Hunter

Chapter 34

         Sophie was waiting in one of the break rooms. She was seated on one of the couches of the room and got up when she saw me. She motionned to the door to let me know I should close it.

"What is it?"

"Listen, I'm on your side, Gustave. But if you keep hiding the truth from me, I won't be able to help. Neither you or your son."

"What on earth..."

"Look, I had a vision. He'll come here eventually! You cannot protect your son from this warlock, he is way too powerful! Even if you're really skilled in magic you cannot rival with a warlock of his standing!"

I did not know what to say. I was not expecting this. I refused to involve her. Yet her help would be precious...

"What did you see?" I asked even though the answer scared me.

Sophie waited a bit, probably hoping I would say something which would mark my intention to tell her the truth. She understood I would not add anything and told me what she had seen.

"I saw him, the gnome by his side. They will come here. They will catch up with you in a forest and Arthur will be with you."

"How does it end?"

"I don't know, that's all I saw, I was so scared to see horrible things happen to you that I must have pushed the premonition away."

"You can do that?"

"That is not the question!"

We kept silent. That was bad. As Sophie had told, I was no match for this dark mage and I knew it. Besides, the presence of the gnome proved he was going to escape eventually and reveal Arthur's whereabouts. I searched Sophie's green eyes. Wide opened, they stared at me with arched eyebrows. I could only read fear in them. She was begging me to let her help me.

"Thank you for the warning..."

I spun on my heel to leave the room, but she caught my arm.

"I'm begging you! Talk to me!"

"I'm sorry, but no."

She let go of my arm and I started for the door, but it opened suddenly.

"So it's true, you're back! I wanted to see it for myself."

Henri stood on the doorstep. I felt Sophie tensing up behind me. He scared her.

"You really scared us! We were so worried!"

I felt anger grow in me, he would do better not to look for trouble for too long.

"Don't mess with me, I very well know you'd rather I stayed away."

"Come on, Gustave! Arthur was worried sick! We all were."

He was staring at me in the eye and dared mocking me. When he mentionned Arthur I clenched my fists: he needed to stop. Sophie probably felt I was at the end of my tether for she slowly grabbed my elbow to force me to look at her. She shook her head to tell me to let it go.

"By the way, it was Gaspard who told me you two were here! In fact, he seemed a bit jealous... It looks like he is right to be."

"Shut your big mouth before I lose my temper."

I needed some air and right away. Frowning and fists still clenched, I tried to go round the big idiot I had for a colleague, but he laid his hand on my chest to stop me.

"Now now, what's wrong?"

This time, he had gone over the limit. I violently knocked his arm down and punched him in the face. Henri staggered backwards because of the shock, grabbed his face with both hands before falling down on his rear in the next room.