Alexandra Quick and the Deathly Regiment

Oak and Mistletoe

Charmbridge's lawn rushed past beneath her, and then Alexandra was over the woods, hurtling towards the river valley as fast as the Twister would carry her. Wind whipped through her hair and roared in her ears.

She didn't know what Darla's motives were, or what she planned to do. Very little of Darla's behavior made sense to her. Perhaps she had been right all along -- Darla had simply gone insane.

She knew her friends probably thought she was just being reckless; she felt reckless, as she shot over the cliff and dived into the valley below. The river was gleaming in the moonlight, and Alexandra felt a mad rush of excitement, despite the situation, as she plummeted almost straight down.

It wasn't just recklessness that had sent Alexandra on this chase, though, nor was it only fury at Darla for cursing Charlie. Alexandra knew that what she'd told her friends was true -- Darla's actions spoke of mad desperation. She might be insane, but she wasn't stupid; she knew she wouldn't have very much time before she was caught. Whatever Darla was planning to do, she meant to do it quickly.

And whatever she meant to do couldn't be good.

Alexandra decelerated hard at the end of her descent; her feet almost touched the ground as she reached the mouth of the tunnel at the base of the cliff. Then she shot forward, flying down the tunnel even as she lit her wand. It was mostly straight, and wide enough for a Thestral, so she wasn't worried about hitting anything. As rock walls blurred past all around her, she felt confusion give way to anger. Now the thought of Charlie lying cold and stiff in her arms filled her with rage. The lingering sensation of numbed flesh, stabbed by the same curse that had almost killed her familiar, made her even angrier.

That's four times, she thought. Four times too many that you've tried to kill me, Darla.

When the tunnel started to narrow and the walls became smoother, Alexandra slowed down. By the time she reached the entrance to the cave with the painted wall, she was gliding at barely jogging speed. She hopped off the broom and stepped inside, with her wand held aloft, radiating light, ready to fling a hex.

The cave was empty. The rock wall on the far side reflected the light from her wand back at her. The painted figures were motionless and undisturbed.

I'm too late, Alexandra thought. But too late for what? Had Darla already been here, opened the gate -- gone through the Veil herself? It made no sense.

She heard a sound, echoing faintly in the tunnels. She spun around and squinted, listening.

It sounded like a girl's voice.

Still gripping her broom in one hand and her wand in the other, Alexandra exited the cave containing the portal to the Lands Beyond, and looked in the direction from which she thought she'd heard the voice.

It was the direction of the other cave down here with a gate -- the gate to the Lands Below.

Alexandra walked forward, letting her footsteps echo. She didn't hear the voice again until she was almost to where the tunnel widened into a large cave with a hard clay floor, and then she saw light ahead of her -- not the steady glow of a lit wand, but the flickering illumination of a lantern.

"Darla!" Alexandra shouted furiously, worried that she was too late, that Darla had already opened the portal somehow.

There was silence for a moment, and then the light moved, and Alexandra saw Darla emerge from the cavern ahead of her. She was holding a lantern. She raised it so it cast light in Alexandra's face, and gasped. "Alexandra?"

Alexandra pointed her wand at the other girl. Darla's mouth dropped open.

"I don't know what you're up to," Alexandra said, "but it's over. You're done, Darla."

"You don't understand," Darla said.

"You're right." Alexandra's hand was shaking. She wanted to blast Darla's face off. "And I don't care."

Then another figure stepped out of the cave behind Darla, holding onto her legs and peering around her. A house-elf, naked but for a rag wrapped around its waist. It looked familiar.

Alexandra stared at it for a moment. Thoughts whirled in her head, and then she pointed her wand and said, "Stupefy!"

Darla screamed and cringed, dropping the lantern and covering her face, but the red beam from Alexandra's wand struck the elf, knocking it back into the cavern behind Darla, out of sight.

Darla crouched, hunched over for several seconds, before she removed her hands from in front of her face and looked at Alexandra with a fearful expression.

