The Serpents Hold | Ominis Gaunt

Chapter Sixteen

Sebastian clawed at every inch of the hollow stone chest, his breaths torn and ragged, intermingled with forceful huffs, "It's here. It IS here."

Nova scarcely registered his garbled words. Coarse shingles tore into her palms as she frantically scraped at the ground, desperate to put some distance between herself and Solomon's crumpled body, but the sarcophagus at her back held her firmly in place.

"You've got to run. Find someone from the village who can apparate to the authorities or the Ministry."

The words reached her ears but slid through her consciousness without leaving any lasting impact. A presence intruded her field of vision, and her eyes stung as they recalibrated and snapped into focus on Ominis' face. "Do you hear what I'm saying?" He sounded composed, but the pressure of his fingers digging into her shoulders was desperate and painful.

"I told Sebastian everything." She tried to convey they needed to get him out before he confronted Marvolo, before he got himself killed, but the words remained lodged in her throat.

"What?"

"I told him about Anne. Get him out of here. We need to—now!"

Ominis ditched their cover, his foot catching on scattered bones, "Sebastian, we're getting out of here right now. Get up!"

If Sebastian heard him, he didn't react. His feral eyes darted wildly around the chamber, his search for the relic growing increasingly erratic as his shattered fingernails tore at the stone.

"You've been stoking father's anger." Marvolo hauled himself off the ground with all the grace he could muster. Still, the scorn that twisted across his face exposed the deep-rooted mortification of nearly being bested in a duel. "Do you know who bears the brunt when you do that?"

"I've washed my hands of you. Whatever you bicker about behind closed doors is none of my concern." Ominis gripped Sebastian's elbow, giving it a firm yank to pull him up. Sebastian's feeble resistance instantly crumbled as he slumped against Ominis. "You've had your fun. We've got the warning. Now, we're leaving."

Sebastian teetered on unsteady feet, and it became a struggle for Ominis to keep him upright. Fortunately, he appeared too disoriented to connect the dots and recall Nova's confession.

They stepped forward, but Marvolo's wand swiped into their path. "I'm not here to scold . Our family affairs won't be exposed by this ." he ran his wand up Sebastian's throat, pausing under his chin.

"He's not a threat."

"Well, that's not what father thinks. I've been ordered to silence him." Marvolo quirked an eyebrow. "Though I suppose that doesn't necessarily mean kill. I can think of another friend of yours who knows that all too well."

If Ominis felt intimidated, he hid it well. He shoved Marvolo's wand out of the way, making a move to pass him. "Nova, let's go."

"I could easily scramble their brains if you'd prefer. Crucio for an extended period would do the trick, you know." He leant into Ominis' ear and whispered, "That's what I did to Noctua."

Ominis' knuckles audibly cracked as he tensed, almost snapping his wand in half.

"She couldn't even speak when I was through with her. That would be the preferable option, don't you? I've always believed that children should be seen and not heard."

Sebastian had been teetering on the brink of unconsciousness but jolted to full attention as Marvolo's words struck a nerve. He pushed Ominis away, staggering and nearly collapsing to the floor. His bloodshot eyes darted between Nova and Marvolo as the pieces clicked into place. "She..." he stumbled, pointing at Nova. "She was telling the truth ?" A heavy silence descended upon the room. "No, no, no," Sebastian began mumbling. "... You were helping me."