Chapter 59- Whispers In The Wind

Levi scrambled to the front of the great hall. He pushed past the witches who hysterically ran for the exit. It happened in slow motion. A young boy with blond hair brought one of the chairs down onto Crystals head. He screamed her name which only got lost within the chaos of the room.
Helplessly he watched as the blonde boy disappeared carrying Crystal’s limp form. In his rage he turned into his wolf form and howled. The witches darted out of his way and his legs sprang to life racing for the exit that the boy had taken.
When he got outside a wolf pounced at him. Teeth and claws bared, and Levi’s instinct told him it was a battle to the death. He knew who the wolf was. Drake, he would never mistake his smell.
Drake dug his teeth into his neck, fueled by adrenaline Levi shook him off and savagely dove for his mid-section swiping with his claws before latching on to his neck shaking furiously. He pushed his head to the floor and pinned him down; blood ran over his mouth which was coming from Drake’s neck. At one point he would have fought beside Drake. Now he was on the opposite side. The world around him turned black. When he came to his sense Drake lay clinging to life in his human form.
“If she is hurt and you live. I will find you,” he said through gritted teeth tuning back into his wolf form he ran into the forest following Crystal’s scent. Drake’s heart was weak and the remorse he felt for him was eating away at his insides. After all they had been through, he could not believe what it had come down too. He had left him bleeding and for dead. His heart told him to turn around and save him, yet it also urged him to find Crystal which only confused him.
Whoever had taken her knew how to confuse the wolves well. No doubt by Drake’s help.
He found Crystal’s shoe in one direction a sock, pieces of her clothing were scattered across the forest floor. He didn’t know which direction they had gone in. Everywhere he turned he picked up her scent. He was going round in circles.
He had no other choice but to get his father involved. Besides, he needed Crystal and he knew his father would do anything to go home.
He pounded through the forest in his wolf form, dashing through the streets. He didn’t stop until he reached his home. Shifting he marched inside in all his glory and swung his father’s study door open. He didn’t knock and was ready to face his punishment for that, he couldn’t waste a second.
The look of shock and annoyance that flashed in Seth’s eyes didn’t go unnoticed by Levi.
“They have taken Crystal,” Levi blurted out.
“Jeanette is no fool. She knows what is at stake,” he answered unconcerned.
“No, Drake and….”
“Drake?” Seth opened and closed his eyes.
Without another word he howled at the top of his lungs and within minutes the manor was filled with his father’s most faithful men.
“It seems my nephew as stolen Crystal. I want him found. Dead or alive,” he said in a chilling voice.
“Come,” he directed to Levi.
“Where are we going,” he asked as the frigid air whipped around his nakedness.
“To the vortex,” his father answered. He stopped and turned to Levi.
“You must think of me as a fool. You see Levi, I know you and that girl entered Athens. Most likely Drake too, and when you did you opened a doorway. One in which as allowed the residents of Athens to pass through,”
“Then we don’t need Crystal. We can go home,” Levi smiled, as hope sprang to life.
Seth chuckled.
“Levi you can be such an idiot at times. Did you forget that we have been exiled without the key we cannot enter?” Levi’s blood ran cold. Crystal. She was the key. To destroy the vortex then she would have to die. There was no way he would let that happen, yet he knew that Crystal was stubborn. Would she kill herself to close that door? It was a question he didn’t want to think about.
He promised himself then. He would not let Crystal know that she was the key. If she did something stupid because of him then he didn’t know what he would do.
“Father?” Seth stopped walking and tilted his head in Levi’s direction.
“What do you think they want with her?”
“They know who she is. That much would have been revealed when you crossed over. My guess is that they want to keep her in Athens and away from the witches. With her gone we cannot reenter and take back what is rightfully ours,”
“What about Drake?” he asked.
“He is a Halfling. He would never get what he wanted with us, and he knew that. By helping the creatures of Athens, he gets what he wants. Or so he thinks. They will dispose of him as soon as he has played his part,”
“He made the wrong choice,” Levi sighed.
“Indeed, he did my son. In life you must be careful and think about the possibilities your actions could cause. Not everything is black and white, and that son is still what you need to learn.” Levi kept his eyes on the ground, but the words his father had spoken soaked into his brain. He was a wise man. Levi had forgotten just how smart his father was.
“You my son have made plenty of mistakes, as have I and everyone that lives and breathes. We learn from those mistakes we make, and they make us the person that we are. You see, Drake’s mistakes have made him jealous and vindictive. Do not blame yourself for that boy.”
Levi shifted into his wolf form, keeping pace with his father as they made their way deep within the forest.
When they reached the tree that held the vortex he shifted back.
“What do we do now?” he asked looking to his father for guidance.
“We pray that the girl is strong enough to free herself and make her way home. All we can do is wait,”
“Maybe they took her somewhere else,”
“Levi. You need to think like a leader. Their main priority would have been to get her back to Athens as quickly as possible,” he knew his father was right. He just didn’t want to believe it. She didn’t know half of the dangers hidden within that world nor how to deal with them.