Wicked Forest

by E. J. Bennett

  Levi on the other hand attacked them furiously leaving behind him a bloody trail while Crystal simply trapped them.

  The fight didn’t last long before the elves were either stuck in the roots of the trees or ripped to shreds.

  They moved quickly through the thick brambles and overgrown bushes.

  Levi stayed in his wolf form the entire time. Dried blood marked his face. Crystal couldn’t look at him. He had shed so much blood; the worst part was she had seen him for the beast he was. The monster she had always believed him to be.

  Still her heart convinced her he was good. She was scared of the feelings that were stirring within her.

  She was falling for the monster.

  Chapter 27

  FURTHER DOWN THE PATH they followed came a river. The water glistened and the sound gave off a calming effect. Levi dipped his snout into the water then lapped it up. Crystal cupped the water between her hands and drank it steadily. She looked at the wolf, really looked at him. His fur was pure white and his eyes were the brightest blue she had ever seen. He was big, bigger than Drake was on Halloween.

  Crystal looked back to that dreadful night. How so much had gone wrong. “Why are you still in wolf form? Why don’t you shift?”

  “Because he has no clothes,” Crystal spun around as excitement filled her pores. Drake stood smiling at her. With a squeal of joy she ran into his arms hugging him tight.

  “I was so worried? What happened? Where have you been? Are you okay?” she rattled off question after question.

  “Hay, slow down a minute. Here,” he tossed Levi a bag who caught the rucksack in his mouth and trotted off into the cover of the trees.

  “So?” Crystal sat down beside the water waiting to hear Drake’s story.

  “Let’s wait for Levi,”

  A few minutes later Levi was dressed in a pair of khaki trousers and a t-shirt to match.

  He sat on the grass with his legs crossed and arms folded. Crystal saw the annoyance in his eyes. He should be grateful and happy that Drake is still alive, after the things that they themselves had encountered. Yet he looked everything but.

  “This better be good,” Levi’s voices carried an edge.

  “Okay, I went hunting. But instead I became the hunted. I have been running form the elves for days, until you killed them,” he pointed at Levi.

  “The elves?” Levi asked not looking convinced.

  “You saw how many they were. At first I was just going to lead them away. But hay man, they are a lot more skilful than I remember,”

  Levi gave him a stern look. “You better be telling the truth,”

  “Why would I lie? Like I wanted to be out here alone,”

  Levi shrugged his shoulders yet his face was still set in stone. Drake chatted as they moved along in search of the vortex that would take them home. To think that once her people called the wicked forest home Crystal just couldn’t imagine it. Why would they want to go back to a place that was riddled with monsters?

  Perhaps that was what she was. A monster. Just like the mortal’s thought them to be, they dressed as witches every Halloween along with other monsters.

  “We need to head south,” Drake said moving in the opposite direction.

  “Heading that way will put an extra few days onto our journey,” Levi said matter of factly.

  “Yeah well the Athos have made up home on Creek Mountain. I for one don’t want to upset them,”

  “How do you know this?”

  “I listen,” Drake winked at Crystal.

  “We carry on, this is the fastest route,” Levi said.

  “Not me, I will head south and see you at home, if you make it. What about you Crystal. Do you wanna follow Levi into the den of the Giant’s or go around them? I should add that witch’s used to be their favorite meal,” Crystal pictured herself on a spit roast slowing cooking while a bunch of Giants licked their lips.

  “I am with Drake,” she said in a rush. She wasn’t about to become no meal for a giant.

  Gritting his teeth “Fine,” Levi snapped. He stayed a few paces behind Crystal and Drake. Drake chatted none stop about all the things they would do together once they returned home.

  “I will take you on a real date, dinner and a movie,” Crystal couldn’t wait. When she got back, the first thing she was gonna do was confront her mother. She would make sure that her mother stops the sacrifices and that her marriage to Levi didn’t go ahead.

  With Drake back and is carefree manner filling the void of silence, she found herself laughing and joking around.

  She had missed him in the few days that he had been gone.

  Chapter 28

  Drake was lying. Levi could tell. The way he had shifted his body weight and fidgeted as he spoke, indicated that he was nervous.

  Levi just needed to figure out where he had been and what he had been up too.

  Crystal was laughing and joking in a way he hadn’t seen before. She held a real smile on her face that lit up her eyes. He was jealous and wanted to rip Drake’s head of for just suggesting taking her out.

  He stayed behind them listening to the sounds of the forest. He was feeling on edge.

  LEVI PUT HIS HAND OUT and stopped Crystal from moving forward.

  He put his finger to his lips signaling her to be quite. Crystal gave him a sour look, one that told him she was annoyed. When she glanced in Drake’s direction, there was a change within him. It was easy for Crystal to see, his pupils expanded, giving his eyes a demon quality. His lips were pursed in a straight line with a slight tilt to the edge. He looked menacing, evil and twisted.

