Chapter 21: Lord Voldemort
December 26th, cont'd
Elara stumbled back, grasping the table for support and heaving air into her lungs. She stared at her father, watching as a few tears slipped from his eyes and rolled down his hollow face, disappearing into his beard.
"I didn't know." She whispered. "I didn't know that's how she…"
"I've never told anyone. Aside from your mother." He said.
She clenched her eyes, trying to fight off the crushing sadness threatening to envelope her mind completely. Why did he show me this? What does this mean? She thought, trying to make sense of the situation. Everything her father has ever done was calculated. She had never seen him do anything simply because it felt the right thing to do. He had a reason. What was it? She looked down at her bracelet, staring at the stones.
"There's no cracks in any of these." She said.
"I removed it." He said. "The cracked Emerald is kept in our family vault at Gringotts."
She nodded. That made sense. "She cracked it with her magic." She said. "She said she could- she could feel…"
"I have had a lot of time in here." He said. "I have spent many hours thinking, trying to answer questions that have plagued my mind for many years. I believe you and my mother shared the same gift."
"She was an empath?" She asked, pacing the room.
"I believe she was."
"You didn't know, then?"
He shook his head. "My father had always assumed she was unwell. Her mind had been strong, but she succumbed to her emotions often. She had spent time in St. Mungo's for it. I believed her to be insane."
"But she wasn't insane! She was an empath. She was trying to tell you- to warn you!"
He nodded. "I know that now."
"Did you think I was insane?" She asked, stopping in her steps and turning to look at him. "When my abilities began to manifest… Did you think I was loony?"
"When your abilities began to manifest, it brought a lot of questions to the front of my mind from my childhood."
"That's why you took me to the healers though, wasn't it? To see if I was completely out of my mind?"
"Originally, yes." He admitted. "I thought you suffered the same hysteria my mother suffered. That maybe it was some sort of curse on our line."
"When did you realize it wasn't hysteria?" She asked.
"Do you remember when I lost the Ministry account for financial backing of Malfoy Enterprises?" He asked. "You were young, maybe… eight?"
She closed her eyes, drawing her brows together and trying to think. "That was when we stopped selling potion ingredients to the ministry, right?"
He nodded. "I came home after finding out that we lost our biggest account, and I had never been so disgusted with myself. My father was still alive and involved in the company and he had given me an earful. I was angry, and I had slammed something against the wall- a vase I believe."
"It was Mum's crystal dancers!" Elara said, the memory coming back to her. "Those little dancing statues that we had."
"I smashed them." He said. "And you had just entered my office. I sat on the chair and you grabbed my face." He ran his fingers over his cheek. "You said 'Daddy, don't be angry anymore.' And suddenly, I wasn't. At all. I had just lost the largest account I had ever handled on my own, and I wasn't angry. I knew then that you weren't hysterical. My mother was the only person ever able to calm me like that."
"Why are you telling me this now?" She asked, taking her seat across from him at the table. "Why does this matter?"
"I think The Dark Lord knew about my mother's abilities." He said. "I can't be sure, but I believe that was what drew him to my father, to me. There were plenty of other purist, wealthy wizards at the time. I believe he wanted my mother, and that's why she took her own life. She wouldn't be used like that."
"You think he's going to come after me." She said.
"I know he will." He replied.
She clenched her jaw and folded her arms, leaning back in the seat. She stared at him a long moment before speaking again. "Your mother… In your memory she crushed the Emerald and cracked the windows."
"We thought her magic was volatile because of her mental state. I believe now that it was part of her abilities- that they were growing and changing, and we didn't know."
"Physical manifestation of emotional energy." She said. "I've read about it in a muggle book."
He arched an eyebrow at her. "In a muggle book?"
She nodded. "Muggles are fascinated by things they can't understand. There are loads of books that have been written on the subject. She did that a lot then? The physical manifestation?"
"I don't remember it happening a lot." He said. "But by that time, I was at Hogwarts. During summer holidays, I spent them with friends or at our other properties in France or Spain. My mother was in St. Mungo's for most of it."
She twisted the bracelet around her wrist again, looking down at the stones. "You said there's a piece of your soul in this. How? How does one manage that?"
"Malfoy's have a ceremony." He said. "But you must split your soul into two. It ensures a longer life for the wizard who has split their soul, and protection of the person the artefact is gifted."
"Eternal life?" She asked.
"No. Our ancestors do not believe in living forever, only long enough to ensure their line carries on. Once a new generational heir is produced, we simply destroy the artefact and die naturally when the time comes."
