Prologue
The darkness that surrounded him was in no way a detriment to his work this night. In fact, it enhanced what he wished to accomplish. An evil little smile lifted the corners of his lips as he moved deeper into the catacombs beneath his home. His goal was close. His steps echoed through the tunnels, bouncing through the darkness and returning.
Around the last corner, the tomb came into view. His steps paused as he stood silent for a moment simply staring at it.
Inside that stone box lay his wife. His pause had nothing to do with love or emotion or a notion of reverence. No, he stared because he knew he was very close to achieving something grand. He stepped forward, laying his hands against the edge of the stone lid and shoved at it.
It moved slowly, inch by inch, stone grinding over stone until he cleared enough space to see the rotting corpse that lay inside.
“At long last,” he murmured. It took him only moments to remove what he needed before he entombed her once more. “Thank you, my dear.” A little grin lifted the corners of his lips before he turned and left.
He carefully made his way out of the catacombs and enclosed himself in his study, locking the door behind him. He couldn’t afford any interruptions. This was too important for some clumsy servant to ruin by walking in at an inopportune moment.
He set the lock of hair he’d taken down on the surface of his desk beside the other components he needed for his spell. His fingers rifled through the book beside him until he found the correct enchantment. Slowly, he ran a finger down the page, checking over the ingredients to be certain he had everything he needed. It was a long and complicated spell, but if it worked the end result would be well worth it.
A smile lifted the corners of his lips. Perfect. He had all that he needed; he was ready.
Once this was completed his daughter would pay for the years of embarrassment she caused. She would come to regret all she had done to him. His eyes fell on the book and he began chanting as he mixed the ancient concoction.
Minutes crept slowly past as he chanted, mixed, waited, and then repeated the process until the entire mixture was complete and he fell silent.
He waited, staring at the empty space in front of him. A curse fell from his lips. He’d failed. Perhaps he’d done something incorrectly. He cursed again. If something had gone wrong, he would have to start all over again.
A bright flash of red light blinded him. It was followed up by a deep concussive tone he felt in his chest. The smile left on his face as he stared at the result of his spell was evil.
A teenage boy stood before his desk. The boy glanced around the room before focusing on him. The boy inclined his head, showing obedience for his new master. “What do you wish of me, Father?”
At long last, his daughter would learn her lesson. She would learn she couldn’t disobey him without consequence. He threw his head back and laughed loudly before answering the lad. Giving him the first of many orders to come.re…
