Welcome to Until The End. We are a moderate Harry Potter role-playing site set in the Marauder's Era. Our plot is generally derived from details in the book, but as an AU site we do take liberties most anywhere we like. Those who died in the books can have a second chance at living, and those who lived are always at risk.
Tom Marvolo Riddle has long since disappeared and in his stead Lord Voldemort has risen, bringing a small army with him. The Ministry of Magic has thus far ignored the growing menace that is the Death Eaters and Albus Dumbledore has taken it upon himself to defend the wizarding community from an evil he knows is building. War is coming. Pick a side!
School's Out For Summer
The Hogwart's Express has pulled up to the station in King's Cross station and the summer holidays have officially begun. What mischeif will you get into in the warm summer sun?
*Coming Soon* - Summer Solstice Carnival
Travel by portkey to the biggest summer celebration in wizard society - The Summer Solstice Carnival! There will be food, games, prizes, fun and more!
Post by Derek Auberon Burke on Jun 16, 2018 0:11:45 GMT -8
“Two weeks.” Derek repeated in stunned disbelief. Christian hadn’t admitted anything, but he didn’t have to.
“You haven’t seen your wife in two fucking weeks and you didn’t think anything of it?” he asked his tone more accusatory as he stepped toward the larger man. It wasn’t that Christian hadn’t seen his wife in two weeks, it was the suspicion that Christian had been the cause behind Diana’s entrapment in the first place.
“No…there’s more. It’s my fault, but…it’s what she wanted.” Peters said directing Derek’s attention back to him.
“When it was over…” Peters began, picking up the story once more.
There was so much carnage. For every one of Christian’s men down at least five were taken out, the odds got worse as time went on, and when Walter fell Peters moved Diana back up the stairs. It was just the two of them left holding on to an endless battle. There was something fierce in Diana’s eyes, though more than half of the bodies down stairs were her handiwork and Peters had been more than awed, he was amazed further by the woman’s determination. He had never seen someone fight so hard to live before. There was no sign of defeat in her.
But defeat had come. They held on a little longer, but backed into a corner, they could only do so much. Diana had been restrained by two men and he was bound and gagged. When the room was secured a small woman appeared, someone that Diana seemed to recognize as her eyes went wide.
Peters was only mildly conscious after his injuries and seemed to fade in and out at inopportune times. He tried to stay conscious to understand what was happening but he couldn’t hear the full conversation. Finally the woman came to him to kill him when Diana called out.
“You’ll need him! If you don’t want my husband finding out, and hunting you down you’ll need him Alessa!”
“She saved my life.” Peters said though he wasn’t entirely happy that he couldn’t be more use, he swallowed.
Finally, he turned his attention to Christian, “I would have fought it Boss, I would have.” he declared. Not all of Christian’s men were adept at fighting the imperius, it took an incredible amount of will power. He could have resisted, but they would have known and killed him, and still he would have fought being their puppet were it not for Diana’s words. “Tell him I’m sorry Peters. Tell him I forgive him. Tell him I love him.”
“I would have fought it, but she said she knew you’d come back, and she wanted me to tell you…”
Peters also wanted to be alive to give as much detail as possible to Christian about the woman who had captured Diana when and if the man did return.
Derek took a menacing step forward as the images began to paint in his mind. What did Christian need to be forgiven for?
"You did it, didn't you, you bastard..." Derek said leveling an accusatory stare at Christian. "Diana always has an exit strategy. Always. It's the only way she's survived this fucking long." he spared a glance for Peters, "She told you to run because she couldn't. Because your fucking boss cut off her fucking legs didn't you Christian?" he said bringing his eyes back on the man, "You ordered her to stay, and then you didn't have the fucking decency to tell your men, so they stayed because of her. Their deaths, her capture, it's your fucking fault."
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 16, 2018 0:14:06 GMT -8
Who the fuck is Alessa? Christian’s lip was curled into a formidable snarl as he listened to the tale of how his plan had been so horribly flawed. Christian wasn’t a man who suffered failure often and when the occasion had arose in the past, it hadn’t been a pretty sight. He struck back harder than before and in the end there were generally very few survivors. He had a temper and penchant for being in control. This two components of his personality rarely meshed well with failure.
