Chris kept trying to call Isla all the way to her company's warehouse, which was on the outskirts of their town. But none of the calls went through, which started to make Chris worry. But then again, the phone network often didn't work inside the warehouse, so that could be the explanation, at least that's what she thought.
Chris stopped the car in front of the warehouse and quickly got out. However, as soon as she entered the warehouse, she looked around and stopped short. Earlier, Chris had noticed that the entire street was empty and there were no people outside the warehouse. Now, looking at the completely silent warehouse, Chris realised there was no one inside as well. Alarm bells went off in Chris's head. The fact that she was completely alone without any protection or any backup suddenly washed over her. Nobody knew she was there. It's been more than a year since Stormy escaped, and she had let her guard down for the first time in years. Or she was made to put her guard down. This could be a very well-planned trap.
Immediately, Chris's instinct kicked in. She grabbed her phone and started typing:
I'm in the war -
"Put your phone down, Christina."
Chris froze, hearing the familiar smooth voice. And she knew.
Regulus's sudden sickness from a candy. No immediately available backup Auror to escort her. Isla's message. All fell into place. It was all planned. All to get here to the warehouse.
Chris looked up to see a wand pointing at her and the woman in a cloak holding the wand.
"Stormy," Chris muttered her name in disgust, glaring at her.
Stormy slowly pulled her hood down, revealing her face as if she was savouring this moment. Seeing Stormy after so many years was so surreal. Chris felt she was looking at a ghost, and she looked like one, too. Her face looked bony, as if she hadn't really eaten for days; her eyes looked sunken but had this crazed look in them.
"Christina Norton," Stormy gave a cold smile, looking at Chris from head to toe. "I see you have changed."
"And I see you haven't," Chris retorted, slowly lowering her phone while maintaining eye contact with Stormy. She was trying to send that message to anyone.
But as soon as she moved her finger to press send on her phone, the phone flew away from her hand and hit the wall.
"Oh my, you really have changed. Already calling for backup?" Stormy let out a dry chuckle. "The Christina Norton I knew wouldn't even need backup, let alone call people to save her. You have gotten so weak, Christina."
Chris was only half-listening to her; her mind was working furiously, trying not to panic and figuring out a plan to escape. Chris eyed her phone at the far wall, then at the door, wondering if she could reach it. She thought that if she ran, even though it wouldn't be useful because of Stormy's speed and aim, she would attack Chris if she moved even an inch. But if she could distract Stormy with something, maybe it could work . . .
And then Chris realised the problem. She couldn't run even with Stormy distracted . . . because she was very heavily pregnant. Chris's eyes widened, her hands got clammy, and her arm instantly wrapped around her belly as soon as the realisation hit her. Meeting Stormy had kicked in her old fight or flight response, but she could not do either right that moment with her baby.
Chris's heart started racing as she eyed the door again. She could feel Stormy's eyes on her.
"Scared," Stormy started walking around Chris in circles like a predator. "I've never seen you this scared before, Christina. Honestly, the look on your face right now makes all my waiting worth it. And you haven't even seen my surprise, yet."
Chris finally looked at Stormy again at the mention of surprise. She was trapped there with her unborn child. What could make this worse? Chris's blood ran cold as she thought about her dad. Did they get him, too? Theodore was supposed to be there with him, how –
Looking satisfied with Chris's full attention, Stormy smiled wider and snapped her fingers. Five more cloaked figures appeared, surrounding Chris completely. And one of them was holding a terrified-looking person by the back of their collar.
Chris's heart sank, and she felt relieved at the same time.
It wasn't her dad, but it was Isla, who was looking around wildly, terrified. Tears were streaming down her face, and as soon as she saw Chris doubled over. But she couldn't open her mouth, and Chris realised her lips were pressed together as if she were silenced by magic.
"Isla!" Chris called, and Isla tried to reach Chris, but the man holding her pulled her back and shook her.
Isla broke into harder sobs, or at least she tried to, but since she was silenced, no sound came out, and she looked like she was about to suffocate.
"Breathe, Isla. Breathe," Chris told her, looking sickened. "It's alright. Just breathe."
Stormy threw her head back and let out a hysterical laugh.
"Goodness! I really thought that it was a rumour. But it's true. You lost your powers!" Stormy threw her head back and cackled. "You! Christina Norton lost her powers!"
Up until that moment, Chris had never regretted her decision to give up her powers. Yes, she missed them, but never needed them so desperately. Chris clenched her hand, trying to stop them from shaking. She was terrified for her baby, Isla, and her own life. She needed to come up with something. Anything to get them out of there.
And that's when she remembered two things. One, there was a small blade tucked inside her boot, and two, Fawkes.
"Why are you so quiet?" Stormy asked just as Chris opened her mouth and yelled –
"Fwak–"
But Chris couldn't finish calling her Phoenix, Stormy silenced her.
"Good, at least you are trying to put up a fight," Stormy said, laughing again.
Chris shot her a death glare, and suddenly Stormy grabbed the back of Chris's hair and yanked her head back hard.
"Uh!" Chris tried to scream in pain, but since she was silenced, she could only make an odd groan in her throat. Stormy smiled, looking down at her face.
"Where is the bold brat who always challenged my master?" Stormy yelled at Chris's face, and Chris winced. "Where is the girl who destroyed all my master's plans? Where is the powerful girl who tore my master's heart out? Where is the strong Christina Norton? Where is she? Bring her! I want to see her! I want to fight HER! I want to kill HER! Not this scared little woman in front of me, who can't even undo a silencing charm!"
Looking at Stormy's crazy eyes, Chris was sure Stormy had completely lost her mind. There was nothing but madness in her eyes, and she was practically baiting Chris to fight, to do something reckless.
"Maybe you need a push," Stormy suggested, pulling Chris's head harder.
Chris was so much in pain that her eyes burned trying to hold back tears. She tried to free her hair from Stormy's death grip, but couldn't; she calculated if she could reach her dagger inside her shoes, but knew she couldn't do that either because of the way Stormy was holding her.
"Kill the girl," Stormy ordered. "Let's see if that would kick that fire back into you."
The wizard holding Isla raised his wand, and Isla started to thrash around in his grip, trying to get away. She was crying harder now. Chris stared at her, horrified.
Isla was innocent. Just an Muggle, who got caught up in the crossfire only because she worked for Chris. And for that she was going to die.
Chris couldn't let that happen.
She couldn't let Isla die because of her.
So Chris did the only thing she could at that moment.
She yanked her head away from Stormy as hard as she could, and then she punched Stormy in the face with all her strength.
[To be continued]