In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume II: XIX

Small wheezes traveled up my throat while I attempted to breathe deeply. Kassia had sent an owl that declared she would return to the manor shortly, so I assumed she would finish healing me upon her arrival. Or at least I had hoped.

Morganna had managed to find us laying on Ominis' bed. We hadn't closed the door, so it truly was an open invitation.

At first, she stood in the doorway and pestered Ominis about my condition. Soon after, she had been sitting down on the rug discussing her ideas for the wedding. But now, she was situated beside me, trying to teach Ominis how to braid my hair. Her side felt loose, but all of the hairs were in proper place.

Poor Ominis was making a fair attempt. It felt a tad tighter; however, my split ends were poking out against the skin on my arm. Morganna frowned while she inspected the plaits in my hair, "Uncle Omi, perhaps you should practice on my hair with my father. You are going to ruin her curls."

Ominis carefully undid my hair from his efforts. He looked in Morganna's direction and smiled, "I might just have to take you up on the offer, little one. Practice appears to be necessary. What would I do if I were to have a daughter? Her hair mustn't be tangled."

Morganna giggled loudly but stopped as soon as she heard a loud creaking outside the door. Kassia scooted into the doorframe. Her hair had a frizzy texture to it, and the sun shining through the window on her skin made her appear more pale than usual.

"Morganna. Dear, I'm afraid you cannot stay in here for this. Go on." Kassia gestured for her to exit the bedroom. Even though Morganna appeared upset with her brows scrunched together, she complied.

Kassia pushed the door so that it was barely ajar, She turned toward Ominis, her voice sounded more frantic when she asked, "How's her throat?"

Her eyes met mine before they peered downward to examine my neck. She brought her wand as she approached. Her tone was intense while she spoke under her breath. The wand hovered above me.

Ominis answered while she was muttering, "Not great. However, it seems you saved the tissue, which was the most important part to keep intact." He was chewing his lip and running his hands through his hair. He must have been anxious about Kassia's diagnostics.

I watched her gaze soften, "Perfect. Only stridor appears to be present. That requires a simple healing charm. But afterward, we must begin the blood purification process."

My eyes darted to Ominis. His face looked smoother. As if he were more worried about my immediate pain from my throat than threading his blood into mine. No wrinkles positioned themselves upon his forehead or even between his eyes.

"Óchi pnigmós." Kassia ran her wand from my chin to the space between my collarbone. It drug across my taut, newly formed tissue. I hadn't felt any pain, but Ominis offered his hand to squeeze.

She placed her cold hands onto my skin and felt my trachea. Her fingertips pressed lightly around the area where Milton's hand dealt damage. It seemed she was counting the cartilage to ensure she had rebuilt it properly.

"Ominis, will you begin the process?" Kassia's voice sounded tense. I was sure her role was crucial during the procedure.

Ominis lifted his wand and drew the curtains. He lit one candle on his night table, and he put his wand in the nook of his elbow.

"Katharó aíma," I had never heard him speak Greek until now. His voice was clear but shifted to Parseltongue as he twisted the blood from his skin. In the dim lighting between us, the golden tinge was more prominent than before.

Kassia's voice picked up where he left off in her mother tongue. Her eyes rolled back into her head and she wrapped her fingers around my wrist to stabilize me.

The blood trailed through the air, and Kassia brought the line of metallic magic to my chest. It spread against my skin as if it were fire in a forest. The golden hue pierced through my bone as a loud scream escaped my lips.

Ominis peered over in my direction, his eyes hazed. Tears began rolling down his cheeks. Perhaps he felt pain during the process, as well. Kassia did not break her eye contact or her spell to tend to him or myself.

The pain in my core worsened. I gripped the duvet to ground myself. I would have preferred the Cruciatus Curse in that moment. Warm saliva seeped in the sides of my mouth. Nausea overcame me.

It felt like I had put an earring in my mouth as the blood rose up from my throat. The taste was rancid. I attempted to swallow it, but that only made it worse.

The thickened blood poured out of my lips like syrup. I coughed multiple times to clear it.

The heat prickled in me and against me.

"Kassia," Ominis' tone turned to a low growl.

My screams intensified as the pain made its way into my mind. At this point, my body was responding without my intervention. I felt the convulsions ensue.

The light from the doorway illuminated the room. Even as my head shook, I could see sideways while Xilia stared at me through the passage.

Her irises were dark, but I was able to make out that she had been rolling her eyes at me. Her scoffing filled my ears as my vision started to cloud.

Bands of gold shot across my line of sight. But my hearing was still relatively intact. The Ichor was pooling in every part of my being.

"Kassia!" Ominis yelled. He sounded much further away than he was previously.

"Stop it! You're going to end up killing her." His voice was pleading, and I could not discern my surroundings after that. My own mind felt like purgatory.