"You did it, didn't you, you bastard..." Derek was still laboring under the foolish notion that Diana had somehow been the innocent one in all of this. Any bounty on her head had been fully deserved for all the murderous and deceitful sh*t she had pulled in her attempt to claim Christian as her lover. Not even Christian had stooped so low in his service to the Dark Lord to murder children and yet Diana had taken to the task like it was nothing more than tucking those poor girls into bed. Diana deserved to die but her life force was tethered to Christian’s and this was the only reason he would go after her.
“Go home,” Christian said to Peters as Derek began berating Christian. Peters had been through enough these last few weeks. He would get extra pay though that couldn’t make up for being under someone else’s control, forced to endure the wretched scene that covered the ground floor of the Ward house for a fortnight. The least Christian could do now was save him from having to watch Derek get his arse kicked if he thought he could speak to Christian like that. Besides, Derek still didn’t know the truth about Diana – and Peters didn’t know the truth about the connection the Wards had with each other, so all in all it was best to dismiss the henchmen before laying out all of Diana’s dirty little secrets. Peters nodded at the order, giving one last look to Derek who looked about ready to knock Christian’s block off, then headed down the stairs and disappeared from view. Derek was still raging.
“Her capture is her own fucking fault!” Enraged at the accusation that his mens’ deaths were on his shoulders – despite knowing it was the truth – Christian slammed his fist into Derek’s gut. “If you weren’t so blind by your fucking love for her, you’d see she brought this shit on herself. And brought it down on me and my men, to boot.” He pulled back his arm again and drove it forward, this time into Derek’s head. “She played you, Derek. She played all of us, and this bounty on her head is the result of her shit finally catching up to her!”
Post by Derek Auberon Burke on Jun 16, 2018 0:15:38 GMT -8
It wasn’t the first time the two men had come to blows. Just two weeks ago they had thrown a few punches around out of Christian’s misplaced jealousy. Derek had been able to hold his own throughout that fight thanks to Christian being three sheets to the wind. Despite the ample drinking Christian had done tonight, the scene they had come upon was only too sobering.
But in all their physical altercations Derek had solidly been on the defensive. He never wanted to hurt the man. Tonight was different.
Derek’s eyes never left Christian’s frame as Peters was dismissed. He took Christian’s first blow and the second, until he was positioned to use the larger man’s momentum against him and bucked him into the wall before returning two blows of his own. They weren’t as powerful, but they were strategically placed where Christian would feel the pain.
Between Christian’s rage and Derek’s righteous anger there was no holding back.
Christian’s words barely penetrated Derek’s mind as his ears were ringing from Christian’s last hit, but he grasped the general concept. Christian was blaming Diana for something, for everything, just as the man typically did. He was too fucking stubborn and blind, not to mention willfully ignorant of his feelings for the woman. But in all Derek’s observation of the couple, he never thought Christian would take it as far as he did. Besides it wasn’t his call, it was Diana’s, and the woman loved Christian. That was her mistake. That was her downfall. “Are you that fucking delusional Christian?!” Derek roared returning blow for blow. Christian was larger and more powerful, but Derek was fast and knew how to use his lean strength to his favor. He was also wiry and had a brick jaw.
He had taken down men Christian’s size, but it wasn’t the size that put the fight in Christian’s favor, it was the experience the man himself had.
Emotion made him retaliate emotionally, “If you weren’t so terrified of your fucking love for her, you’d take your head out of you’re arse and realize that she’s the best damn thing to ever happen to you, and you fucking ruined it. Again!”
Derek was fighting an impossible battle, but he was fighting all the same too furious to check his emotion.
A few more blows and Derek stumbled back, one eye was quickly swelling shut and there was blood in his mouth, he spat at Christian’s feet.
