McConn August 2 2038 (fixed)

Kiara was in the kitchen with Eglantine, it was a rear time they could talk and drink tea in a quiet house now a days..

The kids were out doing there own thing, and others were at work... So the normally busy and full house was fairly quiet for a change..

Kiara was just in the middle of telling Eglantine about a new class she was opening up when she felt the familiar pull... of Serena near by..

___

Serena merely walked up to the house and knocked, it was now or never... She had looked into the counter spell a bit deeper and managed to get the dagger and venom requiered for the spell.

She took a deep breath.. her freedom was not far now, she could almost taste it.

Eglantine nodded, not paying very close attention to Kiara, although they'd been in actuality a conversation. When Kiara went silent in the middle of her thought, she looked up from her cup of tea and knew instantly that Serena had arrived. Conjuring another cup, she nonchalantly set it beside Kiara and hers.

"Shall you get the door, lieb, or shall I?" she asked, curious. This could go one of two ways and she hoped it would go well.

Kiara shook her head slightly before she rose from her chair.. not really noticing Eglantine seemed prepared for unexpected visitor..

"I got it..." she said as she headed to the door, knowing who she would find on the other side.

She opened the door.. " Serena... come in" she said as she stepped aside to let her daughter in..

"Thank you" Serena said simply as she walked in side, starting to feel anxious about the moment of truth..

Kiara led Serena to the kitchen, where Eglantine currently still was.

"Have a seat" Kiara offered taking a breath. She could feel something different.... she wasn't sure what yet but... something was going on..

" You are here for a reason? Why?" she asked the curcial question...

Serena's gaze seemed to pierce Kiara as she spoke... "When I was a baby you cast a soul tetherin charm to me..." Serena started...

".... and you want me to break it..." Kiara finished, her eyes flicked to Eglantine silently asking if she had a hand in this.

Serena nodded, " Yes... will you do it?" she asked.. she had to ask..

Kiara paused for just a moment... the purpose of the tether, was long since useless, it seemed to be causeing nothing but problems...

"Very well... I will do it" she said with a nod.

Nodding greeting to Serena, Eglantine sipped her tea, lifting her eyebrows innocently when Kiara glanced at her. Part of her wondered why her daughter even possibly suspected her; but the part was hardly big enough to ask and she merely set her cup down, entirely engrossed in the conversation between the other two women.

Smiling faintly upon Kiara's agreement to break the tether, Eglantine winked subtly at Serena, hiding the gesture with another sip.
"Tea?" she asked, motioning toward the kettle.

Serena sighed, and nodded she had to admit releived Kiara had agreed. At the offer of Tea Serena declined this time... "No thank you, you should know I am not a Tea person..." she said as she sent a look of some sort to Kiara..

Kiara weather through the fact Serena was her daughter or the effect of the tether.. knew what Serena wanted..

She summond a bottle of soda from the fridge.

"Here.." she said handing her the cold, bubbly drink.

Serena nodded in her thanks and opened it..

Kiara looked into her Tea for a moment, " Eglantine... we will need your help with something... I need you to cast the protecting barrier to stop the backlash magc from hurting anyone by accident" she said as she summond a what appeared to be a old batch of partchment, with a spell on it.

"It is specaily designed by this spell, it acts for like a pocket to a differnt demention... It will also prevent any one from interfeing once the spell is started, it is a void.. if you will " she said as she handed the spell to Eglanine.

Without hesitation, Eglantine took the offered parchment. Reading it twice thoroughly, despite her lack of glasses, she nodded.
"Of course." Still amused by Serena having desired soda to tea, she smiled inwardly. It was something she'd of expected from Rossa, Greta, Eda, Beagan or even Tav; not Serena, but then again it showed how very alike people, despite different backgrounds truly were.

Softly, she began to read the text first in old Gaelic, which was the language she used to gather her power and otherwise calm. Secondly again she read it in German, her mother tongue, with which she was most comfortable and then finally in its printed latin text.

