Gone

Chapter 40- Manipulation

TW: Death, Manipulation, Implied Threats, Intrusive Thoughts, Injuries, Burns, Purposely Harming Others, Talks of Animal Harm (All this goes on in the first scene so if needed, please skip)

Janus hummed quietly, still half-asleep, as he felt around for Remus. They had fallen asleep on the cot this time, squeezing together on the narrow furniture once again and making themselves as comfortable as possible. His hands hit nothing but air and it sparked a sudden fear in him that made his eyes snap open, "Remus?" he asked as he sat up and looked around the dark dank cell, only to find he was alone.

 "Remus!" He shouted this time, voice becoming panicked at his boyfriend's absence, "Remus!" He called again, absolute fear coursing through him. They hadn't said they would take Remus from him. They hadn't made any threats that day or the day before. And unless Remus had done something while Janus was asleep, neither of them had done or said anything that could warrant them to be separated. So where was Remus and why did they take him?

"Remus!" Janus stood up from the cot, jumping to his feet as he continued to shout the name despite knowing it would do him no good, "Remus! Remus!  Where are you! Remus" His shouting came to an abrupt stop when heard the hallway door swing open and light footsteps quickly came toward the cell before stopping in front of the bars to the cell. 

Janus glared at the witch who was behind them, a snarl leaving his throat as he stared at Ira, "What the hell did you do with my boyfriend?" he demanded, his eyes tinting yellow as the words left his mouth.

Ira laughed at the implied threat, "Oh, foolish boy, don't go attempting to waste the little magic you have on me, you know it'll never work."

"Where is he!?" He demanded louder, eyes only glowing brighter. He could feel the magic costing him his energy he didn't have. He could feel it burning through his blood, running through his veins, it wanted to get out and wreak havoc upon the woman. And why shouldn't it? Janus had already called upon it to make his eyes glow, he's used magic to coat his words and make his lies more believable, his voice more confident. He had teased his powers and it was getting hard to keep it all reigned in. "We didn't do anything! Why did you take him?! We didn't do anything! Bring him back!"

"Oh Janus," Ira said, "Sound any more desperate and I might just confuse you for your brother."

"Just tell me where he is," Janus muttered, his hands balled in tight fists in pitiful attempts to hold back the magic. 'Don't use your magic. You're already on thin ice, don't use your magic any more than you already have. They'll hurt Remus if you do. Don't-'

"There are rumors that your brother is on his way to come 'rescue' you," Ira shared, slowly walking the length of the cell from just the other side of the bars. Janus tensed slightly, they'd been teasing him about this for some time now but they always mentioned his uncle as well, why weren't they mentioning his uncle this time? Surely Virgil wasn't stupid enough as to go on this journey alone right? "Of course he won't win, that boys magic is as broken as his brain-"

"My brother is not broken," Janus said with a protective growl.

Ira only smirked at having pushed another one of his buttons, bringing him closer to doing exactly what she wanted, "Please, the boy's trait name is that of a disorder he suffers from. He has high magical potential and yet no clue how to use it, only making himself a danger. And from what I've heard the boys gone mute-"

"My brothers choice to not speak does not make him broken, nor does anything else you've said," He hissed, hands now gripping tightly to his shirt, "And his mutism is a result of what you and your dead son did to us"

Ira froze at the reference to her son and turned to look at Janus with a sharp glare only for him to continue, "It must be so painful, to lose someone you love so much. Did it hurt, when you watched him crumple to the ground? Did you break, when you realized he was dead?" Janus asked her, voice cruel and unforgiving as he spoke. No magic touched at his words, this was purely him, and he could see how it was affecting her. He could see how there were pain and anger in her eyes, "My brother may have killed him, but his death was your fault in the end. Had you not taught him, Black Magic he never would have become corrupted and he would have easily survived such an attack. But it was his use in the Forbidden Magics that ultimately made him weak and vulnerable. The magic that you taught him."