Chapter 32- Wicked Forest

Drake held his cheek. Echidna was a feisty woman. He should have told her from the start. How had he forgotten about Margon? It had just slipped his mind. Once Echidna was done with Crystal, she would be his. The great queen had promised him the girl for his legion in return. It was more than Seth Carmichael had ever offered him and so he had jumped at the chance. Seth was nothing, he wasn’t a king anymore, he only thought he was.

When he had seen the hurt in Crystal’s eyes, he did have second thoughts. However, when he thought about his future with her those, thoughts evaporated. Sacrifices had to be made and she would forgive him once she realized what he was doing was all for them. He was giving them a chance. One, that no one else was willing to fight for. But he was. He was fighting for her. For them to have a future together.

***

Levi had been watching the castle for days when finally, he saw movement. The entire army accompanied by Crystal was on the move.
They moved in the direction in which they had come. Crystal was surrounded and situated in the centre of the elves.
“Burn them?” Dregon asked.
“No, you will kill her,” Levi snapped, Dragons weren’t the smartest of creatures. They followed them, keeping a safe distant. Levi wanted to swoop down and rescue Crystal. Be her knight in shining armour but he had to wait for the perfect time or risk losing her all together. He had to be smart and think before he acted. It was hard when all he wanted was her in his arms and away from the queen.
***
Within an hour, Crystal found herself being marched through the forest heading back to the old woman who had helped her only days ago. Levi had never mentioned she was a witch. In fact, she had fairy wings. She was confused but that feeling was becoming normal.
Breathing with a sigh of relief that the woman couldn’t have been the kind old lady she had met, she walked along. Scanning and keeping her eyes open for any sign or opportunity for her to escape. Even if she did escape, she would never make it through the forest alive on her own. She didn’t know where the vortex was located. Either way she was dead.
Many times, she swore she heard the whoosh of a dragon’s wings, but each time she observed the sky it was empty apart from a few birds.
“Wait while we reach Margon’s. Echidna will make her strip you of your power and take it for herself,” Drake had a proud smile on his face as he ranted on.
“What is in it for you?” Crystal asked.
“I can finally go home, instead of having to spend my time with naive and stupid humans.”
“Look in the mirror,” Crystal responded.
“What did you say?”
“I said look in the mirror. The one who is stupid is you. Naïve. Look at you. Do you think she will give you, what you want? She has already shown you her true colours and left her mark to prove it,”
“Oh, sweetheart. Being in charge means you must show violence. To rule you need fear.” Crystal laughed. A deep belly laugh, which turned the heads of all the guards, he was more of an idiot than she first thought. You never trust a snake.
“Oh, big bad Drake is scarred of a girl.”
Drake grabbed her by the hair and pulled her to him. He had his teeth clenched together, “
“Make fun of me again and I will be the one to kill you on the spot.”
“Let her go!” Echidna demanded.
Crystal was shaking inside. However, she refused to let her fear show. Instead she painted a picture on her face. d kept it in place. He would not be the one that brought her down, she wouldn’t allow it. Not after everything he had done. Why did she fall for his disguise?
Three days she travelled, before she came upon the familiar cottage. Drake pointed out the small building which angered Echidna. She couldn’t see what was right in front of her. She whipped him with her tail. “There’s nothing there!” she screamed. Her men agreed and all looked at Drake as if he had lost his mind.
“Can you see it?” she asked Crystal.
“No, I think he has gone mad,” she answered as she watched the smoke rising from the chimney. The best thing for her to do in that situation was to go with it. Pretend that what was in front of her was nothing but a fabrication of Drake’s mind. She just hoped she looked convincing. Ruby had always pointed out that her face revealed her lies. She just prayed it wasn’t the case now.
“Then walk straight forward until I tell you to stop. I know you can see it,” Drake demanded, and Crystal felt a knot form in her stomach.
“Do it,” the snake lady agreed.
Crystal took each step with care she had no idea what she would do when she came to the house. She hoped that Margon was long gone. She had brought an army to her door. All she had done was help her and Crystal was repaying the favour by bringing darkness to her.
“Keep walking dear,” she heard the old woman’s voice and looked in her direction, which had to be in the same direction as the snake. The snake lady waved her hand to move her along while Margon smiled and nodded at her. Crystal closed her eyes then opened them. Margon was still there with a kind smile on her face urging her forward.
She stared for a second longer. She was right next to Echidna, yet it was like Margon was invisible to her.
Crystal came to the door and paused.
“See!” Drake cried.
“Keep walking dear, trust me,” she did trust Margon and took another step her foot went through the wall of the cottage and as her other foot followed, she watched the cottage disappear with each step she took. It was like the world was evaporating around her. She felt the magic as it tingled her skin.
“Stop!” shouted the snake.
Crystal turned and smiled. “Have we finished playing games now?” Crystal asked while grinning at Drake.
“You!” Echidna hissed at a wide-eyed Drake who had gone deathly pale.
Echidna was enraged. Crystal looked around. All her people were busy watching the snake and Drake. They were lapping up the scene like it was a violent movie.
“Crystal,” she heard a whisper and scanned looking for the sound.
Nothing.
“Crystal to your right,” Margon appeared in front of her causing her to jump. Once she had gotten over her scare, she looked to the right to see Levi waving at her. In her excitement she almost forgot about her situation and her body was ready to run.
She heard Drake scream. Glancing back, she saw the snake woman attacking him and took each step with caution. As she neared Levi, he pulled her forward and both of them sprinted through the forest. She felt guilt in her stomach. Yes, he had done the unthinkable and she hated him. But wasn’t she just like him? Leaving him to face a fate she didn’t want to think about?