QUEEN OF DARKNESS | HENRY MILLS [3]

VIII. she's my hero

Chapter Status: Edited.

Ryder throws Anna across the room and she lands with a loud thud against the wall, being held there by his magic. Nic shouts in protest, standing up to save the girl he still dearly loves, but is instead pushed away with a simple hand movement. Ryder laughs wickedly as Anna struggles for air.

"Ah, you have no idea how much I've wanted to do this, frankly just messing with people gets boring fast. Murder on the other hand, that never gets old," he laughs.

He makes the space between his thumb and his fingers smaller, tightening the invisible grip around Anna's neck. She gasps, trying to speak, but she cannot form any words.

"Let her breathe! Please!" Nic begs, his forehead bleeding from where he had collided with the stone wall.

Ryder rolls his eyes and completely unclenches his hand, making Anna fall to the floor, taking in heavy breaths.

"Now speak, for if this is all just a waste of time I will kill your little boyfriend over there first and make you watch," he spits.

Anna gulps, she had never met someone so sinister, so evil, and although the chances of her words helping him are slim, she has to try. For Tahlia's sake.

"You don't have to do this, we can help you," she pleads, and again, Ryder rolls his eyes. He lifts his hand up to choke her again but she is quick to speak, "please, just listen to me," she begs.

He lowers his hand and nods his head, signalling her to continue, an irritated look on his face.

"Murder is not the answer to all of this, we can help you be good. Your destiny said you'd be evil, not that you'd be evil forever," she tries to talk some sense into him, but instead, he just scoffs.

"You know nothing of being evil, of what caused me to be evil," he spits.

Nic then stands up shakily and speaks, "your father, he was evil, he deserved what he got, but me, Anna, Tahlia, and everyone else in this town, we don't deserve this. And you didn't deserve what happened to you."

For a moment, he thinks he sees weakness in Ryder's eyes, a flicker of hope, but it disappears within milliseconds. Although Nic knows it is most likely his blurred imagination, he chooses to cling onto the hope that maybe everything will be okay.

"You two, this whole town, you're all filled with hope, but me? I'm far from kind, my hope was drained from me more than 20 years ago. My parents put me through this, and it is them that will receive the punishment."

Suddenly, Anna is back in the air.

"And because this was all a waste of time, you will also receive your punishment," he laughs manically and turns to face Nic.

Somehow, Anna Nic are forced against the wall, a knife appearing in Ryder's hand. His breath smells of rotten eggs, but that is the least of Nic's worries. He closes his eyes, trying not to pay attention to Anna's screams and hoping the pain will be quick. But seconds later, Ryder's yell snaps Nic out of his thoughts.

Before him, Tahlia and Sandy stand there, Sandy helping a collapsed Anna to her feet, and Tahlia standing with her back to him. Anger boils in her eyes as she looks at Ryder, who is now on the floor, rubbing his head, her teeth gritted.

"No one hurts my friends," she growls.

Her eyes almost seem black in her moment of anger. Ryder laughs and waves his hand, Tahlia flies backwards and lands right next to Nic. Nic quickly looks at her, asking her if she is okay, but she does not pay attention to him. And when he sees what she is staring at, he understands why. Anna is unconscious on the other side of the room, her head hanging down, blood where her head hit the wall.