NATURE (BOOK TWO OF THE WIZARD SERIES)

CHAPTER TWENTY

As they were sitting around the table brainstorming, Mutale appeared a few feet from them. They all turned and all the boy did was a gesture for them to follow him. Then, seconds later, he winked out of sight.

The four men exchanged thoughtful looks, then they got up. Sebastian touched Trevor, and they all disappeared at the same time.

They appeared in the living room seconds later. Trevor felt as his brain was drowning in acid upon seeing the Academy on their hologram thing.

They walked over and stopped a few feet from the hologram.

“What do you bastards want? You thought by getting us out of the house you had a chance to kill my family? And you just showed how coward you are,” Trevor snarled.

“Well, you got lucky, little boy. But I number your days. Very soon none of you will be alive to see the light of day,” a black man with a long beard and bald spoke.

“You don’t scare us, you assholes. Mind you, you can’t come near him or his family. And with one of you died, you stand no chance against us. So quite your drama,” Sebastian spoke, standing next to his friend.

“Cat got your tongue? A few minutes ago, you were talking to us about how we will not live to see the light of day again. But now you are keeping quiet. Not fair, man. Or and I know where your wife is,” his mouth stretched wider to indicate a smile.

The man behind the long-bearded man stepped forward, face red.

“What did you say, you bastard?”

“Er...... What you heard old man.”

“Of you dare lay a hand on my wife, I swear that will be the end of you,” he said through clenched teeth.

“Empty threats. And I don’t know if you know this. But she was having s*x with one serpent. I presume he is your right-hand man. So I don’t know why you would want her back when she doesn't respect you in the slightest,” his smile stretched even wider.

Taunting the Academy seemed to make him happier, to the extent of him forgetting about what happened earlier.

“And why should we believe you?” The light man spoke.

“Because I saw it myself. When we came to assassinate you the other day. They were even planning on running away. But I prevented that. So, you should thank me, you asshole, rather than questioning me. And isn’t one of you the Academy of memory or something? I saw it in the book,” he added to Sebastian as he saw the way he looked at him.

“Now where is my wife?” He snapped. Playing with his hands as if he can just punch Trevor in the face right now.

“Well, I was just informing you about your wife’s stupid misdeeds. But I can bring her to you, I’m not an ass to keep a desperate husband from his wife. Just promise me one thing.”

“What?” He asked angrily.

“That the academy of memory goes through her memory. I don’t want you to think I’m laying or anything. Deal?” The light guy nodded. “Good. Now leave us alone. And for the record, I’m still coming for you. Don’t think I have forgotten about your stupidity.”

Without even replying, the hologram vanished.

After a few seconds, they all moved and sat down.

“How are you gonna bring his wife back if you are here?” Justine asked. And everyone turned, looking at him curiously.

“You have a lot to learn, my boy. So when I tell you that you are not ready, don’t argue. I can open a portal from where I sent her to the home of the academy,” he explained.

Then silence blew in. After a few heartbeats, Natasha and Loveness both said good night and left. Then minutes later Azariah and Mrs. Sinkala both said good night, though their eyes were only concentrated on their new boyfriends. It’s like what they say. You are never too old to fall in love.

“When are you bringing his wife back?” Mutale asked.

“Oh, I forgot,” he got up and stood a few feet from them.

He closed his eyes, then held his hands. Everyone looked curiously at him.

Then seconds later, he began moving his hands in a rather weird way. Then seconds later he opened his eyes and everyone pretended as if there were not concentrating on him.

He went and sat down, looking as if he just lifted a bag of cement.

“That’s it?” Erup asked.

“Yeah. And now whatever happens to her is up to the Academy,” he responded.

“Do you think they believed you, though?” Frazer asked.

“Why not? No one can ignore that fact. And isn’t it past your bedtime already?”

“Yeah, go to sleep and take Isaac along,” Sebastian spoke.

The twins and Isaac left stamping their feet on the floor. Then, as he saw that they were out of earshot, Sebastian asked.

“What did you mean by the academy of memory?”

“Well, while I was looking through the book, I saw that they each have their names. Like the academy of memory. He deals with memory stuff. The other one is the academy of strength, he is the strongest amongst his friends. The third one is the academy of hope, he..... you know, gives hope to his friends when they lose it. And the last one is the academy of dearth. He kills without feeling sorry or anything.”

“Which one do you think almost the four is dead? Hopefully, it is the academy of death,” Sebastian said, and everyone seemed to be agreeing with him.

There was silence for a few heartbeats, then Frazer spoke.

“So the trip to Yarrum is canceled?”

“For now?” Sebastian replied.

“So, what is the plan now? This time we are following as well. We have memory powers so we can help with mind-controlling the serpents,” Mutale spoke.

“Yes, we are not remaining here those assholes want to kill our sister,” Justine spoke.