The woven spell gently drifted up from the page and settled as a blanket of space about the three women, holding them together within its gentle net.
Silently, she handed Kiara back the paper and stirred her tea, awaiting what came next.

Kiara and nodded " Thanks Eglantine, now we won't blow the house up by mistake" she said with a slight smile..

"Now... we go outside.. we need more space then in this kitchen" she said as she stood went to the back door.

On the way to a clear spot in the back yard Kiara said quietly to Eglantine... " I just... wish to warn you.. anything could happen with this spell... " she trailed off think Eglantine would know what she ment..

"There is a good chance i will be... unwell for a few days because of then venom I will be allowed into my blood... Do assure everyone I will be fine... if that happenes anyway.." she said..

Yes the best case seriorio at this point was the she would be bed ridden for a few days because of snake venom infection...

Serena.. if all went well would be unharmed... her blood from the venom dipped dagger was not requiered....

__

Mean while Serena Stood waiting for her mother and grandmother to get to the clear backyard.. the dagger waiting in her hand...

Soon... very soon...

Nodding, Eglantine followed Kiara outside, leaving her cane behind at the table. She wondered briefly how quickly she'd have to explain what had happened to Ciaran before he hurt her... no doubt it would have to be fairly speedy.


"Yes..." She murmured, aware of the fact and already having prepared herself to assist in case anything went wrong.
"Is there anyway I could take part of it?" she asked, willing to if it was possible.

Kiara shook her head, "No Eglantine, not really other then keeping the barrier up, and no matter what happens.. don't interfer until the spell is over... this spelll if remaind unfinished could be lethal to all of us.." she said pulling out her wand and making sure her gold locket was out from under her shirt.. she would need it.

There was no turning back now..

__


Serena and Kiara stood in the of the void of magic… a barrier to prevent anyone form interfering in the dark ceremony that was to take place. Serena wanted the tethering charm lifted and to do so it required a powerful… and very dangerous spell. She didn’t want any of her family try to stop it.. For it could be fatal to do so.

Serena held a dagger in her hand, it would be crucial part of the ceremony

Kiara merely held her wand, as she was the one to recite the spell to begin the breaking of the charm.

Serena looked at her mother, stepping forward she said “ Ready?”
Kiara nodded and began to mutter as spell in Latin, as she muttered the surrounding area grew black and Kiara’s tall and slender frame became a light her blue and fiery Aura, a thread of the aura could be seen going to Serena whose aura was a very dark Purple, almost un noticeable in the blackness around them. Save for the layer of her mothers aura in hers.

Serena walked forward, the dagger held in front of her towards Kiara..

Kiara eyed the dagger as it came near her, she continued to mutter the spell has her hand went for the dagger and tightly grasped the sharp edges.

With in moments her blood dripped between her fingers, she winced slightly as she moved her hand off the blade and to her locket around her neck. She snapped the thin gold chain off and let her blood cover it before muttering the last of the spell and let her locket fall on to the blade still held firmly in Serena’s hand.

The moment the locket touched the blade there was an audible snap and a flash of light.. At the snap both Kiara and Serena were flung like rag dolls until they crashed in to the barrier that Eglantine still had up…

Kiara opened her eyes and winced in pain form the impact.. She went to get up and make sure Serena was alright when she discovered she couldn’t get up… and she began to feel a massive amount of pain coming from her middle.. She looked down at her stomach and her eyes went wide and her already pale face paled even more…

Embedded in her abdomen was the dagger, having must have found its way into her when the charm literally snapped.

Kiara began to feel the effect of the shock, she felt light headed and she no longer had the strength to hold her head up any longer, with a thump her head hit the grass under her,
She was still conscious but could feel her self fading, it was a interesting feeling, like she was simply sinking into a neutral darkness.. She was going numb, no longer did she feel pain or cold she licked her lips, her mouth felt dry.

“So this.. Is what it feels like” she muttered trying to take in a deep breath even though she could not. Her own blood soon started to pool around her from her wound . Her life was literally oozing out of her

Serena still lay a few meters away unconscious… unknown to the peril her mother was in.

