CURSED: FROM THE BEGINNING [D.M]

-(92) supernova burns

"You are not doing this."

"But I'm the only one who can-"

"We'll find some other way."

"Zilliah and I are the only ones who can access the sceptre, she because she was Lilith, Queen Zara's daughter. And me because Archie had already linked the magic of the sceptre to me, thereby allowing me access to it."

"No, Xena. We can't-"

"But we have to", she cuts in, ripping the words out of her throat, pleading with everything in her to make him understand. "It's the only way."

Draco can feel himself drowning. He can feel himself being suffocated. He can feel his heart being ripped out of his chest.

She's his sister.

He can't do this to his sister.

He can't let her sacrifice herself to save them.

"Can't you fly with us, keeping the sceptre in hand and keeping the bubble up until we cross the barrier?", Blaise asks, reading the pain out of Draco's face.

But any amount of hope Draco had got from that question dissipates as Xena shakes her head no. "The sceptre works only on this ground. The person holding it has to remain here, tethered to the soil of the magic for it to work", she explains, and every word from her mouth is like a stab to Draco's chest. "It's the only way or we'll all end up dead."

The bubble starts to crack as the curse engulfs Archie more and more. But Draco still can't accept this. Surely, there must be some other way.

"Draco."

There must be some other way where no one has to die.

"Draco!"

There must be some other way to keep Zilliah, his friends and his sister alive.

"DRACO!", Xena snaps his attention back onto her, now wielding the sceptre, having taken it from Archie's hands. "Go."

But Draco stays rooted to the ground, Zilliah unconscious in his arms, tears threatening to break free of his cages. "I can't", he says, his voice breaking, his heart shattering and his mind collapsing. "I can't let you do this."

"Dray", she taps the sceptre on the ground, enlarging the bubble. "I don't have a life out there. I have nothing. But you..", her voice breaks too, "You have something to make it out of here for. You have everything right there in your arms- the sole reason you have to survive. So please, go."

"But you-"

"My soul will be at peace knowing that I gave my brother the chance to live his life out with the person he loves the most in this world. That's all I need, Dray. That's all I fucking need."

Draco can feel his whole self ripping into two, tears cascading down his face. "I love you", he speaks, willing his feet into motion and walking backwards. "I'll never forget you. Not again."

"I know", she says, smiling as she holds all the pain in. "Give mum a kiss for me. And be safe."

Knowing he will change his mind if he look at her for a moment longer, he turns away and runs, trying his best to keep the vision of her out of his head and focus on Zilliah and getting her to safety. The enlarging bubble finally reaches Julien and the other thestrals and they set into motion, flying straight over to the group.

"Good boy", Draco mumbles out to Julien, patting his head quickly before mounting him with Zilliah clung onto him. But Julien instantly writhes and wriggles causing him to descend back down. "What is it?", he asks, concern in his eyes as he grabs Julien by the neck. And that's when he notices that he has turned a darker shade of black than what he used to be.