Sweat ran down my back, my legs, my arms; there was sweat in places I didn't even know I could sweat from. Zane looked as though he was in as more pain than he'd ever experienced, while Hades looked rough, but he wasn't done just yet.

"Slayer, you have done well." Hades puffed, a huge compliment being thrown at Zane, who merely nodded.

"I think that's enough for today." I catch Hades eye, and he shrugs. "What?"

"For him. But you are not just a Hunter these days are you?" He taunts.

"You said I had to take it easy, after my little, big session."

"We are. Less physical and human now, get your powers going!" Hades smirks wipes his hand across his forehead and is suddenly back to normal as if the last hour never happened.

I take a sip of water as Zane collapses. I had gone to visit him to let Apollo sleep, but instead, Hades turned up for some training. Of course, the Slayer with the oversized ego wanted in, and I knew the many reasons why too, so we let him. Neither of us held back either, while I had intended too only the events of the night before gave me a bit of extra steam to blow off.

"What's in it for me if I win?" I circle him slowly, watching as the muscles in arms flexed, then relaxed and the subtle way he moved with me so not once was his back my way.

"Name it. You won't win, so I have nothing to worry about."

"That kind of confidence will get you killed one day." How many times had that been said to me?

"Doubt it. But come on God Killer. What do you want as your prize?"

I thought about it, summoning my sword to now twirl around in my hand. His eyes locked onto it as we moved around and around.

"I want to know what exactly is going in your realm. No secrets, no holding back, the truth. Everyone wants a fight. It seems to keep spilling into my world, and I need to know everything about it." I decide.

"Why?"

I stop walking. "Because I've got people trying to kidnap me, kill my boyfriend, and demand I join their side in a war I know nothing about. What threat should we be preparing for?"

Hades frowned. "Despite what they think, the war will not reach this realm. The King will never allow it to get that far. As for those other, mishaps, that is why we now train with your powers to ensure you're at your best. I told you that for free, pick a new prize."

"I want you to admit that I am the greatest, and you're sorry for underestimating me."I decide.

Hades laughed and raising my sword, he produced his own. We circled each other a couple of more times and fake stepping in, he was too focused on my weapon to realise I wasn't using it, as the power in my other hand hit him on the stomach and sent him flying backwards. He got up quicker than I expected, and sliding across, hit him in his knees and then got myself back to where we started, opening my arms to mock him as he stood.

"How about that then?"

"Careful Elise, what was it you said about confidence?" With a wave of his hand, the rumble behind me had the ground vibrating and spinning around, a chunk of the earth rose up and balanced over me.

Instantly I shielded myself, and as the pressure weighed down on my shoulders, I managed to fling it his way. Of course, he dodged it, but if he wanted to get into it, I was happy to follow his lead and thinking of lightning, dangerous strikes began to rain down around him. The energy sparked inside of my body with each bolt as if they were coming directly from me, the feeling was so rejuvenating, my new aches and pains vanished.

"Oh, clever, little god!" He called out.

I kept it going as he struggled to dodge my attack until a new threat rose up from the earth. I'd fought his zombie-like minions before, and dropping my hands into the dirt, sent that some powerful current through the ground. They never made it to a standing position.

"The elements are our friends. The most basic, primal force our magic can connect with." He lectured. "It's unlimited in its power. You feel that now, don't you?"

"Yes," I tell him quietly.

Inside I was practically high from the sensation. It was more than anything I'd experienced before, not even the night I let loose on the vampires. I always felt it, just under the surface of my skin, yet now I felt it all the way into my bones. In my core. In my very existence.

"Your powers come from an early god. His kind is rumoured to have been in existence before even my people, not just in your realm, but mine too." He comes closer, and I cautiously watch him, aware to every single thing around us; waiting for what was next. "I can tell you, I don't know what you are fully capable of. Cain defeated Sobek-Ra, but it was not an easy accomplishment. He was not a god of sound mind, but if he had been, maybe their disagreement would have ended in his favour. Who knows?"

"I feel, I can feel the power. Why hasn't it been like this before? We've trained and-" His hit came from nowhere, and as I crashed into the rock wall behind me, the sensation vanished, and the pain took over. Then the anger. "Fucking, asshole!"

