With Talia shifting into an even more defensive position than before, it felt as if everything became a waiting game. For the next attack, the following move, the inevitable. At least for Talbott.
As far as she was concerned, she spent countless hours losing herself in between books and words, almost refusing to do anything else in between unless completely necessary. Deep inside she knew she could not just up and leave everything and everyone behind, but without keeping her mind occupied, the feeling took a deeper dive inside of her.
And so did her interests. She expanded her search, she started reading about different countries, their languages and customs. She was reading upon things that had nothing to do with her and the situation currently in, anything and everything to just not focus on the present time.
Venturing through the dusty shelves of the vast library, silent steps walked, eyes analysing. As always Talia sat in the farthest corner possible, hiding between the pages she dedicated her attention to. Pulling the cardigan tighter around her body, she suppressed a yawn before frowning slightly. Blinking a few times, she extended her hand out to the coffee cup, taking a sip before readjusting her position in the uncomfortable chair, lashes fluttering as she grimaced once more.
Rubbing her face, she glanced outside the window, a deep frown washing over her face features before she relaxed and sighed. Getting up, she walked over to the window, a slight breeze blowing through her hair, watching her slight reflection on the glass surface, Talia spoke "Don't come any closer."
Turning around, she stared at the intruder who dared to approach. His face did not give anything away, eyes casting on the books, however he did not offer her any words.
"What do you want?"
Lifting his eyes to stare at her, he shook his head "Shouldn't you be more concerned with how I found you?"
She shook her head, coming closer to the table, closing her books "Maybe you like to read, though you don't strike me as the Muggle literature type. But if you ever need a recommendation." Picking up her precious books, she motioned for him to follow her as she went to place them back in their shelves "Are you here to tell me I'm being careless Akira?"
"That's none of my concern."
She smirked, however did not share the reason behind her gesture. Thin fingers travelled across different book spines, her hands dancing on top of them, Talia ignoring Akira completely. He did not talk unless spoken to, but his eyes never left her, a good distance being kept between them as he continued to watch her.
"Why are you here then? I can't imagine it's for my sake, we don't know each other."
"No" he spoke low and deep, Talia listening in, his voice as if too rough for the silent library, yet somehow fitting "but we have a mutual acquaintance."
Talia's brow cocked slightly. If Dumbledore managed to keep to his promise and recruit Akira to their side, something was bound to give. He never did something without receiving a thing in return "I have nothing more to offer to him nor do I want to." A hint of confusion appeared on his otherwise unreadable face, Talia further adding "If Dumbledore convinced you to join his side then he wants something. And if you're here it has something to do with me and I want no part in it."
"He is a cryptic old man, not even mentioning your name, but he did not ask for anything. As for me joining him, that's still up for debate."
Taking a few steps towards him, she noticed him tense, Talia stopping in her tracks taking it as a sign that was as much as he allowed her to approach without it resulting in a fight "Then we're walking about in circles since you didn't tell me the reason behind your visit. It's not for books, most definitely not because you wished to see me, so what is it?" Akira remained silent, Talia just shaking her head, chuckling to herself "Alright then, thank you for stopping by. Maybe next time you'll talk more, I promise you I'm not that bad of a company."
"Aren't you going to ask about the Death Eaters? Their plans?"
Clicking her tongue, she sighed "Do you plan on actually telling me anything?" Akira just shaking his head. Wrinkling her nose, she gestured towards him "Then what the actual fuck?" she saw that hint of anger flashing, a warning, small but noticeable if you knew where to look. He was not used to being spoken in such a manner "Look, I didn't ask for you on our side. Similar to me or not, that's not my problem."
"We are nothing alike girl."
Walking a bit closer to him, she just inclined her head "Alright, until next time my dear." His brows quirked at the use of words, but her tone was not lost on him. Dumbledore's words regarding her were cryptic, much like most of the times he talked, however it was clear he cared about the girl and wished for her safety. How he was going to help with that was beyond him.
Uttering an address, Talia turned around abruptly "They will attack at sundown, judging by the time you don't have long." She went pale thinking of everyone inside the safe house, Felix, Jasper and Mirunna included "If it's any consolation it wasn't your fault. They weren't careful."
She nodded once, taking in his words as her mind worked to come up with a plan on the spot. There was not enough time to call upon anyone and even if she did, she would risk their lives in the process. What if it was an ambush, what if the man in front of her was lying and he was sending her to her grave? Or he was working with her father? Directly underneath Voldemort?
"I need your help."
"Excuse me? What makes you think I would help you?" he was genuinely surprised by her request if anything, almost amused by it "You know nothing of me, of what I can do."
