Huntsmen and Hoods

by Laura Greenwood

  "You know what I want to know? What happened at your Grandmother's house?" Peter sneers. "Did she encourage the two of you to get closer? That sounds like her."

  I try not to let the excitement show on my face. He's already brought up Grandmother's, which is more than I could have hoped for.

  "Why don't you tell us what happened at Grandmother's house?" I ask sweetly. "You were there, weren't you?"

  Shock registers on Peter's face, but that's not going to be enough to convince anyone he's done something wrong.

  "You don't have any proof of that," he says, his voice shaking.

  It still isn't enough, but it's getting there. And certainly making it clear that he has no problem saying things which will incriminate him. That's good for us. Not so good for Peter.

  Behind me, the swish of fabric alerts me to Kit standing and coming to join me.

  "Don't we?" I glance back at Kit. "Don't we have the pin still?"

  I turn my attention to Peter just in time for him to reach up for the empty spot where his pin should be, horror on his face. Maybe he thought he lost it in the woods and not during the fight.

  "We do," Kit says.

  "Why don't you tell us what happened, and we'll give it back to you?" I suggest, reaching into my pocket and pulling out the Huntsman pin I've been carrying around with me.

  The blood drains from Peter's face at the sight. He knows we've got proof, though I personally don't think it will get us very far. It'll be easy enough for him to say we stole it, or found it after it fell in the woods. What we really need is a confession from him.

  "I've heard of a man being thrown out of the Huntsmen for losing his pin," Kit says offhandedly.

  I don't check with him, but I'm reasonably sure he's lying. I've never come across any stories like that, and my searches surrounding the Huntsmen have been extensive to say the least.

  Peter is shaking now. A small voice whispers that what we're doing is cruel, but I dismiss it. If we thought there was a better way of getting the truth out of him, then we'd be using it. Peter doesn't play by the rules, so neither should we.

  "You always were a nasty piece of work," he sneers. "So selfish. The only thing you think about is yourself. You should be careful, Christopher, or you'll end up with a knife in your back."

  Pain lances through me, but I don't let it show. I can't. I hope Kit knows Peter's lying. But what if he's telling the truth? I don't think he is, but how would I really know? I'm never on the receiving end of my own actions.

  "All you could ever talk about was how you were going to be better than this. And your stupid dream to join the Huntsmen."

  I don't reply. Peter seems to be on a roll, getting everything he's ever thought about me out. Hopefully, it'll include some kind of confession.

  "But that wasn't the worst thing about you."

  "It wasn't?" The question comes out almost too quiet to hear. His words are confusing and hurtful. Especially because I have no idea what he's talking about.

  He laughs loudly and begins pacing up and down. "You don't even know, do you?"

  "Know what?"

  I exchange a quick glance with Kit, but he has even less clue than I do.

  "What your family did to mine," Peter spits out.

  "I don't know what you're talking about," I respond, even as I'm trying to search my memory for any hint of what he's asking. "I don't even know your family."

  "But one of your ancestors did," he sneers.

  "I'm sorry, I really don't know what you're talking about." I don't even know how to deal with it.

  "Your family cursed mine."

  "That's not possible," I contradict. "We've never had the means to curse anyone." None of my family have any magic, nor the funds to do it. As far back as I'm aware of, my family has been the same level of poor. Unless this curse is hundreds of years old, it doesn't exist.

  "What's all of this got to do with Red?" Kit asks.

  I want to reach out and squeeze his hand to express my gratitude for him trying to bring the conversation back around, but I don't in case it draws the wrong kind of attention from Peter. We need to keep him talking. I have no idea how long the ball will record for, but we should try and keep it as short as possible.

  "Everything. When Grandfather found out she was the same age as me, he tasked me with finding a way to destroy her. And the rest of her family if I could. That's all our courtship was. A way to break you."

  I bite my lip to stop me from lashing out. He doesn't deserve the satisfaction of getting a rise out of me on this. Even if it's hard. Funnily enough, this explains some of the things I felt while we were courting. At least I know his behaviour and controlling tendencies weren't anything to do with me.

  "And then you caught me with that girl before I had a chance to do anything. It really stopped my plans in their tracks." He's so angry, I think he's forgotten we're here. If I was on my own, he may have tried attacking, but with Kit here too, and with him being a better fighter than Peter, I don't think even he will risk it.

  "Why did you join the Huntsmen?" I ask.

  "Because it was a chance to get close to you. I knew you'd turn up at some point. This was the only thing you could damned well talk about."

  I nod. "What were you going to do once I turned up?" My voice is shaking, but I stand strong. He's not going to see the weakness I'm feeling. No matter what it takes, I'm going to stand strong.

  "Exactly what I did," he snarls. "I sent you a fake letter to get you on your own. The only problem was that he came along with you." He spits in Kit's direction.

  "Just to be clear, Grandmother isn't sick?"

  "Of course she's not sick, you fool. You'd never have gone for anything else. I thought about hurting lover-boy here, but he never gave me a chance until you were outside your Grandmother's cabin. And even that didn't go to plan."