"So, you would have waited for Draco to have a son, before destroying this?" She asked.
"Precisely."
"That feels like very dark magic."
"It is." He agreed. "Malfoy's haven't exactly been concerned about the use of Dark Magic to further themselves."
She grimaced. As she opened her mouth to ask another question, the door opened, and Artemis stepped through. "Miss, it's time." He said. "It's been well over an hour. I've got to get your father back to his cell."
She stood and looked over Lucius once more. He slowly rose from his seat, his back remaining slightly hunched as he limped around the table. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into his chest. "I love you, Ellie." He said. "Please know that, you have to know that."
"I know, dad." She said. "I- I love you, too."
"Tell your mum, and your brother." He said. "Please."
"I will."
"Don't speak of this, though. To anyone else."
"I know." She said. She pulled away from him, allowing her eyes to sweep over him one last time. She pressed her fingers against his temple. "Some peace for you." She whispered, thinking of their laughing faces as they scrubbed muffin batter from the Manor's kitchen. "I think about it all the time, too."
He gave a sad smile and pressed his lips to her forehead. "Be strong, my flower."
She walked to the door, taking the large arm that Artemis offered and looked ahead. She could hear the soft sobs coming from her father as the door shut behind her.
As soon as she crossed the threshold of the Manor's wards, she could feel that something was off. The grounds were much too quiet. The peacocks were nowhere to be seen. No birds chirping from the hedges or trees and even the fountains seemed as though they were splashing in a whisper. She pulled her cloak tighter to her frame and marched forward, the nervousness returning to her chest and her head swimming with the meeting she had just left.
The closer she got to the door, the more she could feel her magic tingling through her fingers. She took a deep breath as she opened the door and looked around.
Everything seemed normal.
She exhaled the breath she had been holding and unfastened her cloak. She looked around, realizing Nimsy had not yet appeared to take her cloak for her and lead her to wherever her mother was at. Hm… Strange. She thought as she made her way up the stairs to the east wing of the house to change into something a little less formal and collect her wand and Protean charmed coin. She pushed open her bedroom door and bent over, unfastening her boots and slipping them off. She padded over to her nightstand, where her wand and coin were resting. She smiled to herself, glad to see Draco had enough sense to put her items where she could find them.
She picked up the coin and thought of Harry. Meeting was interesting.
It was almost instantly warmed in her hand. Tell me about it
When we return for term.
I'll hold you to it.
She smiled. I know you will.
Only a week left.
Counting down the days, are we?
Until I get to snog you again, yes!
She chuckled I'll talk to you again later
I love you
I know
She opened the door to her closet and nearly shrieked as the sounds of a scream assaulted her ears. She jumped, whirling around and lost her balance. As she picked herself up from the floor, she heard the screaming again, sobs intermingled with words that were unintelligible. She grabbed her wand off the nightstand, tucked the coin into her pocket and sprinted in the direction of the sound.
Her stockings made it difficult to keep her footing on the marble floor as she rounded the corner to the Dining room and she nearly slid into the doorframe. Her eyes searched the area, trying to make sense of what was happening.
Her mother was collapsed in a heap on the floor, Draco stood in the far corner of the room, his face panic stricken. There were nearly a dozen people sitting at a table, their eyes all trained to her Mother's form and in the center of the room, standing with his wand by his side was The Dark Lord.
Elara froze. She desperately wanted to go to her mother, to gather her in her arms and pull her from the floor. Her feet were like lead and she could feel her lungs closing in on themselves. She had never seen the Dark Lord in person, only in the memories of her Brother and Father and Harry. Anytime the serpentine man was present in their home, she had been banished to her room, locked away until he had left.
He was tall, taller than she thought he'd be. His skin greyish and snakelike eyes almost red in color. The light glinted off the top of his head and he looked as if he positively crawled with death and despair. The terror that she felt around the room was like ice in her veins. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she pulled her eyes away from him, searching Draco's face. Trying to make some sense of what she was seeing. His face blank, but his eyes were petrified.
"I see our guest of honor has finally arrived back from her visit at Azkaban." His voice was a low, chilling baritone that sent shivers of fear straight to Elara's spine. "Tell me, Elara, how is Lucius fairing in prison?"
She continued to stare at Draco, unsure if she should speak. Unsure she'd be able to speak if she wanted to.
"Oh, she's shy." He laughed. The entire room erupted in soft chuckles. "I asked you a question, Elara. Answer me."
