Hunter

Chapter 26

        The clock said 10h30 pm. I had been waiting for the gnome for about twenty four hours. The longer time went by, the more I feared the mage had come back and that the gnome had already told him everything. However, when the next morning finally came, the door opened creaking and Farax Ronchard appeared grumbling inaudible words.

** Sophie had left for work the next morning.

"Don't worry, I'll be there only until noon. Today we're only editing our report on fairies' disappearance. So I won't be long. If you need anything, help yourself!" She had said before closing the door behind her.

Agate was still sleeping tight, so was Ul. So I had closed the door behind me when I had got up in the morning.

Once in the living room, I dropped in an armchair. I needed calm to think.

"So we have until noon, haven't we?"

Startled I jumped back to my feet. The voice I had heard in my back was way to familiar. Henri was standing there, casually leaning on the wall, his eyes scanning the room as if he belonged here, then, they locked on me. I held my breath and stepped back until I find the wall.

"Surprised to see me here?" His eyes left me for a second to designate the opened window. What a scumbag. "You know... I warned you I would lay my hands on you one way or the other..." He paused, then he continued his speech taking two steps towards me. "Your daddy isn't here. And that dear Sophie is gone. Oh! She's been smart on that one. Proposing to take you in... you, your sister and that bloody mutt."

He had pronounced those last words with disgust, he had almost spat them out. When I heard them, I thought of the door of the bedroom I had closed. I both praised and cursed myself. On one hand, Agate would not hear a thing, on the other hand, Ulysses would not either, yet, I would have loved very much to have him by my side. I was stuck.

"Oui, she got me on that one! Well, enough chit-chat!" He took one of his hands out his pocket, unveiling a little knife. "You're going to sit down here nicely and tell me what your father strains to hide about you."

I was thinking. How was I to get out of this mess? The easiest way would have been to run away, but I feared Agate and Ul would serve as perfect hostages. Going upstairs to get them and then come back down would be too long. Henri was chubby, and probably slower than I was, but not that slow. Besides, there was the knife.

"Get off that wall, wuss! We've only until noon."

I pretended to obey. I had only two options: first, nick Henri's knife, which seemed rather complicated, or, I could run through the hallway and rush upstairs, block off the door of the bedroom with the furniture there.

With no haste, and pulling a terrorised face, I took a step. Then, all of a sudden, I rushed in the hallway. Behind me, Henri swore and started to yell at me as he chased me. I ran so fast that I hit the wall in the turn before the staircase, I was about to set foot on the first step when my assailant's iron grasp pulled me backwards. I staggered. It was the necessary second for Henri to bump my head in the wall. The room reeled and I felt the floor get close at high speed.

Everything became silent and dark.

**