  Tears prick my eyes. "You attacked us because of something that happened so far before either of us were born that we don't know the details?"

  "That was the idea. It didn't exactly go to plan though, did it?" Peter sneers.

  The relief that he's confessed is only minor. I almost can't believe what I'm hearing.

  "Who were the other two men?" Kit asks, stepping forward and placing a hand on the small of my back.

  I lean into his touch, appreciating the gesture more than he can know. With him beside me, I can face anything. Even Peter on a vindictive mission.

  "They were old friends of mine. I hired them to help me, but as soon as Aredenne cut off their masks, they got scared she'd recognise them. The cowards." He spits onto the ground.

  I try not to flinch, but don't manage to hold back my disgust.

  "I should have known they'd be cowards," he laments. "Not worth the money I paid."

  A rustling from the trees catches our attention, and the three of us turn towards the sound.

  Theo and Flynn burst through seconds later, and I know the conversation is at an end. But I don't think it matters. We have everything we need. I press the bobble again, hoping the little ball has recorded everything we need.

  "There you are," Flynn says. "Group training starts in ten minutes. We thought you were going to miss it."

  Oops. Somehow, I completely forgot about that.

  "Thanks for coming," I say. "We're coming now."

  And after training, Kit and I will be heading straight to the Head Huntsman. With Peter's confession recorded, there's no reason for us to put it off for any longer than we have to.

  Chapter Sixteen

  The Head Huntsman gives a weary sigh and sets the ball down.

  "This is an unprecedented circumstance," he says, flicking his gaze between the two of us.

  "I'm sorry, we wouldn't have brought this to you if we weren't sure," I assure him.

  "I'm aware of that Aredenne. But between the ball and the pin, there's enough to be certain of his guilt." He nods. "It's just a shame one of our own has been rather deceitful."

  I purse my li
ps and don't point out it's bigger than that. So long as something happens to make both Kit and I safer, I don't mind what it is.

  "What happens now?" Kit asks.

  The other man leans back in his chair and studies the two of us. "This will be reported to the Headmistress who deals with matters of prophecy."

  I flinch. I still haven't filled Kit in on that part of what happened. I kept meaning to, but my prophecy almost seemed as if it was the least important thing going on.

  He reaches out and takes my hand in his, giving it a squeeze. All right. He doesn't seem too annoyed that he isn't in the know about that.

  "That's definitely what this is, then?" I check.

  The Head Huntsman nods. "When you transferred to the Huntsmen camp, the Headmistress sent me the details of your prophecy in case I needed them. They're very thin on the ground," he observes.

  "It was first given to me by a traveller."

  "Ah. That often seems to be the case with scholarship students. If only the people giving the prophecies thought to record them better sometimes. It would save us all a bit of work."

  "That doesn't explain how you know my prophecy is over," I point out.

  He raises an eyebrow. "Indeed, it doesn't. While the academy doesn't have the power to interfere in prophecies, it does have the ability to track them. The Headmistress has a book which is spelled to alert her when a student is starting to go through their prophecy. She passes that information on to the teachers and other staff members around her so they can tailor lessons in such a way that they'll help the student, without directly changing anything," he explains.

  "So you knew Red was going through this?" Kit demands.

  "Alas, no. Sometimes, especially in cases like Aredenne's, when the prophecy doesn't have a lot of details known, the book misses what's happening. However, it did update once it was over. The Headmistress sent me a message this morning that your prophecy was no longer a concern and had been diverted."

  I slump in my seat as relief washes over me. Not having a prophecy any more gave me a freedom I don't think I ever expected. It's definitely over. There won't be any more people trying to kill me and my Grandmother outside her cabin.

  Or there might be. But they aren't prophesied to do so. That's something I'm happy to take.

  "What will happen to Peter?" I ask. Not because I care, but because it will help settle the rest of my worries if I know. If he's willing to take revenge over something I had no part in, then I have no doubt he's willing to take revenge over this.

  "Aiding a prophecy is a serious offence against the kingdoms. He'll be incarcerated for his crimes, and you won't have to worry about him again," the Head Huntsmen assures me. "Now, do you have any other questions? I will answer the best I can, but I imagine all three of us have things to do."

  "I don't think so," I admit.

  "If that changes, you can find myself, or the Headmistress," he says.

  "Thank you for your time." I dip my head in acknowledgement.

  We both rise to our feet, knowing that he's dismissing us. I'm glad to be out of there. I can still hear the repeated words of Peter's confession echoing around the office, and I hate it.

  The sun warms my skin the moment I step outside, and I close my eyes to soak it in. Kit reaches out and takes my hand in his, and the two of us start walking back towards the cabins.

  While most of it's over, there are a few things I need to clear up with Kit. I didn't mean to keep my prophecy from him, but that doesn't change the fact that I did.

  "I'm sorry I didn't tell you about my prophecy," I mumble.

  "It's all right. I'd figured that part out for myself. Grimm doesn't offer scholarships to just anyone," Kit assures me, his tone gentle and full of honesty. "Besides, I overheard Peter taunting you about it."

