A Legacy of Pain: Rising from the Ashes

Chapter 6: Kindred Souls Wrapped in Shadow

Last Time: Elizabeth got ready for Ominis' party and got ready to leave before telling Annie she couldn't attend. At the Sallow residence she met and spoke with Anne and Ominis while Sebastian was gone. However, Annie soon emerged from the fireplace to join them. After Ominis said she could stay Sebastian arrived at the same time Marvolo and Nyxia arrived through the fireplace. After Marvolo solicited Elizabeth a small altercation broke out between Marvolo and the Sallow twins, ending when Marvolo left. With Nyxia, Ominis' little sister, now having joined them the small group played gobstones until after Poppy arrived. Later that day Ominis, Poppy, and Lizzy spoke while the twins cooked and the young witches practiced spells on the training dummies. Before long the twins came back with the food and everyone discovered Annie and Nyxia were missing. When Annie screamed Lizzy ran to her as fast as she could and found Nyxia standing over her with her wand. Yelling at the girl, Nyxia began to cry and Lizzy discovered Annie holding a writhing rabbit. AT Annie's pleas to help it Lizzy used her custom spell to remove its pain and the root cause as everyone arrived. Asking to speak to Nyxia alone, everyone else left leaving only Nyxia, Lizzy, and Anne. As Lizzy went to speak to Nyxia, Anne revealed she had seen the ancient magic energies from her spell and could hear their whispers.

***Trigger Warnings*** Talk of Crucio, talk of child abuse.

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Elizabeth's inky veins felt as cold as ice as she processed what Anne had just said while staring blankly at the brunette. That couldn't be possible. She had to have heard the other witch incorrectly. "Anne, you..." The ravenclaw began before wincing as a spike of pain tore through her mind. Ignoring it she continued. "You saw that? The energies I pulled from the rabbit?" The auburn haired witch asked in a shaky voice filled with trepidation.

Anne bit her lower lip as she continued to stare at Elizabeth, her brown eyes occasionally darting to her satchel before returning to Elizabeth's face. "I- yes." The witch stated before briefly closing her eyes and reopening them. "They were so beautiful... so tempting." The way the other teen said the last word breathily concerned the ravenclaw greatly. It carried the weight of how she felt herself when staring at the energies. The seductive pull was so powerful, and it seemed Anne felt it as well.

"Have you ever seen or heard anything like that before?" Elizabeth asked quickly. She needed to talk to Nyxia and soothe the young child; but she needed to understand what was happening with Anne as well. The two conflicting needs were fraying at her mind as her headache grew from the strain. Ancient magic had given Elizabeth so much, yet it had also taken just as much from her. If Anne shared her abilities...

The brunette shook her head. "No, this was the first time. Even the night you drew the same energies from me before... I saw and heard nothing like that." The witch admitted with a shrug and another shaky breath. She chewed her lip again, seeming to mull something over before finally looking defeated as she asked. "You won't let me see them again if I ask, will you?"

Elizabeth thought for a moment before shaking her head. "No, I won't. Anne, those energies... they are addicting and I don't understand the full scope of what they are capable of yet. They-" She clamped her mouth shut and took a deep breath before releasing it. "They changed me in ways that I still don't know the limits of. And... I can tell that you want to consume them just as badly as I do. I cannot allow that when there are so many unknowns. Sebastian would never forgive me if you got hurt again because of me."

The ravenclaw sighed. "We need to discuss this more, but not right now. I need to tend to Nyxia. Can you please return to the party?" Elizabeth practically begged as she said the last part, not wanting Anne to hear everything she would be discussing with the youngest Gaunt. What she had learned about Anne was greatly concerning. The witch didn't fit any of the patterns Elizabeth knew people with her ability had stuck to in the past.