Shadow of the Heir

For you, I Would Fall from Grace Just to Touch Your Face

"It's a ridiculous idea! You two are going to get yourselves killed." Ominis's voice was too loud in the small tent. He stirred his tea while the red light of his wand cast a glow over the wood of the dining table.

Anne cleared her throat. "We weren't much help last time, Ominis."

"You're practically a liability in the snow. I'd rather not bury a friend." Sebastian leaned back in his chair, sipping the coffee in his hand.

Embarrassment clawed at her throat as his gaze settled on her after throwing Ominis an annoyed look. Briefly, she debated on taking the floo back to Hogwarts and forgetting the entire mission. It sure sounded like the easier route being forced to look Sebastian in the eye again.

"Anne will stay with you."

"I hardly believe this calls for you two to go on some secret reconnaissance mission together." Ominis stirred his tea. The red light of his wand cast a glow over the wood of the dining table. "At least take Anne with you. I'll be fine alone."

"It seems risky to leave you here all by yourself." Anne shot back, brows lowered into that infamous Sallow glare.

Ella almost chuckled, but she busied herself with looking straight into her coffee. Anger still clung to Sebastian like a cloud—she could still feel it in short bursts—but it had subsided after what she assumed was a restful sleep. She'd been very fortunate to fall into a deep, dreamless slumber.

Ominis sighed in annoyance. "You're sure its not a trap?" He addressed Ella. She could hear the insinuation in his tone. "I won't have my friends marching into certain death without me."

"If it was a trap, she would have revealed it much easier." Sebastian snorted. She felt his glare bearing into her head as she stared into her lap.

Perhaps she'd gone too far with the Ashwinder.

It had taken some work, but she'd finally revealed the location of a nearby camp. It was a base of operations, of sorts, that the so-called 'Death's Hands' used as an overnight stop between the base of the mountain and the mountain's peak. The woman had warned it was full of the Death's Hand members, and that they'll be killed nearly instantly. Sebastian had laughed at her, but Ella believed her.

"I think I should go alone." Ella started. The wheels were still turning on her plan, but she couldn't keep her mouth closed any longer.

Sebastian furrowed his brow and sat his mug on the table. His wristwatch made a metallic clang against the wood as he tapped his fingers on the tabletop. Watches were a traditional seventeenth-birthday present in the wizarding world, but Ella couldn't help but silently seethe over who might have gotten it for him. Probably Imelda. "And get yourself killed with a panic attack, Malfoy? Hardly even an option."

"I didn't have a panic attack last night."

"Wonderful. Do that for a couple of years and I'll consider it."

"You're hardly in the position to be making the decisions here, Sallow."

"Really? Who would you have make the decisions then, Malfoy?"

Ominis and Anne seemed to lean away from the table as if the words between Sebastian and Ella would have sliced them open. Anne had her brows raised and a silent laugh on her lips. Ominis still looked grim.

Ella wanted to smack the smirk off Sebastian's face. "Me. I have the only actual, real-world experience with this type of thing. You're just used to breaking the rules."

He glanced at his watch. "Well, if you're so worried about the rules then better go catch your Potions class."

"I'm not worried about them. You're just not used to planning all of this out."