A Series of Unfortunate Events

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase swore under his breath. He'd missed, likely because of the distraction which was Dru. There was a split second where Chase heavily debated stunning Dru, a split second where he might have considered the wisdom of retreating to try again later, but he finally had Emilian in his sights. His arm twisted, wrapping around Dru to hold her against him as he raised his wand again, correcting his aim. "He needs to learn, Dru." Defodio.

[Druscilla Grace]

Dru gasped as she was pulled against Chase. Her arms were held down and she couldn't reach her wand, her eyes widened and her heartbeat sped up. She was afraid of Chase. "No, no, not from you..." she trailed off, her eyes glued to the spot where the spell hit. She struggled, trying to break his grasp, but the way he was holding her, combined with watching the spell, prevented her from being able to do much.

[Emilian Sota]

The shield absorbed the spell and desintigrated, a loud sound coming from the breaking of the spells. Emilian looked back at Adara, "Run," he said, his eyes blazing with fear for her. He didn't think that Chase would do anything to Adara, but he wasn't going to take any chances. He looked back at Chase and raised his wand. Furnunculus He hoped it would at least stop Chase long enough for him to get away.

[Adara Snow]

It was something in his voice that pulled her back, some emotion that she didn't expect. Her eyes focused, then swung from Emilian into the trees as her mind made the connection. "No!" Adara stepped in front of Emilian, her journal falling unnoticed to the ground as she brought out her own wand. "Protego Totalum!" A strong shield was thrown, one which would hold as long as she stood. Adara sought the near-invisible shape of the attacker, appealing to him directly. "Let us go," she called. Was it the same boy who had attacked Emilian before? "He is not worth your life," she said, using the boy's own words now against him.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase put up a shield, easily deflecting any spells that Emilian might use, and cursed himself--cursed everything for the series of events that had brought this failure. Still, he couldn't just give up, couldn't turn tail and run without losing every ounce of his pride. Chase stood his ground, wand at the ready, turning only enough to hold Dru out of the line of fire. "Letting a girl do your dirty work?" Chase taunted Emilian. Maybe if Emilian got angry, maybe if his pride was damaged, he'd do something stupid and give Chase the chance he needed.

[Druscilla Grace]

Dru had found the handle of her wand, even if she couldn't draw it. Even if she drew it, what would she do? Fight at Chase's side? Or use it to get him away from the fight? Adara was very brave, Dru couldn't imagine standing up against someone intent on death. But, she had fought in the attack at the Boat Party, and nearly everyone there was intent on death. She clenched the wood of the wand, "Chase, drop it," she said, "It's not worth it, like she said."

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian was momentarily speechless as he watched Adara. He had just revealed his betrayal and yet she was still with him. He didn’t gain his voice back until long seconds after Chase had spoken. There were two shields between them and so the tension in his wand-arm fell away slightly, though every other muscle in his body was on high alert. “At least I have one that stands beside me.” As far as Emilian was concerned, the times they had brought out wands, Emilian had been the one to have someone come to help him, not Chase.

[Adara Snow]

Adara turned on Emilian. "If you value your life, you will not taunt him," she said, her voice stronger than usual, louder, even as it wavered slightly. She was not protecting Emilian because she believed he was innocent, but because she knew that both boys' lives were at stake and could not bear to learn that they were beyond redemption. Hurt still shone in her eyes, but it was edged with determination and a fierce desire to save. Adara turned back to Chase, praying that she could reach him. Emilian is changed, she wanted to say, but choked on the lie, struggling with her words. "Who are you protecting?" she asked at last. "And who will you be unable to protect from Azkaban?" It was a solid declaration; she would speak against him if it came to that.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase's arm eased ever so slightly at Dru's plea, but the moment was short-lived. Emilian's words cut to the part of him that was still unsure about Dru after all this time. She should be supporting him, instead of working against him. It seemed the entire world was on Emilian's side, not least of all the wisp of a girl shooting arrows of reason through the thick fog of rage that was his mind. "He's a rapist!" Chase shouted. "He raped Vannah without a single regret, and he would have raped Dru! It's been weeks! Who's next? I'm protecting everyone!" The words were desperate, and floundering even to his own ears, but he wouldn't take them back, wouldn't alter them.

[Druscilla Grace]

Dru pulled her hand out, though she left her wand in her pocket, and reached up to pull Chase's head to face her. She twisted around enough to look up at him. "Listen, I don't blame you for wanting to do this, but what could happen to you isn't worth punishing him. I don't want you hurt or expelled." She stared into his eyes, her own full of fear, her breath was short and quick. She didn't want him to do anything, she didn't know what would happen to Chase should he do something to Emilian, and she didn't want to find out.

[Emilian Sota]

It wasn't Adara's words or determination that made Emilian back down. No, what made Emilian step down was the hurt in her eyes. He began to pace, coming near Adara and then walking the other direction a few steps before coming back to her, glaring up at Chase as he moved. Chase's words made Emilian rush forward a few steps, but he forced himself to keep back, his hands balled into fists and his breathing ragged. "Is it not enough that Hells will have her way with me? Or do you just think that she won't do a good enough job?" he called. He knew that his time was limited at the school, it was only a question of how long he would be allowed to stay and what would happen to him after.

[Adara Snow]

Weeks? If Adara had thought Emilian's confession painful, it was only because she hadn't imagined that there was something he hadn't confessed, that there was something worse. The shield she held wavered as her concentration dimmed, but she struggled to hold on, despite the pain. She remained silent, unable to speak with the new revelations and the drowning tension in the air.

[Chase Firebrand]

Chase heard Emilian, his mind locked to his position and the sound of his voice, but his attention was on Dru, the desperation in her voice and the visible fear in her eyes tightening bands around his chest. His breaths matched hers, fast and shallow as emotion tore through him, protectiveness warring with bloodlust leaving him dizzy and nauseous. His wand lowered, only slightly, with his moment of indecision.

[Druscilla Grace]

Dru saw from the corner of her eye when his wand fell, the small amount it did fall. "Please, he'll be punished, he'll have to answer for what he's done." She was so close, she could feel it, she had to be. She knew that it would be a mistake if he did what he obviously wanted to do, but did he realize how bad it could be?

[Emilian Sota]

Emilian watched Adara and his eyes hardened. How dare Chase say those things in front of Adara? It didn't really cross Emilian's mind that he had ruined people's lives, the only thing that was in his mind was curses flung at Chase for doing so to him. He raised his wand and stepped forward, anger etched into every line of his face. "Deprimo!"