"No" she spoke taking a step forward, sparks lighting up inside her eyes "but if Dumbledore wants you on his side then you must be good. He allowed everything to happen to me in order to make me a weapon, you must already be one."
"Aren't you afraid I'm going to betray you?"
Anger bubbled in her gut, threatening to spill, not because of him, but because of another situation she was being thrust in without warning "Oh I know you will, but that time is not now Akira."
Smirking, he spoke before turning away from her "I've done more than what was required. This is not my problem."
Wasting no more time in trying to convince him, she ran past him and outside of the library, finding a safe space from which to Apparate from. If the mysterious man was indeed telling the truth she could not take any chances. If he was lying, well then it would be her mistake and her mistake alone.
Taking a swing from her Polyjuice potions, her body started altering to fit the exact face of her neighbour. Crossing the street, she kept a watch out for anything out of the ordinary. The streets were still crowded, cars left and right, people on the sidewalk, in stores. It would not be the first time they attacked Muggles, but if a fight would break out then and there it would be impossible to contain it and not be seen.
Outside of the building a small group of men chatted in front of the small market place. Walking past them, she went to buy a few things, eyes scanning, on the lookout for anything suspicious. If the Death Eaters found the safe house and they did not attack already then maybe they did not know exactly the floor and apartment. But if they did not and they knew of the wizards hiding there then there was a risk of them destroying the building entirely.
Walking back outside, the men were no longer there, Talia going inside the building. Around the corner, as the light illuminated the figure, casting a shadow, she knew someone was there waiting. Humming a song to herself, she walked, faking being startled, jumping, dumping the hot coffee on the man around the corner. He cursed as she apologised, searching her pockets for a tissue. Taking off his coat, her eyes landed on the dark mark "I live in this building, please, let me help, I can take care of that."
"It's fine lady, go."
"I insist." She smiled sweetly, calling the elevator. Urging the man inside, he snarled at her refusing to leave his post. Nodding, she just pushed some Muggle money in his hands, apologising again before entering the elevator, going on a different level than the apartment was on. On the last floor, she magically reinforced the roof door in order to buy themselves some time in case they wanted to enter the building through that.
Feeling the potion running out, she shivered as she transformed back, a sick feeling twisting her stomach. Steadying herself as she leaned against a cold wall, Talia inhaled several times to calm her nerves.
A family of three, a widow, Felix, Jasper, Mirunna.
A ten-story building filled with Muggles, number unknown.
Who gets to live, who gets to be sacrificed? There was no way she could get everyone out not even if she wanted to, collateral damage was part of it.
Opening her eyes, she went to melt the lock on a storage space on the last floor. As expected, several boxes, tools, even clothes were scattered all across that small space. Lighting them ablaze, she went to the elevator cords that were protected by a steel gate. Melting it, she severed the cords with magic, the elevator plummeting to the last floor. Soon enough the fire alarm went off, Talia Apparating on the fifth floor as panic erupted inside the building.
Knocking with the sequence taught, the door swung open, Jasper directing his wand to her face "We need to run, Death Eaters are coming for you all." Pushing past him, she closed the door, placing a spell on the apartment as to not be heard "Move!" she yelled "Leave everything and follow me."
"How do you know they're going to attack?" Felix asked, grabbing a bag already made, Talia's eyes softening since she recognized the behaviour. She taught him to always have something prepared at hand and from the looks of it, he was a fast learner.
"Let's just say I got a tip from an unexpected source."
Getting close to the door, she listened outside for the moment that panicked voices and footsteps passed their floor. Smoke started engulfing the building, her fire not dying out, spreading with unthinkable force. Turning around to watch the scared faces of everyone, Jasper and Mirunna were the first to join her, the family and old woman after, Felix deciding to be the last one to leave and have their backs.
"Jasper" his eyes shot to Talia in an instant "stand by Felix. Help each other. We don't know what's beyond this door. Mirunna, I go first. Protect them." She motioned to the family and old woman "We're all making it out of here, do you understand?"
Placing her hand on the handle, she turned it, everyone covering their mouths and noses up in order to breath, all expect for Talia. Her hand did not burn on the metal as she opened the door. Mirunna cast a protective spell around them as Talia exited into the hall, eyes set ablaze as she extended her hands out, keeping the flames at bay "We need to get to the basement."
"Talia the entire building will collapse on top of us if we don't die by then." Felix yelled from the back of the group, her turning around to look over her shoulder, uttering the words "trust me" to him and the rest.