"Why did you Stun Nat?" she whimpered. On the floor next to her, the lantern was still lit. Cast against Darla's face from below, its light gave her an evil, sinister appearance.

"Because I know what elves can do," Alexandra said. "But I can take you."

Darla's eyes narrowed as she slowly straightened up again. "Is that so?"

"Yes. Especially since I know your secret. Accio mistletoe wand!"

Darla flinched as a stick came flying out of the sleeve of her robe and went spinning through the air into Alexandra's hand. Alexandra dropped her broom to catch the wand. She glanced at it. It was an unremarkable-looking stick, not even cut evenly or polished like a regular wand.

"You cursed Benjamin," Alexandra said. "And all those elves. You killed Ms. Gale."

"I didn't mean to." Darla's voice quavered. "She surprised me -- I didn't mean for her to fall down those stairs!"

"Everything you told me was a lie -- everything!"

"As if you didn't know." Darla began speaking with more assurance, and her haughty expression returned, though Alexandra could still hear the fear in her voice, and see it in Darla's pale face and wide eyes. "You knew. You believed what you wanted to believe. You'd believe anything to bring back your brother."

Alexandra clenched her teeth. "You tried to kill me. You tried to kill Charlie!"

"I wasn't trying to kill your stupid bird!" Darla cried. "If it would have left me alone -- but no, it's just like you, it couldn't stay out of the way!"

Alexandra almost didn't see the spell coming at her, and she ducked just before the hex sizzled past over her head. Darla screamed and shouted another curse. This time Alexandra deflected it with a Blocking Jinx.

"I knew it!" Alexandra shouted. "I knew you had another wand!"

Darla was indeed holding a long, white wand in her hand.

Alexandra cast a Disarming Spell, and was surprised when the other girl shouted, "Protego!" and blocked it, then fired a Stunner. Alexandra ducked the red beam, cast a Shield Charm of her own when Darla tried to hex her again, and with angry motions, pelted Darla with hexes until the other girl staggered backwards, frantically trying to continue Shielding herself.

Darla was able to deflect another curse, and then her wand crackled with sparks and the stone over Alexandra's head made a cracking, grinding sound in response. Alexandra looked up quickly, but the tunnel over her head did not collapse. She looked back down at Darla, and blocked another Stunner.

She stood there, watching her opponent for a second. Darla was trembling, but there was a wild, determined look in her eyes.

"Why, Darla?" Alexandra asked. "What is this all about? Impressing John?"

"John?" Darla laughed bitterly. "John's like you -- he thought I was just a stupid, ignorant, little girl." She sniffed. "I believed him, at first. I thought I really could summon Death, until I realized he was just using me --" Her expression was distant, for a moment, and then she focused on Alexandra again, and glowered. "But you actually did go to the Lands Below. And the Lands Beyond. Why did you have to come back?"

Her last question came out as a scream, and she cast a cloud of flickering blue mist that poured out of her wand and billowed towards Alexandra. Alexandra blew it back at her with a gust of wind she conjured from her own wand, and Darla frantically dispelled it.

Alexandra said, "Levicorpus!" and Darla flipped head over heels and hung in midair in the middle of the tunnel with her robes falling down around her, exposing her legs.

Darla made a sound which at first Alexandra thought was a groan of defeat, and then she felt something grab her foot. She looked down and saw a stone hand, and without thinking, pointed her wand and blasted it to pieces.

There was only the one hand, but while she was destroying it, Darla managed to unjinx herself and land on the floor of the tunnel. She picked herself up, angry and bruised. She flung another hex, which Alexandra blocked with a flash and a shower of sparks.

"Weak." Alexandra waved her wand tauntingly. "You may have a wand, but I'm still better than you." Then she paused -- the wand Darla was holding was not her own, but it looked familiar. Long, white oak...

"That's Innocence's wand!" she cried. "What have you done to Innocence?"

"She's all right," Darla said softly. "I didn't hurt her." But there was a haunted, guilty look as she turned her face away from Alexandra for a moment.