Holding the barrier was far more difficult than the spell's instructions had read. The essence rippling from the spell bashed in continual waves against it and she only just managed to reenforce it when both Kiara and Serena crashed into it.

Eglantine grimaced when she saw the blade that had impaled her daughter. Knowing that loss of blood combined with the after-effects of the spell could very well kill Kiara, she dropped the void and went to stand over the younger woman. Her gaze drifted to Serena's still body; but she quickly decided that her granddaughter was fine.

"Kiara..." she whispered, touching her daughter's pale cheek. "Look at me." her hand went to the dagger, casting a diagnosis charm to see how deeply it had gone and if it had hit any major arteries or organs. How she would explain this turn of events to Ciaran or even to Horatio was pushed away as she began to work on removing the offending steel.

Worry coursed through her at the amount of blood pooling under Kiara's prone body, but her calm face wouldn't allow it to show. Yes, Kiara was her daughter, and even before that, she loved the younger woman. Darkness permeated too deeply to care though.

Finally the dagger, wrapped in a woven cocoon of magic so as to keep the wound from caving pulled from Kiara's abdomen. Tossing the dagger aside, Eglantine began to chant a Gaelic healing charm. She could in no way totally heal Kiara, but closing the wound and perhaps even giving her small amounts of level energy would help her regain her strength within a few days.

"Kiara..." she muttered, closing her eyes as she gently fed her daughter a small amount of magical energy. Too much too quickly would shook her system, resulting in only making her condition worse. The spell finally closed the wound, leaving a thin thread like line to mark where the dagger had struck.

Feeling how cold Kiara had become from loss of blood and the combined venom, Eglantine conjured a thick blanket and gently settled it over her. Levitating Kiara from the ground, she took her into the house and up the stairs. It took all of three minutes to scurgify the blood from her and then to settle her into the bed.

Charming the room to alert her if there were any changes in Kiara's condition, Eglantine returned outside for Serena. Kneeling beside the young woman, she cast a enervating spell and then vanished the blood pool from where Kiara had lain. Ciaran and the children had not needed to see that...

Kiara didn't resist Eglantines spell to heal her, to do so would mean her life.

With the wound closed and the blood loss stopped the slightessed bit of colour returned to her face. However the venom started to assult her body.. her hand had taken most of the venom and it still had cuts on it that wouldn't heal for quite some time.. the were no longer bleeding, but her hand was slightly swollen and red.

She was still awake.. barely when Eglantine brought her up to her bed.. and she knew the spell had worked.. she could no longer feel the pulling conection.. it was somewhat of a relief. For the link was doing more harm then good... to both of them.. Serena was already in dark arts.. the tether was supposed to go in combonation with her raising her... and she didn't. Yes this was for the best.

Kiara sighed tired.. and a cold sweat on her brow from the venom... but she was still of slytherin blood. Even if she wasn't a true slytherin anymore.. she could fight deadly venom and survive. When a normal person could not.

__

Serena stired and started to wake up with a monster of a headache..

She swore.. it was the first thing that came to mind. Then she noticed the tether was gone.. and it was the most wonderful feeling in the world. To finally be purely herself. In face if there was a nobody around she might have killed them to just see what if felt like.. to kill with out her mothers soul restraining her. Obviously the only other person around was Eglantine.. and she was anything but a nobody.. she would gain nothing by killing her.

"It worked... Merlin... I am fully me again" she said as she sat up a small smile on her face.. dispite her headache form crashing into the barrier.

Serena looked around and saw no sign of Kiara..

"Kiara? did she survive the spell?" She asked curiously.

Summoning her cane, Eglantine pushed herself upward onto her feet. She felt slightly drained from the energy she had given to Kiara and from the barrier; but it was only enough to have the cane serve a purpose.

"Indeed." she murmured, amused by the manner in which Serena had awoken. Surely she was no sleeping beauty to smile and sigh softly from sleep.
"Yes, she is abed." Noticing a spot of blood on her dark robes that she had collected from bending over Kiara, she vanished it and likewise checked her hands. It was ironic in a way that she had her daughter's blood on her hands... although it was not a humorous vein of irony.

