His voice carries ominously through the empty space. “That was quite the chase. Not your best though Gwen. It's been a long time.” His tone is arrogant and it only makes me angrier.
“Not long enough.” Mum answers. Her hands are balled into fists at her sides. “How’s dear old dad? You’re still doing his dirty work I see.”
His snicker comes from our right and we both turn quickly. All I see is blackness through the trees. He's staying just far enough away that I can't sense his dark aura leaking from him. “He's eager to join the chase himself. He's waited so long for you Gwen. It's taken a lot of persuasion on my part to keep him from joining in. I've quite enjoyed this little game. I'll be sad to see it come to an end.” His voice is playful but there’s something else in his tone. Regret?
“This is not a game, you sick bastard.” Mum shoots a branch like a darting snake into the trees.
His laugh comes from behind us. I spin and flick razor sharp leaves down from the trees like ninja stars towards the noise. They hit nothing.
“Krista, your reflexes still aren't quick enough.” He's behind us again but his voice comes from higher up. Like he's in a tree. I extend my senses and find the tree he's perching in. Iforce one of the big branches to wrap around his wrist. He yanks his arm and the branch snaps. He jumps from the tree and lands on top of our car.
“You really think wood can restrain me?” He laughs as he crouches like a panther. “I wonder if this fight will end the same way our last one did?” His smile is devastating, but I'm reminded of the awful things he's done and I boil over with hatred.
“You wish, arsehole!” I bend down and envision my hands digging into the ground then I pull my arms up fast taking the earth with it and it rushes like a tidal wave over Alistair. Him and the car are buried under a ton of mud and rock. I see the mound start to stir and so I press the earth down on him harder. Mum joins in and I feel her power join with my own as we fight to hold him down. The movement stops and we look at each other breathing deeply from the exertion. Suddenly like a volcano the mound explodes and we are both thrown backwards landing hard on the ground. Alistair's cry of determination rents through the air.
As I jump back to my feet I see him striding towards us. His eyes are black and filled with smoke and his dark aura pulses through the dust filled air like a bellowing fume. I look frantically to my mum but she's laying on the ground unmoving. There’s some blood on a rock near her head and I run to her.
“Mum!” She doesn't stir. I turn furiously back to Alistair. “Stay away!” I scream and a huge gust of wind rushes forth blowing him backwards several meters. He remains on his feet digging his heals into the ground against the barrage of gale force winds.
I press my fingertips softly to mums’ neck and feel her steady pulse. I release a breath as I turn her head slightly to get a good look at where the blood is coming from. So much blood. My eyes widen in shock and I don’t know what to do.
“You can heal her.” His strained voice is right behind me.
I jump up and spin around. “Get away from us!” I shove him but he doesn’t move. “GET AWAY!” I shove him again with all of my strength. The wind gusts once again but this time stronger and continuous. He slams against a tree and winces.
I remain standing next to my mums’ unconscious form and the tree that Alistair is pressed up against is a few meters away. I’m standing up right with my hands out stretched in front of me. One hand controlling the wind the other connected to the energy of the tree at his back.
Alistair’s face hardens as he tries to battle against the force I’m throwing at him. He manages one struggled step, then another. He’s eyes lock with mine with cocky determination which only makes me more furious. I feel the wave of anger rise in me and I let it flow into the wind in a sudden powerful gust. He slams back against the tree with enough force to break through it but luckily the strength I’ve given the tree means it stands tall. But only just.
I keep the force of wind going but the tree he’s pinned against starts to lean backwards. Along with the other trees next to it. I refocus the wind so it’s only on Alistair and then strengthen the tree at his back even more. I pull it upright and then encourage the branches to grow and extend down to him. They circle around his elbows and wrists then bend his arms backwards around the trunk. He shouts as he pulls against the bonds and they start to break. They need to be stronger!
I flood the tree with power. They need to be strong enough to hold him. Stronger than steel. Stronger than diamond! I feel the fibres of wood fuse together. He struggles more against the branches but as more branches wrap around his ankles, waist and neck he realises his attempts of escape are futile. He looks at me in wonder and awe and maybe fear?Satisfied the tree is strong enough I stop the wind and absolute silence settles around us.
“How?” His voice is a shocked whisper. “I’ve never known a nymph so powerful.”
“I’m not powerful. I’m fucking angry! How dare you! After everything you’ve done you had the audacity to even talk to me! Let alone take me on a date and kiss me! You’re sick, twisted and a murderer! My dad is your prisoner! You slaughtered his pack and countless others! You and your evil wanker of a father!” Tears of anger flood down my cheeks as I look him in the eyes. I tighten the branch around his neck and his eyes widen in fear.
“St-stop.” His voice comes out in desperate gasps. “You- d-don’t u-und-estand-”
“I understand perfectly. This is a game for you. You get off on other people’s misery!” I pull the branches holding his arms tighter. His teeth clench in agony. “I won’t let you hurt anyone else!”
“Sweetheart stop.” My mums weak voice snaps my attention. She’s propped herself up slightly but looks quite impressed. “You didn’t need me to protect you after all.”
I don’t dare move from where I am lest I lose focus allowing Alistair to break free. “Mum are you OK?”
“Other than a splitting headache I’ll be fine.” She slowly gets to her feet and rests her hand on my shoulder. “You can’t kill him. Gaia won’t let you.” She sounds pretty miffed.
“Then what do we do?” My voice is strained as once again Alistair struggles and the power flowing through me and into the tree is almost too much to contain. Sweat beads on my forehead and I clench my teeth. “I can’t let him go. We’ll be back to square one.”
“If you kill him we’ll have the wrath of Hades to deal with. We don’t want that either.” She watches him for a moment then sighs. “Release his neck. He has some grovelling to do.”
I do as she says and after one last squeeze I remove the branch from around his neck. He coughs and stretches his head from side to side.
“You are one hell of a women.” He says admiringly. I pull his arms tighter. “Ow! OK sorry.”
“Sorry isn’t gonna cut it.” I hiss.
“Well considering by some miracle you’ve managed to constrain me it would appear that I’m at your mercy.” He winks at me as he tries to get himself more comfortable. His bonds are unyielding and he gives up the fight and leans his head back. “So, what are you going to do with me?” He’s still so arrogant even when he’s lost, but I see a hint of unease in his pale grey eyes as they settle on my mum.
