18 Chapter 18:

"Wake up!" Valrun screeched waking me up from my lustful sleep as I sat up quickly and felt the jacket slip off me. The sun was barely starting to peek over the tree line and the campfire behind me was so low I could barely see her pissed off face.

A growled surfaced from me, realizing I'd only gotten roughly four hours of sleep while the others were still asleep. Though I was a little sad that Proximo was leaning against a tree beside the campfire, fast asleep.

How did I not feel him get up?

Why did he leave me on my own?

Why even go through the trouble to cover and warm me up when you would just leave me alone halfway through the night?

I stared at him with a sudden longing, knowing I was to blame for our distance. I just hoped that he'd stay with me for the whole night.

But I shouldn't expect much, we were closer to enemies than strangers.

"Get up." She tugged at the ropes in her hand hard causing me to lunge forward against the ground. My thigh burned still as she continued walking and practically dragged me to wherever she wanted to go.

I was quick to get up and walk with her despite the agony that my thigh caused. I would never forgive Mira for making me bear such pain for the rest of my life.

She shot me, sent me spiraling through a wall which caused me to have a concussion and a piece of wood to go through my thigh. The wounds weren't healing either despite being immortal.

Though that is my fault, I was not looking after my health and allowed myself to collect such injuries. I wouldn't be surprised if it took weeks in my condition to heal.

I swear to myself that I will escape and look after myself for now on.

She walked quickly, farther and farther away from the campfire as if she was going to torture me. If she was going to torture me, I was as good as dead at this point, however, if she was just going on a friendly stroll with me, that would be ever so lovely.

Though by the furious and the way she was clenching her fists around the ropes, I could tell that our friendly stroll was a mere vision in my mind. Not like I wished to walk much more anyway.

It was difficult to keep up with her, but with the help of her tugging the rope and the easy trail, I was able to walk properly. Or as properly as my leg would allow me to.

My throat burned to say something taunting and rude, but I vowed to keep my mouth shut unless I needed to speak and right at the moment, I didn't feel I needed to. Though I knew she wanted answers, hell they all did.

But I was going to be the most stubborn woman they have ever met.

We walked for a few minutes before she stopped all of a sudden and turned to me with a dark look in her eyes. I stared back at her, the coldness of her silver eyes hurting me but I masked my emotion with an indifferent one.

"You're going to answer my questions." She says confidently, slipping her blade from her belt and dropping the ropes.

I didn't move or say anything, knowing that I was not capable of outrunning her and the ropes around my wrists prevented me from forcing a shift that would no doubt kill me. All I knew what was going to happen was that she was going to get a lot more angry that I wasn't going to say a word.

She should know me though.

"Why were you a the Sylph Black Market?" She questions me, walking closer to me and giving me a hard shove towards the ground. Almost thankful to be off my feet, I peered at her and shrugged with attitude.

I knew her pet peeves, knew her triggers, knew her weaknesses, even knew her strengths. Interrogation was not a strength, but for causing lot's of pain was one.

She knelt down, crooking the blade against my chin and smiling darkly at me with her silver eyes flashing within the moonlight. I felt the blade cut my skin causing blood to build up there.

"You will answer my questions." She repeats with utter confidence before I smiled with a cocky reaction to her belief in her skills of interrogation.

Almost tempted to say something, I didn't as she stood up and walked over to the end of the rope. She started tying the rope off on a tree when I closed my eyes and readied myself for what she was about to put me through.

〰 Proximo 〰

The warm sunlight woke me up rather than the persistent Valrun like our normal mornings. I was relieved to see Fiero and the campfire still burning with very low flames. The weather warming up causing me to glance over at Hrudra.

Although she wasn't there tied up against the tree.

The sight made me lunge upwards as Fiero jumped up with me. He looked at me with confusion and sleep still stuck in his eyes when I scanned the area and noticed Valrun was nowhere to be found either.

"Shit." I curse, scrambling to grab my weapons while a low whistle sounded from a few feet away.

"We're back, Proxi. Do not worry, we weren't gone that long." Valrun assures me, suddenly emerging from the woods around us and yanking the rope. I noticed Hrudra stumble forward, her limp worse than before with her copper hair covering her face.

The sight antagonized me and I couldn't help myself from going to check up on her. Valrun watched me and handed me the rope before grabbing the rest of her things on the ground.

