Chapter Five Through the Darkness and Into the Night

Helga tried to go to sleep but she couldn't force her body to do it. Something didn't seem right and she could feel the chill of the unknown glide across her body. The hallways were completely empty, just like they should have been. Everything was quiet. . Almost too quiet. Helga's footsteps echoed as she walked along the corridor. Something was drawing her to Godric's room but she wasn't sure what it was.
Then it happened. A sharp piercing scream cut through the silence that had loomed for too long. Helga began racing toward where the scream had come from and tried to place who had screamed. It had been a female she was almost sure of it.
She pushed open the door without hesitating and walked into the dark room. She could hear muffled crying coming from a corner. Hidden in the shadows was Lilac who was now sobbing uncontrollably.
"What's wrong?" Helga asked in panic. All she got in response was Lilac pointed toward the bed. Slowly Helga walked across the room and swiftly she pulled away the covers. Lying on the bed and Godric. His ice cold body stood unusually still and she knew that he wouldn't wake up. "Did you see who done this?" Helga asked. She patiently waited for Lilac to stop crying long enough for her to talk clearly.
"I think it was Salazar," she said through sobs. "I didn't see him do it but who else would hurt Godric?" Helga tried to think of another person that could have done it but Salazar was the only real suspect.
"No one," Helga replied as she looked out the window. "No one."

Rowena had been awake for hours but she still couldn't explain the sight before her. The castle had been chosen to guard the sorcerer's stone but now it was gone. She had an idea of one person that could have taken it but she prayed, for mostly Helga's sake, that she was wrong.
"I'm going after him," Helga said from behind her, her voice was definite.
"Are you sure you're strong enough?" Rowena asked in concern. "It hasn't been long since you had your child."
"I'll be fine," Helga said. "I think he's in the Longerin Castle. It's up north and it shouldn't take me long to get there."
"Just promise me you'll be careful," Rowena said softly. "I just lost one of my best friends. I'm in no mood to lost another."
"I promise," Helga said as she turned to leave. "I wish I could change what I done."

The castle was dark and dim. Only a few torches lined the walls and even those threatened to go out at any second. It hadn't taken long for Helga to find the castle but now she was debating whether or not she should have came. The castle was huge and she had no clue how long it would take her to find him. Thankfully- or unfortunately- she ran into him.
"I'm so sorry Salazar," Helga began in quick words. "I shouldn't have come here. I'm just going to go." She turned around to leave but Salazar stopped her.
"I didn't kill him Helga," he began slowly. "I didn't steal the stone but somehow it ended up here. The last thing I remember from that night was going into the forest. After that I don't remember anything."
Helga took out her wand and pointed it at Salazar.
"Corinith!" She screamed. Instantly a black shadow emerged from Salazar. It dashed into the shadows created by the flames and disappeared. "It was a shadowith," she explained quickly once she seen the confusion in Salazar's eyes. "It takes control of you and feeds on your emotions." She paused for a second. "It probably took control of you and killed Godric and then stole the stone." She could hear sympathy for him in her words. "I'm sorry."
"Don't be," Salazar said. "I don't need it."
"What are you going to do now?" Helga asked.
"The only thing I can do," Salazar replied. "You're the only person I ever loved and will ever love. Everyone thinks that I killed Godric and that I stole the stone. Now they probably even think that I kidnapped you." A look of uncertainty crossed his face. "I'm going to show the world what power I really possess."
"Bu Salazar," Helga began but she was cut off. Slowly and passionately Salazar began kissing her. She melted into the kiss. This was what she had been missing her whole life and she wanted it back. She knew that if she could go back now she would chose him. Then maybe they could all live in a fairy tale ending.
"I can't," Helga said as she pushed Salazar away from her. "I chose a different path. I can't change that now."
"I know," Salazar said. Now his voice was cold and filled with hatred. "We can't change our fate." He turned around and began walking down a long corridor. Instantly Helga followed him. He led her to a laboratory that was filed with different potions. In a cage against the wall was one of the largest snakes she had ever seen. "Her name's Nagini," Salazar said. He motioned toward the cages lining the room. "And this is the future."
Helga stared in disbelief at what the cages held. Besides the snake there were thousands of other creatures that looked equally dark and mysterious.
In the closest cage was a man that had shaggy hair. He looked tired and restless, as if something was about to happen.
"He's a werewolf," Salazar began. "I found out a way to force him to change into a wolf during the full moon. The best thing about it is that he can cause other people to become werewolves. He doesn't listen to orders very well though.
Helga just stared in disbelief at the other creatures. In another cage was a woman that looked like Salazar's wife.
"What is she?" Helga asked. "I mean you wife."
"A veela," Salazar smiled proudly. "One of my other inventions." He glanced at the horrified look on Helga's face. "They are programmed to seduce men. They also have an equally nasty half if they get mad."
In another cage was a girl with long, flowing black hair. She wasn't that spectacular looking overall, especially compared to the veela in the cage next to her. This woman though had something different about her that Helga just couldn't place. She looked almost evil.
"I call her a vampire," Salazar said. "She's the worst of all my creations. She sucks blood out of you. She can also command bats to do whatever she needs. She's been trained to fight and she's good at it. She'll be leading my army."
"Your army?" Helga asked. She knew that Salazar could hear the fear in her voice but she didn't care. All she wanted was answers.
"If you don't love me I have no reason to live," Salazar said. "Or I don't have a reason for this earth." He paused dramatically. "So I decided to make an army to destroy it."
"You can't be serious!" Helga shrieked. "You're going to kill everyone just to get back at me?"
"No my dear," he began. "I'm killing everyone to get rid of you. If I can't have you no one will."
"Salazar what happened to all the good that was in you?" Helga asked. "The part of you that didn't want to fall into the same dark magic as your family."
Salazar smiled. "He died when you didn't chose me." He walked over to one of the cages then looked out the window. It was a dark night and the moon shone brightly against the rest of the sky. Helga looked into the cage where the man had been seconds before. Instead of seeing the man she saw an overgrown wolf.
"Better run darling," Salazar smiled before he opened the cage.