Disclaimer: Anything that rings a bell belongs to J.K Rowling

Chapter Twenty Four: Belladonna

Spring, 1896

Belladonna laughed as the gangly fourteen year old boy fell into a large puddle of mud. His younger sister, who was watching with a small smile on her face, peeked out from behind the taller girl.

"Abe! Are you alright?" Belladonna leaned forward to help the boy to his feet, but then thought twice about getting mud on herself and never hearing the end of it from her mother, and decided on just looking at him sympathetically as he wobbled upright.

"Yeah. You should see the goat."

She and Ariana gave each other amused glances, and burst into giggles again. It was always funny watching Abeforth feed the animals. The Dumbledores had the most mischievous goats in all the village and they were always getting up to hijinks. A neighbour once claimed to find one on their roof somehow.

"Dinner's ready! Aberforth." Both girls winced as the Dumbledore Matriach screamed shrilly at the sight of her son, "Upstairs! Now! Bath!" Kendra Dumbledore let out an annoyed huff, "And don't you two laugh, you just promote that behaviour." They both stopped, Arianna hiding behind Belladonna who put on her most angelic smile.

It didn't work for a second on Kendra, "Well, wash your hands. Belladonna, would you like to join us?"

The young girl nodded her head profusely, she much preferred eating with the Dumbledores than her mother, who was a few houses down the street. Belladonna's mother was a noted French historian, and she was visiting with an English colleague, Bathilda Bagshot. Their initial week long vacation had been quite boring, but in retrospect Belladonna was glad that it had been extended as it allowed her to meet the Dumbledore boys who had been home from school for the past week on their Easter vacation.

Belladonna didn't mind being away from home, she preferred the quaint village of Godric's Hollow to her sprawling palazzo in Naples. She felt much more at home here than she did in her father's house, governed by stringent rules and regulations.

She settled into a seat after washing her hands and glanced up the stairs, and Kendra caught her doing so, "He's deep in a book, he probably won't come down for hours."

Belladonna shrugged, and smiled to herself at the scolding she would usually get if her mother saw her do such an unladylike gesture. Kendra and her mother, whilst both strict and almost regal in their presentations, were very different in personality. She felt her mother often enjoyed looking down her nose at people, whilst Kendra was the type of person that brought people up to her level.

Belladonna helped Arianna with her food, Aberforth was much better at her than this, but she found if she spoke enough to the girl she would eat with little to no coaxing.

She found the girl's story very sad, being locked away for her own, and others, safety most hours of the day. She couldn't imagine the sweet girl ever harming anyone, but Kendra said that her magic was uncontrollable and she had a great power, a pairing that was far from good. This was a secret of the Dumbledores' and Belladonna was very proud to be let into the interesting family's inner circle.

"So, my son says that you threw a loaf of bread at him earlier today." Kendra smirked as Belladonna was cutting Arianna's beef in perfect squares as it was the only way she would eat them.

"My mother said a way to a man's heart was 'threw' food. I guess I took it a bit literally." She winked at the older woman at the pun and received an amused shaking of her lovely auburn hair.

Belladonna knew Kendra found her entertaining, even if she wouldn't let on that she did, "Tell me, every boy in the village is taken by you, why are you after my poor son."

Belladonna smiled, "Love at first sight."

"Not buying it."

The dark haired girl laughed, she loved how direct the woman was, "He's…good. I want a good husband."

"A good husband? You're sixteen years old, child."

"Exactly, most of my cousins are engaged by thirteen, and married by eighteen."

Kendra raised her brows, "You work fast in Italy. Well, he isn't quite the married by eighteen type."

"It's not an Italian thing, it's a 'nobility' thing." Belladonna frowned at her own words, her father was one of the last noble wizards in Italy, and he'll let anybody who would listen hear about it. Her mother was apparently distantly related to the French Royal family, but Belladonna didn't believe much of that, what little she remembered of her grandmother before she died was that her mind was not really with her in the end, even though she was only forty years old. She didn't understand how her mother believed anything the woman said. "Anyway, I don't need us to be married. I just… like him." She chewed on some beef, smiling up at Kendra, "What did you like about Ariana's father?"