Making their way down the stairs, it was hard to pick up on everything happening around. The fire raged, sirens blared on the outside, them moving painfully slow under the magic protecting them. Controlling the flames threatening to engulf them and burn them alive was also a more complicated task than Talia anticipated. By the time they reached the second floor, she knew what the fire was doing. Exactly what she told it to, odds in her favour as it moved on her command, prevent anyone from entering from the ground floor, however it was still hard to control everything.
Stopping, she held her hand out, listening in, a cry clearly discernible "Is that a baby?" Mirunna asked, Talia going pale at the very thought, suddenly her skin cold despite the heat inside the building.
"Do not break formation, stay inside the barrier and keep your eyes peeled." Talia ordered, approaching a door as soon as the rest walked a few steps ahead of her. Blasting the door opened, the flames immediately engulfed her, Talia only slightly closing her eyes as she faced away from it. Walking inside, Jasper stopped Felix from breaking the barrier set around them.
"Trust her, she is stronger than you think."
She heard the cries coming from a bathroom, Talia watching the destruction around her. It was her, she did it, those were her flames that she willed as she saw fit. She was to blame. Pushing the door open, the crying stopped, her eyes widening as a spell hit her, flinging her across the room, back colliding with the wall, air leaving her lungs on impact.
Pain split through her lungs as she tried to breath, panic settling in initially, until she heard fighting going on outside in the hallway. The Death Eater approached her, Talia lifting her eyes, mouth agape as she tried to force herself to breathe, even if for a second. The flames started swirling in unknown patterns, her losing control of them, wand directed at her face.
Yells reached her ears from the hallway, her brain catching up with the fact that she actually could not breathe due to the harsh collision and would more than likely be able to soon. Grabbing hold of a random object on the floor, she flung it at the Death Eater, enough to surprise him, hand burning his wand to ashes inside his very palm, getting up, lips pressing against his as fire burned through him, Talia exhaling smoke once he dropped to her feet. Running outside, her fist collided with the metal mask, a second one an open palm as she melted the metal around sensitive skin, cries of pain making her smirk.
"Watch out." Was the only warning she heard from Mirunna as several more Death Eaters emerged from the apartments, magic protecting them.
Talia cracked her neck to the side, pushing back a few inside of the apartment, fight breaking out on all sides. Her arms ached, as if burning from the inside as she launched spell after spell. Controlling the fire was one thing, having to use more magic, another matter entirely. It felt as if she was losing control of her muscles, arms shaking as she could barely hold them up. Another blast tore through her shoulder as if it was nothing, blood painting her skin and clothes as she hit the floor, eyes focused on the tip of the wand directed towards her.
"Cruc…" the rest of the spell was a blood gurgling sound as a blade was thrust in the neck of the Death Eater, Talia glancing up as strong arms lifted her back up on her feet.
She could not help the smile spreading on her lips as she nodded her head at Akira, silently thanking him "We need to reach the basement now, I can't control this fire anymore."
"Why the basement?"
Felix and Jasper came in sight, Talia stepping in front of Akira when they lifted their wands to attack "He's with me." She added in order to prevent another fight from breaking out. Walking out in the hallways, Felix took hold of her as she could barely steady herself. Her eyes watched the group, two members already lost to the wrath of the Death Eaters "We need to go to the basement, through the brick wall we can reach the market. They have a back alley blocked off that has a sewer. We'll escape through there."
"If there's anything still there. This fire is decimating the building." Akira protested.
Talia exhaled, eyes flickering as she struggled "I know, I did this. I can try to hold it, but we need to move, now." Her eyes flashed bright, defiant even as she tried to keep the flames at bay, her letting go of Felix. Reaching her arms out, spells held concrete in place, smoke from affecting them, Akira walking beside her all this time, as if nothing could affect him.
As they reached the basement, his spell broke through the walls, him ensuring they all got underground safely. Voices from inside the building drew his attention back, Talia calling out to him "Come with us. It's not safe."
Turning around to look at her, he cast a protective spell around them, not allowing her to reach him as Death Eaters arrived at their location "Go, don't worry about me. I know what to do." Taking out in one of his hand a blade as the other held his wand, Akira lunged himself into actions as Felix pulled Talia away.
They arrived to her and Talbott's house a mess, way late into the night, Talia almost ready to collapse when she saw him. He grabbed hold of her as he searched her face as well as the others "We lost two Talbott." Was all she said before he cradled her at his chest.
"I'll take care of them, make certain they are comfortable at least." Taking her upstairs, he let her collapse on her bed all dressed and dirty, Talia falling asleep immediately as her head hit the pillow.
Arriving back downstairs, Talbott assigned sleeping places and fresh clothes as everyone went to wash up while he started on a hot meal. It was the least he could do with everything being thrust upon him. The least he could do for the survivors, despite who they were in the past.