"You really are a crazy bitch!" Alexandra snarled. Her hand trembled, and then she steadied it as she leveled her wand again.

"Am I?" Darla pointed her wand -- Innocence's wand.

"Protego!" Alexandra said, and another Shield Charm sprang up in front of her.

"Avada Kedavra!" said Darla.

Alexandra saw a green flash of light. It seemed to flare out of Darla's wand in slow motion, and then it came right through her Shield Charm and engulfed her.

She fell backwards, while the world went dark around her, except for little pinpricks of light. She didn't feel herself hit the ground, but she was already in terrible pain -- as if she'd just been stomped on, hard, all over her body, from her spine to her skull, from her fingers to her toes. Everything hurt and her vision was black and white and blurry and breathing felt like inhaling knives.

She heard a sound, like a deep gurgle, and after a moment, realized it was being made by her, in the back of her throat. She tasted something -- blood.

She forced her eyes open. Tunnel vision blacked out everything but what was directly in front of her face. Right now that was Darla, leaning over her with an expression that was a mixture of contempt and fear. She was holding her wand, looking at it and then back at Alexandra.

"I guess it's harder, with a person," Darla said quietly. "But if I could k-kill Mr. Whiskers..." She blinked rapidly. Her eyes glistened with tears. She took a breath, and her voice became steadier. "It should have worked on someone I don't like."

Alexandra brought a hand to her face. It was very difficult -- any part of her body that she concentrated on felt like a spike had been driven through it. When she lifted her hand to look at it, she saw that it was covered with blood.

Darla shook her head. "I think it's the wand. If I had my own wand, I'll bet it would have worked."

"Crazy..." Alexandra rasped. She sucked in a breath, though she wanted to cry as the air burned her lungs.

Darla's eyes fixed on hers. She leaned over again and pointed the long, oak wand.

"Maybe I am weak," she said. "Maybe it will take two or three tries."

Alexandra didn't say anything. It was taking all her strength just to hold her head up and keep her eyes open.

Then Darla stood up. The mad, hateful expression on her face melted away. She looked regretful, and tears trickled down her face.

"I never wanted to hurt anyone," she said. She looked down, and then turned and moved out of Alexandra's field of vision.

Alexandra couldn't hear her or see her. With a groan, she let her head fall back to the floor. It hurt as it smacked the stone beneath her, but she hardly noticed; she was already dizzy and nauseous.

There was no more light, and she lay there in darkness, too weak to move or even cry out.

---

"Alexandra?" Someone was shaking her. "Alexandra!"

Alexandra turned her head. There was a light shining directly in her face, and she winced.

The light moved. She opened her eyes a crack, and found herself staring directly up at Anna.

"Oh, my ancestors!" Anna said. The soft light from her wand made her face look even paler.

Alexandra tried to sit up, and her head swam. She almost hit it on the stone floor again as she fell back down.

"Alexandra!" Anna caught her. "You -- you're covered with blood!"

Alexandra brought a hand up to her face again, and felt that it was still sticky. She could see blood down the front of her shirt.

"Where's Darla?" Alexandra croaked.

"Darla? I -- I didn't see her -- what happened?"

"How did you get here?" Alexandra's head was pounding, and her body felt like she'd been run over, but her mind was starting to clear a little. She looked around, and paused when she saw Mr. Journey standing in the tunnel, a few feet away.

"You brought Anna here?" Alexandra said.

The ghost nodded. "I told her you were in trouble."

"How... what about Sonja, and Ch-Charlie?"

"Mrs. Murphy took them both to the infirmary," Anna said. "When we told her they'd been struck by a mistletoe wand, she said she'd look up the right counter-curse and treatment in her healer's books."

Alexandra closed her eyes. She wanted to cry with relief, but then she remembered -- there was no time for that. She opened her eyes and tried to lurch to her feet, but her head was still swimming, and she leaned heavily against Anna.

Anna took a couple of green and purple leaves out of a pocket in her robe. She held them out and placed them on Alexandra's lips. "Here," she said gently. "Chew on these."

