CHAPTER THIRTY
— the appearances of things are often deceptive
THÉRÈSE DURAND GREW UP HEARING STORIES ABOUT WIZARDS AND OTHER MAGICAL CREATURES WHO HAD PLAGUED HER FAMILY'S VILLAGES LONG AGO. She had been amongst the first people in her town to step up and join La société when curious attacks began happening throughout various countries. She dedicated a majority of her time to fighting wizards and purging the world of the dangers they posed.
Thérèse couldn't help but be reminded of the reason she joined la société as she stared up at the face of the witch she had captured. Thérèse fell to the ground, stumbling over her boots, and crawled away from the witch who stalked towards her with a long stick in her hand and a wicked smile twisted onto her red lips. Behind her stood the wizard she came with and he raised his wand at one of the few remaining members of la société de Balthasar who had yet to fall victim to their magic.
On the other hand, Rhea found herself enjoying the way the witch-hunters trembled at the sight of her and Tom making their way down the hall while Paule and Remi struck down anyone who got in their way. After the two Muggles were killed in the fight, Rhea and Tom took matters into their own hands.
She was drunk off the power she felt holding her wand over the cowering faces of Muggles who were hunting her kind.
"Mercy . . . please . . ." Thérèse said, raising her shaky hand to shield her face from Rhea. Rhea rolled her eyes and readjusted her grip on her wand while a flash of light went off in the corner of her eye as Tom took out another hunter.
Rhea smirked at the fearful woman before she pointed her wand at her. She opened her mouth, ready to say a spell that would kill Thérèse in an instant when the woman raised her hands.
"Wait, wait! We were hired! We were hired!" Thérèse exclaimed. Rhea froze, narrowing her eyes at the woman's face as Thérèse stared at Rhea. Tom, having heard Thérèse's words, made his way over to the pair. "Y-your name is Rhea Hel and that's Tom Riddle."
Rhea and Tom exchanged a dark look with one another. Rhea could see anger brewing underneath his surface when she stepped forward and pulled Thérèse from the ground by the front of her collar. The woman's face paled as she stared into Rhea's cold, dark eyes. Rhea dug the tip of her wand into her neck.
"Who hired you? And, don't lie or else there will be consequences." Though Rhea's smile was sweet, Thérèse could hear the sharp edge in her tone that told her that this witch was not someone to mess with.
"I-I don't know their names. Five of them came to us in the dead of the night. They told us that someone was going to tip us off and lead us to an underground club. Once we raided the club, we would get two wizards named Rhea Hel and Tom Riddle who we were instructed to kill." Thérèse said frantically. Rhea tilted her head to the side, mulling over Thérèse's words.
"Gisela betrayed us." Tom said. Rhea clenched and unclenched her jaw when she came to the same realization. "She's the one who led us here."
"No . . . she said that there were five of them. The Baudelaire's are a family of six." Rhea turned to Thérèse. "Describe them to me."
"There were f-four women and one man. Or-or, I think they were parents and their three daughters since they all looked alike." Rhea inhaled sharply and pinched the bridge of her nose. Tom and Thérèse watched silently as Rhea closed her eyes, inhaling and exhaling slowly. After a few seconds, she opened her eyes and looked down at Thérèse.
"Avada Kedavra," Rhea said quickly, flicking her wand so quickly that Thérèse didn't have time to process it before she was struck dead on the ground. Tom turned his head as Rhea looked at the numerous dead bodies that covered the floor of the headquarters for la société de Balthasar. "It's a good thing we killed them all."
"Why?" Tom asked.
"Because it's less people to worry about and we already have a big problem on our hands." Tom frowned, confused, as he watched Rhea step over Thérèse's body. Rhea sighed deeply. "Gisela betrayed us but she's not the one who organized everything."
Rhea chewed on the inside of her cheek, clearly seeing how everything played out in her mind.