"Unfettered now the Heir of Slytherin is free." she stated, offering a hand to help Serena up.

Serena took the offered hand but mostly got up on her own power, having only a sore body as the side effect of the curse. It seemed Kiara got the sort end of the straw.

"Free indeed... Oh.. I can't wait to go out and do something" she said as if stretcing.

But she could be patient... she turned her eyes to Eglantine.. " About you offer from the Tavern.. I agree to study magic in all its forms with you. Though have things I would like to get out of the way before that. Unfinshed business you understand..." she said with a nod.

There was another reason she was to kill Kiara... Some remants known as purgers paid her as an assasine to kill her... the only reason she agreed was her own ends but it would have been a nice pay check... however since Kiara still lived and would continue to do so. Serena figured the "purgers" they called them selves should be dealt with first... she could just see them sending another to kill her... so why not kill them instead...

Eglantine smiled, understanding the power one felt upon being unfettered from a restraint. In a way, being bound to Excessum had been a tether; and now loose from it, she found that the darkness was even more inviting by her own desires.

She nodded, curious as to what the business might be, but not to the extent that she was willing to ask. Perhaps later...

"There is an oath you must take before I will 'train' you..." she murmured, looking into Serena's dark eyes. "For both of our protection; I ask you to not share the knowledge I will share with you. To do so would be most unfortunate." She did doubt that Serena would truly care about sharing anything with anyone; but it seemed best to at least mention that it was not meant to be shared. Excessum was a dark and lethal magic; not as crude nor simple as the unforgivables... And yet, banned even more strictly by the ministry.

Serena shruged, "You want a oath of silence it take it?" she asked. "Not that I know anyone really worth sharing new magic with, but if I must.."

"I Serena Kiara Lestrange, Swear an oath of silence, whatever knowledge you pass to me will not given in way shape or form to another... for as long as I live. I so swear" She said as if she has made the promise a hundred times... and it was no big deal to her..

"Is that Satisfactory? or shale I add something more?" she asked her hand on her hip. Though she could have been taken as sarcastic... she was very serious.

Cocking her head to the side, Eglantine listened to the seemingly indifferent oath's delivery. Each passing comment, glance and moment with Serena seemed to solidify even further her respect for her. Truly she had found a witch worthy to share her darkest gift with.

"No, that will be adequate... for now." Eglantine stated, although her voice was dead serious, a glint of mischievousness lit her eyes. "You can bleed over it later." Humour of her sort was rarely appreciated by those around her; but she did not really care. Part of being a dark witch hidden within the folds of a lighter facade was being alone...

Serena raised on a eye brow at the womans sence of humor... and smirked.

"Well I have plenty of daggers..." she said as she slipped one out from her cloak.

"Tis no big deal " she said with a snicker as she fliped the dagger in her hand and put it back in her cloak. Again it was hard to tell if she was kidding or Serious...

"Anyways, shale I remain here until all had been explained to familly once they get here? or should I leave for now. Can't imagine my presence would really any help.. But then again I am rather amused when your husband freaks out... Hmm decisions..." she mused as she shrugged.

Eglantine laughed softly, something she rarely did.
"Indeed, but weapons seem rarely to hold the true pain." Her eyes sparkled as she thought of how intriguing it would be to teach and learn with her granddaughter. The younger woman's power was great; she could feel it humming within her veins. Yet her manner was rather proud, although a sharp wit was often matched with a lack of humility.

"It would be best if you left. I hardly look forward to the explanation myself." she murmured, hoping Ciaran would utilize some of that patience he used with his wife and children rather than the scottish fury. She cringed, belatedly wishing Kiara had sent something to him... she really hated the idea of the children hearing him become angry with her.

Horatio was indeed rather amusing to watch angered; although she preferred to be a viewer and not the instigator of such reactions. After all he was the love of her life and a powerful wizard besides.
"Beneath December is June's heart, Serena." she murmured. And it was true, old as he was, Horatio had the energy of a man nearly a tenth his age. She did smirk however when she said it.

