Talbott has seen his life flash before his eyes once, back when Jasper Munday's men have tried to get rid of him. At that moment he saw at the back of his mind all those that he loved, all those that he held dear during the course of his life. However the moment Snape started chanting the killing curse, there were no more images haunting him, he was still in a state of shock, still trying to understand everything. Everything was a blank canvas, ready to be painted once more, if only he could find the necessary inspiration and colors.
His mind refused to catch up with everything, despite the pain tearing through his system, dimming all that has ever made him shine.
It was not his mind that necessarily caught up to what was happening, but his body that appeared to be on auto pilot, the desire to live burning through his damaged core like wild fire. Something inside him still screamed when danger was near or staring him in the face. A defense mechanism enhanced throughout his entire life.
And what could be more fierce than the anger of a man loosing someone?
A quick and precise spell cast Snape into the table Talia laid on, his body flipping over hers, hand grabbing onto anything that could subdue the fall. He tumbled, taking her alongside him, limp corpse landing on top of him, both males in the room tensing up.
Snape pushed her off him as if it was for the first time he had seen a corpse, a gasp falling from his lungs as with the force of his motion her head hit against the floor with a loud thud. Snape got up quickly, hand outstretched to counter the attack Talbott threw against him, Moody walking back inside the room the very next second.
"Are you two mad?" his eyes scanned Talia's body on the floor, head shaking as both wands were dropped to their sides, yet they still remained between steady fingers "I leave you alone for a few minutes and this is what you do? Nymphadora come help me."
Rapid footsteps came from outside, her immediately retaliating "What did I say? Never call me…" the words chocked inside her throat, constricting to silence, as her eyes widened. She searched Talbott's face who refused to look away from Snape, however the telltale signs of suffering and crying were still carved on his face, eyes red at the rims, blood washed away by rain and tears in some parts. Moody ordered her a second time to come help lift the body, Tonks eventually slowly approaching, wand out at the ready in order to levitate her.
Kneeling close to Talia, she turned her around, shaky fingers pushing back fiery hair, eyes lifting to search the room for answers, to understand the tension living inside of it, growing heavier with each minute. Why were Talbott and Snape fighting? Why was Moody ready to separate them without hesitation? Why was it suddenly so quiet outside?
And above it all, how, how did she die when she was right there fighting not too long ago?
She could hear her own heart beating wildly as she blinked away some tears, not bothering to wipe them away as she cleared her throat in order to chant the spell learned so many years ago.
Brows furrowed as she leaned closer, trying to discern a small sound, more than certain her mind was playing tricks on her "What are you doing?" ignoring Moody's gritty voice, her ear pressed against Talia's chest, her lips hushing everyone who dared to even breathe too hard.
"Can't you hear it?" she enquired it, the very question sucking up all the air inside the space they sat.
"Hear what?" Moody's eyes searched the body for anything out of the ordinary, Snape slowly moving past him to also kneel near Talia, battle with Talbott being pushed at the back of his head.
"It's like the crackling of fire." True to Tonks's words, as Snape also listened intently, there it was, faint but growing stronger, as if something was smoldering inside Talia's body, burning like hot embers. She was still hot to the touch, temperature actually rising as if she was running a fever, color in her cheeks still strong. Unbuttoning her shirt to reveal her scar, Snape listened in again, not able to understand what was happening right in front of him.
As he searched his mind, the sound appeared to intensify from within, soon a soft glow shinning underneath the damaged skin. Scar tissue started closing up, repairing itself right under their eyes, muscles fussing together, leaving on the surface of her milky skin, a single long scar. It looked as how any scar should have looked after so many years, as if it was healed properly and not during the course of many months, with magic barely making a dent against the accursed ritual performed.
And Constantine Crane's words came back screaming into Snape's mind.
"She has been exposed, now I need her dead before she can fulfill her true purpose." The day those words were uttered inside his kitchen he thought nothing of them, did not even pay them too much mind as it was indeed just his plan, one he had heard over and over again. She was found out, alive, and she needed to die in order for her heart to be taken out.
Now however, as dark eyes kept watching her body, he understood the real meaning behind the message.
She had indeed been exposed at the Auror training camp when Jasper cut her with a specific blade. It indicated she used her powers, tapped into them, making everything about her stronger.
"Now I need her dead…" which had happened and if his hunches were correct, a similar blade was used to end her life, it was not meant for anyone other than her. Talbott was just a ruse, Constantine knew she would sacrifice her life for his no matter what. Snape was willing to bet his life on it, on the idea that the blades used on her were exactly the same ones from the rituals performed on the children.
"So that means…" Snape whispered to himself as the idea truly formed inside his mind.
Barely had he time to finish that sentence that Talia's eyes flung open, hot embers coloring her vision, eyes glowing from between dark long lashes. Her mouth opened, releasing a scream, not one that should be able to be ripped from the throats of humans, but of Phoenixes, as fire burned from her palms, causing everyone to back away.
"Before she can fulfill her true purpose…"
As she rose slowly to her feet, fire surrounding her, Snape understood everything. The heart that Constantine needed was finally ready. He had succeeded in creating the perfect ritual and unwillingly he helped all the way. It started with saving her, it continued with training her. He was to blame for the ritual succeeding.
