Lysander Scamander: Lost in Time

12: Country House Showdown

I pulled my wand out and cast a protective shield just in time as a powerful jinx flew at me. I was stunned in place when I saw my brother standing in front of me, eyes red with fury.

"Lorcan?" I said, confused.

"You will not harm anyone." he said.

He sounded unlike himself. He sounded angry. Lorcan was rarely angry and never this much. This wasn't Lorcan. This was Tolliver. Now I was angry.

I threw a spell at my brother to disarm, but not harm. He parried the spell away. I was panicking. I didn't want to hurt my brother.

I spell flew past my ear at Lorcan. Lorcan leapt to the side, falling into a side table.

"Find your sister." Tina told me, "We'll keep him at bay."

I nodded and ran to the stairs. Turning at the base, I opened my mouth.

Riley ran forward and grabbed me by the wrist, pulling me upstairs.

"They won't hurt him, let's go." she assured me.

We rushed upstairs, slamming doors open, calling out for Erika. I ran through the hall, but Erika was nowhere to be found. Where could she be?

"Ly, wait!" Riley said, stopping in her tracks.

I skidded to a stop.

Riley looked at me, "Older houses like this have basements, right?"

I looked at her and ran back downstairs, bending over to dodge Lorcan's spells. Riley and I ran in the direction of the kitchen to start. We flung open the one door that looked like a basement door and were met with a pantry. We ran from room to room, searching for a basement door and coming up empty handed.

We ran from the last room and immediately got caught in a crossfire. I held up my wand and cast another protective shield. The two spells went bouncing around the room until smashing two lamps opposite each other.

I was now thoroughly angry, and I couldn't stand it anymore. I veered on my brother and shouted-

"Lorcan, I'm mad! You have to fight against his control and you're not! I'm starting to think maybe you want to kill us!"

Lorcan faltered and looked at us. Behind Lorcan was suddenly the figure of a man.

"I'm sorry, kid. But you're resisting my efforts. I need your brother on my side." Achilles said. Tina made an attempt to charge him, but Lorcan's expression glossed over again, and he cast her away. Achilles laughed, "Thank you, my puppet. He does what I want, and I love being in power. I deserve power more than-" he emphasized the next word, "-others."

Tina suddenly looked up at him, "Is that what this is about? You think YOU should've been promoted?"

Achilles threw his wand out in front of him, lifting Tina off the floor. She gasped for air. Achilles threw Tina in the wall behind, causing her to hit her head and become knocked out.

"Tina!" Newt ran to her, kneeling in front of her and taking her hand in his.

I looked back at Achilles with anger glazed in my eyes. I yelled in anger and charged him. He tried to stop me, but I blocked every spell. I jumped on him and started beating him with my fists.

"You kidnap my sister! You brainwash my brother! Now you hurt my nana?" I screamed at him, "You're dead! You're dead! You're dead! YOU'RE DEAD!!!"

With that last blow, something washed over the room and after a while, I heard a small, hoarse voice say.

"Lysander?"