"Because you fear it. Your subconsciously blocking all of what's inside of you." Hades hand came down to help me up.

"I meditate, and all that crap and I don't block it." I let him help me up.

"You do. Then when you're emotional enough, it finds a way to break out as that is when your mind is at its weakest." He shrugs. "Just then, you were focused on our fight. You were able to channel some of your power into what you wanted. It responded. I doubt you actually wanted lightning to pour from the sky? Practice, more than just going from a to be or creating a cup of coffee, or in your case, whisky. Don't be scared, don't overthink it."

"Like this?" I ask quickly, as the earth took hold of his feet and green vines sprouted to wrap around his legs.

"Not bad." His touch had them all wilting and falling away. As he was freed, he stepped back, and his body language said it all as he swiped a bit of green away.

I met his blast with one of my own. The pressure pushed us further apart, and as my feet slide in the dirt, I feel myself become grounded, centred. Ailins' words of meditation lingered in the back of my mind, and I took a deep breath instead of holding it in. The ground left me, my body burned, my powers grow as the air sparks around us. Hades minions rose and perished, waves of my magic fraying off the mainstream to wrap around me until I was completely protected.

"Elise!"

I ignore my name. The anger I felt at being knocked down, at Ivy for whatever shit she was involved in and dragging me into it, for the twins daring to come into this world, and then doing what they did to Apollo charges me. This wasn't the real world, I wasn't going to wipe out the vampire race; I didn't have to be scared here. I close my eyes. Hades is weakening, I can feel those threads of my magic now wrapping around his.

"Elise, stop!" Zane's voice makes me blink, and with a sudden thud, I fall onto my back. The magic is gone, I stare up at a blank sky and catch my breath that I had lost. "Shit!"

Looking up, Zane has stopped by Hades who is in a similar position on the floor as me only, I get up and he doesn't.

"Is he okay?" I ask hesitantly, forcing myself closer.

"He's breathing and-"

Hades gasps cough and rolls over to vomit, making us both cringe yet relief floods my system. Zane and I step back, and he stands, pushing us both away as he rolls his neck and shoulders.

"So, ah, I win?" I ask sheepishly, avoiding eye contact as he turns our way.

"Yeah. Yeah, you win." He admits, coughing again.

"That was, intense," Zane adds unhelpfully. "You were actually, like levitating. It was unreal."

"I don't think I should be letting this power out. I'm happy sticking with summoning my whiskeys and trips to the beach." I decide.

"No. I'm glad you did that," Hades tells me honestly.

"There may come a time when you need that and more." Artemis has me jumping and turning, she stands with Apollo.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him, especially since he's supposed to be resting. "Wait, what?"

"Who knows what's in the future," Hades added quickly.

"Well according to Portia, me doing something superbad come October. That, whatever this is right now, is proof that I am capable!" I glare at the three of them and raise an eyebrow as I get to Zane. "You in on this too?"

"No. I just came for the workout."

"What even is this?" I demand, knowing I'd been set up.

"Training," Artemis answered.

"Feels more like I've been set up to show off my powers."

"You were. I let him come in case I needed to do something to get you to open up." Hades nodded towards Zane.

I flexed my hands.

"We were going to talk about it, but then last night happened. I know you're worried about there being another war, but hopefully, it won't come to that. You still need to know how to protect yourself and use these powers, whether you want to or not. Those in our world have given you this, ah, well a reputation-" Apollo started.

"You've been put up on a pedestal as this mythological creature that can destroy worlds or save them," Artemis added. "Because they think-"

"Art," Hades shakes his head.

"Because they say what?"

She looks at Apollo, who closes his eyes and groans, before talking.

"Because they say you control Cain."

"Who is practically the ruler of the realm not just our land. It's always been that way. Dad and the ones before fought long and hard battles to make it clear to the rest of the world, they are the ones in control. His reputation as The Fallen One is well known and feared. People are scared someone like him is now in the top seat. So, that kind of makes you hot property." Artemis finishes.

"So, your world thinks I control Cain hence why I've been getting job offers and the rest, to what, go make him do what they want? I did one thing, one time, and I'm expected to go and fix any problems they have with him or the world; otherwise, there's going to be a war?" I ask, actually slightly dumbfounded. "Plus this has been going on for weeks, and no one thought to actually just tell me what's going on, instead of more secrets, lies and whatever this all just was?"

