shadows and blood ; wizarding world

𝐜. 𝐢

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  London's labyrinth of alleyways had been the only constant in Odette Fawley's life for years. The dark, shadowed pathways sheltered behind every block of flats or monotonous row of shops would always be there to greet her, whether it be a grey, drizzly day or a humid, sweltering summer's afternoon.

It was the latter, and Odette genuinely thought she could have passed out from the humidity. It strangled her in a way that minute droplets of sweat would slowly trickle down her neck and collect on her back, which was pressed against maroon bricks of one of Greenwich's many corner shops. Rays of sun scathed her forehead as she stared ahead at a moulding wooden fence. Little tufts of grass stretched towards her from beneath it, desperate to escape their inevitable fate of being burned to a crisp by the great heat, which was already draining life out of everyone.

The girl crouched, sucking a blue lollipop which she had charmed the man at the till of the corner shop into giving her for free. It was an easy task - most men were simply desperate for a womens' attention, and would cave in once they received it. Odette simply fluttered her eyes and smiled, calling them handsome, and just like that she could get whatever she wanted. It worked pretty much all the time. And if it didn't... She could always charm them.

The Fawley girl was deciding whether she could risk staying in the flat she had infiltrated a week ago for another night - the owner was away on a holiday, but she had no idea how long for. Living as she did was risky, but given her situation she really did not have many choices. There was also the option to relocate, to take the train to a completely separate part of the country, but that meant getting used to a whole new area - learning its ins and outs, discovering where she should and should not go at night, which shops she could steal from...

Her other option would be to stay in an inn, something she despised. The drunken old mens' clouded stares always lingered on her for a little too long, and she found herself shrinking beneath them, resorting back to her old, weak-self who cowered under her father for protection.

She loathed feeling weak. She was weak four years ago, when she lost her father. But she had shut that part of herself away and refused to let it see the light of day again, even when it tugged and knocked her insides, begging to surface again when stepping foot into London's sketchiest taverns and unpleasant pubs.

So, Odette made up her mind. She would stay in an inn that night. She was not weak, therefore the mens' stares would be no problem. There was one a few streets away - The Horse's Head. It was infamous in the area so it would be quite full, it was Saturday afternoon after all.

There definitely were some smaller pubs around the area, but quite frankly the girl could not be bothered to walk around and find them, especially in the sweltering heat.

Her attention was redirected when two cloaked figures turned down the alleyway, striding towards her.

Odette looked down - it was best to not make eye contact with anyone around these parts, especially suspicious cloaked figures in an alley. The cloaks were considerably alarming given it was a summer afternoon - they were bound to be boiling alive in them.

She tapped her feet against the concrete floor she now sat on, waiting for them to pass, but was mildly startled when they stopped right in front of her.

The girl hesitantly looked up, making eye contact with the men. She reluctantly popped the lollipop she was enjoying out of her mouth and gave them an awkward smile.

"Alright?" She greeted the pair but was especially confused when neither of them responded.

Everything happened quite suddenly, but both men, or as it turned out wizards, snatched their wands from their cloaks and aggressively cursed her, making her drop her lollipop and jerk as she was levitated upside-down.

Odette swore and grabbed her own wand which was stuffed into her sock. Meanwhile one of the men snarked at her, his cold voice sending shivers down her spine.

"You betrayed your family and our cause! This is for our great lea..."

The girl waved her wand, sending him smashing into the fence opposite her and releasing her from his spell at the same time. She dropped down and smacked her head, grumbling as it pounded. Its waves of pain agitated her, but she had no time to recover as another curse was thrown at her from the other man.

She surged in pain as her upper body smashed onto the solid floor again and again. In the corner of her vision, she saw the second wizard thrusting his wand about, torturing her over and over, breaking her frame continuously and showing no signs of stopping.

Odette was seething. She was seeing red. These men were part of the reason she was without a family. How dare they reduce her to nothing and get away with it!

Gripping her wand as tightly as humanly possible, she stretched her arm out, squinting as jolts of pain hugged her body. The floor beneath her was a sheet of blood, but all she could see was the devil before her.

She screamed "FLIPENDO", her voice breaking like the rest of her bones and watched with glazed eyes as the second wizard crashed into the fence just as his counterpart did.

Odette lay still, coughing up crimson, but she was not finished. Her own flesh and bones screamed at her to stay down, to cause no more damage and let herself heal, but the girl ignored them and slowly rose up.

She flicked her wand once and the man's throat was suddenly sliced open. A river of blood swiftly escaped his neck, as if his own cells rejected association with such a wicked being.

A growl erupted from the other wizard who lay on the ground, but he was quickly silenced by the girl who stomped on his head.

Only then could Odette feel the true extent of her injuries. The adrenaline wore off and she melted down against the brick wall, groaning in pain. One lonesome tear rolled down her cheek as she inhaled deeply. None of the books she had picked up over the years contained any healing spells - she was severely injured, without any remedies.

She could not stay there, despite the state she was in. Her father used to warn her daily that bad men were after them, but never once had she come face-to-face with them alone. She had grown less cautious over the years - a mistake on her part. Before he died, she relocated with him at least twice a month. It seemed excessive before, but now, it made sense.

Tomorrow, she would catch the train and leave, no matter how injured she was.

Reminding herself that she could not be weak, she picked herself up and limped out of the alleyway and turned in the direction of the pub, remaining as a horrendous, bloody mess.

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