Chapter 8
Voldemort was not pleased. His burning red eyes glared down at the cowering rodent that lay sprawled on the damp dungeon floor blow. "Incompetent fool," he hissed in a deadly voice. The dark wizard gripped the wand in his hand; the urge to cast the killing curse on his most worthless of followers was great. "Avery, Antonin, Walden, Augustus, Lucius, Mulciber, Nott, Rodolphus, Rabastan and now Bellatrix, all in Azkaban." Voldemort continued to glare down his lowly follower. "Each of them loyal, each of them have proven their worth and yet…" the dark wizard gripped even harder around his wand; his deadly white skin flushed to purple under the strain, "I am left with you; you, the most cowardly, worthless one of all. Wormtail was one of the last two Death Eaters of his inner circle.
Wormtail trembled and kissed the bloody edges of his master's robes. "I am loyal to you master. I beg your forgiveness. I will not disappoint you my lord."
Voldemort was not impressed by the groveling man.
The dark wizard looked up and scanned the room to the remaining Death Eaters that had answered his summoning. He examined each masked face; while the masks disguised their identity to other, Voldemort could identify them through the mark that had been burned into their flesh. "Each of you has failed me. Each of you has allowed our numbers to falter." Voldemort was not pleased that the majority of the members of his inner circle were now housed within the walls of Azkaban.
"Yaxley!" Vodemort called out.
A tall thin robed wizard hurried forward from the back of the room and dropped to his knees next to Wormtail. He kissed the hem of his master's robes. "Have you any news?"
"Yes my lord." Yaxley answered somewhat proudly; however, his voice was also laced with fear. "I have learned my lord that they are housed on the upper level of the prison, all except for Bellatrix my lord."
Voldemort made no response, making Yaxley nervous. After an unnerving silence Voldemort asked, "And were is Bella?"
"On the first my Lord," Yaxley replied. The Death Eater took a loud gulp. "She is scheduled for the Kiss tomorrow, in the early morning."
Voldemort nodded.
There was another silence. Yaxley lowered his head toward the floor again now that Voldemort seemed to be finished with him.
Voldemort scanned the room of Death Eaters. The numbers were very few. He took note that Snape was not among those who had made it to the gathering. He knew his Hogwarts spy would find it difficult to appear this night.
"I must have them back." Voldermort's voice hissed quietly.
Then, startling the two groveling servants before him, Voldemort stood in a fluid striking movement, much like a snake and addressed the congregation.
"Avery, Antonin, Walden, Augustus, Lucius, Mulciber, Nott, Rodolphus, Rabastan and dear Bella must be released."
His red eyes traveled back down to Wormtail who was still sniveling on the floor. "You Wormtail will go with Yaxley and return them to me." Voldemort's eyes seemed to burn harder. "Do not fail me."
"No my lord." "We will not fail you my lord." Wormtail and Yaxley stood humbly and bowed to their master as they backed away.
Before they had completely returned to their places in the congregation of dark wizards Voldemort called out to them, "Should you fail, you will regret living."
Both wizards seemed to stiffen for a moment before bowing and returning to their assigned places in the group.
"Leave me now." Voldemort demanded.
The group left quickly, grateful that most had escaped the Dark Lord's wrath.
After they had all left Voldemort looked toward the corner of the room where a tall thin shadow stood. While the other member's of his dark followers had not noticed the presents, he had sensed her entry. "Narcissa why have you come?"
Narcissa Malfoy hurried forward. Her eyes were red from crying. She had been grieving her husband and her sister. She did not waste any time; she dropped to her knees in front of the Dark Lord and bowed. "Thank you my lord." She sobbed. Her tears fell onto the hem of the wizard's blood-stained cloak. The tears seemed to reawaking the sent of death that the blood had forgotten.
"Thank you my lord!" Narcissa repeated. "They will be returned?" She had hoped that Voldemort would deem her husband and her sister worthy of a rescue attempt.
"They will be returned to continue their duty to me; however, I will not allow for failure again. Your husband has been an asset to me in the past; however, his usefulness is dwindling." Voldemort studied the light haired woman before him. It pleased him to see the wife of Lucius, her veins flowing with such pureblood, groveling before him. "Bellatrix will also have to prove her worth upon her return. I will not be disappointed again."
"Yes of course my lord." Narcissa replied.
"You will prepare for their return to my circle. Arrange for their recovery and their needs. They will not be of use to me if they are as weak as muggles; I will put you in charge of their care. Do not disappoint me or your life and the lives of your family will be forfeit."
Narcissa trembled. "Of course my lord. I will see that it is done."
Voldemort nodded and sent the woman on her way.