The Hope beneath the Dark - Sebastian Sallow

35. A relic's cost

Maude's POV

I couldn't tell exactly how much time had passed, but it's been quite a moment already and Eileen has not returned yet. My body still wouldn't move, my sight was still useless as I felt like I was still floating in the nothingness. Alfred kept pacing back and forth since his sister left us, and I could sense his nervousness. Clearly, things are not going as planned. 

Third person's POV

"Finally!" Alfred exclaimed as he was standing a few feet away from where Maude was laying, still in silence. "Father. Marvolo."

"Crucio!" An old man's voice shouted from afar, making Alfred fall to his knees and moan in pain. "You should've taken the child before cursing her! How dare you take such risks and make me come out!"

Alfred wasn't responding, but his heavily disrupted breaths seemed so loud all of a sudden.

"Father... If I may..." Eileen interrupted. "Please, we know we've failed you, but shouldn't we ask fast now? From what we've heard, Tom has been in touch with her. There is a risk he is made aware of her disappearance again. If so, we have no time for corrections."

The old man groaned, which showed that not often he was spoken up to. 

"Barbarus, your daughter is right. Now that the curse has taken effect, we shall proceed here. It is time to open the relic." Marvolo replied.

"Alright. You two fools, lock the place down. Marvolo, fetch your father. I expect you two to be here in a deadly short time."

"As you wish, sir." Marvolo affirmed, to which a swooshing sound followed.

Marvolo apparated out the room, leaving Barbarus to slowly walk towards Maude. His hands joined behind his back, he observed her for a moment, not an ounce of feeling towards the grandchild he could've gotten to know. For Barbarus Forsythe, Maude Ainsley would've been just the bastard of a filthy muggle, if it were not for her ability to wield ancient magic.

"You may have fooled my children, but make no mistake, I know you can hear us. You are not dead. Not at the moment, at least." Barbarus spoke to Maude. "It is a brave thing I heard about you saving the wizarding world, securing that repository. It is quite surprising that no one has tried to steal that source of power, yet."

Barbarus sighed, and an amused smile showed on the corner of his mouth. 

"But what is in that relic is much more powerful. In any case, it will be once combined with what you sealed in the repository."

Maude couldn't move even if she felt an urge in that moment to jump back up and show Barbarus right here and there what that ancient magic could do. But no, instead she laid there after getting tricked. Such a simple and stupid trick that she should've seen coming.

She ran right in the lion's den, and now unless that curse wears off before Marvolo gets back with his father, there are not many options left. 

After not much more than fifteen minutes, Marvolo was back with his father, accompanied by two other hooded figures, in long black robes, two of the Forsythes family loyal servants.

After reuniting in a circle, Eileen gave Marvolo a flagon with silver liquid in it, unicorn's blood. Barbarus then revealed the relic, suddenly appearing in his hand after a quick spell he cast. Finally, Barbarus glanced over at the two hooded figures, and they immediately hurried in the direction of Maude, grabbing and lifting her unresponsive body. They dragged her in the middle of the circle that all of them were forming.