"It wasn't a secret, we just-" Apollo started.

"Just avoided my questions, decided not to tell me, kept secrets?" I snap.

"We didn't want to worry you," Artemis added.

"You, just shut up. A week ago, you were calling me a traitor and carrying on like a right little diva, all over stuff I had no real idea about?" Again I flex my fingers, balling my hands into fists.

It would be so easy to give them what they wanted. They wanted to make sure I was capable of facing their world, that these powers could be used if I really wanted them to be. Well, I would show them and-

"Sunshine, I think, in their own way, they meant well. How about we take a break kid? Get some lunch, then pick this up later?" Zane hooks his arm with mine, and we step away only then he looks around confused. "How do we get out exactly?"

"Bunny, please just-" Apollo starts.

I shake my head. "Later."

Zane and I end up in my office at the Council. He doesn't say much, and we agree to clean up and meet downstairs for that lunch he mentioned. It's nearly midday anyway, and as we enter the street, clean and smelling better than we had half an hour ago, he coughs awkwardly.

"So, where do you want to eat?"

"Anywhere." I can't be bothered even thinking about that, and we end up in a quiet cafe, waiting for our burgers. "What the hell just happened?"

"When people are scared, or it's unknown to them, they look for something to believe in or blame," He started.

"Actually, you know what? Just, forget it. I thought this was going to be my year. I guess not, but what is everyone's obsession with Cain and me? He basically stalked me for years, used me to get home, sold me out to the Fates, and as a parting gift cursed me again, only this time with these powers. I don't control him. No one does."

"Are you honestly, really that blind kid?" Zane looks at me in disbelief as our food arrives.

"About what?" I take a bite and realise how hungry I am.

"Well, shit kid. You really don't get Apollo's issues? Don't know why you have this giant target on your back when it comes to Cain? Ever wondered why you got those powers, were gifted, with immortality?" He looks at me expectantly, and I simply chew and stare back. "He fucking loves you."

I can't swallow. My mouthful of food gets stuck, and I'm coughing, gasping, and well, this is it.

After everything, this is how I die.

Taken down by the mightiest of the mighty; a burger with the lot, extra pickle and no onion.

Maybe it was a cursed burger. That would make more sense.

Zane whacks me on the back, and the food goes down. I'm left gasping, watery-eyed and thankful I didn't just give Jordan all the ammunition he would ever need to make eulogy as unforgettable as I am. Or worse, for it to be recorded on my tombstone as her lies Elise Bunting. She saved the world a lot, and she died doing what she loved, eating burgers.

"Thanks," I finally say, sipping on some water.

"Anytime."

We eat in silence, and I take smaller bites.

"He doesn't love me, or if there is something there, its purely platonic. Our relationship is strange, but he's a friend. That's all." Zane shrugs. "It's true!"

"Might be true for you. I got to know the guy before you all went to his realm. I trained with him, nearly every day. We were friends, and sometimes after a few beers when we finished, we'd sit back in that arena and talk."

"Guys don't talk. Pretty sure you told me that too!" I also had trouble picturing the two of them just kicking back after work, drinking beer and talking.

"Well, occasionally it's nice to have the option. I used to talk to Reece. He was one of very few that I felt like I could." His face went blank, and reaching out I gave his hand a squeeze. "Still miss him sometimes. He was the closest thing I had to a family for years. He was a brother to me."

"I know, and I know he felt the same way about you."

"My point is, guys, talk too, and he talked about you, a lot. Reece did too." He raised his eyebrows.

"That was, different." I let him go and sit back in the chair as we stare at each other.

"Again, for you. Not for them," Zane sighed. "So what next?"

"Send everyone in the other realm a poisoned letter with a big old, fuck off, written inside?"

"Might get the message across. If that doesn't work?"

"Maybe get it tattooed across my forehead, so at least if they see me, they get the message that way?" I wonder.

"Maybe start with it printed on a t-shirt."

"That's your problem Zane, you think small," I smirk. "Not ready to fully commit to the cause!"

"Right. That's my problem." He orders a beer as the waitress passes. "Makes you wonder though, doesn't it?"

"You're going to have to be a little more specific."

"The Dark Fae that sent you a letter. Was it poisoned when she sent it or did that happen after?"

