The next day Rachel woke up ready to have a heart-to-heart with her friend but when she went to wake her, Hazel had already woken up and left the room with Luna and Phoenix. Her eyes widened before she shook her older brother awake.
“Ugh, Rachel what are you doing?” Ace asked rubbing the sleep from his eye, “We had a long night, let me sleep in.”
“Hazel’s gone, Ace.” Rachel said clearly frustrated before Ace quickly sat up straight, wide awake.
“Fuego! What do you mean ‘Hazel’s gone?” Ace said before something on one of the desks caught his eye, “And what’s that on the desk?”
Rachel furrowed her brow before she turned to look at what her brother was looking at. There on the desk was a plain wooden box with an iron lock. The two exchanged looks before Josh croaked and perched on the box, Rachel caught her brother’s eye before the two quickly scrambled to open the box. Once the wooden object was in Ace’s hands, he, Rachel, and Josh eyed it intensely. Ace opened the box and revealed four velvet key cavities, three of which held brass trunk keys all of which had a different animal engraved on them; a wolf, a hummingbird, and a monkey while the fourth cavity held nothing.
“Hazel must have the fourth.” Rachel commented before she gently picked up the hummingbird key, “Wonder what these are for though.”
“They’re used to help you get inside The Ki Mari.” Cameron explained as he entered the room, “Morning you two.”
“Salutations Mr. Cameron.” The twins greeted back.
Cameron only chuckled at their greeting back folding his arms, “I understand that I’m older than the two of you but there’s honestly no need to be so formal.”
“Our apologies, Rachel and I were just raised that way.” Ace explained before he cleared his throat, “If it’s alright to ask, where’s Hazel?”
“It’s fine.” Cameron reassured him, “She came to check on your friend a while ago before she went to the viewing point.”
“Does she have the fourth key?” Rachel asked as she pocketed the hummingbird key.
“Yep, asked one of the other scavengers for a rope chain.” Cameron explained, “How about this, I bring you two to the cafeteria for some food, and then I’ll bring you to Gabriel then Hazel.”
“Sounds good to me.” Ace commented before he produced a black belt chain from his bag and thread the chain through the monkey key’s ring hole.
“Follow me then,” Cameron replied as Josh flew to perch on Ace’s shoulder.
∞
Letting out a loud sigh, Hazel continued to gaze at the view before her while Luna busied herself with hunting the rats all around her. The purple-eyed girl only let out yet another sigh as she recounted the events that occurred once she had woken from her troubled slumber just a few hours ago. She remembered waking up in the darkroom, hearing Luna fly and land beside her before dropping a small object near her ear. After having left the room with her animal companions she saw that the small item was a brass trunk key with a dog engraved on it, she had politely asked a woman walking by what it was for before she learned that it was used by guest Monster Hunters to enter – what the local hunters call – The Ki Mari. The girl nodded showing that she indeed understood before she asked for a chain in which to hang the key on as well as directions to the infirmary and was graciously given both. Thanking the woman, she threaded the chain through the key’s hole and hung it around her neck as she walked to the infirmary to visit Gabriel. Upon her arrival, she saw her friend laying down on the same bed as last night. The three of them stayed there for only a short moment before Hazel sighed and asked Amelia if there was somewhere she could go to help her clear her head and that was where she was now; sitting at the edge of a cliff overlooking two mountains covered with lush greenery as the sun began to rise with Phoenix laying his head on her lap as she occupied herself with questions and thoughts.
‘Why did he keep this a secret from me?’ Hazel thought over and over again.
After hearing Hazel sigh for the fourth time that morning Phoenix finally spoke up, “Mistress is there something bothering you?”
Hazel gave a weak chuckle at that before she rolled her head back to look at the sky as she continued to pet the red fox, “What isn’t bothering me? Gabriel keeping a secret from me after everything we’ve been through or the fact that Chancellor Nevermore turned traitor while my older sister is probably hunting us this very moment?”
Yes, in the last hour Luna had already informed her of Chancellor Nevermore’s betrayal and thus furthered the girl’s anxiety and stress. The brown-haired girl let out a loud groan before laying down on the dirt-covered rock.
“This was supposed to be a SIMPLE mission.” Hazel complained before Luna landed beside her, “Had a good breakfast, Luna?”
“It could’ve been better Mistress.” Luna replied, “But more importantly are you alright?”
Hazel only stayed silent at Luna’s question as she thought of an answer, “I don’t know…”
∞
“Best breakfast ever,” Rachel commented as they left the cafeteria and made their way to the infirmary to check on Gabriel.
Ace smiled in agreement with his younger sister before he turned to Josh who had remained on his shoulder for the majority of the morning, “Are you worried about him?”
Josh only croaked in reply before they entered the infirmary and he quickly flew to his master’s side as Amelia was doing her checkup on him.
“Good morning.” Amelia greeted them as they walked up to her, “Came to check on your friend I presume.”
“How’d you know?” Cameron replied as he rolled his eyes before he saw the twins walk to their friend’s side and look at his sleeping figure worriedly, “How is he?”
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“He’s in stable condition.” Amelia answered, “We’re lucky that it wasn’t his abdomen and that Charles managed to get him here in time.”
Cameron only nodded before he asked, “Did you hear anything from Chancellor West?”
Amelia shook her head, “Do you think we should be worried?”
* “I think it’s best if we keep our guard up though.”
* “Agreed, we wouldn’t want a repeat of what happened at The Hideout.”
* “Is Abernathy still at the viewing point?”
