Chapter 373 - The Underground Temple (1/2)

The kiss lasted maybe for a couple of seconds before Chris pulled back. She rolled away from Oziyat and he sat up.

”Christina, I'm sorry if I startled you. That wasn't very gentlemanly of me, I should have asked first,” Oziyat muttered looking worried.

Chris stood up abruptly and started dusting her clothes, trying to avoid looking at Oziyat.

”Oziyat, I —”

”Oziyat!” Gweneth came running and pulled Oziyat up from the ground. ”You okay, Prince?”

Oziyat didn't look at Gweneth, he was staring at Chris, who still didn't look at him.

”Christina?”

”Sorry, Oziyat. I can't, I just . . . this is not the time or place. I . . .” Chris finally looked at him and saw the confusion on his face. ”I need to check on my friends.”

Chris hurried away to her friends, leaving Oziyat and Gweneth in the corner.

”Ginny! Colin! Luna!”

Luna was mostly fine, Ginny was looking a little battered but her wounds didn't look much deep, however, Colin looked bad. He was still standing but while shielding Luna, he took the worse. His arms and neck were bloodstained.

”Colin, you—” Chris began but Colin waved.

”It's fine. I will be fine,” he mumbled.

”Yes, but drink this.” Luna pulled out a small vial from her bag and gave him. ”It was very stupid of you. Why did you do that? The ceiling could have collapsed on you.”

Without answering Colin gulped down the potion, smiling the whole time.

”I know, right?” Ginny chuckled then suddenly turned serious. ”Hey, noticed the suffocating feeling is almost gone.”

Ginny was right, Chris realized. The oily oppressive dark magic wasn't dimming their powers anymore.

”It must be connected to the Snallygaster,” Colin said looking at the gigantic body of Snallygaster on the ground.

Chris looked at it as well and felt guilty about killing it. It wasn't its fault that Malgino used it for his advantage. The ground was matted with the black blood of the beast as Chris walked towards it. One of Gweneth's blades was still stuck on its front leg, Oziyat's rapier was on its neck, and both Sword of Gryffindor and Rosaline's dagger were on its heart.

”Sorry,” Chris mumbled before pulling out the sword of Gryffindor and the dagger from its heart and examined the wounds.

”What is it?” Ginny asked coming behind Chris.

”It's dead,” Chris replied.

”I think we all know that, Lady Christina,” Gweneth said loudly as she pulled out her blade from the Snallygaster's leg.

Ginny opened her mouth angrily to snap at Gweneth but Chris's words stunned everyone to silence.

”I mean, it was dead even before we killed it, Gweneth.”

The revelation hung on the air as everyone processed it.

”Like Inferi?” said Luna first.

”Dead bodies that have been bewitched to do a Dark wizard's bidding?” exclaimed Gweneth. ”I thought the wizards could only do it on human corpses.”

”Yes but there is no limit to the dark magic, is there?” Oziyat said coming forward. He took out his rapier from the Snallygaster's neck and examined the beast. ”I think, Christina is right. It was a corpse even before we killed it, which explains the oppressive magic we felt as soon as we entered.”

”Malgino?” Colin whispered to Chris.

”Yes, I think so,” Chris said briskly and straightened up. ”Anyway, let's move on. We are not finished yet.”

Ginny, Luna, Colin, and Oziyat nodded and followed Chris. Chris noticed Oziyat was looking absolutely composed as if nothing happened. Of course, he was a royal and he was trained to look calm. However, as soon as his eyes met Chris's, she saw the uneasiness through his calm facade. Chris looked away and sighed.

Chris finally reached the double door, she couldn't last time. She pushed the door and realized it was locked.

”Locked,” muttered Chris and waved her wand but the door didn't budge.

”I would have been surprised if it had opened,” Oziyat said stepping beside her. ”Here, let me try.”

Chris backed away and Oziyat pressed his palm on the door. He concentrated on the door, mumbling something, and the next second the door opened wide with a bang.

Beyond the door there was darkness. Just pitch-black darkness. Chris peered inside and only saw two steps of the staircase going down and after that nothing.

”Stay here with the Guardians, Gweneth,” Oziyat said as Gweneth tried to come closer to the door.

”And you will go with them?” Gweneth looked surprised and angry. ”Who will protect you if something more dangerous is inside?”

”Fortunately, I am perfectly capable of protecting myself,” Oziyat's voice deepened. ”And this is an order from the Prince.”