Limitless

Prologue

The cold was so much more than feeling now; it was it's own living breathing thing, a culmination of my past, my present and the finite time I had left. I knew the power was burning through my body, weakening me but I couldn't know how quickly the deterioration was taking place. What I did know was that without the power and the cold, my body wouldn't be able to sustain itself at any more. This is who I was now. It wasn't an unfamiliar set of circumstances for me anymore. I had been here before many times, for many different reasons, facing a new Yves, created in the creeping hell that was my life. I had locked away the parts of my life that brought any solace, any joy, before because it was simply easier to live without it. But now I didn't really have a choice about what I would and wouldn't live with. I didn't have the luxury of time. I took a deep breath in, feeling the impending winter creep inside of me and whisper against my skin. This was as good a moment as any to reflect, although, not everyone would agree...

I knew three things for certain:

The first was that some part of Sasha lived within me. It was the same part that was simultaneously saving and killing me. I had bloated myself on his power, consumed too much of it but, without it, I would have been in a far worse situation than the one I currently found myself in. It melded with my power and together I was far stronger than I would have ever thought possible. Without the cold, dark reason of the power I would have discharged by now, the empathetic part of me pushing out the merciless otherness and I surely would have died.

The second was that if there was something that could save me, the only person who would be able to tell me what it was, was the same man who ruined my life in the first place. I would have to find Voldemort and I would have to do it quickly.

The third was that I needed help and, strange as it may sound, the only ones I trusted to help me, were the same people I who I couldn't trust myself to be around. I knew what I was capable of now, I knew that the part of me holding the reigns was merciless, would go to any lengths to achieve a desired result and eliminate anything in its path that would make the process even a modicum more difficult. The small voice that sometimes struggled to be heard, the part that was left that still bore some resemblance of who I was, could only do so much.

Even the cold knew that this was unsustainable, that I was going to die if we didn't do something. Of course, it was the only rational recourse.

I would have to make a choice. The cold was telling me to return to The Order, to get them to help me. We were working in the same direction and for the same desired result. It was only natural for us to work together. However, there was always the chance that the aberration I had become would prove too much for them.

The other option was to join Voldemort. It was a practical consideration if any. The cold knew the dangers of that particular endeavor. Not only would I be facing one of the most powerful wizards alive, I would also have to navigate my way through his Death Eaters. And that was if we were even able to find them. Nevertheless, there may be a way to harness Voldemort's fascination with me and use it to my advantage.

I felt nails pucker and ladder my stockings as they clawed frantically on my leg trying to get me to move. I looked down curiously to see the sputtering Death Eater whose neck lay beneath my high-heeled foot. His eyes were watery, red gossamer veins drown out the white of his eyes. He was desperate. But of course he was. I was suffocating him. It didn't take much to over power him. I moved quicker than he could, was stealthier, more intelligent and far more cunning.

"You have disturbed my train of thought." I said looking down at him where he lay in the blood-splattered shrubbery, in the dirt where he belonged. He lay beneath the windowsill that looked into the kitchen. The candles were snuffed out; there was no one home.

My words only renewed his struggle. I knew I sounded other but I could use it to my advantage.

His eyes were bulging now, tears falling amidst his terrified gurgles, the veins on his arms protruding from the effort of trying to move my leg.

"Who sent you here?" I asked and began to ease the pressure on his throat. He sucked in breath before convulsing into a spittle-spraying cough.

"Fuck you." He said when he had gotten his breath back.

"Unwise." I said and reapplied the pressure to his throat, he continued to struggle beneath me but I applied a little more pressure and he subdued eventually getting the message, struggle and die.

"If you do not answer me, you will die here tonight. However, if you think you will die like this..." I said slowly, applying more pressure to his neck, the veins in his forehead pulsating underneath his livid skin, "you are sorely mistaken. I will take my time with you. I will do to you everything that has been done to me over the years. I will do more." I ended with a lopsided smile holding the pressure a little while longer.

The Death Eaters eyes flared wide in fear, his hands apparently forgetting their fight for air. I lifted my foot again to renewed coughing and desperately swallowed air.

"I will ask again, who sent you here? Tell me the truth, I will know if you lie."

"I was told to find Fabian Prewett." He said his voice a dry rasp.

"How did you know to come here?"

"I know someone in the ministry..."

"Who knows about this place?"

"No one. I thought I would see for myself first before reporting back to The Dark Lord."

"And what have you seen?" I asked watching him carefully for signs of deception.

"Only you." He said his voice beginning to tremble.

"I see." I said pensively removing my foot from his neck completely. He threw himself further into the garden in an attempt to get away from me. I looked down at his wand; it had been so easy to overpower him. He really hadn't stood a chance.

"What were you going to do to Fabian Prewett?" I asked in the same death tone as before.

"We were going to kill him." He said shaking his head aware of the danger he had just put himself in.

"That does not suit me." I said considering him. "You are of no further use to me..."

"But I can be!" he said imploringly, realizing that perhaps his life depended on it, "I can help you! I can tell you what's been going on with the Death Eaters; I can help you protect your people. Or I could deliver a message for you, to leave Prewett alone. I can do that! I can be of use!" he begged, his desperation so noxious I could almost taste is as I breathed in.

"Indeed..." I said after a moments thought, "you can be of use." I lifted my arm, pointing my wand at him, a green flash erupting from the tip.

From one moment to the next the light had left his eyes, his struggling determination was gone, his panic, his desperation, his life- all gone. I looked down at his slumped body between the bushes and considered my options. I had to make it known that Fabian Prewett was off-limits but I also had to find Voldemort and I had just killed my most immediate opportunity of doing so. No matter, I could turn this so that it could work in my favour...

I took a step closer when a thought occurred to me... Perhaps...

I knelt before the body of this nameless Death Eater.

"You will be of use yet." I said before placing my hand on his body drawing out of him his connection to the earth, the dark, sickly power, the evil within him and drew it into myself. It coursed through my body, which began to hum in pleasure. The euphoria was overwhelming. I withdrew, sated and glutted on power. I had taken all that here was to take. I felt the power burn through me, deepening its hold on me. I had to be strong if I was going to tangle with The Dark Lord, I thought.

Besides, he would be along very soon when he got the message. I wouldn't have to wait very long.

Ismiled to myself before getting to work.