"Art thinks after," I pick at some remaining chips on the plate. "I just want to get that fae bitch in prison and end this. It's become way more drama than its' worth."

"What are you going to do about your boyfriend?" He asks, surprising me with the sudden topic change.

"What are you going to do about your girlfriend or lack thereof."

"Well, she isn't pacing back and forth outside."

"How do you know? Do you have a girlfriend Zaney?" I tease, refusing to turn around.

"No, no, no. You know me. I don't do that, stuff." I remember what Portia said at Raya's house and eat another chip, trying not to feel sad for him. "You going to leave him out there?"

"Yeah. Just turn around if it's bothering you."

So he did.

Later that afternoon, I managed to keep avoiding Apollo and ended up laying against Alfie reading my old diary. It wasn't inspiring. Logan this. Reece that. Whine whine whine. Lost brother. More drama.

"You were so small when I first found you, Alfie. I wish you were that size again so you could stay with me." I sigh.

"Alfie likessss it here" He nudges my diary and I show him the polaroid of us. "Home nice. Elisse sstays?"

"No bud. Too much time at home has Dad and me on the warpath and Mum cooking up more treats than a French bakery. Plus, I need some freedom occasionally. I did my time under their roof, with their rules." I close the diary. "Life was so much simpler then. I come back as often as I can, you know I miss you right?"

He nods and plonks his head on my lap. I stroke between his eyes and slowly he drifts off to sleep. I open the diary again. More Logan. Logan. Logan. Something about Alfie. Jordan's still missing, and then I stop.

It seems the more I am trying to fight the urges being a Hunter gives me, the more I can't resist it. Now that I have a moment to think about it staying in the Academy is hard. I want to be back out on the road. Having a purpose has actually made me feel happier than I have in a long time.

"You stupid, stupid girl," I mumbled, throwing the book into the river.

I slip out from under Alfie and move to slide into the water. I watch the leatherbound book bob up and down, disappearing from view as the current pushes it away. Holding my hand out, the surprisingly dry book is in my hands and then gone, as I send it back to the bottom drawer in my bedroom.

Looking at my reflection I am still that stupid girl that doesn't know anything, that is caught up in other peoples games, that fights because she can't resist the pull to battle. My hair is a little longer, darker, straighter. I feel stronger. I lift up my shirt to reveal the scars on my stomach; that girl from the diary didn't have these. She didn't yet have the mark from a vampire's bite on her wrist with Reece's name permanently marked on her skin, not just in a stupid diary she got from her parents on her eighteenth birthday.

Looking at my reflection, I am still me.

I always would be.

Wouldn't I?

"Was it hard for you to not be yourself when you were Logan?" I ask him, sensing him hovering nearby he emerges on the bank opposite me.

"Sometimes." He says, slowly sliding down and into the water until we were within touching distance. "I could have stopped this from happening."

His fingers hesitantly reach out and touch my scar, before I put my shirt down and cross my arms over it.

"Which part? The Warlocks, my death, all the bits that came before and in between?"

"All of it," Apollo sighs as we make eye contact. "We've been over this before."

"I know," I look down as the water keeps moving, unbothered by the pair of us standing in its way. "I still look like the girl I was before. Inside I'm different. You don't look like who you were before, but inside you're the same."

"Not quite. I've changed inside too," he assures me. "Elise, we need to talk about earlier."

"So, talk?"

"Can we maybe get out of the water?" He asks with a shiver.

The cold hit me then. My jeans are soaked up to my knees, yet the wetness rises as more of the fabric soaks up the liquid. I can't feel my feet. A minute later, we're changed, dry, warm and in my bar. Paul isn't here, no one is, which I find a little surprising, but say nothing. We sit on the stage, with Apollo soon standing in front of me as he starts to explain what Artemis had told him before he came to see me with Penny. She was worried about the state of his world. Cain was avoiding her. More and more reports about other lands becoming restless and an uprising seemed likely.

"The fact they are coming here, seeking you out in various ways, if we don't stop them, catch them, or are injured first, you are unprotected, and she wanted to know you are capable of looking after yourself." He explained. "I never got to tell you what they wanted to do, and then they went and did it, slightly different to the original plan which involved you knowing. Learning about powers and using them takes time. We were all born with our, gifts, but yours were given barely six months ago."

