Chapter 8
The Amulet Revealed.
Bursting through Yusov's door, Severus wheeled around and cast a locking charm on the door. He then turned back and tried to take in the scene.
On the far side of the room Yusov was kneeling beside Kata who lay in a crumpled heap on the floor. The vampire was holding a goblet to her lips, forcing the unconscious woman to drink.
Severus flicked his wand and the goblet flew out of Yusov's hand, spraying thick red liquid across the room.
"Drop the wand," Yusov warned taking a firm hold of Kata's limp body. "Or I will snap her neck."
Severus clenched his jaw tightly, glancing at Kata before throwing his wand to the floor. Yusov stood up and walked casually across the room to Severus.
"I know what you have come for," he hissed. "Do not think that I will let you find it, wizard."
"I know you have already found it," Severus said glaring at him. "The amulet has been removed from the stone outside."
Yusov grinned and cocked his head to the side.
"At last it appears I have met a worthy adversary; that will make killing you even more enjoyable."
He picked up Severus' wand and turned it over in his pale hand.
"I have not had much interaction with wizards," Yusov pondered aloud.
"The Fagaras Amulet," Severus said. "If you have had it for so long why haven't you been using it?"
Yusov pulled on the thick chair around his neck and a large deep blue stone emerged from beneath his shirt. He held it up at arms length, admiring it for a second before he pointed it in the direction of Rauel. The old man shifted nervously behind Severus.
The blue of the amulet began to glow slowly brighter until a beam of light shot from it and hit Rauel in the chest. For an instant Rauel's body glowed an eerie white, his face a mixture of horror and confusion, before he suddenly vanished in a thick cloud of smoke.
Severus looked behind him. Where Rauel had been standing only moments before, was now nothing but a pile of smoking ashes. He looked back to Yusov, gaping in puzzlement.
"That is not what the amulet is supposed to do."
The vampire sighed heavily.
"Don't you realise? The legend of the amulet is just that, a legend. This thing is not a means for vampires to move about freely in sunlight – it is sunlight!"
Yusov began pacing back and forth, waving his arms in frustration as he spoke.
"It did not take us long to realise the idea of the amulet was only a myth. But what it turned out to be was far more powerful than I could have ever imagined. The amulet wasn't a weapon for us; it was a weapon against us!"
He held up the wand and pointed it at Severus.
"I wonder how this will work for me?"
Yusov fired off a clumsy blast that Severus easily dodged, the recoiling force of which sent Yusov flying backwards several feet. He scurried into a corner patting down several small flames scolding his arm. Severus took his chance to lunge forward and grab his wand off the floor.
"Accio amulet!"
The amulet floated slowly into the air, straining hard against Yusov's neck as he tried to hold it down. The silver chain finally gave way and the blue stone flew straight into Severus' waiting hand.
He held it close, allowing himself to admire its beauty for only a moment before he aimed it at Yusov. The two men looked at each other knowingly as the amulet began to slowly glow. Fear flashed in Yusov's eyes and an instant later he vanished in smoke.
Severus stepped over the vampire's ashes on the floor and tucked the amulet safely away in his jacket pocket. He ran to where Kata still lay on the floor and helped her to stand up.
"Tell me you are okay," he pleaded.
Kata breathed deeply.
"I am," she panted. "At least I will be now."
She pressed against Severus' warm body as he held her tightly. He lifted a hand to stroke her face and Kata leaned into it and sighed. Severus reached down slightly to kiss her, Kata's lips cold to the touch. He ran his hands down her neck and shoulders as they kissed tenderly, and when they pulled apart, dampness drew Severus' attention to his hand.
"Where did that blood come from?" Kata asked pointing at the small smear of blood on his hand. "Are you hurt?"
Severus shook his head, frowning.
"No," he said turning his attention to her instead. "But you may be."
He pushed Kata to arms length and looked at her.
"No," he gasped. "It can't be."
"What's wrong?" Kata cried, clutching at Severus' jacket as he tried to back away.
He slowly raised his hand to point to Kata's neck.
"You-you have been bitten," he finally said, unable to disguise his horror.
"No I haven't," Kata protested, but the confusion on her face slowly turned to realisation as she touched her fingertips to her neck. "No!"
She took a step forward, her arms outstretched for Severus but he continued backing away.
"How could you let this happen?" he said angrily.
"I didn't," Kata pleaded. "I wouldn't. I'm not sure what happened."
Severus turned around, unable to bare looking at her. Kata grabbed him and swung Severus around again.
"Please don't do this," Kata cried, tears running down her face. "I am fine, I will be okay; you can help me can't you?"
"What did you drink?" he asked stone-faced. "He made you drink from that goblet, what was in it?"
Kata shook her head.
"I-I don't know, I can't remember."
Severus strode across the room and picked the goblet up off the floor. He pushed his nose inside and sniffed for a moment before violently throwing it against the wall.
"BLOOD!" he roared.
Kata rushed up to him and clutched at Severus' clothes.
"Please help me!"
"You were bitten by a vampire and have now tasted the blood of another; you will become one of them. There is nothing I can do to stop this."
"Severus, please, I love you! I thought you could have felt the same."
He looked into her eyes, both their hearts breaking simultaneously. Severus clenched his jaw tightly and shook his head. Kata began to wail loudly.
"You may as well use that amulet on me," she shouted. "Because without you my life is nothing."
"You are no longer alive," Severus said coldly.
Kata collapsed to the stone floor as Severus walked slowly from the room, his head hanging low.
Several nights later Severus was sitting alone in a dark bar nursing the remains of his firewhisky. He had always felt comfortable in the dark, at peace even, but now he just looked as miserable as the rest of the bar's sad occupants.
He swirled his drink around and contemplated getting another, when the man he was waiting to meet sat down opposite him.
"Severus," he said. "I was surprised to hear from you so soon. You have affirmed my faith in you."
"Apafi," Severus greeted, pushing his glass away and gesturing for the waitress to bring him another.
"You look upset," Apafi noted. "You should be proud of your success."
"Here's to success," Severus scoffed taking his fresh drink from the waitress and finishing it in one mouthful.
He slammed the empty glass onto the table and reached into his jacket, pulling out a small leather pouch.
"Did you know what the amulet really was?" Severus asked, sliding the pouch across the table.
"I know no more than what you wrote on the note from your owl."
"It is a powerful weapon," Severus said quietly. "Keep it safe."
Apafi carefully opened the pouch and peered inside, the glow from the blue stone reflected on his face.
"Now that we have an idea of just what it is capable of, it is more important than ever that it stays in the possession of the Dark Force Defence League."
"And what does the League plan to do with it?"
"We will put it away," Apafi answered tucking it away under his tattered brown robes. "It is far too dangerous for anyone to ever know about. If it should ever fall in the wrong hands…"
Apafi trailed off, frowning at the look Severus was giving him.
"And are your hands the right ones?" Severus asked.
"There are many people and groups in our world, made up of all kinds of people, sadly the majority of them are out to serve themselves; I assure you Professor Snape that the Dark Force Defence League is unique. The anonymity of our members, even with each other, makes us virtually incorruptible."
Severus sighed heavily; weary from the physical and emotional pains of his journey to Romania. He stood up to leave.
"The League thanks you Severus for your work," Apafi said. "No doubt you will be called upon to assist us in the future… should you wish."
Severus sighed again and turned around, leaving Apafi sitting alone at the table. He pushed his way through the bar doors and out into the cold. He pulled his jacket tight around him as he walked down the street.