Kendra bristled, she didn't speak often about her husband, Percival, who was currently in Azkaban wizarding prison, and very few people in Godric's Hollow knew about him, and Belladonna wondered if she had finally irrevocably overstepped. After a few more seconds of silence, the tall woman answered, "He was a very protective man. He made me feel safe."

Belladonna contemplated that, "Why? Did you not know how to keep yourself safe? Are you bad at magic?"

Kendra laughed, shaking her head at the audacious question, "No, of course not. But, safety isn't just about magic. It's about feeling like when things go bad, your partner will protect you."

"Hmmm. I agree with you. Fine, I ammend my statement. I want a good and protective husband."

Kendra glanced up the staircase with a small smile, "I have two sons you know."

"I am aware." Belladonna smirked. She knew well that Abe had a crush on her, but he was but a fourteen year old child, which felt a world away when Belladonna herself was just about to turn seventeen. "What do you think of the Potters?"

"Iris and Oswald?"

"Ugh, Oswald. British names are weird."

Kendra drank some tea thoughtfully, "Well, they spend most of their time down in Devon, they only come here over the summer. I don't know them well. They keep to themselves, they seem nice. They've just had a baby."

"Yes, a little boy. Henry. Maman made me go see them today." Belladonna grimaced into her cup.

"Not a fan of babies?"

"Nothing wrong with babies…just….maman's being odd."

Kendra looked uncomfortable, Belladonna knew she enjoyed her company but she loathed gossip, and wouldn't partake in it. But she was also Belladonna's only friend here, other than her nanny Buchi, but Buchi had been her mother's nanny first, so she couldn't be trusted with her secrets.

"When I first got here, she was very interested in me meeting Oswald Potter."

Kendra placed her teacup down, a bit more comfortable, perhaps understanding that Belladonna wasn't hoping to gossip, but just to share her feelings,"Meeting him?"

"Yes…as in, romantically."

Kendra cocked a brow, "He's almost twice your age. And married."

"I don't think she knew that. I don't know, she's weird about the Potters. I've seen her researching their family line, and she keeps visiting their family graveyard."

"Well, she is a historian, perhaps this is just research. But, Belladonna, you must not go around telling your mother's secrets." Kendra chided.

"I don't." The girl was a tad high pitched in defence, and Ariana patted her leg affectionately, unsure what was troubling the older girl but wanting to comfort her.. Both women smiled at this. "I don't." She said in her softer tone, "I just…don't have anybody else to talk to. The girls here don't like me, they tease my accent."

"You speak better English than all of them combined."

"And I'm better with a wand. And prettier."

"And humble." Kendra laughed, but Belladonna could tell she liked her confidence. She knew that the village children were not always kind, which is why she was so protective of Ariana. "Well, being a mother, I can assure you, we only ever want what's best for our children."

"Buchi says the same." Belladonna pondered, she did love her nanny, but she often felt like her mother made her divulge all secrets, so she couldn't be trusted. Her mother was good at doing that…making people do what she wanted, even if it's not what they wanted.

"Buchi…is from Africa?" Kendra asked, and Belladonna was surprised, she almost never asked questions about her homelife.

"Yes, from Nigeria originally. She went to Uagadou, that magic school in Uganda. She was my mother's nanny back in France, and moved with her to Italy to work as a…" Belladonna hesitated, she knew that British wizards didn't like the idea of other wizards working as their servants, preferring house-elves, but in lots of European countries keeping house elves were considered unethical. "Servant." She said the word quietly, but Kendra's face held no judgement. "When I was born she became my nanny, but she's more my teacher than anything else. I'm home schooled back in Italy, but none of my professors are as good as Buchi with magic."

