NATURE (BOOK TWO OF THE WIZARD SERIES)

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

Trevor and Delur ran as fast as possible. Took a right turn, then a left turn. And eventually, he saw Nigram and Nief standing outside the warehouse thing. The two huge snowmen lying at their feet unconsciously.

“Is this it?” Trevor asked breathlessly.

Nigram and Nief nodded. But Delur was pulling on Trevor’s jeans.

“Yes Delur, what is the matter?”

The snowman just kept on pulling him. Then it moved in front of him. To forestall him from going inside the warehouse.

“Delur. What do you think you are doing? My family is in there, right Nief?” Nief nodded, “please step aside. Egayov probably knows I’m here, judging by the commotion I just caused. Come on, move aside.” He took a step forward, but Delur was still blocking his way. “Delur, you are not been a good boy. Step aside,” he said with a tress of annoyance in his voice.

Nigram and Nief moved and removed Delur out of the way. The little snowman tried, but its brothers were too dominant. Delur screamed actually a teardrop fell from its left eye. But Trevor was too busy to notice. The only thing in his mind was to once again see his family.

He opened the door excitedly and there they were. Standing ten to fifteen feet from him. Trevor’s grin grew wider.

But one thing was off. If Egayov was holding them captive, then the comfortability state they were in was saying otherwise.

He began walking hesitantly towards them.

All of them were shouting, but he was unable to hear what they were saying.

He looked around the place and it was just a vast hall. With nothing in it. Where was Egayov? Weren’t they supposed to be in cells or something? He asked himself.

He lifted his leg and once more Delur had freed from its brothers and was pulling Trevor’s leg. Pointing out that he should go outside.

But Trevor ignored that. And who can blame him? The man yearned for that moment. His family was right in front of him. He can finally save his family. Who was he to listen to, a snowman? So pushed Delur and put his foot down.

The last thing he heard was Delur’s scream of agony. And his eyes went shut.

*

He woke to the sound of someone yelling. His head was aching like hell. He was feeling as though it was going to split in two.

He peeled open his eyes, then closed them back up due to the pain on his forehead.

After a few seconds, he finally had the courage to open them.

He tried to get up, but he failed. His hands were tied. He was lying on some sort of ice table where he was tied with ice chains. He tried again to break free, but it was of no use.

“Finally, for a second, I thought you would never wake up. Which would have been bad on my part. I want to have the pressure of making you fade from the face of the earth you see.”

He swerved his head, and a man was standing a good five feet from him. He wore black leather jeans with a matching jacket. A white shirt inside and military boots.

He had a great black beard that needed trimming. A very handsome face, just like his father. But round blue eyes probably took after his mother on that part.

“Egayov,” Trevor said through clenched teeth. “Why don’t you let me go and face me like a man!” He shouted. “Ungrateful bastard. Why did you have to kidnap my family? Those a coward behaviors you prick!”

“Do you ever stop speaking?” Egayov moved forward, “you see, you have one vulnerability. To obsessed with protecting every single person. So what better way to get you here if it is not by taking your family with me. And I gotta say it worked like a charm.” He was grinning darkly.

He took a shiny knife from the table, just an inch from Trevor’s head.

“You know what this is, right?” Egayov asked. Trevor didn’t respond. He was too busy trying to break free. “You know why you are here, isn’t it?”

“Because you turned into a maniac just because you felt jealous that your father was spending more time with me than you? Am I correct?” Trevor frowned.

“Indeed,” Egayov moved forward and cut Trevor’s wrist. The poor man shouted in misery. “That felt wonderful, eh?” Egayov’s voice echoed all over the place. “Oh, even forgot to invite your family to the party. How stupid of me.”

He snapped his fingers and Loveness, Mutale, Justine, Erup and the twins appeared a few feet from the table he was lying at. Their eyes widened upon seeing Trevor laying there. Blood coming out of his wrist. Loveness was screaming, but her voice was not audible.

“You will pay for this, you asshole,” Trevor sneered.

“That is, if you get out of this place, man. And I don’t see that happening. Do you?” His dark smile stretched wider. “You stole my father from me. Every time I got closer to him. Your father would always come and take him. I never played with him. He was always too busy caring for your ass,” Egayov said, eyes burning with resentment.

He held up the knife and made another cut in Trevor’s hand. Trevor closed his eyes, not making a sound this time. Though it was hating like hell.

Then Egayov rubbed the blood from the knife using his tongue.

Trevor looked at him, disgusted.

“Dude, I can recommend you to my therapist, don’t worry first two weeks free,” Trevor said in a somewhat friendly tone, “and as far as me taking your father from you is concerned, that crap was not my responsibility. I was just a kid as well. So you can’t blame me for that. It’s your father and my parents’ fault, not mine. And for the record, I just found out about Emit a few weeks ago,” he pointed out.

“Absurdities. Do you think I would believe anything that comes from that filthy mouth? The Mwansa’s are known for their lies to get what they want. So don’t try that crap with me, ok?”

Trevor looked at him. Trying to think about what he just said. Known for their lies to get want they want. What the hell is he talking about? Trevor thought.

