In the Shadow of Azkaban

Volume II: XLIV

Kassia's Point-of-View
The Gaunt Manor
October 1893

I hadn't been looking forward to this session. I approached Ominis' chamber. My knuckles rapped softly against the mahogany wooden door.

There was only one more day until I encountered Aesop at the wedding. I had tried to plan what I was going to say to him many times, but each scenario played out the same in my head.

I was still in love with that man, and he was bonded to me. Whether we wanted that outcome or not.

The lock clicked in front of me, and a half-dressed Sebastian answered the door. He spoke between yawns, "Kass. What are you..." His mouth stretched while air pushed out of his lungs.

He smacked his lips together, "Doing here so early? The sun..." He let out a sigh of exhaustion once more, "Hasn't even appeared yet." He rubbed his eyes, and I pushed the side of my forearm against his chest to move him out of my path.

I stepped further in the room and saw them lying in the bed closest to the window. Ominis and Antoinette were tangled in each others' arms. Their bare skin was just visible above the duvet. I pivoted the other way when I noticed and cleared my throat.

"This is not a honeymoon suite, you two." My voice was loud and raspy. I coughed a couple times to see if that would rouse them.

Sebastian approached me and laughed at my attempt. "You know they're not waking up. They're too content. You have to make them feel uncomfortable. Like this." He strolled confidently over to the bed and climbed in between the two. He began to pull the covers back and push himself beside them when a loud scream belted from Sebastian.

"Ahhh! What the hell!" Sebastian yelled even louder with each word. He stood up and moved away from the bed. In that moment, I realized that Antoinette's scales had sliced through his arm, and he was bleeding heavily onto the floor.

I thumbed my pocket for my wand and drew it quickly. The blood was seeping onto the wood when I aimed at him and cried, "Vulnera Sanentur." Sebastian's arm began threading itself back together fairly quickly while I saw Ominis and Antoinette sit up in bed.

A look of horror danced across the girl's face, but Ominis seemed elated. A true Gaunt. Smiling when someone else was in pain, but I guess he should have received a pass for what Sebastian had done to his mate.

Ominis' palm grazed against the back of Antoinette's neck when I heard him quietly whisper, "Now, no one can touch you without your permission. Even if you were under the influence of a curse, spell, or potion..." His voice trailed off as his hand traced against her back. "You will be known as one of the most powerful witches in history. I just know it."

I performed a cleansing charm to the floor and shooed Sebastian. "What in Merlin's name was that, Antoinette?" His tone was accusatory. I could sense where this was heading, and I did not like the idea that they were interrupting my session. Especially because this was the last one.

"The result of blood purification." She had said it so plainly, and Sebastian's mouth gaped at her words.

"Ominis. You hadn't told me you two had bonded?" The frustration emitting from him was too obvious. His brows scrunched together, and he balled his hands in fists against his sides.

"Why would you care, Sebastian? Is Iskra not your primary focus anymore?" Ominis' voice was calm, challenging. I believed he had not cared about Sebastian's intentions since he would never be able carry them out. Even if he had wanted to.

"Iskra is the only woman in my life." Sebastian's jaw clenched multiple times while his throat rose up and down as he swallowed. I narrowed my eyes at him. Something was off, but I couldn't place exactly what.

"Ominis. Sebastian. I hate to interrupt," I paused, "Actually, I would love to. We have a spell that needs to be initiated in less than a few minutes, and I need you to leave Sebastian." My voice was condescending. I walked toward the door and opened it for him. He scoffed and rolled his eyes at me while he stomped out of the room. Such a child, I thought to myself.

"This is not the same type of spell as before," I introduced the topic while walking back toward them. Thankfully, they clothed themselves with a charm. "Antoinette. You will need to speak Parseltongue to complete the ritual this time." My eyes lingered on hers, waiting to see if she would object.

"Perhaps I could try, but I haven't practiced or anything. I wasn't aware that this was a part of the process." The voice that escaped her was softer than normal.

"Just turn toward Ominis and give me your hands." I brought my wand over to both of their right palms and sliced a diagonal line across them.

They both flinched and winced at the feeling, but they complied when I gestured for them to clasp their bloodied hands together.

As soon as the fluids mixed, Antoinette's head flew backward and her eyes had a green hue emitting off of them. Her tongue split, and the faintest hissing sounds began trailing off into the air. Ominis mimicked the noise. Her gaze shifted at him, and the olive color of her irises and cornea morphed completely and had now been covered in a sapphire tone. Her body shook, and every object in the room, including the bed, levitated off of the floor.

I had never seen anything like it.

The furniture and knickknacks around the room crashed back down to the floor, and she broke her focus. "Whoa." She whispered.

It appeared the scale on her forearm healed itself, and she had new scales present. Aesop had never experienced this. Now, her cheekbones and the edge of her hairline were brandished, and some of the scales had the slightest blue tint to them. The facial scars were fainter than the other markings, but they were still noticeable.

"Let me see your face, dear." I spoke quietly. I worried that the spell had taken too well. My fingers grasped her chin lightly and turned her face from left to right.

"Antoinette?" I called. I needed her to speak.

"Kassia." Her voice was stronger than it had ever been. She began speaking to me in Greek and Parseltongue. The Greek had been spoken perfectly, and I noticed Ominis' ears perk up at her delivery of his primary language. She had been the best candidate I have ever seen for this process.

"You must love Ominis, darling. Because the stronger your attachment, the more likely you would take on the familial traits." My eyebrows pulled up to the top of my forehead at the thought. If anyone deserved the title of a Gaunt, it was her.