As for Talia?
Well, she was confused, visibly distraught, her body shaking as if it was struggling to adapt to what was happening to her. Her eyes were circling the room, frantically searching for something, stopping only when she set her sight on Talbott.
His breath hitched, tears streaming down his face effortlessly, as he trembled to his very core.
Dozing down her flames, she took a step, stumbling to the ground, eyes lowering to look at her chest "What?" she barely spoke as she continued to blink in utter disbelief. Inside her head, nothing made sense, nothing was connecting as it should have. Her chest heaved as her lungs struggled to find a normal breathing pattern, her eyes not dying out as they burned with fire and fury "What is happening to me?" it felt as if fire was burning down her throat, nails reaching out to claw at her skin.
"He did it, Constantine managed to create an immortal heart." upon hearing Snape's words, Talia just shook her head frantically trying to dismiss the notion entirely. She refused to allow him near her, flames lashing out as if to protect her from everyone "Talia you died."
"No, you're wrong, that's not possible." she uttered trying to regain a standing position, eyes focusing back on Talbott "Is it true?" however she could read it clearly in his eyes. All that pain trapped in his features had to come from something, all the shock riddling everyone's faces, rendering even Moody speechless was solid evidence.
"It's true." Talbott's voice shook as words left his mouth, Talia burying her face in the palm of her hands, Tonks letting out a gasp since fire still engulfed her skin. Slowly, Talbott took a step, then another and then another as he approached her "Talia, look at me."
Lifting her firelit eyes, anger burned through her core, not fear, nor tears "I'll burn them all to ash, each and every last one of them. For what they did to me, for what they did to you." extending a hand, she wiped away at his cheek, Talbott shinning away from her touch, despite the flames not hurting him. She paid little mind to his gesture the first time around, however when she reached out a second time and he once again did not allow her to touch him, she looked for signs.
How his head dipped, eyes averting from her, not being able to even look her in the eyes. How more pain sprung to the surface when she tried to touch him, Talbott silently begging her not to.
"You're ashamed." she softly spoke lifting her brows.
"And he has every reason to be." Snape hissed, glaring at Talbott.
One line, one step forward, one touch to burn through the fabric of his clothes, him recoiling "Careful Severus, I don't take kindly to you dragging him through the dirt." cocking her head to the side she spoke again "I stepped in, I ran to save him, if you want to direct your anger at someone, then here I am." she lifted her arms "Come and get me."
And that was the moment Moody had had enough of everyone "I don't know what is going on" he slowly wobbled closer to them "because it makes no bloody sense." pointing his staff at Talia he did not hesitate "There is no magic in this world that can bring people back from the dead, but your heart stopped for far too long so until a plan can be put in place I need you to act dead."
Talia cocked her brows, finally extinguishing the fire entirely "I'm listening."
"About damn time you do." Moody spat out "I know a safe house, you and Winger will go there for the time being, Tonks will be your contact, think you can do that?" Tonks nodded enthusiastically, Talia and Talbott agreeing "Good, we still hold an advantage, as long as the enemy believes you died, we have a chance to still see this through."
They provided enough time for Snape to slip out undetected, however he was certain the actions he performed that day and the decisions made would come back to haunt him. Moody and Tonks put on their best sad faces as Talbott walked out carrying Talia who was playing a good game of pretend. He kept checking her constantly, trying to convince himself she was still alive. She breathed so slow and rarely that she indeed looked like she was a corpse. Yet her skin still felt warm to the touch, she was still there, in his arms, life burning through her veins.
They left London, following Moody's directions for a safe house he knew of.
Once settled in and all alone, it felt as if the silence weighted down on them, as if they were both being punished. Talbott closed himself up inside the bedroom, Talia being left alone inside the middle of the living room, mind working constantly. She went back on events, put pieces together as she started pacing. And as ideas started forming, the small apartment suddenly felt like it was suffocating her. She was running away once more, she was forced into a corner, backed into it against her will.
As for Talbott, he remained inside for more than half a day, berating himself, listening in to ensure she was actually still in the apartment and he was not just losing his mind and was being haunted by her ghost. However as soon as he finally left the sanctuary of the bedroom, Talia was there waiting, taking note, Talbott looking like a deer in the headlights.
She took a few steps towards him, his back pressing against the wooden door, ready to run back inside the room. However now he was not taking his eyes off her, he needed the final confirmation that she was indeed alright, alive "It's alright, I'm still me." she slowly uttered extending a hand out to him. He did not waste a second after that, feet moving in to close the space between them, hands wrapping so tight around her, that he feared he would break her body in his embrace. Yet she said nothing, also keeping him close, kissing his cheeks multiple times, running her fingers through his hair, Talbott burying his face in her neck. She could feel the tension, there was still so much pain riddling his body, despite her being there with him in the flesh.
"Don't worry darling, I'm here and I know what needs to be done."
Lifting his face, their eyes connected, something savage dancing in her vision "Why do I have a bad feeling about this?"