Chapter 1
Hybrid's Secret: Protecting the Crowned Enemy
✴⋆⋄⋆✴
"Cater!"
Jane's voice ripped through the courtyard, sharp with anger and fear. She sprinted toward him, boots splashing through puddles left by the rain. Her wet hair clung to her face, but she didn't stop, throwing herself in front of him and blocking his path just as he reached the door.
"What do you think you're doing?" she demanded, her voice trembling but strong. Her eyes flicked to the sword at his side, then back to his face, blazing with fury.
Cater's fingers tightened around the hilt, but his expression remained calm. "I'm going to save Alric."
Jane shoved him back, surprising him with her strength. "Are you insane? Let him die, Cater! Let all of them die! After everything his family has done—after everything they've stolen from us—you still want to save him? Why?"
He froze, her words hitting like a punch. For a moment, the storm filled the silence between them, rain pounding against stone, thunder growling low in the distance.
"I know what you're feeling, Jane," he said finally, his voice steady but soft. "I know what they've done to us. But if I don't do this, everyone in that hall will die. Innocent people. Children. Servants, just like us. I can't let that happen."
Her lips trembled, and she clenched her fists at her sides. "The only one who's going to regret this is you, Cater. You're too kind—too weak." Her voice cracked, her anger breaking apart to reveal the pain underneath. "I've stood by you all this time. I've pretended to be human. I've hidden who I am. All for that damn prophecy. And what has it brought us? Pain. Loss. Nothing."
Her breathing hitched, and she stepped back, her shoulders trembling. "I can't do this anymore. I won't."
She turned to leave, but Cater's voice stopped her cold.
"I know you loved him."
Jane froze mid-step. Slowly, she turned back, her eyes narrowing to slits. "What did you just say?"
"I know you loved him," Cater said, his voice quiet but certain. He took a step closer, his grip on the sword loosening. "Eric. I saw how happy he made you. I saw the way you looked at him, Jane. And I know it broke you when King Arthur took him from you."
Jane's breath caught. Her jaw tightened, and tears began to spill down her cheeks, though her hands stayed clenched into fists. "Yes," she whispered, her voice trembling with rage and grief. "I loved him. He was my everything. We were going to get married. We had plans. A future." Her voice cracked, and she looked away, shaking with emotion. "And then they took him from me."
Rain poured down harder, running in rivulets down her face and soaking through her clothes. She swiped at her cheeks, though the tears wouldn't stop. "He's gone, Cater. He's gone, and nothing I do will ever bring him back."
She dissolved into sobs, burying her face in her hands.
Without hesitation, Cater stepped forward, pulling her into his arms. She resisted at first, but then crumpled against him, her body shaking as the storm raged on around them.
"I'm sorry, Jane," he murmured, his voice raw with emotion. "Eric didn't deserve what happened. None of us did."
She shoved him back suddenly, anger flaring again in her eyes. "Then why?" she snapped, her voice breaking. "Why do you care what happens to them? Why protect people who would let someone like him die?"
Cater met her gaze, his tone calm but resolute. "Because if we let them die, we're no better than Arthur." He paused, searching her face. "And you know it. I don't want to lose myself to hate. And I don't think you do either."
Jane's breath hitched, and for a moment, she looked like she might argue. But then her shoulders sagged, and she let out a shaky breath. She swiped at her eyes again, clearing away the tears.
"Fine," she whispered. "Tell me what to do."
❊╰⊹╮❊
The courtyard loomed silent and dark as Cater moved cautiously toward the towering palace doors. His sword was unsheathed, the rain dripping from its edge as his eyes scanned the shadows for movement.
All around him, the guards stood slumped against the walls, their weapons scattered on the ground. Their breathing was slow and even, their bodies completely still.
"She did it," Cater muttered under his breath. Jane's spell had worked, plunging them into a deep, dreamless sleep.
He allowed himself a brief moment of relief and was about to sheath his sword when something sharp and electric slammed into his back. Pain exploded in his chest, and he hit the ground hard, his vision blurring as the breath was knocked out of him.
Gritting his teeth, Cater forced himself to his knees, one hand gripping his sword as he struggled to stand. His legs wobbled, but he managed to steady himself just as a figure stepped out of the shadows.
"Well, well," the man drawled, his voice smooth and mocking. "If it isn't Cater, the ever-loyal servant of Prince Alric."
Cater's stomach dropped. "Zuko," he hissed.
The man smiled, electricity crackling at his fingertips, casting eerie shadows across his sharp features. His glowing eyes shone like embers in the dark, burning with an unholy light.
"You look surprised," Zuko said, tilting his head. "Did you really think the Underworld could hold me forever? Death itself can't keep me trapped. I am the strongest being alive, Cater."
Cater tightened his grip on the hilt of his sword, his mind racing. "How did you escape?"
Zuko chuckled, taking a slow step forward, his boots splashing in the puddles. "The better question is why you're still playing servant to these humans. They'll never accept you, Cater. You're not one of them. You never will be."
He stopped a few feet away, his expression hardening. "Join me. Together, we could burn this kingdom to the ground and take what's rightfully ours. You know it's only a matter of time before your secret gets out."
Cater's jaw tightened. "Over my dead body."
Zuko smirked, his fingers curling into a fist as the air around him grew heavy with dark energy. The storm above rumbled, lightning flashing across the sky.
"That can be arranged," Zuko said softly.
Before Cater could respond, Zuko lunged, his body shrouded in crackling electricity as he surged forward. Cater braced himself, his sword raised, every muscle in his body coiled as he waited for the perfect moment to strike...
---