She pulled her eyes from Draco's, fear pulsing through her. Her mouth felt dry and swallowed, trying to calm herself down. "He's not doing well, sir." She whispered.
"Not doing well?" He gave a smile of sharp teeth. "How do you mean?"
"He's malnourished." She said, knowing how stupid she sounded. "And he-he's dirty."
He took a few long strides around the room, shaking his head and making a "tsk tsk" noise. "Starving and filthy. How unfortunate."
She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother whimpering on the ground. She had sat up now, but remained huddled in her robes in the corner, eyes cast down to the ground and tears still streaming her face. He tortured her. To find out where I was. He must have. She thought, dragging her eyes back to the Dark Lord's pacing form.
"There seems to be some… confusion." He spoke again, addressing the crowd of black robed wizards. Elara flinched as she heard her Aunt Bellatrix cackle in a crazed delight. "About why we are here today."
Every set of eyes were trained on him, watching his every move intently, clinging to his every word. Elara moved her eyes over the table, recognizing a few of the Death Eaters as people who had been to the Manor for parties and gatherings. Her eyes stopped when they reached Snape. She held his gaze for a moment, trying to figure out what he was thinking.
"You see," The Dark Lord continued. Elara's eyes snapped back to him. "It has come to my attention, that we have all been made a fool." Many of the followers looked around, confused and wondering what he was talking about.
"How many of you knew that the Malfoy's had a daughter? That our dear Draco, had a twin?"
Many of them nodded, said "aye" or raised a finger or hand.
"And how many of you were under the impression that their daughter was not of sound mind?"
The same responses followed. Draco and Snape both unmoving.
"Does it surprise you all, to see her here? To hear her voice?"
"Yes, My Lord." Chorused around the room.
"You see," He turned to address her again. "Your father told me that you were unable to help in our cause because you were too… Fragile."
That word again. Fragile. The word that had been sending fire through her veins in recent months. The sound of it rolling off the Dark Lord's tongue made her stomach roll with fury and froze her blood at the same time. She bit down, clenching her jaw. She could feel her nostrils flare slightly as she breathed through them.
"Oh?" He said, tilting his head a bit as he stared at her. "Struck nerve, have we?"
Laughter again. Cold, mocking laughter. She raised her chin, doing her best to ignore her mother's quiet whimpers and the absolute terror rolling off Draco. She glanced at her brother, he looked confused now, worried.
The Dark Lord raised a hand, signaling his followers to silence themselves. "I believe that you are not fragile at all, Elara."
The sound of her name from his lips drew the bile of her stomach into her throat. She held his gaze; her face hardened and resolve unwavering. He knew. He knew and he was toying with her.
"In fact, I believe that with the right motivation, you could be stronger than most in this room. More powerful than any of them." He waved his hand about. "I think given the circumstances you owe us a demonstration. Dolohov, come here."
A thin man, a few inches shorter than Draco, stepped forward. He rounded the table and kneeled before his Lord. "My Lord." He said.
"Stand up."
Dolohov stood, turning to face Elara. His face remained blank, dark eyes trained on her silvers. He was confused and scared. He had no idea what was going on, and even though his face showed confidence, his emotions rolled off him.
"Force his emotions forward." The Dark Lord said. "Show me pain."
Elara stood, her wand arm twitching. She couldn't overpower anyone here, save for possibly Draco. Even then, Draco was an extremely skilled martial dueller and although she knew she was better with charms and spells than he was, he was faster, not to mention she had no desire to duel her brother. She wanted so badly to send a hex to the serpent in front of her, but she knew her chances of making it out of the room alive should she attempt that were none. Instead, she tucked her wand in her pocket and folded her arms across her chest.
"No." She said, her voice coming out with far more conviction than she felt.
A wicked smile flashed across his face and she heard Draco's gasp. "No?"
"No." She repeated.
The crowd behind him began murmuring. He held up a hand again. "Silence."
He rolled his wand about in his hand and tapped his chin. "You dare defy me?" Fury. Pure fury hit her like a wall.
"I dare." She said, holding her chin high. "I will not hurt this man for you."
"I had heard you were intelligent." He said, his words coming slowly from his lips. "I had heard you were exceptionally talented. Tell me, dear child, what am I feeling?"
She held his gaze a moment before daring to close her eyes. She focused on him, wading through the shock, terror, and confusion that was pulsating around the room. "Fury. Curiosity. Astonishment." She opened her eyes. "Hatred. Jealousy."
