Devil\'s Desire, Heart\'s fire

Chapter 2 --- Lateness is never tolerable

“Tell me, at what precise time did I tell you to be at the ice-cream parlor?” he asked with a cold sneer, stood tall, with his back straight and shoulders pushed out.

I swallowed hard and licked my lips before I replied, “Mid-day sir,” without looking him in the eyes. I knew that in a situation such as this, between my father and myself I had to show full submission, otherwise the incident would get worse.

“And tell me, what time is it now?”

“Twelve-thirty, sir-”

He cut me off before I could speak further.

“Indeed, and that would make you…” He paused on purpose, to show that he wanted me to finish his sentence. In doing so, I would give him the gratification of knowing that I am utterly hopeless, as I was born to be through his eyes.

“Half an hour late sir, highly improper for a daughter to be when she is to meet her mother and father for an urgent message.” I replied softly as I shifted un-easily from my left foot to my right. He stared down upon me. I could feel the simmering heat coming from my crown; doubtless due to the holes he was burning in me as he stared.

“Precisely. You are utterly hopeless and disrespectful to your family Malita. Sometimes I wonder why on earth Merlin brought a thing such as you into my hands as a daughter. The rest of your siblings turned out to be quiet normal.” He sighed heavily as he turned and began to walk down the alley.

He hadn’t dismissed me yet, so I was to follow him. So I did. I followed my father and listened to him rambling once more about my inheritance and how strange it is that something like me came from him.

“Life would be so much easier Malita if I had given you up for adoption the moment I discovered your inheritance,” he growled, as he turned left into an alleyway that leads to a store selling cauldrons.

“Forgive me father…” I whispered, though I knew that he wouldn’t hear my apologies.

“So what is your excuse this time Malita, the gate from the pub wouldn’t open up for you, so you had to wait for the bar tender to do it for you….” He spat the words with venom. “How much more useless can you get, if such a simple task cannot even be done.”

“I bumped into someone father,” I whispered as I watched him stalk over towards the shopkeeper.

He ignored me.

“I need a cauldron for my son Gandel. He is to start at Hogwarts this year, and I intend to have him do me proud. He seems to be quite promising with his potion work, so I suspect you will have to give me your best,” he sneered, as he glanced around at the cauldrons.

Gandel was starting school. It surprised me, yet at the same time made me feel a touch of disappointment. Gandel is the youngest of the five children my father has. I am his middle child, the third, who was kept hidden from most of the world. My younger brother is to start Wizardry school, which officially proves to my father that I am a genetic mutation in the bloodline. Something that soils the family name.

“Yes Master Courtez, of course. The best is only suitable for the best,” said the old shopkeeper as he turned and walked through a curtain to access the hidden load at the back of the store.

My father suddenly turned towards me and glared.

“That is right Malita. Your younger sibling is starting wizardry school. Your mother wanted you to know. That is the reason that you have been summoned here.”

I thought carefully about the next words I spoke, for I knew his coldness towards me was due to my never receiving a letter to invite me to the school. I showed no signs of magical ability.

“That is very welcoming news father. I am proud of him showing …” I paused and looked towards the floor as the next words leave my mouth in a choke, “the power of the Courtez in which I couldn’t. I never meant to fail you father… why wont you ever…”

He stopped me before I could finish.

“Stop being childish and asking for pity girl,” he growled. “Tell me why you are late and stop this groveling.”

‘I’m not groveling,’ I thought, but dared not speak it.

“A man knocked me off my feet when I turned the corner you find me at.”

He cocked his eyebrow to show he didn’t believe me. “A man knocked you over?” His tone was nothing but pure mock.

“Yes sir. And the gentlemen beside him helped me to my feet and apologized.”

“Really…” He turned back towards the store man who had just re-entered the room and placed a medium sized cauldron on the counter.

“There you are Master Courtez. The best brand I have, Aztec.”

