Bumps In The Road / Paul Lahote

22. Breaking the Spell

Chapter 22

Looks like we have a winner. Well done.

Without speaking, I pass the phone to Ryder, who takes it silently and frowned. My heart drops with each word and my mind reels through very moment I spent with him, trying to figure out if there had been any tells that I'd missed. 

"Show yourself!" Ryder exclaimed, his head tilting back to scan the treetops. I follow his actions and search the high branches, expecting to see a figure of some kind. Behind us, we hear a soft thud and turned quickly. An involuntary gasp left my lips as I face the familiar face.

"This cannot be happening" I hissed, feeling the utter shock shoot into my stomach and bile to rise in the back of my throat. The thought that I shared some intimate moments with a warlock definitely had my digestive system working in reverse. I turned away, feeling my stomach attempt to empty its contents, however nothing happened. 

"Now, now, it wasn't so bad" Ryan's rough voice teased. I moved back beside Ryder, aiming to put on a stronger front in front of him. 

"Why didn't you kill me earlier? You had so many opportunities and then you willingly left? This makes no sense!" 

"Well, I had to play the game and then I found myself...enjoying the game. And to answer your other question, I wasn't ordered to kill you." I narrowed my eyes in suspicion. 

"Then what was the purpose of all the relationship? Is your family even real?" I wondered, my brain realising that he had parents back in Australia that were interacting with my mother and while we weren't exactly getting along, I would be devastated to discover that she'd been hurt in the crossfire. 

"I just needed to get close...and I was asked to check up on something else." He shrugged, speaking vaguely. 

"And what's that?" Ryder asked angrily.

"I can't tell you, tracker" Ryan spat. Ryder most certainly didn't appreciate the tone. 

"Then tell me." I grasped Ryder's bicep, stopping him from making any advancements. 

"Can't tell you either. But you weren't the only target, that's for sure. Boss was worried about something else..." All this taunting was slowly frustrating me. 

"Do you mean the Huntress?" Ryder asked. Ryan smirked.