She lost her composure with a slight jump as he began clapping his hands loudly. "Very good. Very Good indeed. Tell me, what is your mother feeling?"
She clenched her teeth again as she slowly dragged her eyes to her mother, her blue eyes blood shot and puffy. "Terror. Remorse. Hatred. Hu-humiliation."
"Empaths have the ability to read emotions." He said, turning to address the Death Eaters. "To change and manipulate emotions. To control a person's mind through their emotions and to eventually, control the things around them. They are able to make a person believe they have done something they have never done. Or make them forget something they have. This ability could be extremely… valuable to our cause." He turned quickly and took four long steps, stopping just before her. "You are something of value, to me, my dear. Now, show me what you can do."
Her heart was racing in her chest. She could feel his impatience growing and his handle on his anger was weakening by the second. You are not one of them. She thought, over and over. I am not one of them. She could feel the hair standing on the back of her neck as the fear prickled her skin.
"No." She said, voice unwavering.
"Pity." He said, his teeth showing in a snarl. "Dolohov, return to your seat. Draco, come here."
Her eyes widened as Draco crossed the room. His knees looked as if they were going to buckle and he was visibly sweating. Fear was consuming him. He swallowed and she could see the lump in his throat bob.
"There is punishment for defying your Lord, is there not?" He said.
"Y-Yes." He stammered. His breathing had become heavy.
"I think a round of Cruciatus will help, don't you?"
Elara's eyes stayed locked on Draco as he stared at her, helplessness washing over him. "M-my Lord?"
"I believe you are familiar with the curse, Draco. Or, do you need reminding?"
"No, My Lord." He looked at Elara, his eyes flickering back and forth between hers. He slowly pulled his wand, aiming it to her chest. She took a step forward, feeling the tip of his wand graze her sternum.
"It's okay." She whispered, not caring that all eyes were on them. "It's okay. Do it."
"How sweet." The Dark Lord laughed. "Encouraging your own torture. Draco, you do it, or I will."
"You have to mean it." She whispered, not losing his gaze. "You have to mean it, Draco."
He gave a curt nod.
Please mean it. Please don't let him torture me! She begged him in her head. She gave him a small smile and closed her eyes. She took a few deep breaths, trying to calm herself down as fear pulsed through her core.
"Crucio!" Draco cried.
She dropped to her knees and bit down on her tongue. The fire in her veins came alive like fiendfyre, shredding through her body. She fell forward on all fours as the feeling intensified. It was as if all her nerve endings had been set ablaze and her muscles flayed from her bones. She fell onto her elbows, writhing in her skin, biting down on the inside of her mouth until she tasted blood. She couldn't scream, couldn't give the satisfaction to him. Suddenly her lungs were in a vice, filled with lava and collapsing in on themselves, her bones felt as if they were splintering and twisting. She fell to her side and craned her neck up to see Draco, his wand still trained on her, tears falling off his chin. She clenched her eyes tight as another wave of white-hot pain tore up her spine, separating every vertebra and forcing her to arch backward. Finally, she opened her mouth to breathe, unable to take it and a loud scream tore from her throat. Tears began seeping from her eyes and she couldn't stop the screams.
"Please!" She begged. "Please, stop!" She screamed as loud as she could.
"Again!" The Dark Lord ordered. "Again, Draco, or I will do it myself!"
"Crucio!" Draco cried again, his voice raw and broken.
Her head lolled to the side and she screamed. She could feel her throat shredding with the intensity of her voice tearing through it. The pain rocketed through her body and forced her to curl forward, her muscles spasming and jerking wildly. She thrashed about, gasping for air like a fish out of water as her lungs burned. She forced her eyes open once more and shoved her hand outward, silently begging the pain to stop. With the motion, everyone stumbled backward, as if a forceful wind tore through the room. Draco landed on the floor, his wand rolling away from him and a look of shock on his face before she closed her eyes and succumbed to the unconscious.
Draco stood, staring out the window. The sunlight warmed his face as he stared over the gardens. He could see his reflection, bleary eyes and stubbled chin, and looked away. He was sure he hadn't slept in three days. He crossed the room and sat in one of chairs Nimsy had put next to the bed. He stared at the tray of food and grimaced, just looking at it churned his stomach and made him feel sick. He looked at the bed, reached a trembling hand forward and pushed the hair from Elara's face.
"You've got to wake up, Ellie." He whispered, his voice shaking almost as much as his hands. "Please, you've got to wake up."
