Fifty three

RYLAND POV.

"I'm going to pick my sister up. She already got her part done in this whole mess. I'm sure Dearil is already in pain at the moment, so you can get ready to take the next step. Make sure you get that potion into Dearil before nightfall," I said avoiding her gaze as I put on my leather jacket. I hesitated a bit before I walked towards the door.

"I am sorry for earlier" her voice reached me quietly, and I struggled not to turn to face her. "I just freaked out all of a sudden because of everything that has been going on so far. I was losing my mind a bit. I didn't mean to hurt you, Ryland".

My hand tightened on the door knob. "You didn't hurt me. It was just as you said anyway, I only want one thing from you and that is sex. Did you think that I was fucking in love with you or what"I got out, my intention to hurt her clear as day in the tone of voice I used, but she just stared at me with an unfazed expression on her face?

"I am a witch, Ryland, and that title entails that I know a lot of things, even things you would not think is so important. Do not lie to my face and undermine the true extent of my powers. I can sense some of your feelings, even though you try so much to hide them. I can feel it, Ryland..."

I turned to face her, hating the fact that even my thought and my feelings was not mine to keep. "Don't fucking mess with me. Do not fucking look into my head like you have any right to. As I promised, I will help you achieve your revenge and after that, we both part ways, just as we agreed from the beginning".

"I know that. I just wanted to apologize, I know I hurt you because you've somehow developed feelings for me..."

I clenched my teeth, her words making my chest burn. "I do not need your apology, Skye. You see, the thing with people like Jade and me is that we know how to bounce back from our foolish emotions. Love is a fucking weakness that we cannot afford to indulge in Skye, so I already quenched that aspect of myself. I feel nothing for you now," I gritted out, even though my heart was saying something completely different. It was horrible what being in close proximity to a certain person could do to the human mind after a while.

It was as if breathing without her would be hard to do, yet it shouldn't have been. I wasn't in love with her... It wasn't fucking love. I turned to go when she grabbed me tightly by my arms.

"Do not leave. I have a bad feeling about you going to meet up with Lexis. There's just something that does not feel right".

"Come on Skye, you really do not expect me to just abandon Lexis, not after her sacrifice. Jade is going to kill her once she realizes what Lexis did. Jade is not stupid. She is going to figure shit out before nightfall".

"She would be too weak to do anything by then. You don't have to worry about Lexis. Just stay here with me".

"Stop fucking saying shit like that!" I yelled, losing my head for a second because of all the mixed signals she kept sending my way. "I have to go get Lexis, so do not try to stop me, also we both know that you don't really want me to stay, you just derive a sick sort of pleasure from making me lose my fucking mind trying to figure you out. I do not need all that type of bullshit in my life, got it".

"That was never my intention. I am serious Ryland. I do not feel good about the situation. I feel like your sister is going to betray you, that is if she hasn't already".

"Well, I do not remember asking for your opinion. And in case you forgot, you need to go find Dearil or all our plans so far are for nothing" I paused, then stepped closer to her.

"Or are you so worried for my safety that you will stay by my side and forget all about making Dearil pay for his sins? Can you do that huh" I asked staring into her eyes, something in my chest hoping that she would say yes? Her hold on my arm loosened before her gaze slipped from mine to the floor.

I shouldn't have expected shit. "That is what I fucking thought" I got out, then stormed out of the house.

Once I entered my car, I couldn't help but scream out in frustration. Damn her. Damn Skye for making me want things that I knew I shouldn't want, for making me crave for what I could never have.

Well, it didn't matter, I was more closer to my throne than I had ever been, and nothing was going to stop me.

I pulled out my gun and checked the bullet chamber before concealing it under my shirt. If Lexis had betrayed her. I will kill both her and Jade. All I needed was two shots. I did not care that she was a supernatural being since I'd already coated the bullet with wolfbane. All I needed was just a shot and then Jade Alvarez will be out of the picture.

I knew Skye wanted to wait, and draw out Dearil's suffering, but I was done with that shit. I wanted Jade dead, and I would not wait for a second more.

Getting to the spot where I'd met Lexis the last time took approximately one hour, so I was surprised not to see her there already waiting for me.

Did she decide to stay behind because of Hayden? Jade's fucking boy toy! I had always planned to kill him, and that hasn't changed. I didn't even give a rat's ass that Lexis was in love with him.

Lexis will not be taking Jade's leftovers, not while I was still in the picture.

I got out of the car, my eyes surveying the vicinity for any sign of movement. I pulled out my phone from my pocket and dialed her number.

It rang once, twice, and she answered.