Alexandra did as she was told. The leaves tasted bitter and acidic, and filled her mouth and nose with pungent fumes as soon as she bit into them. She coughed and choked, and Anna held her chin up.

"Don't swallow them, but keep chewing," Anna said. "What happened to you, Alex?"

The leaves weren't making the pain go away, but they were restoring her senses.

"How did you get here?" Alexandra asked. "Did you borrow a broom to fly down into the valley?"

"Fly down into the valley?" Anna's brow wrinkled. "I followed Mr. Journey through the secret tunnel he showed me." When Alexandra blinked at her, confused, Anna said, "From the woods?"

Alexandra looked at Journey.

"There's more than one secret tunnel," the ghost said.

"You just... appeared to Anna, and she followed you?" Alexandra couldn't imagine what Anna's reaction must have been to seeing the ghost of the groundskeeper for the first time. A shadow crossed over her face and she looked at Anna guiltily. "I didn't tell you --"

"I know." Anna sighed. "I told you you didn't have to tell me everything. I wish you'd told me about him, though." She gestured at the ghost. "Never mind that. Innocence is missing, along with Darla."

"Innocence!" Alexandra tried to stand up, and Anna put a hand on her shoulder to stop her.

"Alex, we need to get you to the infirmary!"

Alexandra looked at her. "Darla is going to sacrifice Innocence."

"What?" Anna gasped, and her eyes went wide.

"Help me up." It was a command. Anna hesitated, and then obeyed. Alexandra wobbled unsteadily as she rose to her feet, then felt another rush of blood from her head as she stooped to pick up her wand, which was lying on the floor. Anna had to hold her to steady her again. While Alexandra was bent over, she hacked and coughed and spat out the bits of leaves in her mouth.

When she stood up again, Anna gently laid a hand on the back of her head, and said, "Tilt your head back."

Alexandra did as she was told. Anna murmured, "Aguamenti," and water gushed from her wand, pouring across Alexandra's mouth and nose. Alexandra took some into her mouth, while Anna used a handkerchief to wipe the blood off her nose and chin.

"Alex -- what happened?" Anna asked.

Alexandra turned her head to the side, and spat out water, then looked at Journey. "You didn't tell her anything, did you? Just that I was down here and needed help?" Her voice rose angrily. "You brought Anna down here and no one else, when Darla is somewhere around throwing Killing Curses!"

"Killing Curses?" Anna squealed in horror.

"Darla's gone, Starshine," Journey said quietly. "She went through the gate. Nothing I could do to stop her."

"She took Innocence with her, didn't she?"

"Darla took Innocence... through the gate?" Anna repeated. "I -- I don't understand. I don't understand how you knew to follow Darla down here, or --"

Alexandra grabbed Anna's shoulders, and put a finger to her lips. "Ssh," she murmured, listening.

They could hear a low, keening sound, like a prolonged sob, wavering in volume, but sounding like someone in the depths of misery.

"It's a house-elf," Journey said. "Darla left the poor fellow behind."

Alexandra looked at Anna. "Stay here." Again, it was a command, and Anna swallowed nervously, and almost grabbed her sleeve to stop her, but Alexandra was already walking into the large circular cavern that was the entry to the Lands Below, holding her wand at the ready.

Huddled by a wall, the half-naked house-elf was rocking back and forth with his arms wrapped around his knees, shivering and moaning to himself.

Alexandra approached cautiously. She knew house-elf magic was potent, and she had no idea how this house-elf would react to her, especially after she'd knocked him out with a Stunning Spell.

"Hi," she said.

The elf didn't respond.

She licked her lips. She could still taste blood and the pungent juice of the leaves Anna had given her. "Your name is Nat, isn't it?"

The elf looked up, regarding her with enormous, round eyes. There was no hostility in his expression, just misery.

Alexandra said, "I'm, um, I'm sorry I Stunned you."

Nat blinked slowly.

