Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Thirty-Five: In the Shadow of Anguish

Shoving myself from the ground, I wiped the blood from my face, taking off running again. These bastards were going to wish they'd never laid a hand on her by the time I was done with them.

Her screams acted as my beacon, guiding me through the crumbling ruin quickly. I rounded a corner and was met with two poachers, wands raised, pointed directly at my chest.

"Lover boy come to save the damsel?" The one on the right called out.

"Crucio!" I shouted, not even bothering to respond to him. The spell hit the man in a blinding flash of red and he fell to the ground writhing in pain at my curse, his own pained screams filling my ears. The monster in my chest purred happily as the darkness seeped out around me and I felt myself give into the power of the spell.

His screams mixed with hers in the air and I was glad he was feeling her pain. My eyes flicked to the second poacher on the left and his wand dropped a hair.

"Diffindo," I snarled as I aimed my wand at him, the power of the spell slicing into the man, immediately sending him to the ground, thick red blood pooling around him. The one on the right crawled over to his friend, his voice a mix of anger and his own cries.

I stormed to him as he reached his friend and with a flick of my wand lifted him into the air. "How many are in there with her?"

The poacher glared at me, his face twisted in pain. I was met with a laugh, cold and merciless. Waste of my time, this one. Another flick of my wand, a flash of green light; the man dropped like a marionette with its strings cut. The monster in my chest purred again, louder this time and I relished the feeling of power running through my veins.

"MAKE IT STOP! PLEASE!"

Her voice ripped my soul in two and the black monster reared its head in anger. I pushed my feet forward faster, her voice just at the end of the hall.

"Bombarda!" I shouted, pointing my wand at the already crumbling door. It burst from its hinges with a loud boom! Only one poacher rounded the corner to meet me and I sliced my wand through the air, not even bothering to give him the time of day.

No one was worth a fight. I just had to get to her.

My shoulder slammed into the wall as I slid into the room, turning too quickly. The pain made me grit my teeth as I looked around, ready for more wands to be pointed at me.

There were only three wands in the room.

Two at her.

One at me.

She was tied to an iron chair, suspended magically in midair. Her normally blonde hair was coated in mud, her body covered in blood that I prayed was not her own. Her screams had subsided for the moment, and I knew I had only seconds before they ripped the air again.

"Abbi!"

Her screams stopped as the men lifted their wands. Not only was she being tortured, she was being hit by two different casts of Crucio at the same time. I felt the hatred flare in my chest and I raised my wand, not hesitating a second longer.

The darkness had nothing to do with the spell I cast next.

"Avada Kedavra!" I shouted the spell, green light leaving the tip and the poacher pointing his wand at me dropped to the ground with a satisfying thump.

Two wands left, both spun around and for a moment, I froze.

Two sets of grey eyes met mine, two sets of eyes so familiar, I'd know them anywhere. I'd sat across tables from them. Broke bread. Shared a home. I would know them, and they would know me. Horror filled me as I realized their eyes burned with excitement, relishing in their torture of Abigail Crane and I'd never wanted to murder more than I did in that moment.