UNLEASH | D.M (UNRAVEL BOOK 6)

[ 08 ]

As the dark smoke uncovers Aine's vision, she finds herself materializing somewhere in the middle of the outskirts of London. She was still soaring in the air despite her wounds and every blink of an eye only reminded her of what just happened before she forced herself to disapparate away. 

Her breath hitched and she felt the wind knock the air out of her lungs when she recalled the last look Mad-Eye Moody had given her before crystal grew to cover his face and body. Shocked plastered on his features but when he saw Aine, it also diminished to one of relief. Was she just imagining it? For a moment, Aine believed that he too had recognized her like Remus and the imposter Harry; as if they had seen her true face without her mask concealing her identity.

The stillness offered her no comfort and the tranquillity of the outskirts only made her thoughts louder like the ragged breaths of her own. Her heart pounded against her ribs vigorously as the blood gushed up to her face, and she soon grew numb from the cold and lack of oxygen. She reached for her throat, dry and scratchy and gasped for air to fill her lungs. It was hard to breathe and with all of the non-stop fighting and apparating, she was running out of breath.

Dots fuzzed her sight and Aine blinked continuously, squeezing her eyes shut to uncloud her ability to see. Another hand claws at her mask, ripping away the concealing enchantment. The grassy wind kisses her skin, cooling down the beads of cold sweat that formed on her face and at the same time, slapping her to her senses. She cannot afford to spiral out now even when she was very much close to another episode.

 Aine inhaled and exhaled, pumping her system with oxygen and her vision cleared up when she did. She just needed to breathe to get her strength back and when she did, Aine picked up her pace once more and sped forward to the three Deatheaters up ahead. The same three whom she had ordered to chase down Hagrid and possibly the real Harry. 

She squinted her eyes at the ongoing fight ahead, doing her best to catch up before she lost Harry. The Deatheaters swerved around the half-giant and teenage boy before a scarlet light fired away from the magical motorbike at one of the masked men. 

Aine couldn't care less which of the three comrades got disarmed but when another got shot the stunning spell and fell off his broomstick, she became even more driven. She flew higher above them, staying hidden from the thick puffy grey clouds in hopes of getting them by an ambush. When she peered down, another vibrant green spark flashed by, blinding Aine for a second.

She slightly recoils at the brightness and looks back down, wondering who got caught with the killing curse. Through all of the dense fog blurring the lower skies below her, she manages to catch a glimpse of a white bird plummeting down. Its soft wings, once proudly spread open as it flies around gracefully folded inwards as its body drops; falling like a ragged doll.

It was Hedwig.

Aine balled her fingers into fists, deep crescents forming on the ends of her sleeves. Although she needed to hunt down Harry, her heart ached when she saw the desperate look on his face when he glanced back at his furry friend. Another lost.

She could only imagine the pain of losing a close companion who had been with them since they were young. Just like how Hestia, her own owl was precious to her, Hedwig meant a great deal to Harry as well. 

Hedwig's death only confirmed Aine's suspicions, the boy who was trying his best to keep the magical mount in the air was no doubt the real Harry. The one and only boy Voldemort wanted was right before her eyes at last.

However, one by one, the last two remaining Deatheaters fell back and disappeared, no longer pursuing the boy. Aine swoops down, not giving up on tailing the chosen one. Yet almost when the true Harry was within her view, two other Deatheaters came crashing into the party, recklessly blasting spells that caused more explosion and smoke that aided the boy in his escape.