"You're Darla's house-elf, aren't you?" she asked.

Nat blinked again. "Nat belongs to the Dearborns," he moaned. "Nat did what Miss Darla told him... Master will be very angry at Nat. Nat is a bad, bad elf." He jabbed his fingers into his own eyes, making Alexandra wince.

"No! Stop it!" she cried, as Nat covered his face with hands, with fresh tears spilling out through his fingers. Forgetting her wariness, she stumbled forward and knelt at the elf's side. "You didn't have any choice, did you?"

"Nat... has done a terrible thing," Nat moaned, rocking back and forth again. "Nat has done a very terrible thing."

Alexandra was aware that Anna was walking into the cavern behind her. She wanted to tell her friend to get out, but she was afraid to take her attention off of the elf.

"Nat," Alexandra said softly. "Darla went to the Lands Below, didn't she?"

Nat wailed louder.

"She made you send her there, didn't she? With an obol."

Nat abruptly rolled over and began beating his tiny feet and fists against the stone floor. "Nat is supposed to take care of his Mary and his Darla and his Hilary! Nat has failed all of his Misses! Nat has disobeyed Master! Nat is a bad! Bad! Bad! House-elf!"

With each 'bad,' Nat slammed his head against the floor beneath him, until Alexandra grabbed him.

"Nat, stop it! You did what you were ordered!"

"Miss Darla made Nat do it... Nat took Miss into the basements even when Nat knew he should not... every time Miss summoned him, Nat should have told Master but Miss begged him and said Nat must say nothing for Miss's sake..." The elf's shoulders shook, and Alexandra thought he might begin bashing his head against the floor again if she didn't keep her hands on him.

"You brought Darla down here," Alexandra murmured. She looked up at Anna, who was staring at the two of them with a horrified expression. Mr. Journey was lingering just within the entrance.

Nat wailed. "Nat begged Miss, please do not do this thing!"

"She gave you an obol," Alexandra said. She swallowed. "And you sent her and Innocence through the gate, didn't you?"

Nat's lips trembled, and then he nodded. "Miss took another girl... Nat asked, 'Why?', and Nat begged, 'Please don't,' but --" His eyes blinked rapidly, and then he broke into another bout of violent sobbing.

"I don't understand," Anna said. "Why would Darla take Innocence? Why would Innocence go with her?"

"I don't know," Alexandra said, but she was beginning to figure it out. She wanted to know everything about my trip to the Lands Below, and I told her about the bone flute, and the Generous Ones, and the Gift Place... I told her everything. She shuddered.

"Nat," she said. "Can you open the gate for me?"

"What?!" Anna shouted.

Nat looked at her in horror. "Nonononono!" he exclaimed, shaking his head violently. "Is forbidden! Never may house-elves do that --"

"The Compact. I know." Alexandra swallowed. She squeezed Nat's shoulders, and looked into his eyes, so much larger than hers despite the fact that he was only a fraction of her size.

"Nat," she said. "I need to save them. Both of them."

"Alex, what are you talking about?" Anna hissed.

"I need you to send me to the Lands Below," she said. "I don't have an obol to give you. But if it's within your power -- then please, I'm begging you. I've been there before -- and I came back."

Nat looked horrified and astonished.

"No, Alex, no! What are you saying?" Anna grabbed her by the back of her cloak, as if to drag her away, and Alexandra shrugged her hands off.

"Darla doesn't know what she's getting into, but she's going to do a terrible thing," Alexandra said. She lowered her voice. "You know that, don't you?"

Nat folded into himself, burying his oversized head between his knees and whimpering.

"Even if she comes back alive, she can never undo this," Alexandra said. "Her life will be over. You don't want her to do this, Nat."

Nat began bawling. Tears gushed from his eyes and Alexandra thought the sound was loud enough to be heard in the Lands Below, but she continued to speak in a soft voice: "Send me to the Lands Below. Let me stop her."

"Alex!" Anna cried.

Nat lifted his head and opened his eyes. "It is forbidden," he repeated.