  Crystals knees became weak, her heart thumped in her chest as she looked from Levi to Drake. Levi was livid, his face burned with rage and his eyes shot daggers at Drake.

  “What have you done?” Levi demanded. Drake gave Levi a smirk.

  “Crystal, come with me, I will make sure you get back home in one piece. Levi is playing games,” Crystal looked at Levi. The hurt in his eyes was sincere. He didn’t make the choice for her, which she respected. He stood quietly waiting for Crystal’s decision, glaring at Drake.

  “I am sorry Drake,” something in her heart told her to trust Levi. The look in Drake’s eyes scared her. With her words, creatures erupted from the hidden shadows of the forest, little men, giants, how they had not seen them with their sheer size was beyond Crystal. More and more creatures surrounded them.

  Levi got ready to fight, his feet apart and his eyes scanning his opponents. The group of creatures in front of them moved to the side, as a woman slithered across the uneven path. She was beautiful with her golden blond hair and tanned skin. Her green, almost yellow eyes drew Crystal in.

  “Echidna,” Levi spat the name with venom. The half snake woman flicked her hair other her shoulders and gave Levi a flirtatious grin. Her snake tail rattled and was the only sound to be heard.

  “Levi Carmichael, I would say what a surprise but then again I have known for some days now that you have been back. Drake here was good enough to visit and say hi,” Drake moved closer to the snake lady and kissed her. Crystal felt tears sting her eyes as her heart broke. She felt Levi’s fingers clasp hers, a show of comfort. Yet it did nothing to stop the pain that was tearing her apart.

  “Two conniving snake’s together, you make the perfect couple,” Echidna’s tongue whipped out and slashed Levi across the check. He made no reaction, he stood as still as a statue with the same expression on his face. Crystal felt panic well in her chest as blood ran down Levi’s face and dripped from his chin. The wound must have been deep.

  “Take the girl, I want her alive. Do what you must with the prince. However he does not leave Athens,” Echidna and Drake walked through the crowd of creatures as they passed the monsters blocked their path and view of the wicked couple.

  The creatures watched and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. Crystal could see them assessing the situation.

  “What do we do?” she whispered.


  “Don’t worry, I have a plan. They won’t take you,” as soon as he whispered back to Crystal he whistled. She heard loud clapping noises and a gust of wind followed. A dragon swooped down raining fire on Echidna’s army, some turned to ash while some ducked for cover and others burned.

  Levi dove into action, fighting the ones that weren’t injured while the dragon attacked from the air. In shock Crystal watched the scene unfold until she felt herself being lifted from the ground and the blood rush to her head as she was tossed over a shoulder. She screamed out as she moved through the forest.

  Everything felt surreal. It was like she was watching the events happen to someone else.

  Kicking and screaming she attacked who ever had her in their grasp. A gust of wind knocked her attacker off balance making them both crash to the floor. The dragon picked her up and dumped her back in the heart of the battle.

  She felt something hit her head, yet no pain registered as her vision went black.

  Chapter 29

  HE WAS GOING TO KILL him. rip him to shreds with his own claws. Drake was a dead man. Levi would never forgive.

  He had betrayed him in the worst possible way. They had taken her. What laid in store for her he didn’t know? Whatever it was wouldn’t be pretty.

  He punched the tree and watched as his hand healed from the battering it had just taken.

  He had let her down. Failed to keep her safe when he had promised to do so, why didn’t he listen to his gut instinct?

  Because she was happy that’s why is inner voice answered him.

  “Did you find her?” He asked Dregon as he landed beside him.

  “They’re on the way to the castle,” Levi cursed.

  The castle would be heavily guarded and impossible to get in. He paced the forest as his mind went into overdrive.

  “May I make a suggestion?” Dregon asked. Levi sighed and waited for the dragon to share his theory.

  “We follow them. Stay a safe distance and wait for an opportunity to snatch the girl.

  “Wow Dregon that is not a bad idea. Good thinking,” the dragon snorted his appreciation for the comment causing a gust of smoke to rise in the air.

  Levi climbed onto the back of Dregon and they took flight, following Crystal at a safe distance. The army looked like ants from the sky. if Crystal wasn’t amongst them he would have ordered Dregon to burn them all.

  CRYSTAL OPENED HER eyes, to be greeted with a monster headache. It was pitch black. She couldn’t see a thing. She tried to let her eyes adjust to the darkness but it was no use. She could smell damp soil and it reminded her of one of the elderly woman of her coven who planted and cared for the herbs in which they used in potions.

