“Hunter…” dad whispers, as surprise as we all were, he reached for me but I moved away, “Hunter I’m sorry…”

                                “Let me through, my sister needs me.” I growled.

                                “No she doesn’t Hunter,” my dad said. “You just think that she does.”

                                I glared at him. “What do you know? Were you there when grandfather was beating her to death? Were you there when her own guards molested her?”

                                Dad looked away, frowning. I could feel the others’ surprised and questioned looks. This was not the right place to have this conversation nor was it the right time, but I know it will calm me after I say everything that is hurting me. That is hurting Huntress.

                                I felt my friends’ eyes on me, then I felt Jed reached for my shoulder, “Hunter, calm down…” he whispered. I remembered our talk a few weeks after he joined us. How he pointed out things he noticed. How I told him things about Huntress and me, things that no one was suppose to know except our most trusted people. I never had anyone to talk with of all the things that were bothering me except Huntress. But Huntress likes talking in riddles; she’d rather you’d think about it yourself, rather than just giving you a straight answer. Like now, I am sure that when she wakes up she’d ask me if this was worth doing, yes it is. I thought.

                                “You weren’t there dad! You weren’t there to protect her!” I shouted. “You never saw her in her weakest moment dad.”

                                “I tried to protect her…”

                                “It wasn’t enough!” I answered before he could finish. “She took the responsibilities that you were supposed to be shouldering. She took the life you were supposed to be living, no wait, let me rephrase that, you gave her that life.” Jed held unto my shoulder. “You can’t even protect her from yourself.” I said in a low voice. He looked up at me. “Yeah, mom told me about it.” I remember hearing Huntress cry at night looking tired and sleepless for two years. Just because of the Rogue and dad. Because she was trying to fight her fate just to satisfy dad. “Daddy’s little princess can’t have anything she wants even if its fate, just because daddy don’t want it.” I closed my hand into a fist, fighting back more anger, “Pathetic.”

                                “Hunter!”

                                We all turned and saw Aunt Hannah at the end of the hall and walked toward Hunter’s side, “You have no right to speak to your father like that.”

                                “My father?” I gave a sarcastic laugh, “Don’t you mean step father, mother?”

                                The others gasped, and Jed’s hold loosened. Then mother slaps me, I felt my cheek sting, then I looked down at her. Her eyes were filled with tears.

                                “Hannah…” uncle Tristan started.

                                “You should be thankful to your father; he took you in like you are his true son. He took care of you and protected us from your father.”

                                “And yet he couldn’t protect Huntress!” I said again, “All my life, I never left Huntress’ side. I was in every fight, every healing, even the escapes- yes there was a dozen or more of it!” I said before mother could argue. “And if I could, I would take her away from this family. I don’t care if grandfather had me searched, dealt with and killed, as long as I could keep her safe, I will do it.” I was staring at my parents with so much anger that I feared that I might hurt them physically, especially now that I longed to see Huntress more than ever. I took a step back, to put distance between us. I turned around and decided to leave, but-

                                “You are right Hunter; I was never in any of those moments.” My dad admitted.

                                I stopped; the others looked at my dad.

                                “Tristan…” I heard my mom called.

                                “And I am sorry,” he said, “I guess I never thought that you two ever needed my help. I mean, you are the best fighters among your grandfather’s men.” He paused, “Your grandfather also gave you the protection that was necessary, but I never thought that I would also need to protect you form those who are protecting you.” I closed my hand again into a fist, but Iris reached for my arm, ran her hands down to my hand and calmed me. “You have all the reasons to say everything you just did. But believe me when I say that I have done everything that I could to protect you. It may not be enough, but I did try. There is no night that I am not haunted by my guilt for imprisoning you and your sister in this family. I am being selfish, exchanging your freedom for mine. It is pathetic. I just never thought that it would be this bad. I should have just listened to your mother and took you away when we found out of your second identity, but I didn’t. Because I know that it would be better to keep you near your grandfather and the others, rather than take you away unprotected. You may be Night Wind and Aengelle Blayde, but you are first and for most my children, and that will never change, Hunter. Even your grandfather sees it that way and I will do anything- anything- to make you believe me, even after everything that I’ve done wrong.”

                                There was silence now. Everyone was watching me, waiting for more.

                                “Huntress expected so much from you father. She did everything that you want even without you saying it. The night I took her out of that room, she was apologizing, she was apologizing to you. She feared so much that because of what those animals did to her you will never see her as your princess or even just your daughter.” Father looked away, tears were swelling in his eyes as well, “Well, you did do one thing right,” I said, I turned to face father again; “You raised two good kids.” I gave him a weak smile and dad stifled a laugh and nods.