"My mother's side of the family, the Dolus's. They did this." Rhea spoke. Her voice was cold as she clenched and unclenched her fist at her side. She tugged at the ends of her hair. If her mum's family was trying to kill her, then that means that they knew what she did to Caliope and were seeking revenge. "We're out of our depth here."
"You were confident that we could make enemies of the Baudelaire's and be fine, but you're scared of your grandparents and your aunts?" Tom asked. Rhea rolled her eyes.
"I'm not scared, I'm thinking logically. The only reason I was willing to double-cross the Baudelaire's in the first place was because we would be fleeing the country immediately and they wouldn't send anyone to England because we stole back something that is rightfully mine. But, things changed. We can't take on the Baudelaire's and the Dolus's — not without proper help."
"Should I call my Knights?"
Rhea snorted.
"No. We're going to pay a visit to my father."
Tom didn't seem too excited to see Cauius Hel again, but Rhea didn't exactly blame him since finding a way to her father turned out to be harder than she originally anticipated. Since Gisela was bound to realize that Tom and Rhea's escape meant that they knew what really happened, the pair was laying low as they ventured throughout France looking for anyone with information or connections that could lead Rhea to her father.
Ultimately, Rhea and Tom found themselves gathering at a house in the countryside of France. The home belonged to some high-end French wizarding family who were supporters of Grindelwald. There had been rumors that one of Grindelwald's acolytes would show up, though Rhea doubted her father would make an appearance.
She wasn't surprised when Vinda Rosier made her way through the front door two hours into the party, fashionably late but dressed spectacularly with her hair tied back and an amused look on her face that dropped the moment she spotted Rhea.
"Rhea?" Vinda gasped. She pushed her way through the guests and grabbed Rhea's wrist, pulling her out of sight of everyone with Tom trailing along behind them. Vinda spun to her. "What are you doing in France? Shouldn't you be getting ready for school?"
"Vinda, there's a problem. I need to speak with my father." Rhea said. She gave Vinda a pointed look that she hoped could convey the gravity of the situation. Vinda's eyes widened infinitesimally.
"Of course, Rhea. I'll take you to him right away, though . . ." Vinda's gaze flickered to Tom. "I'm not sure if your friend will be welcomed. We can't give our location out to just anybody."
Rhea glanced at Tom with a shrug.
"He can stay at the inn." Rhea said. Rhea could see the vein in Tom's forehead tense, though he didn't say anything. Vinda nodded, holding her arm out for Rhea to take. She placed her hand on Vinda's forearm before she was sucked into total darkness.
Rhea's feet landed harshly on the ground seconds later. She blinked as her eyes adjusted to the darkness before realizing she was standing in the middle of nowhere. Hills of rolling green stretched out as far as the eye could see, but everything was quiet — too quiet. Vinda grabbed Rhea's wrist and pulled her forward into the Fidelius Charm. A large home appeared in front of her and lit up the darkness, though Rhea didn't have much time to marvel at the structure since the front door had swung open and her father was strolling towards them.
Cauius Hel did not look pleased to see his daughter. Rhea knew that he didn't want her outside of Britain with the war going on, but Rhea knew her father would get over her disobedience when she told him what she had to say.
"What is she doing here?" Cauius's thunderous voice asked. His stony gaze was harsh when it landed on Vinda and Rhea thought it was a real wonder that the woman was able to hold her chin high when faced with Cauius Hel.
"Father, there's a problem." Rhea blurted out before Cauius could grow any angrier. He raised an eyebrow at her, silently telling her to explain. "My friend, Tom Riddle, and I traveled here because I found out where the Codex was. I know that you told me to be careful when it came to leaving, but I wanted to bring back something that was rightfully ours."
"And did you?" Cauius asked. Rhea could see some of the tension leaving his shoulders as his interest piqued at the mention of the Codex.
"No. Tom and I were led to the Baudelaire's. They told us that the only way for us to get the Codex back was by defeating a society of witch hunters. The leader of the group told me they had been approached by five people — two parents and their three daughters — to kill me." Rhea expected her father's reaction to the knowledge that someone was trying to kill her to be one of anger and she was glad when her father lived up to her expectations. Cauius's eyes turned deadly and Rhea could see his hand drifting towards the top of his wand.
