Of Magic USUK

Chapter 10

"W-What?"

Alice sighs, rolling her eyes as if she can't believe someone can be so dim. "Arthur or Amelia?" she repeats, causing his face to fill with conflict. "I can't bring her back and have him live, and if he lives I can't bring her back. You can only have one of them, so choose."

I imagine his bright blue eyes are filled with either confusion or conviction. He's either feeling conflicted about this entire thing, or he has decided to bring Amelia back. In all honesty, I had always hoped I'd have someone that would choose me in this kind of situation. And for six weeks, I did have that. And that's enough for me. I could die happily, here and now.

"I choose Arthur."

What?

The vine releases me, and on impulse, I turn over, coughing as much welcomed air enters my strained lungs. Everything feels like it's burning, but I'm slowly regaining my normal feeling. My leg still hurts from the wound on it, though, and I know already that I can't walk on it. I'll collapse.

"That's disappointing," Alice murmurs, and I feel that same vine wrap around my wings, pulling me into the air with a scream I'm ashamed I make. "I was hoping to have an excuse to kill you, brother dear." Her nose is centimeters from mine, and I feel the little blood that's left in my body run cold. "I want destroy you," she whispers harshly, forming an insane smile on those thin lips of hers.

"You've gone mad with anger," I return.

"Oh, don't pull that high-and-mighty bullshit with me. We practically have the same thoughts. I know all about how you pined for that boy, and I know about how you were on the verge of taking your own life. I just wanted to watch it all happen."

"You're sick," I return, spitting at her and resulting in nothing but an angry glare and a slap in the face.

"Yeah, well, we're the same."

"You're starting to sound like an anime antagonist, sister dear," I mock, feeling so done and repulsed by it all that I make my magic surge, releasing me from her vines and wrapping her legs and arms in vines of my own.

Unfortunately, because our intents are so different, they bare no thorns, instead cancelling out her power. I'm amazed I was even able to pull that off, considering how weak I am compared to her. Thankfully, she gets caught up in her power so often that she wastes it in her overconfidence.

"You've disgraced our kind," I state, mustering barely enough energy to send a weak punch to her flawless cheek.

"Please," she says laughing, spitting blood from the corner of her mouth as it dribbles towards her chin. "We disgrace our kind by existing."

"Then, you just made it worse," I return, shrugging weakly as a bitter smile stains my lips. "It's bad enough that Tom Riddle is our grandfather. Now you want to kill everyone and become a dictator over us? Dream on."

"We'd never let someone like you rule," Alfred says angrily, walking up to her and slapping her across the face. I'd hug him for that if we were in different circumstances and he were less disgusted with me. 

In all honesty, I'm shocked when his arm wraps around my waist, holding me closely and forcing my wing out in order to avoid hitting him in the face. "W-What?" I ask in stuttering confusion. After everything that's been done and said, why would he...

"ALICE KIRKLAND!"

"Oh dear," my sister says, rolling her eyes as an angry headmaster and furious colleagues slam through the doors, glaring heatedly at the girl wrapped up in vines.

"You are being apprehended by the Ministry of Magic, and we will see to it you rot in Azkaban for all the pain you've caused."

"Oh, and here I thought we weren't going to have a party," she returns, letting her head fall back as she cackles, laugh filled with insanity that sends me cowering into Alfred's side. I've always hated this side of her, even back before everything in the Kingdom went to shit.

"Your highness," one of the wizards addresses me, and it sends confused looks across my four classmates. "I need to tend to your injuries."

I break away from a shocked Alfred, letting the elderly man start to perform healing spells on me. "Arthur, what does he mean?" Francis asks, looking at me as if I'm a curious specimen under a microscope.

The headmaster sighs. "To avoid misunderstandings, I'll explain. Arthur is the last heir of the Seraphs, a long lost prince. His sister, older than him by a few minutes always wanted to rule instead, but their mother never saw it fit. So, she bestowed Arthur the gift of being heir. His sister would never be able to rule. Hence what is called the 'Key' in this case. After the kingdom found out that their grandmother had a child by Tom Riddle, as the result of a sexual assault, various rebellious groups broke out, and the kingdom fell apart. In order to have some sort of hope at a normal life, Arthur was taken into an adoptive family and brought to Hogwarts. His sister, however ran away and has tried killing Arthur ever since."

She pants after her long rant, leaning over and supporting herself on her knees. "So, Arthur is a prince?" Antonio asks, pointing to me with confusion and doubt in his gaze.

"For the love of-- Yes. Arthur is a prince." She slaps herself in the forehead, and I let a small chuckle escape. "I'm getting too old for this rubbish."

"That's cool," Alfred says, exhaling heavily and closing his eyes as he looks up to the ceiling, which is dozens of feet above his head. I nervously study him, shamelessly wondering what it is he's thinking. "Not only was I an ass to the person I love. I was an ass to the prince I love."

"That's an insult to donkey's everywhere," Alice calls, and I flash her a glare, causing her to smirk at me. She's so caught up in herself that she doesn't even realized she's lost. She turns to me. "You should've told me I wasn't able to rule, you idiot. I might not have tortured you."

"We both know you would've done it anyway," I retort, feeling my face twist in disgust when our green gazes lock. She simply grins widely at me. Becoming uncomfortable with the look, I turn away.

Alfred exhales heavily, rubbing at his face tiredly. His friends study him warily, and I wish I could comfort him. I hiss in pain as the medic starts healing my leg, and I twitch uncomfortably.

"Sorry," the man says, and I nod. 

"It's fine," I say, not being able to keep the hiss of pain out of my voice. As I look away from the wounds I have, on the verge of throwing up because of the distrubing sight, my eyes end up locking with Alfred's. He looks...scared and guilty. "It's fine," I repeat.

He swallows, looking warily at the blood that covers my body before our eyes meet again. The man finally pulls away from me, having finished with my wounds. The only proof that there ever were any are the rips and tears in my clothing. Even my feathers are just like they were before I was wounded.

Alfred walks over to me, slowly and cautiously, coming to stand in front of me.

"We should talk."

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Heylo, my lovely little nuggets! I hope y'all enjoyed this chapter! Don't forget to leave any comments or suggestions if you have them. They always make my day, and HAPPY LATE HOLIDAYS! I'm late but oh well lol. :) Anyway, I'll see y'all nuggety readers in the next update! Until then, have an absolutely fantastic and fabulous day! Bai!!! >:3

-IggyScones