"I didn't ask for her whole life story. You should be more discreet." Kendra scolded. She then grew thoughtful, "Has she heard, anything, about children…" She didn't continue the sentence, glancing at Ariana suggestively.

Belladonna didn't know how honest she should be in her response.

Buchi had spoken to her about Ariana, she actually said that she should stay far away from the Dumbledores' because only death surrounded children such as her, but Belladonna didn't believe such things.

Yes, the girl had her tantrums, but she was sweet as can be most of the time.

"I can ask." Belladonna figured a white lie was best, no need to upset Kendra.

She nodded, grateful. "Oh, and my son likes to play the hero. Do with that information what you will." She smiled, sweeping her hand and wandlessly collecting the empty dishes.

Belladonna beamed, she liked that Kendra liked her enough to help her try and woo her eldest son.

"Oh. You're… I didn't know you were dining with us." Aberforth had come down the stairs, shining pink as he was already in his pyjamas, which were quite a short pair of trousers.

Belladonna politely looked away, but just then Albus descended the stairs.

"Oh, hello." She could feel her face flush and she looked down at Ariana who was staring at her curiously.

"Albus, Belladonna was just about to go home. Do you mind walking her, it's dark."

"Of course not." The very tall, auburn haired boy stepped forward, and briskly walked to the door. Abe gaped at him, his face turning redder if possible, clearly upset that his mother asked his brother to do this, and not him, but Belladonna followed Albus out before the younger boy said anything.

They walked quietly for a few moments, the girl glancing up at the boy every now and again. He had been whistling, looking up at the sky for the most part. She sniffed…he smelled like lemons? How odd. She turned to the tall wizard just as the boy spoke as well,

"Are we not going to talk about the bread?"

"I believe you said something about a dragon?"

She laughed, "Yes." She remembered their little interaction earlier in the day, when she threw a loaf of bread at his head. After some back and forth flirting, Belladonna mentioned that in order to win her affection, Albus would have to face a dragon. "A dragon. My family, the Tiberions, pick an eligible suitor by having a bunch of men fight a dragon. Winner gets me. How romantic." She deadpanned.

"Positively." Albus muttered, "Sherbet lemon? And I suppose, you don't want that?"

She took the offered candy, opening it and recognising his scent, and popped it into her mouth. Belladonna recalled what Kendra said about him having a hero complex as she sucked on the sweet, and she made an exaggerated sigh, "Not in the slightest. I wish someone could just, swoop in, you know. Save me from having to marry some forty year old-"

"Forty year old!" Albus gasped and Belladonna nodded gravely.

"Some of them will be. Maybe older."

They were outside Bathilda's house now, and they stared at each other awkwardly for a few seconds.

"Well, I better go. Good night, Bella."

She grinned, unsure whether that was him flirting, or merely shortening her name.

She span on her heel and ran into the house as he walked off.

Her mother stopped her as she was on her way upstairs, and she sighed. Buchi was sat in the corner knitting and Bathilda was writing at the table.

"Where have you been. Buchi made a lovely soup and we had to throw some away because you didn't show up for dinner."

"What? Did you forget how to cast a stasis charm?"

Albertine Tiberion rose to her impressive height, her red hair somehow brighter in the shadow of the flames, "What did you say?"

"Nothing." Belladonna mumbled, knowing her mother could be quite creative with punishments.

"Good. Now, I saw you walking with that Dumbledore boy, you know you're not allowed a boyfriend."

"Oh, which one?" Bathilda looked up from her writing, "Albus, or Aberforth?"

"Albus." Belladonna whispered, somehow feeling so much smaller in front of her foreboding mother.

"Oh how nice. You know he's brilliant! They say the best wizard Hogwart's seen in centuries. Ever maybe."

"Is that so." Albertine grew curious, her apple green eyes sparkling, "He is your age?"

Belladonna nodded, knowing that this would usually count against him, her father preferred someone a bit more established as a suitor.