"Who did it?" A simple question, but Rhea knew that the result of telling her father who was trying to kill her would result in their immediate deaths.
"The Dolus's." Cauius cursed immediately. Vinda brought her hand out and made Rhea take a step back when she noticed the sparks shooting off the tip of his wand. "I think they know . . . I think they know I killed Mum."
Vinda inhaled sharply while Cauius's entire body went rigid. Rhea could assume what happened — when Pluto wrote to the Dolus's asking questions about their mother's death, her grandparents and aunts decided to do their own investigating. Somehow, they must've realized that Rhea was the one who killed Caliope and they were probably hellbent on killing her.
"Are they still at Hel House?" Cauius asked. His face was calm, though everything about him was tense.
"They should be."
"Write to Rialta. Tell her to not let them leave. Vinda," the dark-haired witch raised an eyebrow, "Gather a group. We'll be taking a visit to the Baudelaire's at dawn."
Vinda was halfway through the door when Rhea's father turned to her.
"Before you write to Rialta, you are going to tell me everything." Rhea gulped as she met her father's gaze, knowing that there was no getting out of telling him the whole truth.
Rhea spent the next few hours talking to her father about everything in his office. She told him what Pluto did, what she spent the whole summer doing, and how she ended up in France. She knew her father would be able to tell if she was lying since he was using his magic, so she didn't attempt to leave out any details.
"And the Riddle boy?" Her father asked a few hours into the conversation. Rhea tilted her head.
"What about him?" Rhea asked. Cauius narrowed his eyes at his daughter.
"Is this going to end up being another 'Eddie' situation?"
Rhea's hand curled into a fist. She wasn't the same person she was when she fell in love with Eddie and she thought her father understood that. Though Eddie had only died a year and a half ago, she spent the entirety of fifth year assuring her family that something like that would never happen again. And Tom Riddle? She almost laughed at the idea that Tom Riddle could ever end up being anything like Eddie. She and Tom tolerated each other and that was all their relationship would ever be.
"No." Rhea said firmly. Her father stared at her for a moment, weighing her answer. He straightened and nodded his head before he opened a drawer at his desk. He pressed a button on a keypad that was tucked away in the drawer. Moments later, the door swung open and a house-elf walked in.
"Vorry," Cauius redirected his attention to the elf. "Bring Tom Riddle here."
The house-elf was gone in a loud snap. Her father dismissed her with a wave of her hand and Rhea ran to write to Rialta. Throughout the whole conversation, Cauius never gave her any indication on what he was thinking. He only listened or asked questions, but he never lectured her or made comments.
Rhea sat in the drawing room when Vorry came back with Tom on his arm. Tom shrugged out of the house-elves' grip and marched over to Rhea.
"What is going on?" Tom asked, staring down at her while she lounged in a chair.
"We have to do a bit of damage control. My mum's side of the family is trying to murder me because they realized I killed my mum." Tom sat in the chair across from Rhea. "First, we're going to take care of the Baudelaire's and then we'll be going back home, but you don't have to come along for that."
Tom raised a brow before shrugging nonchalantly.
"I might as well. I brought our things in this bag," Tom held up a bag that Rhea saw him enchant with an extension charm. "Besides, I want to know how this is going to turn out."
Rhea smirked.
"One thing," Tom leaned forward in his chair. "You never mentioned your father knew it was you who killed your mother."
Rhea shrugged. "Everyone knows. Except Pluto."
Tom furrowed his brows slightly, but didn't ask anymore questions. They sat in the drawing room, waiting for anyone to come back in silence. At one point, Vorry ran out without either of them noticing, leaving Tom and Rhea alone.
When the sky began to grow lighter as dawn approached, the doors to the drawing room swung open and Cauius and Vinda strolled in followed by a group of a dozen or so older wizards. Rhea recognized some of their faces from Wanted posters in the Prophet and she exchanged a silent look with Tom. Once they all filed in, one last wizard entered that made Rhea's spine straighten on sight. Grindelwald strolled into the drawing room after them all.