"It is what it is. You're all looking out for me, right?"

"Yes. They care about you too. Art is my twin, for all my sister's flaws, she does know how important you are to me and will do what she can for us. You're family."

She is Cain's sister too.

"Well, moving on then." I shrug, clinking my glass with his I then skull the contents and embrace the burn.

I close my eyes, and for a second think back to when the Warlocks were defeated. I had sat here, drinking with Cain as he created his Leo persona. His face had been Darius, just something slightly different about it when he'd come clean, but he also told me, that wasn't his true self.

"Some secrets need to remain hidden," Cain had told me.

"What does Cain really look like?" I ask out loud, opening my eyes to find an almost suspicious looking Apollo. "Is he all, golden, like you and Art?"

"No, he isn't. I only have a vague memory of him as a boy. As soon as he learnt to change his appearance, the one he takes now is all I know." I stare at him, and he continues. "I remember his hair was blacker than anything I'd seen before. It was strange, and his eyes lacked colour. They were just black. It scared me to look at him as they weren't normal eyes. He didn't have our skin, that glow Art and I have. I hated that too because he was more like our mother than we were. He fit in amongst the Others, he belonged there with them, not us."

"That's brutal."

"We were kids. He was different, and we were controlled by our sire. You know most of this too." He shrugged.

"And now?"

"Now what?"

"What do you think of him now?" I ask.

"He still scares me," Apollo admitted. "Many things have changed, but that hasn't."

"Why does he scare you?"

"Elise, what are-"

"Just tell me." I sigh.

"Like everyone else, we were taught by my Sire to fear the King. How I was raised, what we saw and- well, we grew up very differently."

"But Cain isn't Zeus or Cronus," I tell him softly.

"True. But then again, they also didn't have you as an ally with the reputation of being a God Killer. The fact you have been marked as his weakness, with a world of creatures much worse than this one all clawing for your attention, terrifies me." He stands between my legs and looks down at me. "I can't lose you Bunny."

"Funny, I thought the same thing last night."

Our lips touch as there is an awkward cough behind him. We turn to see Artemis standing there, her cheeks red as she gives a little wave.

"Bad time?"

"What do you think?" Apollo growls at her.

"Glad to see things here are all patched up, but ah, any chance I could borrow him, Elise?" She asks hopefully.

"Let me guess, something super secret you can't tell me about, but you'll be back soon?" I huff.

The pair share a look.

"I want him to be there when punishment is served to those who tried to kill him last night. I feel it will send a message, that we are not to be messed with." She growled.

"Should I come?" I offer.

"Maybe she should Art?" Apollo wonders. "That'll send a big message."

"With how things are, I don't think so. They may take it the wrong way."

The girl I used to be wouldn't take this crap.

The girl I am now just can't be bothered.

"Be safe," I whisper in Apollos ear before finishing the kiss she rudely interrupted.

"You too. I'll be right back, why not go hang with Raya?"

I smile as he steps back. "Great idea. But Art, if it turns into two weeks again, I will do more than chop off your ponytail."

She glares at me as they leave and I stand up. Cleaning up our glasses, I stay and chat with Paul for a while yet as night falls, and a message from Ivy comes through my phone, I think about what the old me would have done, and the current me has to agree with her.

We have to go to the party.

________________________

So, I feel like these chapters are kind of important, but also, things are moving a bit slow. They are definitely getting into some action now - hopefully you're enjoying it so far!

I'm also working this to tie into another story(stories) which could look like the below.

Option 1:
The Fallen One: Hunter 4.5 which will be from Cain's POV and all about his new role in the other world

Option 2:
Hunter #5 : TBN - will pick up where this one ends (prob leave it as a cliffy)

OR

Option 3:
Do Cain's novella, and have Eclipse end around the same point, with Book#5 resolving both the stories - in a new story of it's own.

Clearly I am not done with Cain, after a lot of uming and ahing over it. I also have the ending started, but right now feel like it's not going to actually be the end. That could change, things with Elise always do!

What do you think?

Should I finish this series or keep it going for as long as Elise lets me?

Do you want Cain's point of view?

I would love your opinions on this, and also how you feel about Eclipse so far. Some feedback would be awesome!

Thank you!! ER x