Black Rose [Regulus Black]

55 - ferocious duels & plot twists

She couldn't do it.

Several pairs of cold, soulless eyes trained on her, and she still couldn't bring herself to torture Regulus again. The marble mask that she had on, seemingly strong but really so fragile, it was taking everything within her to keep it intact. Shoulders drawn back, lips pursed like she hated the world, eyes which were windows to nothing, she tried.

But she couldn't. The spell would not come out of her palm.

"Try it with your wand," Voldemort said, his voice so encouraging that out of context, it would've genuinely  sounded like a man that was teaching his little girl how to use magic. With context, the entire picture changed, hues of red tinting it and blurring everyone's faces into monstrous creatures. "Try it, Alessandra."

The way he hissed her name, the edge of poison lacing it, it was taking everything within her to not shake, to not fall to the floor and play dead.

She couldn't do it.

The parts of her brain were at war with each other, one furiously screaming at her to do it or Regulus would die while the other wept, knowing full well that she couldn't, she just couldn't.

"Alessandra," Voldemort hissed, his wrath becoming more evident with each syllable. "You-"

Before he could even finish the sentence, there was a huge explosion overhead, a powerful wave of...something...making Alessandra collapse. She crouched, gawking at Regulus, who looked just as dead-eyed as the Death Eaters but in a different way. She was aware of glass shattering above, a roar piercing the shrill screaming that had started to happen above.

"Stay here," Voldemort ordered Rodolphus and Lucius, who did a terrible job at pretending they weren't relieved that they didn't have to go upstairs to face the chaos. "Bella, come with me."

This was her opportunity. This was their opportunity to get out, to make a run for it while there was chaos upstairs. Alessandra stayed kneeling, using her hair as a curtain to shield her face from Rodolphus and Lucius. She heard the click of the door to the cellar as it swung open, and her eyes caught on the candles which flickered as a gust of wind made its way through the door.

She knelt upright, the strain making her limbs shake. Before she could do anything, she felt Rodolphus grab her hair and yank, sending sharp bolts of pain across her scalp. "Trying to escape?" he hissed, his rancid breath coasting across her face.

"Rodolphus," Lucius said sharply. "Let go. She is the Dark Lord's daughter. He will be furious."

Rodolphus rolled his eyes, yanking Alessandra's hair yet again in an act of rebellion. In front of her, Alessandra could see the metal in Regulus' eyes sharpening like a blade, and she shook her head as subtly as possible, begging him to not try anything. While Rodolphus and Lucius got into an argument, she took the opportunity to send a powerful gust of wind across the room, blowing out the candles and engulfing the room in complete darkness.

"What the-" Rodolphus' exclamation was cut off with an animalistic roar as she jabbed her wand at his groin. There was a momentary burst of light from the tip of the wand as she did, and a scorching smell permeated the air. Alessandra heard Regulus grunt as she tackled him, pulling him to the ground as Lucius shot random spells into the darkness while yelling at Rodolphus to stay still.

"Stupefy," Regulus whispered feebly, startling her. "Stun them."

Hands shaking, she pointed the wand at both the wizards, chanting the spell. They dropped to the ground like a pile of bricks, but she had no time to rejoice. She cast a ball of light into the air, tugging helplessly at Regulus' chains. She had no idea what charm was being used on them, so she had no idea how to remove it. Finally, she handed him the wand.