So Much for No Strings Attached

Chapter 90 Who's Trapping Who?

‘Avada Kedavra,’

 

Marcus held his son close to him as the brilliant green light jetted towards them that he could see even them. Marcus fought the immediate urge to dodge the lethal curse even knowing that the Dark Lord was not aiming for him. It was far harder, however, to not pull his treacherous son out of harm’s way like he desperately wanted to.

 

But even if he did it would only delay the inevitable.

 

The Dark Lord would not spare his son this deceit. Marcus understood that but it did make it any easier to feel his son grasp for him desperate for the protection that Marcus could no longer give not after this.

 

And then Marcus Ares Flint went still except it was more final than stillness.

 

Marcus held him close as he sobbed for his son, for everything he could have been, everything he had never been.

 

The Dark Lord crouched down before him, ‘I am sorry.’

 

‘I’m a terrible father,’ Marcus said mournfully.

 

Where had everything gone wrong? When his son had been a child? When he had been content to let his wife be the primary carer whilst he settled into the role of Lord Flint? When Marcus had attempted to correct Mathilda’s flawed parenting when his son was a teenager? When Marcus had refused to give his son unlimited resources to spend on crap? When Marcus had been looking for an alternative to naming his son becoming the next Lord Flint? When Marcus had agreed to the Dark Prince’s plan to entrap the Weasley family?

 

When he had stepped aside as the Dark Lord had killed Marcus.

 

He had failed as a father time and time again.

 

‘No, you are not!’ the Dark Lord said sharply. ‘What happened here was the result of him being a terrible son, not you a terrible father! He betrayed you for money and power! He would have happily killed you and your unborn children to keep hold of the gold that he thought he was entitled to.’

 

‘I should have saved him,’ Marcus said mournfully refusing to let go of his son who would never leave his teens.

 

Brown eyes looked at him sadly, ‘I wouldn’t have let you; you know that.’

 

Marcus did but it did not make him feel any better.