"Where the hell are you? You better have a fucking explanation for this, or better yet tell me you are on your way because I won't wait around for you, I'm giving you approximately 30 minutes Lexis, and so help me God, if you don't show up, then that is it. I'm going to leave you behind," I yelled, then waited for her reply. The other end was quiet, and my hair stood on end eerily as the silence stretched. A low chuckle reached my ear, and without even hearing her voice, I already had an intuition of who it was, even tho my brain refused to believe it.

"Hello to you too Ryland" Jade's voice came through the receiver and I jerked in shock, pulled the phone away from my ear, and stared at the number, before replying.

"Why the fuck do you have Lexis' phone?" I asked, the question sounding dumb even in my ears, but the fire in my chest that shimmered and suffocated was not making me think very clearly.

Her voice sounded calm and in control when she spoke, and the goosebumps that trailed my skin made me wary of her. How powerful was she really? "That question doesn't deserve an answer Rylan. I'm sure you are well aware of what I do to traitors".

Those words, the implications they had made me want to scream. The anger that burned through my chest sought desperately for an outlet. I wanted to gouge out her eyes, rip her in pieces and if I was feeling pretty psychotic, feed on her flesh! "Well, you will be joining her in the land of the dead soon enough" I got out, my whole body trembling.

Jade laughed, the sound of her voice grating on my frail nerve. "Why do you think that Ryland? Perhaps you think I already drank the poison you told her to put in my drink? It's becoming a modus operandi at this point isn't it, Ryland"

Didn't she drink it? Lexis confirmed that she did, or was all that my little sister told me fucking lies.

My jaw clenched. "I won't deny that it was all my plan. Are you feeling the impact of it yet Jade Alvarez".

Jade chuckled once again. "That is the right spirit, Ryland. I would have been very disappointed if you choose to lie like the little bitch I know you to be. A piece of advice though, next time you want to plot something so exciting, especially after hiding away from me for such a long time, you should work extra hard on masking that verminous scent of yours. Lexis reeked so much of you, it didn't take me a day to figure out that she had met with you"

My hand squeezed around my device. I wanted to fucking strangle her. Everything was ruined. I should have known it was going to turn out this way. I'd underestimated her just as she had done in the past. I'd only worried about her sensing the poison when I should have worried about her sensing me. She was supposed to be half-animal after all.

"What are you going to do?" I asked looking around as I pulled out my gun. The hairs at the back of my neck stood at attention. I could feel her, just lurking around even though I could not see her anywhere. "Are you going to try to kill me? Show yourself and let us finish this. I am not afraid of you" I got out bravely even though my heart was skipping beats inside my chest.

"All that bravado is truly admirable, but Is that fear I smell?" she taunted and the call ended, making me jerk once more. I looked around frantically, my gun aimed in front of me in every direction I turned.

I didn't see the punch or Jade until her fist connected with my jaw. Pain exploded all over my face and I crumbled to the floor, the gun went off and fired sporadically before skidding away from my grasp. Before I could get my bearing, I was hauled to my feet almost effortlessly. The sheer amount of power in her grip had my blood supply getting cut off, and a sharp bite of pain caused me to cry out.

We were soon both face to face, and she didn't look as if the whole rough handling had taken a sweat off her brow. She looked more manic than I remembered her to be, and the evil glint in her eyes was so glaringly clear that I was sure she got off torturing and killing all her enemies.

"We meet again step brother, too bad we won't have much time to reminisce about what happened in Etral forest," she said as her hand encircled my throat. My eyes widened in panic as I stared at her, the thought that this was going to be my last moment on earth crashing into my head like a hurricane. I never thought I would die like this. I thought I would at least be able to put up a fight.

"Any last words," she asked, as her gaze raked over me. I knew what she was deliberating just by staring into her eyes. It was either she gave me an easy death or she dragged out my suffering by torturing me until I wished for death.

"You already took everything from me, so do not hesitate in taking my life too, or have you suddenly grown soft after falling in love with that animal".

Her brows furrowed, then her fingers dug into my windpipe. I choked, the pain saturating my system. For a moment I thought I was going to pass out. The scent of copper filled my nose as my blood dripped down her hand from the skin she'd broken.

"I think granting you an easy death would be too merciful for the crimes you committed against me. You see, you made me waste a lot of resources looking for you and that witch girl. Now that I have you, I am going to make you pay for it all, but first, you will tell me about your plans, and maybe I might go easy on you" she grinned, the pressure on my neck reducing.

I coughed, my chest heaving as I struggled to get a little oxygen into my lungs. I glared at her, my fist clenching by my side.

"I will never tell you anything Jade. And even though you kill me, I am going to watch you suffer from the very pits of hell".

"At least you already know where you are going, but as for keeping your mouth shut" she smiled, her irises changing color. "You are going to tell me everything the witch girl is plotting, everything to the very last detail" she ordered, and try as I might to keep my mouth shut, I found my mouth moving and spewing everything I knew.

Jade was going to kill Skye and it would be all my fault.