Serena nodded "as you wish, But..." she wrote down a adress of a floo...

"Should any of them wish to pick a bone with me... let them... " she said as she handed the address to Eglantine... She wasn't sure why she was more curious then anything what any of them would say to her..

"In a way I am curious to see the out come... but I will leave.. and not that it actually does anything.. but I wish you luck. And really if they insist send them my way.. I am interested what they would say." she said as she made her way to the door..

__

Kiara had managed to fall into a restless sleep and dreams.. she saw memories that were not her own... memories of Serena as a child and the cold childhood she had... of which she was trained to be a killer.. and as more memories passed the more she understood the importance of the tether being broken...

"Serena..." she muttered in fevered and restless sleep..

Eglantine nodded, taking the paper although she was fairly sure that she would hardly send an irate Ciaran to visit Serena. That would hardly help him or her...

Still it was best to keep all available options open and included, she now knew where Serena lived.
"If they do not insist, perhaps, if it is worth while, I will send you details." partially serious and partially jesting, Eglantine sighed, slipping the paper into her robe's pocket and pushing a loose strand of hair from her eyes.

She waited until Serena had disappeared from her sight before heading up the stairs to check on Kiara. Half-way up the staircase, she heard Ciaran's accented voice bellow through the fireplace and nearly grimaced as he entered the sitting room, dusting himself off as he beamed up at her.

"Good morning ta ya, Eglantine." he greeted, bowing in a sweeping gesture that reminded her instantly of her husband.
Afternoon... she corrected inwardly, nodding.
"Where's Kiara?" Damn him and his curiosity. It would have taken any other man a good half-hour to an hour to realize his wife was not present. But oh no, Ciaran couldn't be like that...

"In bed." Eglantine responded, continuing up the stairs. Instantly he hurried up after her, not passing but blocking her way.
"Is she not feeling well?" he asked, concern lacing his words.
"Probably not..." she returned, knowing the current line of conversation was heading for a precipice.
"Why'd ya say that?" Ciaran lifted an eyebrow, looking from his mother-in-law to the bedroom door.
"Well considering what she just went through..." Eglantine brushed past him and finished the ascent. He followed to closely behind for comfort.

"What happened?" He was reminding her of a puppy, yapping at her ankles...
"She broke Serena's tether." The nonchalant answer took him aback and he ran to the bedroom.

"Kiara?" he asked, entering the room and hurrying to her side. "Darlin can ya hear me?" he noted how pale she was and the blood flared red within his face in anger. How dare Serena do this to his wife? Her own mother! He didn't care what the girl had been through or what she had needed done... this was beyond forgiveness.

"Anger will not help her, Ciaran McConn." Eglantine admonished, closing the door to keep him from escaping.
"It bloody well will help me!" he thundered, his voice a barely controlled storm. Eyes flashing he pinned, or at least tried to, Eglantine. "Why didn't ya stop her?"

"It needed to be done." the calm reply only incensed him further and he clenched his fists to keep from blowing a fuse.
"Will she be all right?" he asked finally, not trusting himself to say anything else. She nodded and it relieved part of his anger.

Kiara to answer the question if she heard her husband.. yes she did.. loud.. oh so very loud and clear.. it woke her quite easily from her troubled sleep.

Of course now that she knew he was angry.. she would have secretly prefered to go back to sleep.. however she couldn't do that to Eglantine. It was a rareity to see Ciaran's temper.. at least to her. And it wasn't something she would wish on many.. he could yell rather loud.

She sighed and winced, "Yes love.. I can hear you... loud and clear I might add... " she said quietly form her bed as she tried to sit up... however the pain in her stomach made that not the best move. She bit her lip and took a breath as she lay back down..

"And this... wasn't forced on me Ciaran... I did it out of my own free will.. Serena did nothing to me... If anyone is to blame for my current condition..." she said pausing to look at her swollen red hand, and pale clammy skin...

"It is myself... for creating the tether in the first place" she mutter almost guiltily.

