The Troubles from Monsters and Men (The Secret of Moonacre Fanfiction)

The Crossroads of Forethought and Danger

"Will it work?", Charles asked as he watched Althea mix the spell together.

"I don't think so, it needs to be a direct line of descent. I have never seen it work with brothers, much less cousins or nephews."

Charles shivered. He buttoned up his coat and turned to look around the cellar, moving his lantern to guide his sight. His nose scrunched in disgust at the inches of dust, debris, and cobwebs that covered the old cellar walls. The paint on the wooden beams supporting the structure was peeling, revealing spots of green mold. He crept up the stairs and cracked open the door that led into the kitchen. It was as dirty as the cellar, perhaps even worst. Rat droppings were littered across the floor. Pantry doors hung crookedly. In the middle was a pile of broken wood. Charles shook his head. This place looked more than abandoned, it looked pillaged and ruined. He had no idea why the general insisted they meet there for tonight.

Charles closed the door and walked back towards Althea, hopping down the stairs in sets of two. She appeared to be finishing. "Wouldn't it be easier to just use Robin?" He was annoyed, after so long, they had yet to make real use of him.

"Only I can use Robin, but that's not good enough for him. I'm sure you've already noticed; he wants a hand in everything."

"Why are you working with him?"

"Why are you?" Althea easily reflected his question without a glance in his direction, her gaze focused only on the potion. It was hard enough getting these ingredients. She had to make sure nothing was amiss. She already expected it to fail, but the fault wouldn't be on her end.

Charles remained silent. Why was he working for him? He didn't even know his name. "Reckon you don't trust him?"

"I don't trust you either," She retorted. "There's not much left of him to trust anyways."

"W-what do you mean?"

Before she could answer, footsteps thundered down the stairs. Charles straightened up and dusted himself off.

The general marched right to them; he was grinning. Through the dim light, Charles noticed a faint smattering of white across the side of his head.

"Sir, you have a bit of dust there," Charles gestured to his hair. "May be some cobwebs."

The general's face fell. He unsheathed an ornate dagger and inspected his reflection off the blade. He tried wiping the dust away, but it remained. It was not dust, but a patch of growing gray hair. His gaze darkened. It had not been there that morning, nor the crow's feet around his eyes.

"Are you ready?" The general snapped at Althea. It was more of a command than a question.

Althea nodded. The general wasted no time. He shot his arm over the bowl. With a quick spin of the dagger, he sliced a line about the length of a finger across the side of his forearm, letting blood spill into the bowl.

Althea finished the spell. Purple smoke crept up and spilled over the bowl. The general drank it, hiding the grimace of distaste behind his arm.

"How long until this works."

"If it worked," Althea croaked, "You'll know tonight when you sleep. I've given you my warning. It only works with a direct line of descent."

"If you did it right, it will work." He turned to Charles, "What have you learned?"

"The ball will be at Princely this year."

"Let us get ready then. I believe there are some items stored in the attic. Help the rest straighten out this wretched place."

Later that night back at the general's mansion on the outskirts of the city, Charles was summoned to the general's study. Ornate golden and red tapestries hung on the wall. The floor was covered with a thick pelt of a bear, its head facing the door. Dead, listless eyes stared right at him. Only the bear's teeth seemed alive as they glistened menacingly with the flicker of the oil lamps. Various tools, trinkets, and foreign items decorated the study. Some hummed through the air, while others emitted a thin stream of smoke. Hidden towards the back, Charles was sure he caught sight of some items involved in the dark arts alongside vials filled with dark red liquids of various shades. It was an impressive but dangerous study. Charles was sure each of the items in the room possessed some magical property to them. Three animal heads were displayed proudly on the wall behind the general: an elk, a lion, and an elephant. The general was clearly a collector. He wondered if Althea was ultimately meant to be a part of his collection.