Raven | 𝘙𝘦𝘨𝘶𝘭𝘶𝘴 𝘉𝘭𝘢𝘤𝘬

Chapter 79

Alexandra had her eyes closed and only opened them again when she felt her feet hit the ground. Her heartbeat pulsing all through her body, she took one last deep breath before finally looking around her, trying to see where the two Death Eaters had taken her.

     But her heart sank painfully in her chest when she found herself standing before the Malfoy Manor.

     Alexandra had been here many times, and she had walked through this lane before. But this time, her legs felt too weak to carry her on. And yet, she held her head up high firmly, following the two Death Eaters through the iron gates of the manor.

      She had no idea what awaited her inside, and that made every nerve of her body shake and tremble in fear. Although she was trying her best not to show it on her expression.

The handsome manor house grew out of the darkness at the end of the straight drive, lights glinting in the diamond-paned downstairs windows. Somewhere in the dark garden beyond the hedge a fountain was playing.

Gravel crackled beneath their feet as Alexandra and the two other Death Eaters sped toward the front door, which swung inward at their approach, though nobody had visibly opened it.

The hallway was large, dimly lit, and sumptuously decorated, with a magnificent carpet covering most of the stone floor. The eyes of the pale-faced portraits on the walls followed the three as they strode past, and Alexandra tried to ignore them.

Without the sound of music and the Christmas lights, the inside of the manor looked rather scary to Alexandra, as if no one had lived in here for ages.

The two Death Eaters then halted at a heavy wooden door leading into the next room, hesitated for the space of a heartbeat, then Rosier turned the bronze handle and stepped inside with his head down respectfully.

"The Starling girl is here, my Lord," he said, his voice sounding rather weak, as if he were afraid.

"Let her in," said a cold voice from inside, sending shivers all through Alexandra's body in fear.

But trying to hold her head high, Alexandra walked through the door and inside, where she saw a man standing before the green fireplace, staring coldly into the flames.

Her heart was beating so hard that she could practically hear it and even feel it pulse through her entire body, weakening her, as if her knees were going to give in any moment now, knowing that she was in the presence of Lord Voldemort.

"Welcome, Miss Starling," said the Dark Lord, turning to face her with his red eyes and snake-like face. "I see in your mind that you're scared... but there's no need... I am merciful, only as long as you do not cross my limits, the way your foolish parents did..."

Alexandra couldn't get herself to answer. She couldn't even dare to look up at him as she dropped her gaze to the ground, her trembling hands turning into fists.

Voldemort watched her for a moment longer, as if piercing through her every thought, before turning to Rookwood and saying, "Bring the half-elf out of the cellar."

Alexandra's head shot up at those words. Edna was here. This meant that she was alive.

"You did the right thing to come here and not choose to run away," said the Dark Lord, his voice cold and quiet.

Alexandra stood on the spot, waiting. And not a minute later, the door burst open again and Rookwood stepped back inside, his hand gripping onto Edna's arm.

"Mamma!" Alexandra gasped at her pale complexion and her weak and thin feature. But she fell quiet and stepped back, thinking that it was best to wait.

"Come forward," said the Dark Lord with his deadly glare still upon Alexandra, and even though his tone wasn't harsh, it was yet filled with the sense of authority which she didn't dare to disobey.

So with her gaze still down bellow her feet and trying to put her rapid breathing under control, Alexandra took hesitant steps toward him, her heart racing fearfully.

When she reached him, Alexandra came to a stop. But she nearly winced when Voldemort drew out his wand with his boney fingers, and then raised his hand for her.

Alexandra was confused at first, but she finally realized what awaited her. She threw a quick glance at Edna who was silently sobbing, before raising her left arm and rolling up her sleeve to reveal her forearm.

"I'll be expecting great things from you, Alexandra," said the Dark Lord in a low whisper, and then he raised his wand and pressed the tip painfully into her forearm's skin.

The next moment, Alexandra felt a sharp and unbearable burning in her arm, the pain running all through her body as she held back a scream, her eyes watering up with tears of pain.

She closed her eyes shut, wishing for the pain to come to an end, feeling it burn into her skin. But at last, the moment the Dark Lord retrieved his wand, the pain stopped.

Fearfully, Alexandra slowly opened her eyes and looked down, her heart sinking when she saw the Dark Mark down on her skin.

"I'm sure you will be of great service," said Lord Voldemort coldly. "You may leave, for now."

Alexandra said nothing, because she knew that if she opened her mouth to say a single word, she would burst into tears. So avoiding to look up at him, Alexandra turned to face Edna, who was still shedding tears.

Wordlessly, the two left the Malfoy manor and the moment they stepped outside, they took each other's arms and Disapparated away, back to Marcellus's old mansion.

      "Oh, Miss Starling!" Edna broke down into loud sobs. "Y-you shouldn't have! Not because of me!"

      "Don't say that, Mamma," Alexandra tried to say kindly, holding back her own tears as she got down to her knees in front of Edna, to level up with her height. "It had to be done. It was either running away my whole life and dying in the end, or becoming a Death Eater. At least in the second one... I know you'll be safe."

      Edna then briskly moved forward, bringing her into a tight hug. The moment Alexandra was back in her mother-figure's familiar and warm embrace, she finally broke down into tears, closing her eyes and hugging her back. This was her life now.

She was a Death Eater.