Chapter 12 The Breaking Point
"Did you truly believe you could manage me?"
Ryder's voice was calm, but there was a lot of anger in the air around him. The cords that had formerly held him down were now broken and scattered around him like broken promises. His dark, fiery eyes never left Sienna. Sienna stood still, her heart racing because of the weight of his gaze. She had knew this day would come and that Ryder would not stay in a cage forever. But seeing him now, standing free in the middle of the council hall, was a whole different story. He was not the same man she had known before. She could feel the monster inside him waking up, thick and strong, pressing against the weak confines of the chamber.
"I didn't try to control you," she murmured, her voice low and steady, but inside she was anything but calm."I was attempting to keep you safe." Ryder let out a laugh."Keep me safe? You thought you could keep them from getting to me? His hand pointed to the Council members, who were still sitting there, shocked into silence by what had happened. "You need protection, Sienna, and you don't even know it." Sienna's remarks hurt her, but she didn't let it show.
"I know what I'm doing," she said, trying to calm her shaking hands. "I have a plan." "What's your plan?" Ryder's smile was cruel and twisted. "You're playing their game without even knowing it."You're in a different cage than I am, but you're still a prisoner. The room got quiet again as everyone took in what he had said. The Council, who had been so convinced they were in charge of Sienna, suddenly seemed unsure of what had just happened. Sienna couldn't stop looking at Ryder, who was no longer the friend she thought he was. You could feel his might, but it was now mixed with something sinister.He had gotten away, but what was he really?
"You think I haven't seen what's been going on behind my back?" Ryder's voice got lower, like a whisper of a storm, and it sounded dangerous. "Do you think you're the only one who plays this game?" Sienna's stomach hurt. "What are you saying?"she asked, her voice harsh. In just a few seconds, Ryder stepped forward and closed the gap between them. "I can see through you, Sienna," I said. All of you.His gaze moved across the Council members, who were now clearly nervous and unsure of what to do. "And I'm done following your rules."Ryder's hand got out and grabbed Sienna's wrist with ferocity before she could do anything. She could feel the raw strength that had always been there in the man she had once known for the first time. His thumb pushed into her flesh, making her feel hot all over.The gesture was personal, but it also felt like a warning. He murmured softly,
"You believe you can control me, but you can't." His voice was so close that she could feel the warmth of his breath against her ear. "And you don't have the strength to do what needs to be done." Sienna's heart raced in her chest, but she didn't draw away. Instead, she looked him in the eye and didn't look away. She murmured, "You don't get it."
"I'm attempting to save us all." "Help us all?" Ryder said the same thing, his voice full of contempt. "From what?" From this? His hand moved over the room, taking in the Council, the hall, and even the walls that seemed to be closing in on them. "There's nothing to save, Sienna." You can't see the only way out of this because you're too focused on your goals. The remarks hurt her more than she thought they would. In a way, Ryder was right. She had come this far, sure that the only way to change everything was to play their game, wear the crown, and eat at their table. But now she wasn't so sure anymore. Ryder's betrayal, his escape, and all she had worked for were all falling apart in front of her.
"What are you trying to say?"she inquired in a very low voice. There was something dark and old in Ryder's eyes. "Stop acting like you can follow their rules," I'm saying. I think you should shatter them. She couldn't respond before it happened.The floor shook as if the ground itself was responding to the stress in the room. "That's enough!" Elder Kane's voice rang out, and he got up, his eyes gleaming with anger. This is My land. "And you," he said, pointing at Ryder, "will be put down like the animal you are!" The atmosphere went from calm to turmoil in a flash.
The Council members quickly got up and pulled weapons out from under their robes, ready to fight. Sienna didn't have much time to respond before the room was filled with the sounds of steel clashing, and the tension broke like a stretched wire. But Ryder stayed still. He stood there, not caring that violence had suddenly broken out. He kept looking at Sienna, and for a brief period, she saw something different in his eyes. Something... not the same. "Hey Ryder, what are you up to?" Sienna yelled, her voice getting more frantic. Ryder didn't say anything. Instead, he carefully lifted his hand with his palm facing out. In one action, the whole room seemed to freeze. Time itself seemed to stop. The sound of weapons clanging and people yelling in rage all stopped in mid-air, as if a strong force had put a barrier around them. Sienna's pulse beat as she understood how big what had just transpired was. Ryder had just taken charge of the room, and everything else. She could feel the change in the air and the strain building. He was a lot more hazardous than that.
"What are you doing?" she murmured, and even though she was immediately next to him, her voice was so quiet that he could scarcely hear it. Ryder continued, "I'm giving you an option," in a calm, low voice that made it sound like nothing was wrong. "But you have to do it now, Sienna. At this moment. It was impossible to handle the tension in the room. Sienna could see the Council standing still, but they couldn't move. She stared at Ryder, whose eyes were dark and impenetrable, and for the first time, she saw how much he had changed.
"Ryder," she murmured, her voice shaking. "You can't just," Ryder cut in, "I can do whatever I want." His voice was strong, and his eyes were full of force. "Now you can too." Sienna's breath got stuck in her throat. "What do you mean?" Ryder smiled, but it was a smile that made her blood run cold. "Here is your decision, Sienna. You can stay with them. Keep playing their games and stay in their world. Or you can break free and come with me.
The words hung in the air, like a promise or a menace, and for a time, Sienna couldn't move or think. Her heart raced, her mind was all over the place, and she could feel the weight of his offer on her. And then, just as abruptly as it had stopped, everything started up again. The enchantment that froze time was gone, and the Council go back into action. But this time, the room was so different. The balance of power had changed. They no longer had control over it. It was in her hands.