                                “Thank you.” he said.

                                “Hunter…” mom reached for me.

                                “I’m sorry mom,” Hunter sighed, “I guess I’m just really worried about Hun. And I kind of feel useless.”

                                Then mother reached for my chin and lifted his face and made him face her, “You are not useless, remember? Your Huntress’ lucky charm and I don’t think she’ll like it if she made you this worried.”

                                I stifled a laugh, “Right now, I’d rather see her while she’s asleep. I’m expecting quite a beating from her when she wakes up. I think she already saw this one coming.”

                                We all laughed, everyone was calm now.

                                “Anyway, c’mon, you kids look tired. You must get some food in you and then you should all go home.” My mom invited everyone.

                                “No aunt Hannah, we’ll wait.” Iris said.

                                “Until Huntress wakes up.” Jed added.

                                I gave all of them a look, and saw that they were serious about it.

                                “Then I’ll call your parents.” My mom said, with a smile.

                                Then we all left for the dining room.

                                A couple of hours later, the gang and my parents were still in the dining room, the food untouched, still too worried to eat. Instead, Jed and Lei were playing chess, Mave was in a corner reading a book, dad was finishing some of his works and mom was helping him by clearing some of the errors in the deciphering. While Iris and I were by the window, Iris sat across me and was reading, while I was looking outside the window, and sighed. Then I absentmindedly reached for Shadow beside me and scratched his ears, Shadow purred. Iris looked down at Shadow then at me.

                                “Hunter?” she calls.

                                “Hm?” I answered without looking at her.

                                “How many times do I need to tell you that Huntress is going to be fine for you to stop sighing like that?”

                                I grinned a little and faced her. “I’ll stop when I see that she’s ok.”

                                “Oh, well… that’ would take time.” She said, sighing herself.

                                I laughed again, Iris smiled.

                                “So tell me…” she started.

                                “What?”

                                “I’m curious, you and Huntress aren’t twins?”

                                I shook my head, “Nope, I’m not even her full blooded brother.”

                                “Well, blood doesn’t have to do anything when you love someone right?” she said, I raised a brow, “As a sister or brother I mean.”

                                “I think it’s still a must.” I said.

                                “Why?”

                                “Cause it makes things more, well, official.”

                                “But, you could just be official about the whole thing if you want to, don’t you? I mean it’s really on how you see it.” I listened to her explain and watched her carefully. “This would sound like I’m betraying Huntress, but really I’m doing her a favor by saying this…” she stops and looked up at me.

                                “Well?” I asked.

                                “How do I put this in such a way you’d really understand…” she thinks about it, then she smiles, “Ok, here goes… I’ve seen Huntress scared of you.”

                                I waited for more. “And?”

                                “That’s it.” She said.

                                “I don’t get it.” I confessed.

                                Iris sighed and rolled her eyes, “You are the only one she’s scared of Hunter. And she isn’t scared of what you could do to her, like this afternoon, its more of she’s scared that she might disappoint you. It’s like what she does with your dad. She tries so hard to make him happy. And if Huntress thinks of you as less or not a brother at all, I don’t think she’ll take crap and that beating from you so freely.”

                                I watched Iris, understanding her argument.

                                “In my point of view, Huntress doesn’t even care that you’re her half brother or half whatever. All she knows is that she loves you like a brother, and that would never change.” I was now staring at Iris, thinking, Iris notices this and playfully hits me on the forehead with her book, “Take a picture, it lasts longer.” She joked.

                                I laughed again and nodded.

                                “Feeling better?” Iris asked.

                                “Much.” I said.

                                Then, finally, Master Shisek steps in the room. We all sat up, I stood up. They were all studying Master Shisek’s reaction, but it was blank. Then after a few seconds he smiled, “She’ll be ok.”

                                We all smiled and breathed out a sigh of relief.

                                “Did you hear that Iris?” I turned to Iris and hugged her tightly.

                                “I know I know… I told you so didn’t I?” she said. Then I looked down at her and gave her a kiss on the cheek.

                                “Thank you Iris, thank you so much.”

                                Iris looked at him for a few seconds, then shook her head, “No problem.” She said, smiling.

                                Then I took her hand and faced Master Shisek, “Could we go see her now?

                                “After dinner.” My mom said, relieved. “C’mon all of you. I’ll have the soup heated; at least one of our foods should be hot.”

                                But Hunter couldn’t wait any longer, I let go of Iris, “Stay with mom: I said, then I ran out the door, “I’ll be quick, c’mon Shadow.” I called out as I ran toward my room with Shadow on his heel.