* “Yep, didn’t look like she was in the mood to talk though.”
* “If there is a war coming, we need her to have a clear head.”
Amelia sighed at this before she gave him a stern look, “That girl has a loyal heart, Cameron. Loyal but easily guarded.”
Cameron furrowed his brow at this, “Explain.”
Amelia sighed as she rubbed her temples, “As soon as she has a reason to not trust someone – especially someone she’s close to – she immediately puts her guard up. As long as she doesn’t get an explanation as to why-”
“Her trust in them slowly fades.” Cameron said nodding, showing that he indeed understood before his eyes landed on Gabriel, “When does he wake up?”
“Tonight, around somewhere near midnight to be more precise,” Amelia replied.
∞
“I can hear you.” Eliza said as she heard footsteps leading up to her front door, “Just come inside.”
“I wanted to see how you were doing.” Carla explained as she entered the room before she sat down beside her on the bed, “How are you holding up?”
Eliza groaned as she leaned back to lie down on her bed.
“That bad huh?” Carla commented as she propped herself on one arm and looked at the girl.
Eliza groaned yet again before Carla gave her a small smile, “Hazel sees the world differently from you El, as for Gabriel…”
The girl paused for a moment before she started talking again, “He’s been one of the first people that’s stuck beside her since she became a Monster Hunter. That kind of trust is hard to lose.”
Eliza turned to her side and raised her brow at the blonde girl, “Don’t give me that look, Eliza. You and Kimberly just reacted without giving her a proper explanation. If I had to guess though I’m positive that once Gabriel recovers enough to give her a proper explanation her trust in him-”
“Will only strengthen.” Eliza finished before she sat up and turned to her, “What do you think we should do?”
Carla smiled at her again before she looked at the ceiling, “First we need to get your mom and dad back to The Hideout to deal with Chancellor Nevermore.”
“Then that’s what we’ll do,” Eliza said before she sighed and laid down once again.
Carla looked at her before asking, “Are you sure you’re up for this El?”
Eliza turned her head to look at her, “Do I even have a choice at this point? My chancellor has just been announced traitor, my younger sister just chose a werewolf over our own parents, and I have no idea what I’m supposed to do from here.”
Carla gave the distressed girl a sympathetic look before she laid down beside her on her side.
“You want a hug?” Carla asked as she reached out to caress Eliza’s soft cheek.
The green-eyed girl looked to the side shyly before nodding. Carla smiled at her before she opened her arms in which Eliza wasted no time in burying herself in the blonde’s warm embrace.
‘What would I do without you, Carla?’ Eliza thought as she smiled gratefully on the blue-eyed girl’s shoulder.
∞
“Hey, Hazel.” Rachel greeted the brunette as she sat down beside her and looked at the mountain view in front of them, “Now that’s a view.”
“It is.” Hazel agreed before she turned to look at the girl beside her, “Where’s Ace?”
“One of the hunters wanted to talk to him,” Rachel explained.
Hazel looked down at Phoenix who was still sleeping peacefully; head on her lap before nodding, “I see.”
Noticing her friend’s faint tone of voice Rachel asked, “Hazel are you okay? You seem distracted.”
“Rachel, Luna told me that Chancellor Nevermore is working with Dark,” Hazel said quietly.
Rachel’s eyes widened at this as Hazel continued, “I wanted to tell you earlier but I thought you and Ace needed the rest so I-”
“Hazel it's alright.” Rachel interrupted trying to calm the brunette down, “It isn’t your fault.”
Hazel sighed yet again before she asked, “Did you see Gabriel?”
‘Of course, she’d ask me that.’ Rachel thought before she let out a quiet chuckle, “Yeah, I doubt his state of health is any different from your visit earlier.”
“I see.” Hazel muttered as she scratched behind Phoenix’s ear, “Did you need something?”
Rachel’s eyes once again widened before she calmed down and rubbed the back of her neck sheepishly, “Uh, yeah, I actually wanted to talk to you.”
“About what?” Hazel asked turning her head to look at the noirette.
“Well with everything that happened last night and from what you told me, I thought that you might need someone to talk to,” Rachel explained giving the girl her usual warm closed-eyed smile.
Hazel’s mouth twitched upward for a moment but quickly settled back into her neutral expression, “Thanks Rach but I’ll be fine.”
“That’s just it Hazel.” Rachel snapped at her the patience for her introverted friend gone, “You keep telling me that you’ll BE fine! But WILL you!? Hazel, seriously I’m not some little girl that you and the boys have to protect!”
Hazel’s eyes widened at Rachel’s sudden outburst as Phoenix lifted his head from the girl’s lap to look at the other girl.
‘Didn’t think she’d do THAT.’ Hazel and Phoenix thought as Rachel gave the purple-eyed girl a hard glare.
‘She definitely had an attitude change.’ Hazel thought a bit intimidated by the other girl’s glare.
“You’re really going to keep me in the dark.” Rachel said clearly hurt.
“No Rachel it’s not that.” Hazel finally spoke up as Rachel made to leave her be, “It never was.”
“Then what is it?” Rachel asked somewhat relieved that the girl never saw her as a child.
Hazel let out a breath before she started talking, “Growing up I never had people who I could share my problems with, besides Eliza and even that was pretty rare…but when I met Gabriel, you, Ace, everyone…I…I finally felt like I was wanted not because of who I was related to but because of me.”
“So, the reason why you never openly share your feelings-” Rachel began.
“Was because I didn’t want to lose you all.” Hazel finished, “I can’t lose another family, not again.”