The Curse-breaker's Sister

The Curse-breaker's Sister

Prologue

Ea Nasir raised a skeletal hand and with the flick of a single finger, commanded his nearest servant to push a sand-filled basin towards him. When the heavy basin was finally in place, Nasir snapped his bony fingers and hot, blue flames burst out of the sand.

"Leave me," he croaked.

His servants scurried out of the room, afraid to move too slow and thus anger their master. The last servant to leave, a tall, well-muscled man, bowed formally to Ea Nasir before walking backwards out of the room and closing the door behind him. Nasir was alone, as he wanted to be when the important communication came through.

He didn't have to wait very long. Soon the blue flames started to crackle and change colour. A Goblin head appeared as the flames turned from blue to green.

"Mister Nasir, I bring you greetings from Gringotts." The crooked-nosed Goblin inclined his head slightly; just enough to indicate the respect that somebody of Ea Nasir's standing deserved.

"Never mind the salutations, Ripshank," Nasir said. "Tell me if you've had time to consider my offer."

"We have considered your offer, Nasir, and have decided to accept. We will meet your terms, if you will meet ours."

Nasir nodded. "So be it. Send your best curse-breaker to my Mesopotamian location." He waved his hand once, then twice over the basin. The flames went out instantly and Ripshank's pointy-head disappeared.

Ripshank cursed to himself in Gobbledegook. Once again, Nasir had cut short a conversation without clarifying what was going on. If it were any other client, the relationship would have been severed; Goblins did not tolerate being treated rudely. However, Ea Nasir was one of the richest and most powerful Treasure Collectors in the world. Entering into this contract with him would bring honour and prestige to Gringotts, not to mention the millions of Galleons they'd earn.

Nasir was also the head of an 'Old Boys Club' type of Collectors Conglomerate. This job could be it, the one big contract that led to hundreds of others. No more small-time, curse-breaking jobs with minimal profit. Those could be left for the likes of Rare Reality Unlimited or better yet, he snickered to himself, Malfoy International.

Ripshank picked up what looked like a tin can attached to a long string and yelled into it. "Rugnuk, get me Bill Weasley!"

*

Ea Nasir sat alone in his chamber for a while longer. The rays from the setting sun streamed in through the arched windows creating pink-tinged shadows on the walls around him. If he listened carefully, he could hear the sounds of his servants and bodyguards moving around in his castle. He let his mind relax as he listened to his only female servant, Ninbanda, carefully categorising his latest acquisitions. His mind wandered further and for a while, hovered in the dungeons where Emsaf was breaking in his newest servants. Then he drifted in and out of sleep for several hours until Ninbanda woke him by calling to him quietly from the entranceway.

"Bill Weasley is here," she told him when he demanded to know why she was waking him from his slumber.

"Bring him to me." His voice was low-pitched and scratchy.

Ninbanda nodded, bowed several times and scuttled off to do her masters bidding. Alone, Ea Nasir smiled into the darkness, the papery skin around his mouth stretching into a gaping rictus of glee.

"The Staff of Lamaštu shall be mine." The harsh whisper of his words echoed throughout the empty chamber as Nasir sat in the darkness, waiting for his guest.