Hunter

Chapter 27

        As soon as I saw the door move, I went back to my first pose to appear more casual and confident. I wanted him to feel he did not impress me, that I had the upper hand. Farax Ronchard walked into the room grumbling. He crossed the dark space without noticing me and turned the switch of an old oil lamp and the room filled with light, and it appeared to me as even more shabby than in the dark. When he turned and found me sitting there, relaxed, he jumped and let out a cry of  surprise.

"Ahhhr!"

I felt a smile stretching on my lips despite myself. I was satisfied, I had to admit it.

"Bonjour." I said still smiling because I could not help it.

"How did you go through the barrier?"

He had hurled this sharply, proof he was nervous. He awaited the answer but it never came.

"Leave or I'll call that dear dark mage!"

"Be my guest" I said. "I bet he won't come."

"He already knows for the kid."

I shook my head as I got to my feet. I walked forward.

"Not a chance, he is out of town."

I stopped about six feet from the gnome and discreetly shoved my hand into the purse where I had put away the herbs. With my finger tips, I looked for lavander. When I found it, I whispered a latin incantation, anticipating my adversary's moves.

"Get out of here! You little prick!" I took another step. "I am warning you... One more step and you'll spend the rest of your days in a coma!" I gave him a mischievious look and took another step. "Too bad for you!" He shouted.

With a wide gesture of the arms, he threw a wave of power at me, but the lavander had the wanted effect and what was suppose to throw me backwards only passed through me, moving my clothes and my hair like a gust of wind. In front of me the gnome froze with stupefaction.

"How...?"

I took the piece of lavander out, triumphant. Farax's surprise turned into anger. I had to act now or he was going to teleport and escape once more. I crushed the lanvander in my hand and launched at his throat.

"Petrification!"

The second my hands touched his neck, he was no longer able to move. The spell had worked. While my hands gripped the gnome's neck, his eyes, the only part of his body he coud still move, went back and forth, looking for an escape. I tightened my grip on his neck, I crouched to get to his height. I put my mouth close to his dirty ear.

"Listen to me carefully" I said threatingly. "I know you can still teleport, but not without me. As long as my hands are touching you, you're forced to take me with you. It's stupid, but it's how it works, right? So here is what is going to happen now: either you bring me back home and surrender, or I'll gut you in the minutes to come and bury you in a dark corner of this forest!"

Under my hands, I felt the gnome's skin soften, oozing with sweat. Fear was taking ahold of him, and his eyes kept scanning the room.

"Ah oui! One more thing. No need to tell stories about my son to my colleagues. They already know everything about him and are on my side. Whatever you do, you're stuck!"

I sincerely hoped my bluff about Arthur would work and that he would not even consider talking about it.

"You've got five seconds to teleport us to the agency! One..."

Around his neck, I closed my palms a bit more.

"Two..."

More.

"Three..."

I pressed more and felt his Adam's apple under my fingers.

"Choose! Four!"

I felt pins and needles pass through my body and we disappeared in a cloud of dust.