The Mark of a Death Eater : Sequel

Chapter Eleven

Draco was walking out. He glanced at me when I passed but didn't say anything. He was pale and shaking, but that wasn't unnatural anymore.

The Dark Lord was standing in front of the mantelpiece mirror, his back to me. He had Lucius' wand between his hands. I tried to remember how and why he had Lucius's wand, but my mind wasn't working.

"Emma, how punctual."

I can't do this I can't do it I can't I can't stand in front of him alone.

"My... my Lord." I managed a shaky bow, focusing on my shoes. In the midst of my panic, I somehow managed to feel annoyed that I'd scuffed the tip of my right boot. The little action was so silly, so Old-Emma that I almost smiled. Almost.

"I have a gift for you," The Snake said. He turned around slowly.

A trickle of ice water dripped down my spine. "A... a gift, My Lord?" I wasn't sure I'd heard correctly.

"Oh yes. The best kind."

His smile was icy cold. I had a feeling I wouldn't like this gift.

"Caspar, please hand Miss Evergreen the gift we tirelessly prepared for her."

I hadn't even noticed that Caspar was in the room. His white hair glowed like a beacon in the firelight. He turned around to take something from the mantelpiece.

"Caspar, Avery and a few other loyal ones worked very hard to get this particular present. Most of the credit must, however, go to you, Miss Evergreen. Isn't that correct Caspar?"

"Indeed my Lord." To me, he said, "we couldn't have done it without you."

Caspar held an ornate ivory and ebony box in his hands, his pale skin and fingerless black gloves gave as much contrast as the designs on the box. The box reminded me of something, but I couldn't think what.

Roses.

Was it a coincident, then, that Zayn's mothers' name was Rose?
Maybe.
Possibly.
But not probably.

He handed the box to me, taking care not to touch me.

This couldn't be good. Against my will, my hands were shaking. I didn't want to open the box.

"Open your gift." Voldemort didn't sound so friendly anymore.

'The Dark Lord wouldn't go through such theatrics just to prove a point,' the rational side assured me. 'The box is too small for anything that could hurt you. Just open it.'

With shaking hands, I lifted the lid. It seemed to me that my heart must have stopped beating.

Inside the box lay a hemp necklace with two small clay beads on it. I knew that necklace as well as my own. I'd seen it around Zayn's neck a hundred times. I'd seen it peeking out of the collar of his Hogwarts robes, lying next to the glasses he sometimes wore, and damp on his coppery skin when we went swimming in the lake. I'd put a clasp on it when the knot at the end had come lose, and fixed that clasp at least thrice. I realized how little time I'd given to Zayn last year when I realized that I couldn't remember if he still wore that necklace or not. That necklace was my gift to Zayn at least 4 years ago. Zayn would never give it away.

So that meant...

"You killed him," I whispered. It wasn't a question.

"Does that surprise you?" Voldemort asked.

Did it? I didn't know.

A lifetime passed with each heartbeat.

Caspar was unmoving, staring at a space above my shoulder. I directed my question to him. "How did you find them?"