"And, is he a family man?"

"What?"

"Is he, likely to stay here, with his family after he weds?"

Belladonna couldn't make sense of the question, perhaps she was worried that if she married someone British, then they wouldn't want to come back with them to Italy."I guess…I mean, he is brilliant, so I suspect the world is his oyster. But his dad's not around, and I guess when he's done with Hogwarts he'll have to help with the family."

She didn't add that she'd much rather stay behind in England in this village with Albus' family than go back to Italy.

Surprisingly, Albertine liked that answer, "Hmmm. You should invite him for dinner tomorrow. Buchi, prepare her periwinkle dress, she looks so lovely in it."

Belladonna looked at her mother, perplexed, she couldn't make sense of her at all. She didn't think her mother liked England much, complaining about it constantly, so it didn't make much sense for her to be happy that her daughter was potentially going to marry and stay here. Also, as much as she adored Albus, his family was so far from what her father had in mind for a marriage…and if she was being honest, that made her like him that much more for it.

She was expecting her mother to forbid her from seeing him again, not invite him to dinner. Was this some elaborate, cunning plan?

All that excitement at having Albus walk her home suddenly disappeared, and she frowned until she fell asleep.

-x-x-x-

"All I'm saying is, nobody is ever going to use Dragon's blood to clean an oven." Belladonna whispered. It was well past midnight and she and Albus were in Bathilda's kitchen with the dragon's blood he got from the tournament in Italy.

She couldn't believe that he actually did it. Floo'd to Italy and took part in the competition for her hand in marriage.

Her father of course didn't understand Albus' bold statememt, not merely fighting the dragon but getting so close and overpowering it magically to the point that he drained it of a pint of blood. But Bellaonna did, and she was ecstatic and impressed when she found out what he had done. No other suitor had gotten even mildly close to a dragon, and Belladonna's father had to crown Albus victor. Her happiness was short lived however, as Albus quickly told her he did not do this so as to fight for her hand in marriage, but rather win her the freedom to choose her own partner. He'd let her father believe that he intends to propose, and in the meantime Belladonna could find someone 'she actually wanted to be with'.

It wasn't some notion of love…he was just being a good friend.

"That's beside the point, it's a use. And if it's a use, it goes on the parchment." She rolled her eyes as he poured some of the green liquid into the oven and she grimaced at the smell. As the blood trickled over, the dried grease quickly dislodged itself and he laughed quietly.

"Ha!"

She glared playfully at him, but she couldn't help thinking how cute it was that he was trying to find as many uses of Dragon's blood he could think of. Albus never wasted anything, even a pint of blood he took for completely different reasons.

They had been fast friends these past weeks. He had come to her house for dinner many times. Albertine adored him, and Belladonna was surprised, her mother liked very few people.

Belladonna still preferred his house to hers, what with his family being there as well, but she found that Albus enjoyed debating with his mother. She supposed for all her annoying qualities, Albertine was exceptionally intelligent.

Belladonna wasn't a fan of philosophy or history, but she enjoyed magic, and that was primarily what Albus and she bonded over. She, of course, was madly in love with him, but she could tell he wasn't interested, and she couldn't help being sad about that. But, every so often, he'd share a secret with her, or give her a special smile, and it would make up for all the sadness.

He had just been for dinner, and he stayed behind to experiment with his dragon blood. She was surprised that her mother had allowed them this time alone, but perhaps she too could tell Albus wasn't interested in her in that way, so leaving them unchaperoned was harmless.

"So, when will you be heading back?" Belladonna poured Albus some juice and they snuck outside, laying down on the slightly damp grass.

"We're staying longer. We might stay all through the summer. My mother and Bathilda are still working on that book."

"The one about Hogwarts? Your mother is fascinating, she has such a breadth of knowledge. Do you know she's an expert in three different time periods, people usually just have one area of expertise."

