She had refused to give him any link to call on her. She had told him, he would have no need, but quite by accident, he had discovered that she had given the other inhabitants leave to call her.
A vicious sensation swept him. No doubt, she was worried lest he and Hordly find a way to hurt the other inhabitants, so she gave them a safeguard—a link to herself.
He hadn’t known this until quite by accident, he had shifted to the Blue Demons’ camp two years ago and watched them as they held a meeting with the Shapeshifter alphas and who was there—Crystal.
Well, it was all coming to a head now. Everything he had planned was falling into place.
Pestale couldn’t be bothered concerning himself about Frankie’s escape. He was at the heart now of his plan.
Pestale had tested Crystal to see just how much it would take to get her to intervene, to get her to visit with the Blue Demons and Shapeshifters.
In the past he had picked a fight with the leader of the entire Blue Demon Colony and then another albeit artificial attack on Sventer. He then discovered Darmon leaving Eslym’s house and shifted in the young alpha’s face and threatened him to stay away from her.
That seemed to do the trick. Rudlo, the alpha and father of Darmon met with Blasfer and together they had called on Crystal for her guidance in the situation they had on hand.
Crystal arrived and reassured them that although Pestale had some power, it had not been enough to overcome either Blasfer or Darmon. She did however, give them the power to enact a simple shield against both Pestale’s and Hordly’s possible aggression. Pestale had been contemptuous of her and her decisions.
And then, he went about the task of constructing the portal to open in the Shapeshifter’s territory. His reason was simple. Get the Shapeshifters and the Blue Demons at one another’s throats. Cause dissension, cause confusion and then strike.
He knew the discovery of the portal would be of concern and once again, both Blasfer and Rudlo would call on Crystal and she would come.
The atmosphere of Conglam became fully charged with violence, but it wasn’t because of the portal.
At his orders, one of Sventer’s soldiers had taken an under-aged Blue Demon female into the woods. He had seduced her with falsehoods and then taunted her. She, as females do, became emotional as he verbally abused her. He shoved at her and told her to run and she did.
She ran home to her parents. They went to Blasfer, their leader.
Matters escalated faster than Pestale could have imagined. Emotions, he shook his head, ruled even Blue Demons. This had been unexpected, but perfect.
Apparently the under-aged female’s father decided to go for blood. All Blue Demon fathers imagined their daughters brutally used by Sventer and his warriors and took up weapons, ready to march on them and bring them to justice.
A civil war was eminent.
Sventer would lose. His soldiers were exceptional fighters but their numbers were meaningless against the main body of Blasfer’s Colony.
It was obvious to Pestale that he would have to work quickly now, for this was sure to bring Crystal to Conglam immediately.
Pestale used his orb to watch. He could see Blasfer and heard him tell his soldiers that he feared it would soon be brother against brother in an all out and bloody war. He was against this.
Blasfer looked up as though he knew Pestale was watching and raised a fist, as he called out, “I know you are behind this, Pestale. I know.”
Pestale smirked and then became intense as he watched Blasfer pull on the pendant around his neck. It was the pendant Crystal had given him.
Pestale’s excitement flooded his mind. Blasfer had called her to Conglam.
As he thought of Crystal, he felt bile fill his throat. She had ruined his life.
She was always so worried about everyone else. She never concerned herself about him or his brothers. Well, he was about to show her and his father what seeds they had sowed.
The orb went cloudy for a moment and Pestale frowned as he waited, but when it cleared, Crystal stood with Blasfer.
She was as always stunningly beautiful. He noticed immediately that her looks, however, had changed. Her eyelashes and long hair were now the shade of platinum.
No doubt a result from the energy she had absorbed into her human form as she evolved with her Dark King.
Did she know he was watching? Of course, she did, and he whispered her name as he looked at the scene the orb presented.
“Queen Crystal,” Blasfer said, kneeling.