“You can come only if you agree to only deal with the serpents. I don’t want you doing something nobly idiotic,” Trevor said.

“Yes, father,” they agreed.

After a while, they all got up and went to bed.

The next morning, he woke to the sound of a woman’s scream. He quickly took his robes and rushed downstairs. Just as he arrived, he saw the gateway wink shut.

Emit and Hephzibah were lying unconscious a few feet from where the gateway was. Mrs. Sinkala and her grandson were sitting in the corner. Constantly telling Isaac that it was nothing but a bad dream.

Mutale, Justine, and Erup were no were to be seen. A looked around and realized that even Loveness and the twins were anywhere to be seen.

He went running upstairs, presumably to see if Sebastian and Natasha might be in a deep sleep too because they were also not in the living room.

He knocked on the door but got no response. He knocked again for several minutes but got no response. Then he opened the door and found both Sebastian and Natasha lying on the bed. He called, but they made no movement.

The hair at the back of his hair stood up as he walked to their bed. He went to the side where Sebastian was.

“Sebastian,” he whispered, but Sebastian didn’t answer. “Natasha,” he called, his voice sounding shaken.

He removed the blanket from them, still; they didn’t wake up.

“Sebastian!” he shouted. Sebastian still quiet. “Sister-in-law, wake up,” he went to her side of the bed.

His breathing grew deeper. What the hell was happening? Last night, everyone was fine. Who had that portal belonged to? Why was neither Sebastian nor Natasha waking up?

Had he been in a deep sleep as well that he didn’t listen to a thing until it was too late?

And where were Loveness, Erup, Mutale, Justine, and the twins? Has the owner of the gateway taken them? Could it have been the academy? But again Trevor was inside the house, which means they can’t enter inside.

There was only one person who could answer all his questions.

He got up from the floor, rubbed his tears, and left.

“Mrs. Sinkala, what happened here? Where are my wife and the kids? Why are they all asleep?” He shook her.

Mrs. Sinkala looked at Trevor, then instead of answering, she carried on crying and held her grandson even tighter.

“Mrs. Sinkala!” He shouted, then lowered his voice upon coming to his senses about who he was talking to, “Mrs. Sinkala, what happened?”

“It.... Was,” she took a deep breath, “it was.... Emit’s son,” she cried.

“What! So he took my wife and the kids?”

“Yes.”

“And why are they not waking up? Even Sebastian and Natasha are not working up,” he helped her up, and they went to the couch.

“I don’t know, he just threw a snowball on the floor. Then smoke spread all over. That is how they all fell asleep,” she blew her nose.

“What about you and Isaac? Why are you not asleep?”

“Well Emit gave me this crystal stone,” she unfolded a blue glowing stone.

There was a pregnant pause, then he got up.

“I’m going to find a way, to wake them up. In the meantime, take Isaac upstairs.” She nodded, “don’t worry, all will be well,” he turned and headed to the library.

After a couple of minutes, he reached the library, then shadow walked to the fourth floor and entered the realm.

He ended straight to the gateway that led to Yarrum. Opened it and entered.

“Dammit, I forgot how cold it is,” he shadow walked back into his bedroom. Grabbed a black Jersey and shadow walked back.

Just as he took one step, a voice behind him oozed.

“For a second I thought you were not gonna come,” he swiftly turned. “But again, I thought you are too obsessed to save your family,” the invisible man laughed lightly.

“Oh, so you are the invisible bastard my kids told me about. Nice. And one thing you should know both you are your boss are cowards. How can you attack my family while you put me asleep? Those are coward behaviors asshole,” Trevor spoke. Displaying a rather determined pause.

“Oh, you are too over yourself, little boy. Why don’t you show me what you are capable of,” the invisible man, God knows if it was even a man? Took two steps towards Trevor.

How the hell was he gonna fight an invisible thing? The only thing that could indicate where the man was was the man’s voice or his movement because his foot imprint appeared where he stepped. But what if neither of that happens?

He had to be very attentive. He didn’t even know what the invisible man’s powers were. Dammit.

He called to his wand and began moving in a circle way, so did the invisible beast.

He waved it, not even sure if the jinx hit the man or not. Then his question was answered as he got hit by a huge, hairy hand. He went cartwheeling and slammed a Christmas tree of some kind.

He quickly scrubbed to his feet, but before he could do anything, he got kicked and he skidded a few feet.

The snow from the mountains fell when the invisible man ran towards Trevor. Before he can reach Trevor, shadow walked and landed behind the invisible man.

“Hey, coward. You have to catch me first,” a smile stretched over his face.

The invisible man groaned and charged towards him. He waved his wand and blue light left the tip of his wand. And he heard the invisible man groan, then the tree a few feet bent, then within seconds it went back to its right position after dangling a few heartbeats.

He called his nature powers, then green vines left the snow ground, but before he could do anything with them, the veins froze.

“Dammit,” he cursed. And sent back the vines.