“You played yourself. You played each other. And you both lost.” Because as much as it was Christian’s fault for what was happening it was also Diana’s. The pair was too fucked up to be functional, and Derek was delusional for thinking they could make things work or that they were meant for each other. Derek was done with it. He was done with Christian, and if he could get to Diana in time he was done with her way of things too.
Breathing heavily and broken in several places Derek leaned against the wall. He managed to find his balance and stand but he was done fighting physically, Christian was too powerful. Tearing a page out of Diana’s book he fought dirty and while it looked as though Derek was down for the count he shot back with a well-aimed “Crucio!” toward Christian.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 16, 2018 0:19:05 GMT -8
Derek, for all his thin frame, had enough heat behind his fists to retaliate properly. Christian took a fist to the head, tearing the flesh near his eye which was quickly red and angry. Another punch landed on his stomach and Christian doubled over automatically, pulling Derek down with him and bringing his knee up hard in the man’s gut as he gave himself some time to catch the breath that had been forcefully knocked from his body. “My love was manufactured!” Another swing came full force as Christian lumbered skillfully towards the smaller man. “She dru-” His words were cut short by another blow of Derek’s powerful fists. His vision grew blurry and he realized the blood from the cut near his eye had obscured his vision. Derek spit blood on the floor near Christian’s feet. Christian wiped blood from his face with the back of his hand. The action was a moment too late. By the time Christian could see properly, a brilliantly red streak of electricity was shooting at him. He only had a second to react, but it wasn’t enough.
The curse hit Christian on the shoulder, throwing him backwards from the force and into instant chaos. The pain was excruciating. Every nerve in his body felt as though it were being ripped apart. His muscles spasmed and Christian writhed in pain on the floor. A blinding light overtook the blurred, red sight he had been seeing moments ago. A ringing in his ears was deafening. Then he heard a laugh. It wasn’t maniacal, and it wasn’t coming from Derek who’s wand was held on him delivering an unbearable amount of shock. It was a woman’s laughter. Diana’s laughter. The white light gave through to a blue sky and the deck of a ship. Christian was drinking, Diana was laid out on a deck chair. She was laughing at him, or more precisely she was laughing at Christian’s charmed dick, enchanted to work only for her. The memory faltered as Christian’s body writhed on the floor of his home.
Diana was dragging Christian to a closet. It was slow moving as she was pushing her feet to move backwards and pressing her body forwards into him as they kissed. It was a desperate kiss. They only just made it to the safety of a supply closet before clothes were torn frantically from each other’s bodies and Diana proved she was worth the sacrifice Christian had made for her. Electricity ripped through Christian’s chest and he screamed out in pain but the sound didn’t disrupt the memory that had resurfaced. The days following his wedding to Diana had been lost to him. The previous night when the pair had made their vows had been stolen from him, and the morning after when he demanded his barrister correct the issue were gone. Well, they had been, until now.
Post by Derek Auberon Burke on Jun 16, 2018 0:19:57 GMT -8
He was too lost in the blood rage to realize that the pain Christian was feeling led to a memory resurfacing. That revelation would come later. For now he was just trying to catch his breath and a much needed reprieve from the powerful attacks Christian effortlessly sent his way.
When he did manage to catch his breath, he stumbled forward. The fight was over, and something else was digging into Derek's mind as Peter's story held another clue.
Alessa.
Derek knew that name. He didn't know how he knew it, or what it connected to - there was just too much research and innocuous details for him to remember everything - but he had the notes at his place. He stepped over Christian's body.
He didn't bother to look back at the man, but stood facing the stairs intent upon leaving. He paused.
"The order was changed. Capture not kill. That's the only reason you're still breathing, but Diana..."
Derek didn't know what was happening to her, and there was only so much more the woman could take. They were running out of time.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 16, 2018 0:21:45 GMT -8
The pain slowly receded as Derek pulled the curse off him but his muscles ached and continued to spasm long after the electricity had left his body. Christian lay on the hardwood floor, breathing heavily, as Derek stepped over him and headed to the stairs. The deafening ringing in his ears had also stopped, though there was a residual hum in the background, as if someone had turned on a television in another room. The high-pitched hum was soft enough that Derek’s words could be fully heard, but Christian couldn’t think beyond the pain at that moment. He would come back to it later, when he was able to move of his own volition.