“If my ancestors did that, it doesn’t mean I have the same behavior. And as far as I know my family history, we never lie to get what we want. So what do you mean about that?” He scrutinized him.

“That is the story day another day. Nature.”

Trevor’s eyes widened at the mention of nature. How did he know about my nature powers? This bastard knew way more than expected. He thought.

“Do you want to say hi to your family?” Egayov snapped his figures.

“Trevor, that bastard wants.......”

“You talk too much woman,” Egayov interrupted, snapped his fingers again, and they all went mute.

“You are going to pay for this, you jackass,” Trevor said, fury burning in his eyes.

“Er....... I don’t think I’m the one tied to a table, am I?” Egayov said, sneering at Trevor. “Nigram, bring me the power restraining bracelet. This one is out of power,” Egayov said, looking at the snowman.

“Nigram,” Trevor gasped, “what did you do to them, you bastard? Nigram, snap out of it!” Trevor shouted.

But the snowman turned and went away.

“You seriously think I would bewitch them? How low standard do you think I’m? After they saw that there was no way father was coming back. They came to me. And well, I helped them. Of course, in return, they did me a favor. That’s you,” he turned to the table.

“I guessed that. And they don’t talk.”

“I know. And their way of communication, damn,” he picked something like a nail.

“I gotta agree with you on that one. It took me minutes to understand what they were trying to tell me,” Trevor said, being genuinely true.

“Me hours,” Egayov said. “See we are bonding,” Egayov said and began cutting Trevor’s shirt off.

“Removing it would have been the best option, don’t you think? Just because you get everything on a silver plater doesn’t mean everyone does. I spent a fortune on that shirt.”

“Oh, please.”

“Now, that i’m here. And you are doubtless going to kill me. In a cowardly manner, you are using. Do you mind sending my family back home?” Trevor said, beaming at Egayov.

“I might consider it.”

“Please do.”

“Good boy,” Egayov kneed and took the bracelet from Nigram. “Do nothing stupid. Or I might reconsider sending you family back.”

“So you have agreed then,” he asked.

“Yeah. But don’t press it either,” he took the old bracelet off and put a new one, “do you want to say goodbye?”

“Yeah.”

“Two minutes,” he said and turned to Trevor’s family. “Your father and your husband want to say goodbye. Say nothing or I might just change my mind. He is the only one authorized to speak. Do I make myself clear?” They all nodded, and he snapped his fingers.

“Listen, boys, look after your sister and your mother, ok?” They nodded, tears streaming down their cheeks.

“Trevor, you are going to come back. And if you think I’m leaving you here. You are sadly mistaken,” Loveness spoke.

“Loveness, don’t be silly. You have to go with them. And you,” he turned to Egayov, “what should they do to wake my friends back home?”

“Can we just leave them like that? Especially my father.”

“No.”

“Alright, here,” he removed a tiny bottle containing something that looked like glitters. “Just put a drop of it in water and make them drink it. Nief take it to them,” he handed the bottle to it. “And do you want to save the snowman or it should remain here to suffer like you,” he turned back to Trevor.

“What snow...... Wait where is Delur?”

“It’s with them. The bastard wanted to act like a hero. So I had to do something about that.”

“Send him back with them.”

“Sure. Say bye now,” his face changed to a serious one.

“And don’t let Sebastian or any of them come after me, ok? The academy is still on the loose. Take care.”

With the snap of his fingers, Trevor’s family winked out of sight.

“See, I’m not as heartless as my father paints me to be,” his devilish grin was back again.

“But you can do better.”

“What is that? But if it’s another favor, forget it,” he took a red-hot knife with his face on it. Then pressed it on Trevor’s ribs. The poor man shrieked on top of his lungs. That the birds nearby probably flew away. “That’s better. Now we are connected,” he put back the knife.

Trevor raised his head and saw smoke coming from where Egayov had pressed the knife. But since Yarrum was very cold, it didn’t pain as much.

“I need you to help me kill three bastards. They are threatening to kill my unborn baby, you see,” he said, trying to mask his misery.

“I told you no more favors. This is the problem with your family. You think the world revolves around you. Now take some rest. I will be back later,” he turned and went away.

“Just think about it. It can be beneficial to your ass as well,” he shouted.

Egayov opened the door and went out, Nigram and Nief behind him.

Trevor put his head down, looking at the shining ceiling. He sighed in relief. 

His unborn baby was back home again, where it was not threatened to be killed. He didn’t know why, but he trusted Egayov. There was something in his eyes that gave him away. The bastard had a weakness, after all. He still longed for love and family. He just couldn’t admit that.

Too much pride.

Though he just saved his unborn baby from the hands of Egayov. He was still a bit worried about the academy attacking while he was still in that cold torture room.

But the relieving part was that. Sebastian will be there to take care of everything. And with Hephzibah, Emit and Azariah. Things there will be taken care of. In the meantime, figuring a way out of that hell was his number one priority. Or just persuade the bastard into helping him take down the Academy. Of course, using his weakness. Luck of family love.

He sighed and continued looking at the ceiling. Things might just turn in his favor. You may never know.