"Rhea, you, Tom, and Vinda will lead this group into La Banque des Étoiles where you will make the Baudelaire's pay for what they did in whatever way you see fit." Rhea grinned, eager to face Gisela again. "The rest of us will be attacking Place Cachée, so you need to be in and out before the attack is interrupted by the French authorities. After that, I want you —" Cauius looked pointedly at his daughter. "— to be on the next bus back to Wiltshire."
"Thank you." Rhea smiled at her father. Everyone readied themselves to leave for Place Cachée. Rhea grabbed onto her father's arm and they apparated to Place Cachée.
"Be quick." Cauius said to her with a nod before he walked away from his, his wand sliding out of his robes. The sound of fighting surrounded Rhea as Grindelwald and his acolytes sprung to action. Rhea rushed forward with the others as they quickly made their way in the direction of the bank.
Out of the corner of her eye, Rhea saw a wizard running out of one of the shops towards her. She wasted no time in reaching for her wand and raised her hand, flicking her fingers to send them flying back.
"This way!" Vinda called out over her shoulder, directing everyone to the bank where golden gates were beginning to rise out of the ground.
Rhea looked down at the palm of her hand as a green fireball began forming.
"Stand back." Rhea said. The group moved out of her way as Rhea created a giant ball of fire in her hand. When she was satisfied with the size, Rhea winded her arm back and launched the fireball at the front of the bank. There was a loud explosion as a large hole was blown into the front of the bank, paving the way for the group to walk straight in.
Rhea strolled up the steps and entered. The bank's guards ran up, throwing spells their way and Grindelwald's acolytes ran forward, dueling them with ease. Tom and Rhea ran to the lift and hurried inside.
Rhea tapped her foot impatiently until they arrived on Gisela's floor.
The doors opened and Tom had his wand out, stepping in front of Rhea to throw a spell at a guard who was waiting for them. Rhea blinked, surprised, as Tom turned to her with a deep frown line on his face.
"Be careful." He glared. Rhea rolled her eyes and brushed past him, wand at her side as she directed a Stunning spell at another guard who was running down the hall. "Are we killing them?"
Rhea hummed thoughtfully to herself, tapping her wand against her chin. Killing the Baudelaire's, or at least Gisela, would be easy, but that could mean making a very powerful enemy.
"We're not going to kill Gisela, but I am going to get what I came for and she's going to learn to never try to double cross a Hel again." Rhea said darkly. She marched to Gisela's office doors and threw them open. Papers were haphazardly thrown over the desk and Rhea could smell the lingering scent of perfume in the air.
"Where'd she go?" Tom asked, irritated. Vinda and the other acolytes ran in. Rhea closed her eyes and cleared her thoughts. Tom turned to her curiously. "What are you doing?"
"Searching . . ." Rhea said, distractedly. She could hear the thoughts of the different wizards in the room, each one loud and clear, but it was the quieter ones she listened closely to. "Sometimes if you listen close enough, you can use someone's thoughts to lead you to them."
Rhea raised a brow when she heard a woman's voice in her head. It was frantic and rushed, but Rhea knew who it was. She opened her eyes and walked to the opposite side of the room, pressing her hands against the wall.
"What are you —" Vinda's question was cut off when Rhea pushed against the wall and it opened to reveal a secret corridor. Rhea could hear faint footsteps in the distance. Vinda turned to Rhea, stunned. "How'd you do that?"
"A simple spell. Come on, she's not far." Rhea and the others ran through the corridor, getting closer and closer to Gisela. As she ran, Rhea suddenly felt someone — Tom — grab onto her collar and pull her back. A spell shot past her head and slammed into one of the wizards traveling with Rhea. Vinda was throwing spells off into the long, dark hallway of the corridor within seconds.