My father inspected the cauldron, turning it around and about until he had studied every inch of it. Then he placed it back on the counter, reached into his left pocket and retrieved a couple of gold coins.

“I’ll give you two. I am sure for an old friend that can be acceptable.”

The shopkeeper looked down towards the coins, knowing very well that they were much less than what the cauldron was worth. Swallowing hard, he took the coins and gave a polite tight smile.

“Of course, Master Courtez.” The shopkeeper agreed tightly before he nodded his goodbye to my father then at me.

Without further ado my father picked up the cauldron and turned to leave. I quickly followed him out the door, just in time to hear him ask, “Who where these gentlemen Malita? I do not need you to bring further shame to the family name. You were polite and sorry about the encounter I presume.” He shot me a look that symbolized I had better have done what he said.

“Yes sir. I brought no further shame to the family. Though only one gentleman gave me his name. The other one didn’t wish to speak to me. All he did was sneer.”

He glanced back at me over his shoulder, “I do not blame him Malita. Running into them was disgraceful of you.”

My lips twitched as if they were itching to speak what was running through my mind. But I dared not to. I kept my place at walking exactly two feet behind my father to show that I was of lower rank and not his equal like the other family members were.

“Well, are you going to tell me his name girl?”

Until he spoke, I was unaware that I had gone silent as the grave for some time.

“Lucius Malf-”

I was suddenly slammed up against a wall, my fathers hand tightly bound around my neck squeezing the air from out of me.

“You stupid insolent girl!” He yelled as his grip tightened.

Panicking, I began clawing at his hand.

“Do you realize what you have done?” he spat in my face as the tip of his nose touched mine. “They do no know of your existence. No one in this world knows of your existence apart from the bitch of a mother that gave birth to you.”

I don’t know if it was from air lose, or perhaps the news of my existence in the world not being known, but my vision began to spin causing stars to dance in the air around us.

“You are dead to this world Malita. Understand? How DARE you tell them your name?” he hissed, his voice quiet yet deadly.

“Spartricas,” came my mother’s voice, causing him to release me quickly.

A tall woman with gold curly hair and luscious green eyes weaved her way through the crowd, followed by my brother Gandel.

“Not a word is to leave your lips...” he hissed under his breath as he turned towards my mother and waved. “Darling…” he held up the cauldron and walked over towards them.

Tears stung my eyes as I watched them embrace each other lovingly. The way my father kissed my mother across the cheek and hugged my younger brother broke my heart. He had never shown me such affection. A hug, a kiss, nor a small brush of skin ever came from him unless it had to do with punishment. The rule between us was that I had to always stay at least two to three feet away from him.

Using the back of my hand I wiped away the tears that had fallen.

My mother’s face lit up as soon as she laid eyes upon me. “Oh my baby,” she cried as she moved from out of my fathers embrace and made her way quickly towards me.

“Oh, how I’ve missed you sweetie,” she cried as she took me into her arms and held me tightly.

Another tear slid down my cheek, though this one was for the joy of receiving affection. She and my younger brother were the only ones in my family who showed any form of love towards me. My older brothers and younger sister were as cold and cruel as my father.

“You are staying this time aren’t you?” my mother asked as she stepped back and studied me. I smiled weakly. “Oh honey, don’t cry…” she whispered softly as she gently brushed away my tears.

“Spartricas. Where on earth did you find her?” my mother asked, completely oblivious about the hate that lurked in my father.

“Just now dear,” he lied as he came and stood beside her.

My mother turned back to face me and began to explain how much she missed me and was looking forward to my stay for a month. But as she spoke I watched the way my father observed me with dark eyes, and I knew, just by looking at the way his eyes darkened, that tonight when my mother lay sound asleep he was going to punish me.

A/N: Thanks goes out to my beta Belle. I\'ll try keep the updates coming. Hope you like. Please give me some suggestions on how to improve....so far i only have two reviews.