  She ran her hand over the walls, it was a strange feeling, yet one that felt familiar the more she moved around the confinement the more the walls reminded her of when she had done pottery at school for extra credit.

  She sat on the floor and pulled her knees up. She couldn’t find a way out. The walls felt the same everywhere she touched and her energy was spent. Crystal wanted to give up. She had a slither of hope left that she would make it home. But even as she thought about home, she didn’t get the same excitement she did before.

  Now all she wanted was out of the dreadful place. She vowed that if she ever did get out of that world she would never step foot into another forest or woods as long as she lived.

  She heard footsteps, they echoed from outside her prison. Crystal shot to her feet ready for a fight. The wall opened up and she had to cover her face with her arm from the light. When the wall closed with a soft thud she moved her arm.

  Drake stood holding fire on a stick giving her a friendly smile. How dare he? She glared at him. Rage filled her body. She could feel the earth moving under her.

  “Calm down,” Drake said in a natural tone.

  “You...” Crystal stopped she had no words for the monster in front of her. He was nothing.

  “I thought we were friends,” she whispered. Drake laughed, one that was flat.

  “Friends? Crystal, you are a means to an end,”

  His words made her blood boil and the shaking increased.

  “If you don’t calm down then you will bring this whole place down, is that what you want?” his words were calm and getting on Crystal’s last nerve.

  She laughed, as she looked at the young man she had been crushing on for years. It was a laugh that was directed at herself. He was nothing, but a coward, two faced at that.

  “What are you laughing at?” he demanded which made her laugh more.

  “You won’t be laughing once Echidna as done with you. Levi is most probably dead by now,”

  That was the last straw.

  Crystal felt the buzz of her power burning through her veins, it was welling up and Crystal couldn’t stop the rush.

  She shoved both hands out before her and released the buildup of power. It blasted Drake through the mud wall like a bomb had exploded.

  She walked through the hole, with excitement. She was free. However she was surrounded by the elves. She kicked herself for getting her hopes up just to have them crushed.

  Two men approached her. Crystal didn’t fight she knew she had no chance.

  There was six to one. She would never beat them.

  The two men with pointed hats and ears grabbed one of her arms each and escorted her over a wooden bridge.

  At the other side of the bridge stood a huge castle. It was a castle that would put any storybook palace to shame. It stood as the centre piece to the beautiful scenery around it. A large river isolated the castle on its own little island. Its stone walls looked well cared for and almost new with vines growing over the walls. She was impressed as she was lead to the large double doors.

  The men that walked beside them pushed the doors open to reveal natural wooden floors. As they pulled her along her eyes took in every nook and cranny of the place. They tugged her into what looked like a living room but had grass covering the floor.

  Crystal was pushed onto a couch that was made out of tree trunks and decorated with gold pillows. Two men were behind her while two stood to each side of her standing to attention. Drake stood in front of the roaring fire. She heard Echidna before she saw her. It was a weird sound, a slight hiss mixed with a gentle rattle.

  “She is a pretty little thing. Not what I was expecting,” the snake lady said to Drake.

  “How does someone so small hold so much power?” Echidna asked.

  “It’s called good jeans,” Crystal mocked. “Unfortunately you didn’t get any,” Echidna spat out her tongue, Crystal ducked and watched as one of the guards fell to the floor withering from the insult. She really needed to learn to bite her tongue,

  “I’d watch your mouth,” Drake tutted.

  “Are you sure, that she is the one?” Echidna asked Drake not convinced.

  “I have been watching her for weeks in the forest. I knew as soon as I saw her use the elements to make it rain that she was the one. I came up with a plan straight away my queen to bring her here for you,” Echidna clapped like a small child with excitement.

  “Now what do I do with such power?” the snake lady pouted.

  “Call on the great witch, have her extract it and use it to your advantage,” Drake said proudly.

  Echidna whipped him with her tongue as her eyes flashed a bright yellow and her tail shook violently.

  “The great witch? Where is she? My sources say she never made it through the vortex,” Drake gulped as she demanded an explanation.

  “My Queen please forgives me. I had no idea. I thought you knew that she lived and resided in the forest,” his words only angered Echidna more, causing her to lash out at him once more.

  “The one that cursed me? Made sure that a girl was born stronger and more powerful than me, as been living in my forest?” her eyes scanned her men that occupied the room. They all looked away with guilt written on their faces.

  “Ready my men. It is time I put Margon in h
er place. How dare she deify me?”

  Drake held his check. 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.

  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 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.

  Chapter 30

  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 armor but he had to wait for the perfect time or risk losing her all together.

  WITHIN AN HOUR, CRYSTAL found herself being marched through the forest heading back to the old ladies who had helped her only days ago. Levi had never mentioned she was a witch. In fact she had fairy wings.

  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.

  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.