"But you can do it," she whispered. "You can disobey. Can't you?"

"Disobey... the Compact?" Nat began trembling violently, as if he might explode at the very thought, and Alexandra kept a tight grip on his shoulders.

"Yes," she whispered. "Disobey. For Darla. And for Innocence. Let me save them. Please."

Nat gulped. His face had turned a ghastly shade of grayish green. Alexandra wondered how terrible it must be for him to contemplate violating his oaths. What fate would befall him? She suspected she was asking him to do a terrible thing, too -- but there was no other choice.

"Miss will save Nat's Darla?" Nat asked, in a tiny voice. "But Darla and Miss is not friends..."

"No, we're not." Alexandra held the elf's gaze, and her voice remained steady. "But I'll save her -- I'll save them both. I swear it."

The cavern was quiet and still for several long moments. No one moved. No one said a word.

Then Nat said, so quietly that Alexandra had to lean forward to hear him, "Nat will... do." A convulsion went through his body.

"Thank you," Alexandra said.

She rose to her feet and turned to face Anna. Anna's face was white.

"Darla is going to sacrifice Innocence," Alexandra said. "She's going to send her to the Lands Beyond. I can't explain everything -- there's no time -- but I know this, Anna. I know it."

Anna gulped. "Tell Ms. Grimm --"

"Darla has the bone flute -- she's probably with the Generous Ones already --" She shook her head, as Anna looked confused.

"How long will it take to go back and get the adults?" Alexandra asked. "And then explain to them what's happened? And then convince someone to come down here?" Her words came out in a rush. She couldn't blame Anna for thinking she was talking madness again -- she didn't want to think about how mad what she was planning actually was, because she didn't have a plan. But she also knew that everything she was saying was true. "And then -- do you think Ms. Grimm or anyone else is actually going to go to the Lands Below because I tell them I know what's going on? And how would they find their way to the Gift Place -- where they have to go? Do you think they'll let me come along to lead them? Anna, Innocence is going to die! And Darla -- she's going to do something terrible!"

Anna stared at her. She said nothing, while Nat picked himself off the floor and stood crouched at Alexandra's feet, shivering.

"I have to go," Alexandra said.

"Is there any other way to save Innocence?" Anna asked.

Alexandra shook her head.

Anna swallowed. "Then let me come with you."

Alexandra smiled, and wrapped her arms around her friend.

"No," she said, squeezing Anna tightly. For a few brief moments, Anna's loyalty and courage lifted her spirits and staved off her doubt and fear.

Anna didn't argue. She just trembled, and hugged Alexandra back.

Alexandra put her lips to Anna's ear, and whispered, "Best friends... forever."

Anna held her tighter.

"After I go through the gate," Alexandra whispered, very softly, "put a Body-Bind Curse on Nat, so he doesn't start punishing himself. I have a feeling he'll do something terrible to himself if you don't."

Anna gulped, and nodded quickly.

Alexandra released her, and gestured for her to back away. Anna did, until she was at the edge of the cavern, well away from the clay that filled the center of the chamber.

Alexandra raised her wand and said, "Accio broom." Her broom, still lying in the tunnel outside the chamber, flew right through Ben Journey and into her hand.

"You'd better make sure Anna gets back upstairs okay," she said to the ghost.

Journey nodded. "Good luck, Alexandra."

Alexandra looked at Anna. "I'll be back."

Anna nodded. "I know." She sounded more hopeful than confident, but she smiled, and her eyes were shining. "You always come back."

Alexandra stood in the center of the cavern and straddled her broom. She held up her wand and said, "Nox," extinguishing her Light Spell.

She turned to the elf. "I'm ready."

Nat was already shivering as if his arms and legs might shake themselves free from his body, but he nodded, with his head also trembling violently.

"Please save Nat's Darla," he pleaded.

"I will," Alexandra said.

Nat closed his eyes. The clay at Alexandra's feet turned smoky and black, and then insubstantial, and she fell through it, into darkness.