HIS MATCH

20.

An Old Friend.

River.

"Okhul inveniat et magnifilio vortú." I mumbled the locator spell and the map burst into flames yet again. "Dammit!" I heard Chad hiss aswell, his own map in flames. "She's cloaked, and whoever did it, isn't a minor witch, they know how to bind and hide." He asserted looking at me, Brent was pacing in between us, he was frantic, afraid and getting frustrated. "Chad take a break, go with Brent, get some air." I told him and they left me to truly think about our situation, my mate wasn't here, so was his father and the former beta, Kent was out there searching blindly,  Riley was incapacitated, the pack needed to be protected so I needed Kirk to be ready, Brent and Chad were my only capable backup but against an enemy who would attack the pack, they would need to defend the pack, but Zaya and Riley's lives were in danger, he had gotten us exactly when we were vulnerable.

I couldn't give up though, the pack would be okay but Zaya wasn't and I needed to find her soon, I promised myself I wouldn't delve into that part of my magic, but I had no option. I grabbed another map from the ones Kirk had brought over, let a bit of blood pour over it, it belonged to Brent, their connection would help significantly. "I'm sorry Riley, I have to save you, sosvenda qou makhtu solcis demera." I cast the spell and the blood turned to crystal, it began moving over the map, trailing until it circled over one particular place away from pack territory, neautral territory that not even humans dared go into. "River what's going on?" Chad questioned as he barged into the room, he froze with a gasp escaping his lips, no one truly knew my past, it was as terrifying now as it was when I was still the crystal witch, I never lost the power though.

"I found them, let's go." I told him leaving no room for questioning or arguments. "Oh, okay." He whispered as we made it out of the basement of my home, Brent immediately stood up and walked beside us outside. "You found her?" Kirk exclaimed and I nodded. "They are in neutral territory, there is an abandoned fun house there, I've heard stories that its haunted, no sane person would go there." Chad replied as he handed the map over to Kirk. "We have no choice, we need a tactful approach and less people, whoever we're dealing with is super strong and very smart." I explained to them and they all nodded. "We'll go with you, the rest will help the pack guard and some will guard your brother and the ongoing spell." Kirk asserted taking charge and I was grateful some of that burden was off my shoulders.

"I can fly there, but you need a way to get there." I mumbled and they all snickered. "We are lycans, the forest belongs to us, yet for some reason, you witches made us all afraid of the woods and the dark." He jabbed lightening the mood. "I'll get you back for that, Brent can you tell your mate to be ready once we're back." I told the lycan who nodded right then. "Let's go." Kirk announced as he shifted into his wolf, most of them did aswell. "This once I will allow it." Brent stated next to me as he shifted into his wolf and gestured for me to get on. "Thank you." I mouthed the words as I held on for dear life and he took off into the woods, in their lycan forms I knew they were fast but as wolves I was surprised they were just as fast. We reached the boarder of the pack as the sun set, the wolves had been running for almost an hour, at full speed, the pack was huge. "Becareful, past that is neutral ground." I told them all as one by one they followed Kirk's lead.

The air was becoming chilly, or it was me shivering in anticipation, I couldn't place it but nothing good waited for us there, another thirty minutes of running we finally came to an abandoned park, years of decay lay in front of us but only one place had light. "Invisiqué." I whispered cloaking us all. I didn't need to tell them to calm down, they were masters of the hunt. "I can smell Zaya, and a lot of blood, there are five lycans here, including Kara, along with a witch." Kirk exclaimed, explaining directly into my mind.  "Fan out, howl to draw their attention, and pick them apart, Chad you'll get to Zaya and get as far as you can with her, Brent you'll back him up and detain Kara, I will deal with the witch, Kirk back me up." I responded using the link, they all nodded as they retreated back into the woods, the way they did it made me afraid for whoever they would cross.