After a long while, Christian was able to pull himself from the floor. He ached all over and trudging the stairs down to the kitchen was like having glass shoved between each joint of his body. He needed something to soothe the pain and he needed to think. Stepping into the kitchen, it had not been touched. The fight for Diana hadn’t made it here and the only mess to be seen was a sink full of dirty dishes. Peters and Nash weren’t as worried about keeping a tidy house as Christian was, apparently. Christian walked right passed the sink and pulled open a cupboard. He moved a few small bottles around until he found a pain potion. Pulling the stopper, Christian took a decent sized swig without measuring it out. Next. he pulled a bottle of scotch and a glass from a neighboring cupboard and walked over to the breakfast table. He set the items on the table and fell into a chair. His head sunk into his arms.
He thought back to his newly recovered memories. Diana had taken the potion, too, on the ship. The mark’s girlfriend was planning to drug her boyfriend and Christian and Diana had killed them and taken over their romantic getaway cruise. He struggled to remember why they were staying on the ship after completing the mission. but that part was a blur. What he could remember was that Diana had also been drugged that night that they were married. Christian groaned at the new evidence that had been locked inside his head all this time. But there was more of their little holiday that Christian had relearned aside from getting high and tethering each other’s life force to one another, or the several rounds of intense shagging that followed Christian’s first command as a bound man. Someone else had come to attack their target, Ling. Someone else was attempting to off the board members, but who? And why?
The rest of his memories of that time were still fuzzy. He didn’t remember killing the other board members. but he remembered thinking they were making good progress by the time of the cruise ship murders. Something more recent was also nagging at his memory and so Christian turned his focus to Derek’s last words before he left the older wizard crumpled on the floor of his own home. The bounty orders had been changed to capture. That was never a good sign. Kill orders were straight forward; there was a problem and you had it eliminated. Capture orders meant there was some use for the target, it meant that whatever it was they needed from Diana, it would only lead to more shit.
Determined to get to the bottom of this, to find Diana and ensure they would both come out of this alive, Christian stood and moved to his office, leaving the scotch untouched on the kitchen table. In his office he pulled out two scraps of parchment. On the first, he wrote only two words; be ready. On the second, he summoned Derek in a matter of fact sort of way, offering no apologies but insisting they had little time to argue about it. Christian called his owl from the back garden and sent him off with both letters. Then Christian stood and returned to the kitchen where he poured himself a modest drink and waited.
Post by Derek Auberon Burke on Jun 16, 2018 0:22:02 GMT -8
An hour later at 1:30 in the morning Derek was back at Christian’s door.
After returning to his apartment he ran through his files on Diana to uncover why the name Alessa had struck a chord.
It was during his research that he got Christian’s summons. Tosser. He was done with the man, and ignored it. He’d figure out how to save Diana on his own – since that was probably what the letter was for. Christian was in a hole because his life hung on the balance, but Derek couldn’t say whether or not he’d be anything but hostile, should he return.
But the answer didn’t hold any solutions. Alessa Crawford, Marcus’ older sister, was dead. Or she was supposed to be. She died seven years ago, though the circumstances surrounding her death were quite vague. “Accidental poisoning” was the official report. Could it be that Alessa wasn’t dead after all?
Finally he had remembered something else crucial to locating Diana. The only problem was that the answer lied with Christian, and not just Christian, but pre-obliviated Christian, which only gave them one solution.
After the night he had, Derek didn’t mind the idea of torturing his ridiculously stubborn “friend”, but he imagined that Christian might see things differently. Even though Christian had summoned him, Derek wasn’t going back without the appropriate muscle in case Christian was opposed to being tortured, he packed away a few dark objects - easily available to him through his relation's shop. The thought gave him pause, Diana used to light up at the new "toys" Derek would bring her. It pained him to think of her abduction and whatever they were keeping her alive for. With a renewed sense of anger he went to Christian's.
