Hunt Athalar
OVERVIEW:
Hunt Athalar, also known as the Umbra Mortis and Hunt "Am I Cleared For Sex" Athalar, is a fallen angel who has been enslaved by the Asteri, currently being forced to serve as Governor Micah Domitus' personal assassin. He is 231 at the start of House of Earth and Blood, and he is described as having tan skin, shoulder-length black hair, angular dark eyes, dark gray wings, and a crown of thorns tattooed across his forehead like a halo.
When House of Earth and Blood begins, Hunt is part of the 33rd Imperial Legion, which is a group of malakim who serve directly under Micah. Hunt is also part of Micah's triarii, which is essentially Micah's personal guard.
During the rebellion against the Asteri, Hunt served as the commander for the rebellion’s leader, the Archangel Shahar. He and Shahar were lovers until Shahar was killed by her sister, Sandriel. Upon the failure of the rebellion, Hunt was enslaved and placed under Sandriel’s authority, where he was relentlessly tortured by her and her henchmen. He was only permitted to live because he is the only angel alive with the power of lightning and is considered too valuable to kill. He was sent to Lunathion seven years prior to the events of book one to serve under Micah after Micah bought him. Hunt, like all Fallen angels, has a tattoo referred to as a “halo” across his forehead that dampens his powers and prevents him from rebelling.
SPOILERS AHEAD:
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In part one, Hunt is at the Comitium during Bryce Quinlan's interrogation. When Sabine Fendyr barges in, he tries to protect Bryce from Sabine's wrath by convincing the other legionaries that Bryce is unable to talk due to shock.
Two years later, Hunt is assigned by Micah to protect Bryce while they investigate the murder of Maximus Tertian together. At first, Hunt assumes Bryce is a shallow party girl, but he soon discovers that Bryce uses this assumption to her advantage as she maneuvers and outwits people. The two become close friends over the course of the book, bonding over their mutual grief from losing loved ones.
When Amelie Ravenscroft, Sabine Fendyr’s second, insults Bryce, Hunt finds and threatens Amelie, breaking the rules of his enslavement. He is then punished by having his wings cut off.
When Hunt discovers what synth can do, he, Viktoria, and Justinian plan to obtain some to use to bolster their powers and free themselves to rebel again. The Viper Queen betrays them and Micah catches them during the deal. Unbeknownst to Hunt, Bryce had followed him to his meeting with the Viper Queen. Bryce is extremely upset when she finds out that Hunt had tried to buy synth, and their relationship suffers.
Now enslaved by Sandriel as punishment, Hunt attends the Summit, during which he is forced to watch Bryce’s confrontation with Micah. Hypaxia, the Witch-Queen, removes Hunt’s halo so he is able to kill Sandriel and make it back to Lunathion just in time to shield Bryce from a brimstone bomb. He nearly dies as a result, but the firstlight from Bryce’s Drop heals him. He helps bring Bryce back to life as she makes the Ascent.
At the end of the novel, Rigelus, the head of the Asteri, reveals to Bryce and Hunt that Hunt has been freed from enslavement as a “gift” and orders Bryce and Hunt to lie low.