What would he do? His father was using his two most prized possessions, given his silver locket, and taken them for ransom. The price? Cyrus’s life. How could he save them? Voldemort may want him to choose Ireane. Kit was a pureblood. She would make a very powerful death eater. But Cyrus couldn’t dare lose Ireane. Too difficult a choice! Cyrus made up his mind in a blink of an eye. He saw the light speed up and fly towards him. He opened his arms and welcomed it. The light enveloped him like a warm bath. The power flowing from this particular area was overwhelming! He soaked it up like a sponge does to water. Was this all from his father? Or was it from Ireane and Kit? He pondered the thought for a moment and then he continued forward. The clearing became darker suddenly. Cyrus turned his attention to the cackling behind him. The tall, lean figure of Lord Voldemort was standing behind him, twitching in a spasm with every pronounced laugh of his.
“ Did you think you’d win boy?”
Voldemort’s voice hissed through the empty space of black eerily.
“ I never implied that at all. Now, where are they? Give me Kit and Ireane!”
Cyrus was red-faced in rage. How could his own father taunt him like this? Voldemort smirked evilly. He pointed a long, bony finger towards a tree in the distance. Two limp shapes were seen hanging from it. Cyrus gasped.
“ Kit! Ireane! No!”
Cyrus ran to the tree as fast as his legs would carry him. He reached the tree a minute later. The shapes were indeed Kit and Ireane. Their wrists were bound in rough rope and these ropes hanged them from a high branch. The wickedness of the whole ordeal was taking its effect. The girls were suspended above a bubbling, boiling cauldron of liquid acid. Cyrus’s nightmare had become his reality! He ran towards them, only stopping when Wormtail approached the two girls. He held a wand in his good hand and pointed it at the ropes.
“ One more step and they both perish my boy. Is that what you really want?”
Voldemort came up behind him, laying a cold hand upon Cyrus’s shoulder. Cyrus shuddered. How could Voldemort do this to the girls? Kit began to stir slightly.
“ Wh… where am I? Cyrus! It’s…!”
Wormtail pointed his wand at Kit’s throat. Voldemort walked over to her and grinned evilly.
“ You, my pureblooded slave, will join me. You have power beyond the average person. Just like my son in fact!”
Voldemort gestured towards Cyrus with an outstretched hand. Kit winced.
“ And what if I don’t? What will you do then huh?”
Kit sneered at Voldemort. He looked furious.
“ You are making me lose my patience girl! Take this you ignorant… Crucio!”
Kit yelped and howled in pain. Voldemort kept up the action and waited for Kit to cry for mercy.
“ Stop! No more! No… auuughhhh!”
Kit shouted in pain. The pain was too great for her. Voldemort grinned and pulled back his wand, releasing the pain from Kit’s fragile body. She was panting heavily.
“ So, this is your choice now! Tell me you insolent fool!”
Kit looked at Cyrus for help. When he didn’t move a muscle, she sighed.
“ Fine… I’ll…”
An impatient Voldemort quickly cut her off.
“ If you don’t join me, I will kill her!”
Voldemort pointed his wand at Ireane, who had just woken from her coma-like state. She stared wide-eyed at the wand pointed at her heart.
“ Release our victim Wormtail, so she may make her choice.”
Wormtail released Kit from her wrist bindings and helped her to the ground semi-safely. She skinned her knee on the bark coming off from the tree. Kit despised Ireane with a passion. What else could she do but get revenge… or…?
“ Don’t kill her… I’ll join you… just don’t kill her!”
Kit sank to her knees, tears streaming down her cheeks. Her parents would be so disappointed in her. Voldemort smirked and helped Kit to her feet. He grabbed her arm and began to burn his insignia, the dark mark, into her flesh. She cried out in pain and Voldemort finished.
“ You leave me no choice, now that I can’t finish the full mark, you have left me an option. Avada Kadavra!”
A green light shot form Voldemort’s wand. Kit shut her eyes, ready to die. She heard instead, a scream. A scream saying, ‘Rus!’, then it all stopped. There was total silence. She opened her eyes slowly and looked. Ireane was on the ground, dead, stiff. She was gone.