It had been just over three days since he had been forced to torture her. Since he turned his wand on to her and whispered words he could not take back. She had been so confident and so bloody stupid. She should have just pulled some pain from Dolohov, he thought. If she would have just listened. If she would have done as she was told…
"You have to mean it." Her words repeated in his head over and over. The look on her face as she encouraged him, told him it was okay. But it wasn't okay! It would never be okay! And why the hell had she not awakened yet?! He could remember the first time he had been crucioed. He was unconscious a few hours….
He looked down at her, feeling disgusted by himself and knowing that when she woke- if she woke, she was going to kill him. She was going to burn the house down and everyone in it. His eyes pulled from her face down to her left forearm and his heart shattered all over again. He had been such a coward.
After she collapsed and went unconscious, after she had tried to end it and fight them off, the Dark Lord had become enraged. Draco had watched as he dragged her limp body to the table, by her neck and branded her. The smell of her searing flesh was still caught in his nose and the wild look in the Dark Lord's eye as he said "She will no longer disobey me" haunted him.
Yesterday a healer had visited. One of the healers his mother knew. She had done an examination and said there was no physical damage, her vitals were fine, and she was in overall good health. That she should be awake by now.
"You should be awake by now." He said. "Why aren't you awake?"
He hung his head, feeling tears burn his eyes again. This was his fault. He involved her. He allowed her to be involved. He should have sent her to the island off the coast of Marseille when he had the chance. Shouldn't have given her the choice, just pressed a portkey into her hand and made her leave. He pressed his elbows into his thighs, cradling his head in his hands.
A soft knock at the door forced him to pull his head up. "What?" He spat.
His mother stepped in. "You need to sleep, my Dragon." She said. "You need to eat something, and you need to sleep."
He shook his head. "I'm fine." He said. "I'm not hungry."
"You can not sit here and whither and die next to her bed." She said.
"It's my fault." He said. "I'll do as I see fit."
She pursed her lips and furrowed her brow in concern. "I will not lose both of my children."
Draco closed his eyes again, sighing heavily. "It should be me in that bed. She wanted out. She didn't even want to come home for Christmas. It should have been me."
He looked up as the door creaked again and Snape stepped through, holding a black bag. Draco looked at him, narrowing his eyes in confusion and stood. "What are you doing here?"
"I have potions." He said, looking down to his bag. "Things that may be of help."
"The healers gave her potions." Draco spat. "Nothing is working."
"I'm aware." Snape said. "However, I don't think a simple Pepper-Up is going to help here."
Draco arched an eyebrow. "What do you think is wrong with her?"
Snape crossed the room and stood next to the bed, setting his bag on the edge of it and looking down at Elara. "I believe she is mind-locked."
"Locked up in her own head?" Draco asked. "She wouldn't do that."
"She may not have been given the choice."
Snape uncrossed Elara's arms and looked down, staring at the inside of her left forearm. "It could be her subconscious' way of coping with the mark. She was not conscious when she was given the mark, she was forced to take on a dark binding spell that she wanted no part of. I believe this is her way of defying it."
"She can't sleep forever." Draco said. "If he calls her with the mark, she'll have to go."
"If she is unconscious, the mark will have no control over her."
"If you wake her, she'll have to follow his orders." Draco said. "If this is her way of defying him…"
"As you said, she cannot sleep forever." Snape said.
Draco sighed. He looked down at Elara again. Her chest was rising and falling in slow rhythm and she looked so peaceful. He wanted her wake, he was worried, scared that she would never wake. But… But he was certain that when she woke, when she saw the mark on her arm, she would explode. She would destroy everything in her path.
How could he have stood by and let this happen? Why didn't he stop it? Why didn't he step in and do something, anything?! He felt sick. Nauseated with himself and furious with everyone around him. No one had stopped it. They just let him mark an unconscious sixteen-year-old girl because he was jealous that she has powers that he doesn't possess!
"You didn't stop him." Draco said. "You're supposed to help us. You- you could have-
"Done what?" Snape said. "What could I have done? I would have gotten her and myself killed, had I stepped in."
Draco scrubbed his face with his hands, too exhausted to argue. "What are you going to do to her?"
"I'm going to attempt to enter her mind and pluck her out."
"With a potion?"
Snape gave a curt nod. "It will make her lucid. She'll be able to realize she's stuck in her head and not actually conscious in whatever memory she's locked herself into. It's a combination of the potion and Legilimency that will hopefully wake her up."
"Is it going to hurt her?"