"Petrificus Totalus!" Tom shouted at one of the guards traveling with Gisela. Rhea caught sight of the girl at the front of the group. Gisela would glance over her shoulder with a panicked look on her face as she hesitantly threw weak defensive spells. Rhea used a Shield Charm to block one of the spells before she aimed her wand at the ground.
"Confringo!" Rhea shouted before putting up another, stronger Shield Charm around the wizards around her. Tom slammed into Rhea's shield while the loud explosion blasted into the bank guards and barely missed Gisela, thanks to Rhea's aim and timing.
Blood splattered Rhea's clothes and face as she let the Shield Charm fall and watched as a hole appeared in the ground from the blast, separating the two groups. Rhea took out her wand and muttered a spell to rebuild the floor before she walked to Gisela.
Gisela was on the ground, hair and robes dirtied with a horrified look on her face as she watched Rhea approached.
"Y-you — you killed them," Gisela sobbed. Large tears rolled down her cheeks as Rhea looked down at the woman. Her wand was broken in two. "You killed them all."
"You shouldn't have double crossed me." Rhea said. She bent down so that her eyes were level with Gisela's. "Where's the Codex?"
Gisela pressed her lips into a thin line. A look of annoyance flashed on Rhea's face. She stood to her feet, pointed her wand at Gisela and cried out,
"Crucio!"
Gisela's screams shook the walls of the tunnel. Vinda and the other acolytes exchanged a look with one another as they watched Gisela wither on the ground from the power behind Rhea's spell.
"Tell me where it is." Rhea said. Her voice was ice cold when she spoke and her eyes were dark. Gisela cried, her eyes directed on Rhea's wand. Gisela didn't say a word.
Rhea didn't know what came over her, but, for a moment, she lost sight of what she had come to do. The rush she felt when performing dark magic was exhilarating. It was as though her magic was controlling her. Tom watched Rhea curiously. He noted how calm she was and the way she didn't express any emotion as she stood over Gisela.
When Rhea switched from the Cruciatus Curse to curses much darker, Gisela sputtered out the location of the Codex through the pain. Rhea spun on her heel and briskly walked back to Gisela's office. She rummaged through cupboards until she pulled out the thickest book she had ever seen. Even though she knew the Codex was ancient, there was a spell to preserve it that made it look as though it was brand new.
"The Aurors are here. You and I should leave. What are you going to do about Gisela?" Tom asked. Rhea glanced out of one of the windows into the street and all she could see were the flashes of red and green light through smoke.
"Vinda," Rhea glanced at the Rosier witch who raised a brow at the sound of her name. "Teach Gisela a lesson."
Rhea could hear the sound of Gisela's screams as she and Tom walked out of the bank through the back exit.
"How are we getting out of here?" Tom asked. He turned to Rhea, but she was already muttering a spell underneath her breath. Tom's eyes traveled up to the darkening sky as the grey clouds swirled overhead. A loud, almost musical, roar could be heard in the distance as a large, winged beast broke through the clouds. Tom's eyes widened slightly and he took a few steps back as a dragon flew directly towards them. "Er — Rhea —"
"Stay calm," Rhea said, her eyes still closed as she spoke to Tom. "I've never done this spell before but I figured that riding back home on a dragon would be faster than taking the Knight Bus."
Tom had never heard of a spell that was used for summoning dragons before, but he did know that dragons were not friendly beasts. Yet, Rhea didn't seem to be fearful of the dragon as it landed in front of them. The dragon had smooth, emerald green scales and its eyes were a milky white color. Its wings spouted from its back and spread wide as it dug its long claws into the ground.
"Daughter of Hel." The dragon bowed its head at Rhea and it spoke to her telepathically in a language that she could easily understand. She gripped the Codex in her arms and bit back a grin that threatened to spread on her face. She had summoned a dragon and it was communicating with her.
"What's your name?" Rhea thought.
"I am Odun." The dragon replied.
"Can you give us a ride, Odun?" Rhea asked.
