Thicker than Blood - Book One (Watty Awards 2012)

Chapter Forty-One

Hello readers,

So here is the chapter. Don't worry, this is NOT the last chapter, there's one more and an Epilogue. Both  already on here. 

Love,

Robin

*

My car came slipping and sliding to a stop in front of Galen's house. The gravel crunching loudly under the tires and a dust cloud thick enough to hide the forest behind me. I think I made enough noise to scare of the entire forests animal population; I didn't care.

On the porch of the old, cozy looking cottage with its petunia's and other splashes of colorful flowers surrounding the place, stood a very old Witch. This was Galen.

Although retired he was the nearest alive Teleporter that I knew off, when he was younger he'd been a dedicated and passionate warrior and even friend. Now he was old and crippled, one eye a milky white, blinded by age. The other eye a sharp blue that always gave me the feeling he saw right through me.

That was the trouble with Witches; you never knew if they truly did or did not. Their magic often so different now a days from mine that I couldn't always sense it. It was worse for many others because in my veins ran the blood of Witches, I had always been able to sense more than most.

Galen had always been the one capable of cooling me down when I needed it. Not today though, there was no way anyone could talk me out of rushing to free Hayden. There was too many risks in leaving the boy in enemy hands any longer.

At any given time the Demon could show up and kill him, devouring his talents and powers. That was an unforgivable and unacceptable thing. I would not allow it!

Today all I needed from Galen was a single Teleport. A one way trip to Shadowpeak. My only objective was to get to  Hayden and Teleport him to the stronghold myself. My Teleportation powers were extremely limited but Hayden was small. It would have to be enough.

I would not jeopardize Elliot again. Not when my sister would stand to lose so much with his death. Already the loss of his limb weighted heavily on my conscious; he had to recuperate first, I couldn't allow him to die from exhaustion from Teleporting people because he wasn't fully healed.

Jumping out of the car I rushed up the porch but all Galen said was: 'Where to my friend?' Lifting one bony hand so I could grab it. For once he didn't spend time persuading me to do something else, something more rational.

'Shadowpeak!'

*~*~*~*~*

The world around me solidified into trees and rocks, a blue sky overhead and the scent and sound of the forest in the air. I breathed in deeply; filtering the air to pick up the scent of either Devon or  Hayden.

Behind me Galen called out gently: 'Nate! It's not your fault, you left behind a Dragon to protect a boy that wasn't even supposed to stay there. You couldn't have known that one of the Galamut had been freed.'

I whirled around to face Galen: 'I failed Gale! Seven men lost their lives, my sister's Mate lost an arm, Hayden was taken.' I felt my blood boil at the thought of my own stupidity. I'd allowed myself to be tricked with my blind rage towards Amelia's kidnapping. It was unforgivable.

As if he knew my thoughts Galen echoed: 'Don't go in there blindly, again. You do not know what is waiting for you.' The nearly blind Witch nodded towards the high rock outcrop looming above us.

Somewhere on top of that rock stood an old and abandoned cottage and in it was a cage with Hayden. It was well possible that the Demon was there too, Raïm... Was he already preparing Hayden? To take his life and his power?