Chapter 20. Ambush
Rio De Janeiro, Abandon Wearhouse
Severa crouched behind the stack of crates, her eyes fixed on Dom as he grabbed a wrench, his grip tightening around it, clearly ready to use it in the fight.
She wasn’t exactly well-versed in Muggle laws, but she knew enough to understand that fighting a cop was a terrible idea. And using a wrench? That would make things even worse. The thought of Dom being taken from her again, of having to endure the emptiness she had felt for years after he left, hit her like a punch to the stomach.
No. She wouldn’t let him throw everything away like this.
Desperately, she waved her hand, hoping to catch Dom's attention through the haze of his fury. But he didn’t seem to notice. Every movement was fueled by rage, and she couldn’t risk stepping out into the open. If she did, she’d be beside Mia and Brian, and there would be no way to stop Dom.
Severa, aren’t you a witch?
The thought struck her like a lightning bolt. She was a witch, so why the hell was she waving around like a helpless Muggle?
Without wasting another second, she slid closer to the edge of the crates, careful not to draw attention. She needed to get close enough to Dom, just enough to make eye contact. As soon as she had the angle, she muttered the incantation under her breath.
"Legilimens."
The world around her seemed to fade as she entered his mind. His thoughts were a storm—rage, confusion, adrenaline—but Severa didn’t hesitate. She pushed past the haze, reaching for his core, trying to break through the chaos clouding his judgment. Time was running out, and she needed to get through to him before it was too late.
She was so close to breaking through when she heard it—a whisper, barely audible.
"Severa?"
She froze, her heart skipping a beat as she scanned the area, but there was no one in sight. Her eyes then locked onto something that stopped her cold: a hazy memory of Dom. He was barely nine, holding a smaller version of her hand, his young face full of innocence and wonder.
Her breath caught in her throat as she watched him carefully pluck leaves from her hair, a soft, unspoken tenderness in his actions. The memory hit her like a wave, so vivid, so real. She remembered it—the moment she had first realized she had a crush on him. But seeing it from his point of view, hearing his quiet thoughts from so long ago—it was something else entirely.
She's so pretty.
Severa’s eyes widened, and her chest tightened at the sound of his young voice in her mind. The realization of what she was hearing nearly made her gasp, but she forced herself to stay silent, overwhelmed by the rush of emotions flooding in. Little Dom had thought that about her, back then, without even realizing the depth of what it meant.
She almost cried out, the rush of warmth and tenderness threatening to pull her under. But she fought it, forcing herself to stay focused. She couldn’t afford to lose control now—not when Dom needed her.
Then another memory flooded her mind, more recent than the first. She saw Dom, leaning over the hood of his car, his hands guiding hers as he showed her how to fix something. But neither of them were paying attention to the car. They were too caught up in each other—laughing, exchanging looks that said more than words ever could.
Gods, I miss her smile.
The thought hit her like a punch to the gut, a stark reminder of just how deeply Dom cared for her, how much he had missed. It threatened to unravel her completely, but she couldn’t afford to lose herself now. Not when he was in danger. She needed to break through the fury clouding his mind, to reach him before it was too late.
But the closer she got to the core of his mind, the more memories surfaced, each one pulling her deeper into the past. The weight of them was suffocating, each image of Dom tugging at her heartstrings, making her throat tighten and tears prick her eyes. No matter how hard she tried to hold it together, she couldn’t stop the sobs that escaped.
Her grip on his mind was slipping. The seconds were ticking away faster than she could keep up with, the urgency pressing down on her like a vice.
"Oh, Dom," she whispered, her voice cracking. She squatted down, coming face to face with a teenage version of him, so lost in a car magazine that he didn’t even notice her.
"Please... break out of this..." she pleaded, her hand reaching up to touch his cheek, but it passed right through him. He was only a memory, a ghost of the past—not the real thing. And it was the real Dom she needed.
Then, just as she was about to lose all hope, she felt the fog in his mind begin to lift. But before she could seize it, her grip was violently torn away. She was yanked back, tumbling out of the connection, and reality hit her like a cold wave.
Groaning, Severa slowly opened her eyes, only to find herself face-to-face with one of Hobbs' men. He grabbed her roughly, dragging her toward the center of the warehouse, like she was little more than a sack of potatoes.
"Severa!" Mia cried out as the man tossed her carelessly toward them, and Severa winced at the harsh treatment. She barely had time to recover before Mia pulled her into a tight hug. Despite the comfort, Severa’s eyes remained fixed on the men surrounding them, each one armed and ready for a fight.
Before she could process anything further, Hobbs appeared, leading Dom toward them. Their eyes locked, and Severa could see the questions in his gaze. Was that you in my mind?
She opened her mouth, but before she could say a word, Dom was shoved toward a military-grade van, and the group was suddenly yanked into the back of it. She couldn't help but wince slightly as her hand snagged on and exposed piece of metal, cutting her.
"Oi! Be careful with her!" Brian’s voice came from behind them, sharp with anger as one of the men shoved Mia a little too hard. Severa’s attention, however, shifted between Dom, who was now sitting next to her in the van, and Hobbs, who took a seat across from Dom.
The engine of the van roared to life, and Severa’s heart raced. She glanced at Dom again, silently pleading for some kind of understanding. What had just happened? What was Hobbs planning? And most pressing of all—did Dom know?
The ride was bumpy, the silence in the van suffocating. No one spoke a word, and the quiet only made Severa’s mind run wild. Doubts swirled in her head, consuming her. What if Dom hates me? What if he finds it creepy and gets mad at me for invading his thoughts?
Her thoughts were spiraling out of control, close to overheating when suddenly, she felt a hand grip her own.
She looked down, startled, and saw Dom’s scraped, bloody hand wrapped around hers. His fingers tightened gently around hers, and her breath caught. Her eyes flicked up to his face, searching for any sign of what he was thinking. But all she saw were his dark eyes—black, unreadable, distant.
His hand squeezed hers again, a quiet reassurance, but it only made her heart race faster. What was he thinking? She couldn’t help but wonder if he was feeling the same pull she was, the desperate need to simply find peace after all of this. She found herself imagining how lovely it would be to rest her head against his broad shoulder once everything was over.
Just as the thought settled in her mind, a sharp, crackling sound sliced through the tension in the van. Hobbs grabbed the walkie-talkie beside him, his voice low and commanding as he spoke into it, breaking the oppressive silence.
"Yeah, we're comin' in now," he muttered, glancing out the window. "Have the marshals meet us at the airport when we land."
Severa's heart lurched as she processed his words. Airport? She couldn’t leave! The girls were still at the beach house, and she knew they wouldn’t leave without her. What about her life back at Hogwarts? All her books, her potions, everything she had worked for…
Her thoughts spiraled, panic rising when suddenly, two things snapped her back to the present.
First, Dom’s hand squeezed hers, his worried eyes locking with hers, filled with unspoken concern and understanding.
And second, Hobbs' voice rang out, sharp and panicked. "Ambush!"
The truck in front of them, leading their convoy, erupted in a massive explosion, the blast rocking the van and sending Severa’s heart into overdrive.
"What the hell?!"