"Anything for a descendant of the great Morgana." Odun said. Rhea turned to Tom, ushering him forward, before they climbed onto the scaly back of the dragon. Even though he didn't say it, Rhea could tell that Tom was secretly impressed with her display of skill.
Odun reared; his wings opened and he soared into the air. Rhea and Tom clung onto the metallic scales and laid flat on his back while they climbed higher and higher into the air. France spanned out below them, a sea of green. Odun flew steadily in the air until they were high into the clouds with cold air nipping at their skin.
Rhea was sure she looked a mess — covered in blood and dirt with the Codex in her hands, but she needed to get back to her home.
"I know what happened." Rhea said. She was surprised that she was telling Riddle this, but she figured that their time together would be coming to an end soon, so there was no harm in confiding in him for a few moments. "We didn't know how the Dolus's found out that I killed my mother, but I know now. It was Pluto."
Tom didn't seem too surprised, but Rhea wasn't shocked that he had already figured out that her brother was the mastermind behind the conspiracy to kill her in France.
"Pluto must've found out that I killed my mother and since we're on the outs, he decided to get back at me by telling the Dolus's. He was the one who invited them to the house where they were probably going to try to kill me then, but we left so abruptly that they never got the chance, so they had to change plans. Pluto probably told them where we were going, so they wrote to the Baudelaire's, hired the witch hunters, and expected to get their revenge." Rhea was proud of herself for figuring it all out, but she also knew what this would mean now — justice.
"You won't kill him." Tom stated, rather matter-of-factly and in a tone that told Rhea that he didn't understand why she had already decided that she wasn't going to kill her brother even though he tried to kill her.
"It's not because I can't do it, if that's what you're thinking." Rhea said, sternly. She could sense doubt radiating from Tom without him having to open his mouth. "My family let me get away with killing my mother because they were all tired of her at that point. She killed a Fawley, she got us excluded from the Pure-Blood Directory . . . my father was in love with Rialta by the time she died and none of them really liked her, so they agreed to help me."
Rhea could clearly remember when her father came home unexpectedly to find her sitting in the gardens, sitting on the ground and staring at her hands while the shed burned behind her. He sprung into action immediately by having Cato and Pavlina take care of dealing with the Avery's — luckily, Cyril was on poor terms with his family, so they didn't care that much when he 'disappeared'. Cauius was the one who came up with the lie behind Caliope's death that they all stuck to. Everyone agreed not to tell Pluto, who was heart-broken enough over their mother's death so no one thought he could handle finding out it was his sister who murdered her.
"But, Pluto is the heir." Rhea resisted the urge to gag at the title. It was the truth she hated to think about — the fact that Pluto would live and die a Hel. He would get Hel House and the opportunity to pass down their family legacy. "They would be forced to disown me if I killed him."
"But the Dolus's will die?" Tom asked.
"Yes, the Dolus's will die."
Odun swooped low enough in the front lawn of Hel House that Tom and Rhea were able to roll off his back. The pair clamored to their feet and marched up to the front doors. The doors swung open and Rialta appeared in the doorway.
"Rhea, you're back —!" Rialta blinked in surprise when Rhea brushed past her, looking around. She walked throughout the different rooms until she ended up in the Breakfast Room.
"Rhea —" Rhea cut her brother off with a wave of his hand. His chair shot backwards to the wall and chords stretched out of ground until they wrapped themselves around Pluto's wrists, waists, and ankles, immobilizing him. He stared at her in shock.
"What is this?" Rhea's grandfather, Lazarus, asked, standing up from his chair.
"Sit down." Rhea said in a commanding tone. Involuntarily, Lazarus was forced into his seat as Rhea's eyes swept over the group. Elvira, Cato, and Pavlina continued to casually eat their food while Rialta ran into the doorway to stand beside Tom. Althea gripped the arm of her chair while Eris, Nyx, and Clio stared at their niece with narrowed eyes. "Surprised to see me?"
"We didn't know you were on your way back." Althea said. Rhea grinned, resting her arm against the back of her aunt Nyx's chair.
