SERPENT HEART° TOM RIDDLE

040. CAVEAT EMPTOR

"How much?" Rhea asked as Avida took out her coinpurse, ready to pay the price.

"Not Galleons." Mr Borgin said when he noticed Avida's movements. Rhea narrowed her eyes at the man, wondering what it was that the man wanted. "I'll sell you the spell you're looking for — the darkest spell I own — if you retrieve something for me. It's a necklace and Caractacus has been trying to get the family to sell it to us for ages, but they refuse."

"What family?" Rhea asked, dreading the answer before Borgin even said it.

"The Krane's."

Of course.

Tom tensed beside Rhea at the mention of the Krane's while the girl heaved a sigh. She never replied to Atlas's letter, so she could only imagine his reaction when she showed up at his front door asking for the necklace.

"What's the necklace?" Rhea asked.

"It's cursed, made of opals, and pretty infamous. Perhaps you've heard of it — it's known for having killed at least nineteen Muggles. The Krane's used to use it on them until the Ministry banned them from doing so. They claimed the necklace was destroyed, but I know Gaia keeps it and I want it on display here." Borgin said. Tom turned to Rhea, a determined look in his eye.

"I didn't come this far for nothing, Rhea." He said, sending her a pointed look to let her know he would be very displeased if she didn't follow through. Rhea stepped away from Tom and felt a tugging sensation at her navel before she was sucked into darkness as she disapparated from Borgin and Burke's.

Rhea's feet landed on the grass of the ground in front of Krane Manor and she made sure to straighten out her blouse as she walked up the path leading to the house. The doors were open before she arrived to them, with one of their house-elves at the door waiting to greet her.

"Miss Hel," The house-elf bowed to her when she stepped through the threshold and into the foyer, "I will alert Master Krane of your presence at once."

Rhea turned her attention to the pictures on the wall as the elf scurried off to find Atlas. She thought of what she was going to say when there was a creak on the staircase. Rhea glanced up, not at all surprised to see Atlas's mother, Gaia, standing at the top, a surprised look on her face.

"Rhea? What are you doing here?" Gaia asked, her brows raised.

"I came to visit your brother. Your elf said he'd go get him." Rhea said, waving her hand in the direction he ran off to.

"Atlas will certainly be surprised to see you. I take it the two of you haven't spoken since your engagement party." Gaia said. Rhea resisted the urge to roll her eyes. How did she know that?

"Unfortunately, I just haven't had much time to write these days." Rhea said, half-heartedly.

"What a shame." Gaia said, as she began to descend the staircase. "Perhaps that's because you've been spending too much of your time with that half-blood boy."

Rhea's eye twitched and her hand drifted to her wand as Gaia faced her.

"What's his name again? Tom Riddle?" Gaia asked, a small smirk playing on her lips as she stared at Rhea. Rhea tried to hide her surprise but it was no use. For a moment, she wondered if Atlas knew about Tom, but she had a feeling he didn't. This was all his mother. "Remember that we have eyes everywhere, Rhea. I'll allow you to entertain this little relationship with the half-blood so long as you don't do anything to bring shame upon my family. I heard about your little relationship with the human boy too — a pity what happened to him. I'd hate to see the same thing happen to Tom."