"Yes, but it's only the case because she works with people. I swear Bathilda does most of the proper work, and my mother just knows how to tell the story in a dramatic way."

"You're too hard on her. You and her are just different. I think that's good, isn't it boring just being like everyone around you?"

"I wouldn't mind being like Kendra." Belladonna contemplated, and Albus laughed.

"My mother and you have the weirdest friendship! You couldn't be less like each other either."

"Well, I thought that was a good thing." Belladonna teased.

"I didn't say it wasn't. I just…she doesn't usually make friends." He turned, a soft expression in his midnight blue eyes, "I'm glad that she has you. I'm glad…we all do."

Belladonna bit her lip, touched by his words. She leaned forward, looking down at him, and then kissed him. Slowly, tenderly, he reciprocated. This was her first proper kiss.

She pulled off him, and he looked quietly up at the sky, not saying another word, and her heart was pounding in her chest.

"I bet we could find more exceptions to elemental transfiguration too. Not just dragon blood uses."

Her heart sankas he changed the subject, and Belladonna nodded along to whatever Albus was saying.

-x-x-x

Belladonna sprang awake, her face hot as she blushed crimson.

"Are you okay?" Buchi had been sleeping next to her, and her dark face crinkled with worry at the girl who usually was a very deep sleeper. "Child?"

"I'm fine…I just…had a weird…dream."

Her face was flushed so red that she must be glowing in the dark room.

"Go back to sleep, I probably just need the bathroom." She slipped out of the room, and snuck outside.

She had the most vivid dream about Albus and her…making love.

She ran her hand through her hair, feeling extremely wanton, was that normal?

Albus had been at Hogwarts for his final term of school, and he would be home any day now.

"Donna." She gasped, turning around sharply, but it was just her mother. "Why are you up?"

"I…was…thirsty." She lied, and her mother frowned at her.

"Well, don't drink too much." The tall redhead woman turned to walk away and then stopped, "Oh, happy birthday."

"Oh, thank you." She had forgotten her birthday was today. She shook her head. Trying to get the much too vivid dream out of her mind.

-x-x-x-

Belladonna thundered on the door, banging it again and again until someone answered.

"Be…Belladonna! What…"Kendra glanced at her watch, "It's 4am, come inside." She looked around, clearly thinking that the girl had been chased by some monster for her to be calling at this time of day, but finding nobody in sight. "Are you okay?"

"I'm pregnant." Belladonna was hysterical, "I don't know how, I've never had intercourse." Tears were springing from her eyes, "I've been feeling sick all week. I took the potion, it turned pink! "

"Oh, dear, you must have brewed it wrong."

"No." She shook her head, "I didn't, I…I have these visions. Of Albus and I…"

"Albus?" Kendra gasped and Belladonna wept.

"My mother put something in our juice. And we…made love. And then she erased our memories!"

"What!" Kendra was frozen in shock, "She did what?"

"I just remembered, all of a sudden, last night. I don't understand, why would she do such a thing!"

"Oh…oh…" Kendra sat down, as Ariana peered out from the passage. "Ariana, go back to bed."

The girl hesitated, but then did as she was told, but Belladonna could see a shadow peaking out telling her that she was listening just behind the door.

"Belladonna, perhaps you had a terrible dream, what you're saying is awful, it's wrong, illegal even. Even though you are now both adults, to do such a thing is…to take away your agency for such an act… It's…wrong." Kendra said once more, her disgust turning to fury, "You must be wrong."

The younger woman shook her head, her tears now falling fast, "I've had more dreams. Bad ones, of these people I've never met telling me that I'm cursed. That I'm a 'founders child'. I don't know what that means. They say that I'll destroy Hogwarts, and magic as we know it will cease to exist."

Belladonna suddenly felt sick, and ran to the bathroom, throwing up into the basin.

She came back to find Kendra sat very still on the sofa.

"You have to believe me. Please, Kendra."