"Oh, our trip ended rather abruptly. Tom and I ran into a bit of trouble, but I managed to get what I came for." Rhea tossed the codex onto the table and it landed with a thud. She met her grandmother's level gaze with an amused one of her own.
"What kind of trouble?" Elvira asked.
"Someone tried to have us killed." Rhea said. Behind her, the doors that led to the breakfast room closed. Everyone in the room could hear the click of the locks, but no one turned their head as they watched Rhea. Rhea turned to her brother. "Isn't that right, Pluto?"
Pluto's face paled when Elvira, Cato, Pavlina, and Rialta's heads snapped to him. Rhea's eyes narrowed when she caught sight of movement. She ducked when Eris rose from her chair, throwing a spell at Rhea. Rhea rolled on the ground as the fighting commenced — Pluto broke from his bindings, Lazarus and Althea drew their wands on Elvira and Cato while Clio spun on Tom.
Clio muttered a dark spell that hit Tom directly in the face and sent him flying to the ground. All he felt was an unbearable stinging pain as the spell rippled through his entire being. He curled onto the ground as black dots appeared in his vision and he was forced to see horrible visions. It left him with a feeling of deep despair unlike anything he had ever felt before. He felt weak. He felt like . . . he felt like he was dying.
"Avada Kedavra!" Rhea's spell hit Clio in the back and she fell to the ground. Her grandmother whirled on her in an instant when Rhea murdered her daughter before she launched a series of rapid-fire spells at her. Rhea threw up a Shield Charm to protect herself. "Expelliarmus!"
Elvira sent a spell at Althea that sent her blasting backwards while Rhea held her grandmother's wand. Cato disarmed and killed Lazarus while Pavlina and Rialta battled Nyx and Eris. Rhea caught sight of her brother scurrying behind them and she quickly dashed towards him.
"Locomotor Mortis!" Pluto yelped and fell to the floor as his legs locked together. Rhea ran to him, ducking from stray spells in the process and grabbed her brother by the collar.
"I should kill you, you weasel." Rhea sneered, digging the tip of her wand into the tip of her brother's throat. Pluto gulped and glared at his sister.
"You killed mum —"
"And I'm glad I did. She deserved it." Rhea taunted. Pluto's face twisted into one of pain. "I'm not going to kill you this time, but if you ever try to do something like that again, you better hope you're successful because if not then I'm going to take a visit to Wales and I'm going to kill Avida right in front of you and I'll let you sit with it for a while before I kill you." Rhea spoke low, seething with rage. Pluto gulped, knowing that his sister wasn't bluffing when she said this.
Rhea let go of her brother's collar and stood to her feet, turning around to see Pavlina and Rialta wiping sweat off their brow while they carried the bodies outside. Rhea let out a sigh when her eyes landed on Tom, who seemed to be in a state from Clio's spell.
Tom was groggy when Rhea transported him to one of the guest bedrooms in the house while she could hear her family screaming at Pluto for trying to have her killed. Healing spells was one area of magic Rhea wasn't too adept in, but Tom seemed to be getting better. Clio's spell had left his face puffy and full of deep cuts that had a hard time healing despite the loads of dittany she poured over his wounds.
She hadn't realized it, but Tom had nearly died. She studied the magic and could tell Clio used a dark spell that would have killed Tom had she aimed for his chest.
Rhea sat by Tom's bedside, flipping lazily through the Black Book when Tom opened his eyes and appeared lucid. His dark gaze fell on her immediately.
"What happened?" He asked.
"Clio's spell nearly killed you. I've been nursing you back to health ever since." Rhea winked. Tom rolled his eyes at Rhea's comment, but from the way he shifted uncomfortably, Rhea could tell that something was bothering him. "What is it?"
"Nothing." Tom answered quickly. He glanced through the open curtains and out at the land before letting out a low sigh. "I need to get back to the Orphanage."
"Don't be ridiculous. We go back to Hogwarts soon enough. You'll stay here until then. Besides," Rhea waved her book at Tom. "I have a feeling big things are coming."