“Evening Ward.” Derek said entering the house whose door was still hanging on the hinges. Derek strode confidently in the room, his eyes on the target, his wand ready, and without hesitation he cursed one of the most dangerous men in Europe for the second time that night, but it would not be the last.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 17, 2018 16:22:32 GMT -8
Not being one to be known for his patience, Christian strummed his fingers on the arm of his chair as he sat in the dimly lit room, waiting. He wasn’t sure whether Derek was going to come or not. Did he really think he could rescue Diana without Christian’s help? The idea was utter dragon’s dung. Derek was a skilled fighter, the pair had worked together a time or two for the Dark Lord – prior to both getting mixed up in this Diana business and unfortunately becoming more acquainted with each other – but Burke wasn’t good enough to take this on alone. How the fuck was he even planning on tracking Diana’s whereabouts? Christian didn’t have an answer for that either but he had the means to find the information in a timely manner, unlike Derek who had taken two sodding weeks to get news that the bounty orders had changed.
Roughly an hour had passed since Christian had owled Derek to meet him and Christian was growing more annoyed as the minutes ticked on. Finally, footsteps could be heard approaching the front door and Christian rose from his chair, setting his glass on the end table nearby as he began to berate Derek for his lack of punctuality. “It’s about sodding ti-“
Christian’s words were cut short as a bolt of red lightning shot from the tip of Derek’s wand and hit Christian square in the chest. The impact caused Christian to stumble backwards as electricity coursed through his body. Writhing in pain on the floor, Christian attempted to reach for his wand but his muscles weren’t easily controlled by his brain. His thrashing caused the end table to turn over, the remainder of his drink spilling onto the floor and soaking into the rug and the grooves of the hardwood floor beneath it.
Saw the Darkest Hearts of Men and I saw Myself Staring Back Again
D
erek didn't care. In fact there was a perverse sort of glee that filled him as he watched the man squirm or convulse on the floor rather, but he lifted the curse soon enough.
He was quick with another, "Incarcerous!"
Ropes shot out to take hold of Christian's limbs. Derek didn't trust the experienced assassin. It would take most mortal men several minutes - if not hours or days - to recover from the painful unforgivable curse, depending on one's experience. Christian had more than most, and Diana had surprised him on more than one occasion at her ability to attack swiftly after being hit.
That element of surprise was in all likelihood what kept her alive. Until now. Well, she was still alive, Christian was alive, therefore Diana was too, but there was no telling how she fared or what she had been kept alive for. The thought removed any lingering guilt Derek felt when facing his on again off again best mate.
"I want you to know, this isn't personal. Mostly." he gave Christian a side smirk. He sobered with a somber expression and explained, "You have answers that I need, not you - the other you. I guess we'll finally both know how you really felt about Diana after this won't we?"
Derek already knew the truth. Christian was head over ass for the dangerous brunette, just as she was head over ass for Christian.
At least Derek hoped that was the case, the next few hours would reveal the truth. Diana had obliviated Christian, concealing his memories of their time together. Derek later discovered the way to restoring those memories would be through pain.
He revealed as much to Christian once, but Christian obliviated the encounter from Derek's mind, so now he was again explaining the process. Depending on the skill and desire of the caster the obliviation curse could be undone through torture and pain. The memories never truly leave, they are just buried. Pain chases a person to the darkest corners of the mind, bringing down the walls and uncovering hidden memories. Diana was plenty skilled, but Derek doubted her intent. She loved Christian. She would have been reluctant to truly erase their time together.
On the other hand Christian also had to want to seek out those memories. He needed to push toward them and embrace the pain to unlock whatever it was his mind was guarding.
The couple had gotten close again, but as was evident by Diana's recent capture, Christian's intent toward the dangerous beauty was suspect.