"Hrudra. Look at me, dear." I whisper, my worry eating at me as she remained staring at the ground. Her shoulders shook slightly with blood running down her left arm and dirt covering her pants and hair.

"I wouldn't try. She didn't say a word when I asked her about the last few months." Valrun tells me and nodded for us to follow her. "Come on. We should get going so we can stop at a motel tonight. Won't that be fun?" She chuckles taking lead when I shook my head and went back to Hrudra.

Her shoulders were hunched over with her hair covering her face, almost as if she was ashamed of what happened. Hell, I was horrified at how she was acting right at the moment. I couldn't help myself or my emotions.

"Hey, you're alright. I'm here. It's okay now." I whisper, tilting her face to look at me though she flinched away and pushed past me. Though her strength didn't even faze me which caused me to worry a lot more.

"I don't need you." She croaks out, her voice scratchy with emotion while Valrun and Fiero turned to stare at her. "I wanted to keep you all away... Away for the pain and misery of my life... To maybe give you a new one... But I've been reduced to being a monster." She mumbles under her breath with an ironic laugh.

"Don't try getting our sympathy Hrudra. You've become a monster that we've been tasked to hunt down by the gods themselves." Valrun spats dangerously when Hrudra shook her head.

"The gods are afraid of me. They see only justice and what is written on paper. They've seen me destroy towns, defy the laws of immortality, and allowed very bad creatures live." Hrudra admits, looking up at Valrun which made her and Fiero wince. "I see the mortality and truth. I've seen towns reduced to ghouls and horrible creatures which forces me to destroy them. I've saved many lives including Sevetha's without thought. And I've also allowed those who have no evil intentions live despite the stereotypes of them being evil!" She yells at Valrun, shaking slightly before looking back down at the ground.

It was as if a faucet had been turned on and we all could feel her grief, her sorrow, and most of all. Her lost.

"I guess I should be asking who the monster is, but... You've already had your mind made up even before I saved you. Isn't that right Valrun?" Hrudra taunts making Valrun grit her teeth and march up to her angrily.

"You have no right to say a god damn thing! I-" Valrun swung at Hrudra before I snatched her wrist and glared down at the pissed Valkyrie.

"You've harmed her enough. Let her be." I growl making Valrun's eyes widen and snatch her wrist away from me. With a furious humph, she turned and starting marching away towards the demon kingdom.

Fiero merely smiled as if everything was good and left along with Valrun, leaving both of us to catch up on the rear end. I looked down at Hrudra to see her grasping the ropes in her hands as if she was proving her previous words.

I hated that I couldn't untie her since I still believed she would escape even being as injured as she was.

"Come on," I whisper, placing my jacket around her again when she remained quiet and stumbled ahead. Even though I didn't see her face from before, I knew that Valrun had felt horrible about what she'd done.

Hrudra may be an asshole for ditching us for so long ago, but she was for sure no monster. Hell, even monsters knew to stray away from Hrudra because she has been fighting them for the last few centuries.

Watching her stumble in front of me was killing me, but I knew that I had no room to give her what she needed because I allowed her to be taken and I never once showed her niceness ever since finding her again.

Whether it was her fault for pushing me aside or not, I was not acting like the mate or man I was raised to be. If my parents saw me now, they'd be horrified at how I am treating her right now.

Shit, even my demon was antagonized at the lack of attention she's giving us and he feels horrible not comforting her in her darkest hour. I just really wanted to be there for her...

"Pick up the pace. If we want out of the woods, we need to walk twice as fast or else we're sleeping with bugs again." Valrun comments to all of us, pointing her words to Hrudra who still limped forward.

She shook her head and glanced up at the sky that was clear of clouds. Her hair fell away from her face, revealing the bloody mess upon her face making my blood boil.

There was a large gash against her cheek and over her eyes, showing that her left eye was forced shut by the grime and cut along it. Her hollow cheeks looking pale beneath the layers of dirt and blood that hid it.

I could tell that she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to sleep, but Valrun had woken her up sometime during the night and tortured her enough to harm not only her but also her pride.

At that very moment, she looked so... Defeated.

"I said hurry it u-"

Before Valrun could finish her words, Hrudra dropped to the ground.