"No." Snape said, opening his bag and pulling out his wand and a vial of black liquid. He unstopped the inky potion and poured it into a decanter, swirling it around several times. He pulled a dropper from his bag and filled it about halfway, setting the other items on the side table. He pulled one of the chairs to the bedside and took his seat. "I need silence and complete concentration. Leave this room."
"No." Draco said. "No, I'm not leaving her."
"Draco." He looked up, having completely forgotten his mother was present. "You must let Severus work. Please. Go take a shower and a nap. If she wakes up, she won't want to see you like this."
"If you hurt her, I'll kill you." Draco said, his voice cold and serious.
"If I hurt her, I'll spare you the trouble, and do it myself."
Draco grimaced, leaned down to place a small kiss on Elara's forehead and left the room behind his mother.
Snape traced the brand on Elara's arm with his forefinger. It was raised and angry, as if her very skin was rejecting the thought of it. He sighed and looked at her face, saddened by what had happened to her. She knew so much, she could have offered so much information to save herself, and she stood against him. He admired her bravery but abhorred her stupidity. He leaned forward and placed the tip of the dropper between her lips, emptying its contents into her mouth. He held her nose and mouth shut, forcing her to swallow and released.
He waited a moment, giving the potion time to work its way through her system. He then pressed the tip of his wand to her temple and muttered "Legilimens".
Images swirled around him, dancing in and out of his view and grasp. He remained still for a moment, he felt like he was physically standing in her head as it warped and twisted about him. Finally, he began to sift through her memories, wading through months and years of flashing scenes, all seemingly dull and uninteresting.
Like walking through doors, he pushed on, through each memory, looking for something specific to hold on to. Finally, he found her.
The memory was jarring to say the least, and he rolled his eyes at the sight of the nude teenagers. He felt uncomfortable and intruding.
The couple was laid in bed and Snape took a sharp breath when he realized the boy was Harry Potter. He knew they had a relationship, knew they had been friendly, but did not expect that they had become this close. Potter's arms were wrapped around Elara, his face buried in her hair as he whispered "I think I love you" into her ear. She looked up at him, a shocked smile on her face. The memory fizzled and then replayed. Over and over, he watched the same scene unfold.
"Elara," He spoke, unsure if this tactic would work.
She finally turned her head away from Potter, who was continuing the same motions as before. "How are you here?"
"You need to wake up." He said. "We haven't much time. You need to come out of this."
The memory fizzled and replayed again, she stayed in the same position, looking over at him. "I don't want to."
"Term starts again in a few days. You need to come with me."
"I won't." She nuzzled her face back into Potter's chest and continued with the motions of the memory.
It cycled through again.
"Elara, you must come with me." Snape said, urgency in his voice as he could feel her pushing him out of her head. "You must wake up. There are things we need to tend to before you return to Hogwarts."
"Leave me." She said. "Leave me here."
"You can not stay locked here. You have to wake up!"
"I'm happy here. Leave me." Her voice began to raise, and Snape could feel the memory crumbling around him as she pushed harder to remove him from her mind. "Get out!"
"Please." He said. "Elara come with me. Draco is worried and-
"Get out!" She shrieked.
He closed his eyes and opened them slowly, he was looking at her on the bed again. He leaned forward and brushed his long black hair from his face. She was stronger than he anticipated. She knew she was locked in her mind and she had no intention of willingly coming out of it anytime soon. He sighed, wondering what had stopped him from stepping in when she was marked. Wondering if it would have made a difference, or if he would have been killed out of spite. He had a role, a place in the ranks. He had plans in motion that his early demise would hinder. He couldn't have risked it. It wasn't feasible. But he could figure out a way to wake her up.
a/n: Hello! How are we feeling after this chapter? Let me know what you thought by reviewing!
So, I'm aware that the entire world is focused on covid-19 and this is a bit of an escape for many of us, so this will be my last mention of it here for awhile. I just want to put it out there again that if you're struggling with it and stressed out about it, there are resources out there that can help. If you're like me and you've been displaced from your job, there are resources! Please take advantage of them. If you're in ohio (specifically in the akron or cleveland areas) please don't hesitate to message me! I've got lists upon lists of resources and people who are looking for temporary help. Places that are handing out free meals (the restaurant I work at is doing this as well), and even places offering free or insanely discounted groceries. If you need help, please ask.
Anyway, this whole being out of a job business has left me extremely bored and what better way to tackle boredom than to write until my fingers bleed?! So that means updates will be frequent until I hit an inevitable writers block haha
Please remember to review and THANK YOU as always for being lovely and reading!
xo
-mimi
