about- "What aquaous lochri, Cozen?" I grit out.

Candor's eyebrows begin to crinkle together.

"The stable boy. We saw him threatening you yesterday. We went out last night and took care of him for you."

Took care of him. "You what?" Hale shouts.

No.

I spin to face him, but it's too late. "Hale, no!" I jump at him, trying to cover his eyes. They're already glowing orange. They don't know. The twins can't know. My bare hand meets the skin of his face as I throw myself at him, knocking him off balance. We fall backward, landing with me sitting on top of his chest. I press my hand to his eyes, covering them. He's hot, burning.

Fire sprouts from his hands, splayed at his sides. "Hale, stop. Please, stop. You're fine." I plead.

"I can't- They killed him!" He grunts out.

Tears spring to my eyes. "Shh. Please Hale." I twist my body around, fixing my eyes on the twins. "Did you kill him? Did you kill Ciel?" I demand. "Tell me!" I shout.

"No, Ace." Candor stumbles over the words. "No, of course not! He didn't put up a fight."

He didn't fight back. The rage courses through me now too. The heat from Hale's body tries to convince me to tear my hand away, but I press it even more firmly. I won't let them see his eyes. I know the fire at his sides is giving us away, but this one thing.

I told Hale I'd protect him. I have to protect him.

"They didn't kill him, Hale. He's fine. He's okay."

Hale sits up and I fall backwards off of him, now sitting between his legs. Hale's burning eyes lock on the twins behind me. "Where is he?"

"You're-"

"I said where is he?" Hale shouts.

"Vjengardta, WitchMaster." Candor answers.

I turn to face them, untangling myself from Hale. My palms hurt. Cozen presses himself up against the back of the closed door, some mix of fear and anguish on his face. Candor's face holds surprise, his back pressed against the wall. He slides down it slowly into a crouch.

"You turned him in?" I ask, the tears returning. Ciel is in Vjengardta?

"You're Cinderous." Cozen's voice squeaks out.