Iniquity Approaches Book 2 of Iniquity Series~Complete~

Ch. 54

I was wondering, lost in thought, through the bottom floor of the manor.

I didn't realize when someone was heading the other way, until I looked up a second too late.

Smacking right into a hard chest, collapsing onto the ground with the person on top of me.

"Oof!" I gasped out as I felt the weight of the person.

"Sorry, I didn't realize you four were back already, how are the Blacks'? Is everything alright?" Abraxas asked, after he rolled off of me, and quickly stood up.

"Fortunately, we got there when we did, there was however a group of you-know-who's followers waiting to ambush Tom and me. We managed to create a portkey for the Blacks, I gave them a healing potion and an energy restorer. They should be back soon." I informed. "How are Bellatrix and her sisters?" I wondered, beginning to feel overwhelmed once more.

"They are well. It seems that they'll be waking up soon." He said.

I nodded in response, my hands staying behind my back.

"You look frustrated, did something happen?" He asked, carefully.

"It's not that something happened, it's what hasn't happened, and what will happen. I-I don't know how prepared we can be. This guy is gaining power in the wizarding world as we speak, I have no idea how Grindlewald comes in to play in this, but I have a feeling that he has just been a pawn in this psychopathic murderer game." I babbled.

He nodded, suddenly looking behind me.

"Nobody knows for sure what will happen, we can only practice and refresh everything that we do know. Dueling, offensive and defensive spells, potions..." He said, as I heard footsteps.

"We'll discuss that during dinner time. I need to speak with Anna, right now." Tom said, causing me to jump a foot in the air.

I quickly turned to look at him, before clearing my throat. "Tom, how-how long have you been standing there?" I asked, innocently.

"Long enough..." He said, his hand hidden behind his back.

"Alright then, well, I'm going to take a walk in the garden." I said, before his hand wrapped around my upper arm.

He shook his head at me before leading me back towards the room I had woken up in a few hours prior.

He pulled me in before slamming the door shut, and putting a spell so the door couldn't be opened.

"What's going on?" He demanded, in a lowly tone.

I could tell by the way the muscles in his arms flexed, and his rigid pose that he was trying not to get angry.

I took a slow deliberate breath before looking up at him.

"Fine. I am feeling tried, restless, frustrated, and overwhelmed. There's too much going on. I-I fear that we could lose too many people. I-I don't want that." I said, turning my back so that I was now facing the window.

I could hear him sigh as he began to make his way towards me. "I know that you're stressed over what this arsehole has done to everyone, but there is only so much we can do, at least for the moment. We are more than advanced in dueling, I mean you took down five men with a flick of your wrist and in less than a blink of an eye." He said amazed, then let out a chuckle.

Causing me to turn to look at him with an eyebrow raised, before turning back to stare out the window at the soothing rain.

"Dolohov may not say this out right to your face but after you left he was rather grateful that you did what you did. It was a rather amusing scene to watch. He was extremely thankful that you were so quick on your feet." He said, giving me one of his rare full smiles, as he enveloped me in his arms.