Chapter 172 By Whatever Means

Chapter 172 By Whatever Means
\[Raelyn’s POV\]
My eyes widen as I stare at Ray’s mother and the goons that she has brought with her. It is clear from the looks on their faces and the way they are standing that they don’t intend on letting any of us leave.
Well, think I silently, I guess it is about time that I show off my abilities.
Since we came this far, there was no way in hell I was going to continue to let her take advantage of me, but before I can even make a move, Jean’s mother appears.
‘Shit,’ Talula hisses, voicing my very own feelings. ‘She’s prepared thoroughly.’
‘You don’t say,’ I respond, wondering what she was going to do.
If she brought Jean’s mother it was clear that she was going to use magic to get whatever she wanted. Since kidnapping me she was making it clear that she would use any means to achieve greatness.
“What’s the plan?” I murmur, turning my gaze to Ray. “Are we just going to let her do what she wants?”
“Jean, honey,” the woman in question calls, causing me to freeze. “I think that you have a bit of explaining to do.”
For a moment, Jean doesn’t speak as she stares at her mother who is all but cowering.
“I watched you wipe that bitch’s memories, so why…”
“Because I told her to give them back.” Ray responds before Jean. “If you want to punish anyone for going behind your back, punish me.”
“You,” his mother responds, frowning. “Do you truly expect me to believe that you did this of your free will? What do you take me for?”
An idiot. I think, but I keep my mouth shut since I know mocking her and taking digs at her wasn’t the best of ideas currently.
“You don’t have to try to cover for this woman.” She continues, holding out a hand to Ray. “I’m sure that they did something to make you go along with things, so you should just…”
“No,” Ray growls. “No one made me do anything. Don’t you think you’ve gone a bit too far this time?”
Growing quiet, he waits while his mother considers what he is saying and when she lets out a laugh I know that she doesn’t think such a thing.
Not surprising.
I was used to people like her. I knew how they thought and I knew how they acted. To them, they were the ones who were always in the right and everyone else was in the wrong.
You couldn’t reason with people like them, because it wouldn’t do a damn thing.
“Don’t you feel the slightest bit of remorse toward your son?” I demand, unable to ignore the anger that is slowly growing in me. “You’ve done nothing but run his name through the mud with your despicable deeds.”
“Hey,” Ray’s mother snaps, turning to Jean’s. “Could you do something to keep this woman’s mouth shut? I’m currently have a discussion with my son.”
Nodding, Jean’s mother lifts a hand and then I feel like a hand is wrapping around my throat.
Gasping, I start to claw at it while Jean attempts to move but stops like something is holding her back.
“Mom! ” She gasps, turning her gaze to the woman who looks emotionless. “Why are you going along with what she wants?”
Jean’s voice is desperate, pleading, and filled with sorrow as she speaks and honestly I find myself wondering the same exact thing as her.
Why was her mother going along with what Ray’s wanted? With her power she was more than capable of going against her and easily winning.
We are missing something here. I find myself realizing. Something important that will help us understand better what is happening.
‘Is that really something you should be considering?’ Talula hisses as the invisible hand around my throat tightens. ‘We’re going to end up dying if something isn’t done.’
‘You think I don’t know that?’ I snap. ‘I’m aware that that is a real possibility.’
How could I not be aware when my ears were starting to ring and black dots were dancing in front of my eyes? But at this point, it didn’t look like anything would be done to help me.
I’m going to die here.
That single thought slams into me and it makes me feel so fucking helpless because there’s was nothing I could do to stop it from happening.
No.
I couldn’t let myself die here. I promised Osiris that I would be okay and…
The rest of my thought trails off as a commotion erupts from the hall.
It causes Ray’s mother and her goons to freeze and then move to see what is happening, and when I hear a howl, I know that help is arriving.
Osiris.
Even from here I could feel his essence and his strong desire to protect me, but even then I find myself fearing that something could happen.
Jean. I gasp inwardly, turning my gaze to the woman.
SNow was the time for her to try something while the others were distracted, but to my shock she isn’t moving.
“You…” I hiss, finding my voice. “You have to get her away.”
For a moment, Jean just stares at me, her gaze and face devoid of any emotion as I’m certain she feels the weight of defeat, but when I nod toward her mother she nods at me.
“You’ve…got…this,” I gasp as my head starts spinning. “It is up to you now.”
“Not only her,” Ray counters, moving toward the commotion in the hall. “I’ll do everything I can to stop this once and for all as well.”
Nodding, I watch the two move forward and then I feel myself collapsing, slamming to the ground on my knees as I fight to stay conscious.
Fuck. This couldn't be happening. I couldn't just let myself seriously die here because of my own choices, but what else was there to do?
I didn't have any magical abilities, so there was no way that I could remove the magic that was choking me. Only Jean could do that and I didn't quite know how long it would take for her to do such a thing either.
I've got to have faith. I think, slumping forward. I've got to have faith in those who are surrounding me.
It was a foreign concept to me even if I kept saying that I was going to start doing such a thing, but now, I was going to have to practice what I preached.