Still, Derek was banking on their love being real, otherwise Christian would go mad long before they got his memories back.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 18, 2018 20:51:36 GMT -8
The pain was agony and Christian felt as if it would never end. The blinding red light morphed into white as Christian’s eyes rolled into the back of his head, his body throwing itself wildly on the floor. That was when he saw her. Diana entered the room and walked over to the Hollow Tree Inn’s Inn Keeper. They exchanged words before Christian approached. She feigned no memory of him and attempted to leave. It was the first time he had seen her since they were young, since their week-long affair he told no one about. Christian gasped for air as the curse was removed and he was suddenly back on the floor of his home, spilled scotch seeping into the fabric of his shirt. A blurry Derek came into view as did a series of ropes that burst from Derek’s wand tip and wrapped themselves around Christian’s legs and arms. The electricity still moved through his veins and the ropes tightening around him together caused Christian to growl loudly in both anger and pain.
Derek claimed the move wasn’t personal, but the smirk on his face proved otherwise. Christian didn’t care. Burke could believe in any motive he wanted to so long as it accomplished the goal Christian had set for the night. A goal the younger man apparently thought was his own. Fucking dumb arse. “What the fuck did you think I called you over here for, Burke?” Christian growled as his eyes narrowed on the man. He could have at least given him a moment to prepare.
His hands were bound behind his back and the ropes around his ankles were tight enough to be felt through his trousers. The labored breathing of a man still in pain could be heard over the fruitless shuffling of Christian trying to turn toward Derek. It wasn’t an easy task and after a few moments he gave up, deciding it was best to reserve his energy. It was going to be a long night. “What the fuck are you waiting for? Pull your thumb out your arse and get on with it already.”
Saw the Darkest Hearts of Men and I saw Myself Staring Back Again
D
erek scoffed. He was incredulous for several reasons, not the least of which was Christian's demeanor. Even hogtied the man barked orders like a king berating one of his subjects. The man had more gall than most, it was amazing he could swallow his ego long enough to kneel to the man they both called master.
Derek was also skeptical of Christian's claims. What man in their right mind would call another to come and curse them?
He didn't doubt that Christian knew the key to his memories was through torture, even though Derek himself had forgotten their conversation, Christian just seemed the sort to leave no stone unturned, except when it came to his wife.
Derek didn't know what happened to make Christian imprison Diana, but it was clear to any casual observer that neither Ward was entirely rational where the other was concerned. But Derek couldn't have imagined that Christian actually wanted to be tortured, ergo ropes and no warning.
Then again perhaps Christian also deduced that his life was on the line and he might find answers in his memories, it really was a stretch, Christian must really be desperate.
Derek sighed and helped himself to Christian's bottle of scotch. He poured two glasses and brought one to the other man offering it to him but making no move to untie the unpredictable assassin.
"There's no guarentee this will work you know." he said as a final disclaimer.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 22, 2018 20:21:34 GMT -8
Despite Christian’s clear orders that they needed to get a move on, Derek seemed in no real hurry. The man casually waltz over to Christian bar cart and fixed himself a drink, uninvited, and for some sodding reason even made a second one and set it in front of Christian. What the fuck was he supposed to do with that. Hogtied and lying on the floor, Christian would have had no way of drinking anything without a straw placed into his mouth, and he wasn’t about to be spoon-fed like an infant by Derek fucking Burke. “By all means,” Christian growled as the glass was set in front of him, “take your fucking time, Burke. We’ve clearly got all the time in the sodding world.” Derek didn’t always follow Christian’s orders, the younger man didn’t work for him and the pair weren’t the closest of friends on the whole, but Christian was used to getting his way. If people didn’t do as he said, he would make them, and that would ensure they cooperated the next time around. Unless he could wiggle his hands free of the binds around him, there was no making Derek do anything at this moment. Christian sneered.
“Just fucking do it,” Christian bellowed, the contractions of his muscles as he spat his words at Derek caused an added pain, the effects of the first curse not having dissipated yet. He could have explained that his memories were already trickling back into his mind. That might have encouraged Derek to know it was already working, but Christian said nothing of the sort. Instead, he goaded the man. “Hurry the fuck on already!”
