Chapter 267 Lies
"Precisely. I have a job to do, and he's making it hard," Blair spat, looking as upset as she sounded.
"What job? Why did you try to hurt me?" Melina asked.
"Hurt you? I tried to kill you! Twice," Blair scoffed as she crossed her arms over her chest. "I sent you to the cafeteria to get yourself torn apart, and you had to take the long way."
Melina's eyes widened in shock. That had been a trap that she narrowly missed. She felt her chest grow tight, making her breathing feel difficult. She didn't understand why her friend was trying to kill her.
"Why are you doing this?" she asked, trying to keep her voice from shaking too much.
"I want all the power in the world. There's a force coming, a new ruler. He's going to make this world unlike anything we've ever seen, but that means eliminating challengers," Blair replied.
Melina cried out as her head ached sharply, flashes of her dream being tied up entering her mind. She remembered the voice that spoke to her, that made her feel cold all the way to her soul. She had to be talking about the person who the voice belonged to.
"What do you mean by challengers?" Melina asked as she rubbed her head, trying to get the ache to go away.
"People who will try to stop him. Powerful, special people," Blair said before rolling her eyes. "I didn't think you were that special, but the boss told me to come here and scope you out.
Our friendship made me want to tear my eyes out, but at least I have permission to get rid of you now."
Melina swallowed hard, her body tensing as Blair took another step toward her. She never thought that it would come down to her fighting for her life against who she thought was her friend, but she had to save herself. She didn't want to die.
"Stay away from her!" Tyler's voice exploded across the clearing.
Melina turned to see him stepping out from the tree line to her left. She felt relief wash over her at the sight of him. Maybe she wouldn't die today after all.
"I knew you'd show up eventually, pretty boy," Blair smirked as she tilted her head at Tyler. "I was just about to kill your girlfriend."
"You'll keep your hands off her," Tyler snapped as he took a step toward her. "This is between you and me."
"Not really. I'm not dealing with the bodyguard when I have a shot at the true prize," Blair said as she motioned to Melina.
A confused look filled Melina's face as she looked between them.
Blair started to laugh loudly, shaking her head.
"Oh! Tyler, did you not tell her the truth about why you're here?" she asked him. "I told her my secret, so it's only fair that you tell her yours."
Melina looked over at Tyler, fear jarring her heart. She didn't know if she could handle another awful secret, but she knew that she couldn't be left in the dark. She had to know who she was up against and who she could trust.
Tyler glared at Blair before looking over at Melina.
"Your parents sent me here to protect you," he told her.
"My dad?" Melina asked him, wondering why he said parents instead of parent.
Tyler paused before shaking his head.
"Your real parents. They had Benjamin raise you," he revealed to her.
Melina felt the ground beneath her tilt slightly, making her feel lightheaded. She couldn't believe what she was hearing right now. It was impossible.
She had seen pictures of a woman who was supposed to be her dead mother. Benjamin had always acted like a father to her. Tyler's words couldn't be real.
"That's... no. That's impossible," she breathed out, feeling overwhelmed and alone. Tyler only approached her because he had been asked to. Was their entire relationship fake or part of his job? The thought made her sick to her stomach.
"Oh, it's real, alright. He hasn't told you everything, but you'll be dead soon. So, it won't matter," Blair said before stepping toward Melina.
Tyler immediately moved to block Blair from moving any closer.
"If you touch her, I'll rip your head off," he growled at her, giving her one final warning.
"Back off, fangs," Blair smirked before waving her hand, sending Tyler flying into a nearby bush. She then ran toward Melina, a devious look in her eyes.
Melina felt frozen in place. She knew that she needed to move, but she was weighed down by her shock. She watched Blair approach, her heartbeat thumping in her head. It seemed like she was going to die today.
Right before Blair reached her, Tyler slammed into Blair's side, tackling her to the ground with a shout. He pinned her down to the ground, batting her hands away as she tried to claw at his face.
Melina watched with wide eyes, wanting to help but still being unable to move. Was Tyler truly on her side?
She didn't even know what to think anymore. She needed to get away from the noise, the confusion, but she also needed all of the answers. That was the only way that she would feel somewhat sane after all of this.
Blair drove her knee into Tyler's stomach, knocking the breath from him. She then scratched his cheek, dragging her blood red nails across his skin and leaving a burning mark on his face.
As Tyler grimaced and flinched from the pain, she threw him off, limping slightly from Tyler's harsh tackle. She looked over at Melina with a coy smile.
"See you soon," she said before taking off into the forest.
Tyler pressed his hand against his face, writhing on the ground for a few minutes until the pain subsided. He breathed in and out shakily through his nose, cursing evil witches under his breath.
He then remembered Melina and looked up to tell her that he would explain everything, but she was gone.
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