"But I will be fine... I just need time for certian efffects to wear off.." she said as she rubbed her fevered forehead... fighting off a fresh horrid headache, and dizziness all at the same time it was hardly comfortable... not to mention the cuts on her palms were sill infected with the venom... her stomach hurt the worst though.. despite the healing charm there was still a bit of damage... it would be quite a feet siting up for a day or two...

Wasn't this another reason she turned her back on practicing dark arts... the side effects of some spells were just awful...

"I promise..." she added.. hoping her added information cooled her husbands rising temper before it turely started...

"And I am sorry you found out this way..." she said using her uninjured hand to hold Ciaran's..

She then sent Eglantine a look, thankful for her assitance in all that happened..

Ciaran flew back to his wife's side, reaching to take her hand but pausing before due to the horrid swelling and redness. Tears filled his eyes as he thought of the pain she was in.
"I'm sorry, lass." he murmured, kissing her forehead. "No, nothing is at ya. Don't be saying of the sort." he smiled.

He nodded, forcing himself to believe what firstly Eglantine had told him and now Kiara. She would be well soon enough.
"That's good ta hear, darlin." he chuckled, worried at the cold feel of her skin and yet the feverish state of her brow.
"No, it's fine, Kiara. I just o-reacted, ya know me. Bit of the drama." he soothed.

Eglantine nodded to Kiara, slowly opening the door to make her retreat.
"If you need anything, fire-call me, dear." she stated, ignoring the apologietic glance Ciaran sent her way.

Kiara nodded to Eglantine, "Thank you Eglantine" she simply said. Knowing her mother saved her life once again..

She said nothing about Serena, she was still as unsure about her relationship with the young woman as she was before the breaking of the tether... but at least now she didn't have it constently straining her.. which was a relief.

She looked at Ciaran for a moment, and sighed.. it may have sound silly considering the amount of pain she was in at that moment.. but she was relieved. That the tether was gone. It truely wasn't meant to do what had been doing since Serena walked back into her life.. there souls faught eachother... but hers took more of the strain...

"I am relieved the tether is gone actually... I am glad she asked. What the tether was doing the moment she walked in the door.... it was not meant for that... our souls fighting eachother constantly... when ever she was near I felt like I would snap..." she said softly feeling the need to explian.. for some reason it made her feel better...

" And now... its gone, at peace.... I know she only did it to achieve her own ends, but I am just as happy to be free from it as she is..." she said.

She sighed again and gave Ciaran a tired smile.. "Thank you for understanding Love.. oh and if the Kids ask what happened.. tell as much as you feel is appropriate..."

Then she thought of Tav... likely he would want a full answer when it came to her and Serena and the end result in her being hurt...

"If Tav asks for anything more... I will talk to him... but please don't let him go after Serena... She has been trained to fight and kill since before she can remember... should Tav pick a fight with her out of anger.... the end result would not be good" she warned a bit of worry in her tired voice...

Ciaran nodded, smiling.
"If yar relieved, darlin, I'm fine too." he gently kissed her hand. "Wouldn't want ya to snap." he teased, although true concern laced even the jest.

He did understand at least somewhat how it felt to be liberated from a tie to someone. Leaving Charles DeLanquar's captaincy had been wonderful. How much better would severing a tether be. Although there was consequences and he smoothed her hair back from her face.

"Don't be worryin about it, I'll take care of it." he assured her, knowing no one would by for at least a little while.
It was best what she'd said about Tav and he nodded.

Kiara nodded "Thank you Love" she said softly.

Then she winced as the venom on her arm surged, it was of a magical snake.. she knew that... however which one she wasn't sure... it seemed stop for few minutes and surge forward..

She would very much look forward when the venom leaves her system... and there was no anti-venom..

___

Beagan walked back from his firends house, Something came up and he had to go home.

He walked on to the front lawn when he heard a hissing.... and whispers of the heir had been at the house... and massive magical event had taken place..

Curious he walked quicker up to the house..

"Mum? Da?! you home" he called as he looked around... "did something happen?"