Saw the Darkest Hearts of Men and I saw Myself Staring Back Again
D
erek raised his eyebrows at the command. He moved the offered drink to the side and set it down on a flat surface far enough away from Christian should he begin convulsing again - which he would in a few minutes.
Derek may have come here with a singular purpose in mind, but his execution was somewhat reluctant.
He wasn't entirely sure why he hesitated - other than the fact that Christian was an experienced assassin that would likely kill him when all of this was over - but no, it wasn't fear. Maybe it was skepticism.
They might not have been "best mates", but Derek was pretty damn certain they were the closest thing they had to it. Aside from the obvious repercussions of pissing off a dangerous man, he risked losing one of the few friends he had. Yes, the risk was worth the outcome if it led to Diana, but much of this risk was centered around the idea of "love". That Diana loved Christian enough to hold back when taking his memories, and that Christian loved Diana enough to find those memories before his brain turned to mush.
He needed Christian in this fight, Christian was right about that much. Derek - while skilled - couldn't take on the army that was waiting for him wherever Diana was at. It was steep odds just the two of them.
He sighed, then took a generous sip of his frenemy's alcohol still ignoring the irate giant.
"For your sake, I hope you mean it." he said after a pause hoping the man could handle what was going to be thrown at him tonight. Christian would need more than just a desire to live - which if Diana wasn't found would also mean Christian's life - he needed to care. He needed to love.
His eyes lifted to meet the other man's. A silent warning that he was going to continue and a solemn vow to keep going until Christian had his memories back.
Post by Christian Anthony Ward on Jun 22, 2018 21:34:54 GMT -8
“Don’t puss out on me, Burke.” Those were the last words Christian said before his loud, guttural scream filled his home. There was too much riding on this for Derek to give up. Christian’s life hung in the balance, but it wasn’t just his own. His unborn son was at risk, as was their teenage daughter’s life presumably. While neither Christian nor Diana knew where Alyx was, there was no telling how much this Alessa knew. Christian needed to find Diana for the sake of his children. Diana’s life was at stake, too, though Christian still wasn’t certain that his feelings for the woman were completely genuine. Derek’s feelings for Diana were, however, and Christian hoped that alone would be enough ensure Derek kept going even when Christian finally broke and began pleading the man to stop. There was no telling how long that point would take to reach, but Christian needed to be certain that Derek continued as long as it took. How either would know when enough was enough was beyond Christian at that moment, but they didn’t have time to wait around and figure it out. They would cross that bridge when they came to it.
A blinding white haze covered Christian’s vision as the pain spread over every inch on his body. His back arched involuntarily, the movement pulling at the binds that held his hands behind his back. The ruckus he made in the house was completely lost to Christian. The pain was too strong and it overtook every other sensation but then the images appeared again, like a film playing in his head. Christian’s screams faded into the background as he and Diana landed on a sandy beach, Diana dropping a portkey into the bushes as Christian pulled a shrunken duffle bag full of tactical gear and potions from his pocket, and charmed it back to its proper size. Christian’s screams could be heard once more and his body twisted on the floor, his bound legs thrashing wildly.
Saw the Darkest Hearts of Men and I saw Myself Staring Back Again
D
erek didn't stop. He couldn't. Too much was riding on Christian remembering who he was.
He had long ago cast a silencing spell, but Christian's screams were gruesome to Derek's ears.
They had been at this for a while and Derek was impressed with Christian's tolerance, but he no longer was skeptical of the man's commitment. Once again he lifted the curse and waited for Christian to catch his breath. They didn't have time to waste, but pushing Christian too hard wouldn't help either. They needed Christian sane at the end of his torture.
He finished his glass of scotch, though it did nothing to bolster his mood or give courage to his actions.
Finally he sat in front of the other man, still out of reach but close enough to be heard.
"On the Sanchez meeting, we used Diana as bait, she was taken by Sanchez's man and they used an unplottability charm, but you were able to find her. I need you to remember how. Then all this stops."
Derek didn't know how long he'd have to torture Christian to get to the answers, but he hoped it was soon.