"Of course. Oh…oh you sweet girl." Kendra pulled Belladonna into her arms, patting her head in comfort. Belladonna couldn't explain the pain she felt that her own mother would do such a thing, and to Albus as well.

It felt cruel, for her to compel him to be with her…now having the memory of such a thing and knowing it was forced…she felt dirty, and even though it wasn't her doing, she felt wrong. How could she tell Albus this? Why would she want him to feel this way too?

There was a knock on the door, and Belladonna's head sprang up from Kendra's lap. They both rose, walking to the door, knowing just who it would be.

Albertine Tiberion stood at the entrance, fully dressed.

She flounced in before Kendra could say a word, and Kendra closed the door behind her.

"Did you give my seventeen year old son a love potion?" Her voice was chillier than the morning itself.

"Actually, it was a lust potion."

There was one moment of silence in the house, the only thing that could be heard was the distant sound of a goat bleating. And then Kendra's spell painted the room violet, it was sharp and direct and hit Albertine in the stomach and she yelped in pain.

Belladonna's brows rose, but she didn't move to help her mother.

"You think you can play with our lives." Kendra whispered, "You people think you can toy with our lives." She grit out, and Belladonna yelped this time as Kendra threw her mother against the wall.

Her mother got up, and Belladonna was glad to see a slightly fearful look in her eyes, "I've come for my daughter."

"You're not taking that child out of this house. How dare you? Your own daughter? You…disgusting, depraved-"

"Oh, and you're the pinacle of motherhood! Keeping your daughter trapped down here like some savage!"

"Maman!" Belladonna chided but Kendra had thrown another spell at her mother, cutting a sharp line on her cheek.

Albertine was no match for Kendra, she had never been good with a wand, hiding behind her books, and Belladonna now realised exactly where Albus had got his commendable skills from.

"Leave." Kendra gestured for the door and Albertine tilted her head up.

"Not without my daughter."

"Fine. If you stay, you'll leave in a box."

Albertine's eyes narrowed, and then she whipped her wand and suddenly Ariana was pulled into the room, "Fine, if you take my daughter, I'll take yours."

"Maman!"

But it was too late, Ariana had screamed in shock at being dragged magically against her will, and Belladonna felt someone push her to the floor just as the room glowed a harsh scarlet, and the next thing she felt was a heavy weight on her.

"Oh… Kendra!" Kendra Dumbledore lay unblinking on top of her, protecting her from most of Ariana's magical outburst. On the other side of the room, Albertine Tiberion lay unmoving on the floor.

Ariana was shaking, and Belladonna ran to her, not knowing what to do to calm the girl who just silently shivered.

Belladonna took her outside, knowing that she liked to feed the goats, and thankfully they distracted her whilst she ran straight to Bathilda's house.

"Buchi!" She shook her nanny away, "Buchi, please! Come!"

The woman ran after Belladonna, gasping when she found the two woman in the living room. "I don't know how to check if they're okay…Buchi?"

The petite dark woman shook her head sadly after checking Kendra, and then Albertine.

"It was Ariana. Her magic…"

Buchi's dark eyes widened, "I told you, only death follows her kind."

"She's a child, she doesn't know any better." Belladonna looked on, too horrified to properly defend Ariana now,"What should we do?"

Buchi flicked her hand at Albertine, Uagodou students were trained wandlessly, and she transfigured the dead witch easily into a bone.

"The spell will last a few hours. Enough time to move the body away from the village, we can't have people knowing your mother died in a fight in England of all places. We'll say she got the Pox, your father won't ask too many questions, it's not in his nature."

"What? Why?" Belladonna felt very lightheaded and she sat down on the sofa.

"Belladonna, your father is the most powerful man in Italy, if he finds out that your mother was murdered by this woman, he will make this poor family pay. And your mother has done enough to them already."

"What do you mean? Buchi! What do you know?"

She frowned, "I'll asnwer later, now, we move."