  I grimace at the memory. I was certain he'd overheard at the time, but appreciated the fact he hadn't brought it up. I shake my head. "That isn't the point, though. I should have told you. Especially when your life became in danger."

  Kit shrugs. "It is what it is, Red. I didn't know the details, actually, I still don't. But that doesn't matter. It doesn't change how I feel about you, or anything I've done. I don't care that you have a prophecy. Or had one, I suppose."

  Huh. Had. Despite knowing it's over objectively, there's a part of me that hasn't caught on yet.

  "It's really over, isn't it?" I ask.

  He nods. "It's over. You don't have to worry about Peter ever again."

  Despite the seriousness of the conversation, I laugh. "Until the past month, I never thought about him. I was glad to be rid of him when it was all over."

  "Perhaps that's something else we need to talk about at some point," Kit says. "It can wait. I don't want you to feel pressured. But there's clearly something there I should know about," he adds.

  A loud sigh escapes me. "I know. But I'm not ready yet." And I don't want to soil my new courtship with the negatives of the old one.

  Kit reaches out and touches my arm, stopping me in my tracks. I turn so I'm facing him, taking a moment to appreciate how fair and patient he's being right now.

  "I do have a serious question to ask you," Kit says as he reaches out and tucks a loose strand of hair behind my ear.

  "Oh, and what is that?"

  "Will you go to a ball with me?" The smirk on his face is all I need to know he's not completely serious about that.

  "I'm afraid I'll have to turn your very generous offer down," I joke.

  "But we're courting." He presses a hand against his heart. "You wound me. I shall wait several hundred years and then get my descendants to take their revenge on yours."

  Despite all my attempts not to, I snort. "What if our descendants are the same people?"

  "All the better," he announces. "Can you imagine the family drama."

  We're both barely containing our laughter. No doubt the tension of the past few weeks slipping away is a factor in that.

  "How about I suggest we go for a picnic in the woods instead of a ball." I want to spend the time with him soon, but I'm not foolish enough to think I'll enjoy going to a ball.

  "I can agree to that." He slips an arm around me and pulls me closer.

  I go willingly, knowing it'll likely lead to the kiss I want the most. I sigh and lean my head against his shoulder. "Thank you for supporting me through this."

  He pulls back slightly and turns me so I'm facing him.

  "I'll support you through anything, Red."

  Our lips meet seconds later and I get lost in him again. With Peter's threat over, and my place in the Huntsmen secure, I can focus on something even more important. I may not have expected Kit when I arrived, but I'm glad I've found him. He's the cherry on top of the future I always wanted for myself. Even though I don't need to be with him to be happy, everything is so much sweeter now I know he'll be around.

  Epilogue

  Several Years Later...

  * * *

  "At least it wasn't a proper exam," Kit points out.

  I roll my eyes. "Because that makes it any easier? It's all right for you, you've already passed this."

  He stops in his tracks and tugs on my hand, pulling me to him.

  "And because I've already done it, I can be sure that you've passed too. You're one of the most talented Huntsmen who has trained here in years. You've already persuaded three more women to join..."

  "Four," I correct. "But one only signed up this week."

  "Four it is. But my point still stands. You've completely changed the whole institution by doing nothing more than being yourself. And that's before you've even graduated. Do you know how rare that is?"

  I scuff my boot against the undergrowth, not wanting to meet his gaze and see the earnestness and pride lingering there. If he believes in me, then I need to do it too. Kit would never tell me something he didn't believe was true.

  "Besides, do you really think they wait until graduation to tell people if they've failed?" Now he just seems amused.r />
  "Wait, they don't do that?"

  He shakes his head. "They don't. If you fail, they call you in and they tell you what went wrong."

  "Oh. And you're not worried that's going to happen to me?"

  "Red, I have our orders for after. What do you think my meeting with the Head Huntsman was about?"

  I perk up. "You have our orders?"

  "Yes."

  "Together?" Excitement builds up within me.

  He chuckles. "Yes, together."

  "What kind of assignment is it?" I ask, my words coming thick and fast even as I try to stop them. "Are we delivering a letter? Or being bodyguards, or..."

  He shakes his head. "I promised I wouldn't tell until after you've properly graduated."

  I cross my arms and mock-glare at him. "You're no fun."

  "That's not what you say the rest of the time," he points out.

  A loud sigh escapes me. "Fine. You're lots of fun. But I'm excited. I didn't think our first assignment would be one together. I was sure they'd split us up."

  "I was too," he admits. "But they must think it'll be a good idea to send us both for some reason."

  He offers me his arm, the same way he did the day after we met. Unlike then, this time, I take it, resting my hand on his lower arm. It's so comfortable to be around him like this. And with everyone here already knowing we're courting, it isn't a big deal to be seen walking like this.

  As we approach the centre of the Huntsmen camp, my excitement turns to nerves. I don't doubt anything Kit has told me, he wouldn't mislead me on anything. But this day is going to change my life, even more than arriving here did. Nothing will be the same again. And this won't be my home again. I've already cleared out my cabin and packed my few possessions to go, but it's harder than I expected to say goodbye.