Belladonna stared at Kendra's lifeless body….just fifteen minutes ago she had been comforting her. Poor Albus, Abe and Ariana…they had no father or mother now.

She took a deep breath, and walked outside. She found Ariana near Patch, Abe's favourite goat, who had a large black patch over his left eye.

"I have to go. I won't see you for a very long time. I'm sorry, but this is goodbye." Ariana continued petting Patch and Belladonna sighed, she couldn't expect anything else.

She made to turn and was surprised to find that the girl had begun stroking her hair…petting her…

She wanted to hug the girl, but she knew she didn't like hugs, so instead she petted her hair back, and offered her the best smile she could muster despite the situation.

They then moved quickly, packing their bags and telling Bathilda that they had a family emergency and their mother left in the early hours of the morning to help with it. Belladonna then forged a letter to Albus pretending to be Bathilda saying that he should come home early from school….she didn't want to leave Ariana alone for too long and she hoped he'd be back in a matter of hours.

They arrived at the floo station, "We shouldn't go home. I have family in the United States, we can go there. We'll have to floo to Liverpool, and then take a ship."

Belladonna nodded, unsure why they were fleeing, but Buchi was the only guardian she had left, so she would take her advice. Could it be possible that people could think she was responsible for the deaths of Kendra and Albertine?

"There's much you need to know, but we have to go before they are too many questions being asked."

A mere two hours later, they were in a cabin in a ship on the way to the United States of America, a country Belladonna had never thought much about but would soon call home.

Buchi explained to her about the Founder's Curse placed on her bloodline, that now that she was seventeen, she would have visions of memories, piecing her history together and explaining the curse and the parameters surrounding it.

"So…maman wanted me to be with Albus? Because…"

"Because it puts you in close proximity to the Potters', who are descendants of the Peverells. Your mother wishes the curse to be activated, for Hogwarts to be destroyed, and magic to…change."

"Why?"

"Because it benefits her politically. Your father is hoping to go for Supreme Mugwump of the International Confederation of Wizards, and his strongest opponent is an Armando Dippet, the currnent headmaster at Hogwarts. And you can imagine it does not inspire confidence if the school, which is the oldest of its kind in Europe, crumbled under his rule."

Belladonna was confused, "Wait, for a political position? Mamam would potentially endanger young wizards and witches lives, because they cannot learn how to control their magic, which might have effects on the Statute of Secrecy…for father to be Supreme Mugwump?

"Sweet child, people have done far worse for far less. But, it's not just for that. Your mother, she says that the curse is quite complex. It's been going for centuries now, gaining strength as time goes on. She feels that if you do not satisy the curse, someone in the bloodline dies."

"What?" Belladonna was horrified, "Die?"

Buchi nodded, "So if you were not to satisfy the curse, then she would die. It is an evil and clever motivation for those in your bloodline to see the curse fulfilled ."

"Can such a dynamic curse exist? It's almost as if it's…a living thing. Evolving over time?"

"It is an old curse, made with ancient magic. It is now a good eight hundred years old. And…I know this curse, because it comes from my mother's land."

"Nigeria?"

She shook her head, "Uganda. Where Uagodou is. Your ancestor who cast this curse, stole it from my people. There is magic in Uagodou like you will not believe, but we are protective of it, because we know in the wrong hands, terrible things can happen. Such as this. I don't know another incident of such powerful magic being stolen."

Belladonna hugged herself, suddenly feeling wrong, "What should I do…Buchi, I'm with child."

Buchi nodded sadly, "That is for you to decide, my child. I will help, I will protect you, I know you do not want the same things your mother did. We will think of something. My cousin, in Massachusetts, she knows more about breaking blood curses than I do. Maybe she will be able to help us."

She nodded, glancing out the window, feeling as unbound, restless and uncertain as the ocean around her.

A/N: Thank you for reading! I hope you're enjoying it so far. Feedback will be so appreciated.

Kalina