Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter FIFTY SEVEN - Ovals and Nightmares

And he did

kiss me

hard.

His fingers flexed and squeezed against my waist, pressing me further into the stone, pressing himself further in to me.

I had never felt the light of the moon so bright against my skin, but something about the way he was kissing me prickled my bones, caressed my ribs, and I felt every movement of his lips against mine with a thousand times more sensitivity.

Sebastian hummed against my lips and the vibration shot through my heart. I parted my lips, allowing his tongue to pull gently in to my mouth, deepening the kiss.

I brought both of my hands up to his chest and pulled gently at the collar of his shirt, wringing the fabric through my fingers, needing the scratch of the cotton to ground my soul to my body. The heat in my heart pulsed through my veins to my fingertips and I needed to touch my skin to his. A familiar tingling winding like vines through my body.

Dipping my fingers gently beneath his collar, Sebastian shuttered and breathed against my lips.

"Merlin Barlowe, you're... hot."

I snorted into the kiss.

"No- no, I mean- ah- physically... ow!" He jumped back gently, hand pulling up to his chest and pressing it against where my fingers had been.

I glanced down to my hands and nearly missed the familiar white light of ancient magic as it danced over my fingertips.

holy shit

Memories, 

nightmares, 

visions.

I was immediately plummeted back in time,

blood

white light against my fingers.

"Barlowe...? Atley..."

Sebastian was squeezing my shoulders. I flinched at his touch and he startled, eyes searching my face for a consciousness that wasn't mine.

"It's ok! Atley? Hey, I'm ok." He tipped his finger under my chin and tilted my face to him. "Hey. Where are you?" 

His hair mussed from my fingers, shirt wrinkled around the neck, lips gently upturned but his eyes shattered the illusion- confusion, concern, pain just behind them.

My mind was back in my body and my eyes slid down to his chest. I pulled the white fabric away slightly and ground my teeth.

His freckled skin now wore two deep red ovals where my fingertips had been.

Sebastian turned my face back to him, grinning now, completely ignoring all rational thoughts. "Was that... ancient magic?"

I nodded, unable to force the words.

His grin grew. "That's pretty cool."

A flicker of anger slashed my tongue but I bit it back. He didn't know.

"It's dangerous."

"You didn't do it on purpose." He tucked a wild hair behind my ear under the hat.

"Exactly." My eyes searched his, pleading for him to understand. "I couldn't control that. I hurt you..." He wound his fingers through mine and squeezed gently, letting me speak, listening. "It's happened before- I... I- that's why I didn't want to-" I was tripping over sentences until no words would come out.

He tilted his nose close and lowered his voice. "You just need some more practice. You're a brilliant witch Atley. Merlin knows you're already one of the best at this damn school and you just started. Fuck, you just used magic without a spell, without a wand..." He ran his thumb over my hand, smiling gently. "And you've got me. I'll help in any way I can. You just need to trust yourself. I WILL help you. Ok?"

I loosened my jaw slightly but fear still pounded around the cage of my ribs.

"Atley?"

I don't know.

I don't want to hurt you.

I can't hurt you.

I can't hurt anyone else.

He sighed dramatically. "You leave me no choice Barlowe." He raised his hand in front of my nose and tapped his pinky to it gently. "Pinky up darling."

My heart cracked a split down the wall my mind had been building.

I raised a shaky pinky to his and he snatched it up quickly.

"Good girl. Now, let's get you back to the castle before you burn a hole in my shirt."

I gaped.

"What?" He laughed. "Too soon?"

Now that the heat of the kiss had fully vacated my body, I shivered against the air and Sebastian had to tuck his arm around my shoulder the entire walk back.

Not that I was complaining.

As we reached the portrait hallway to the Gryffindor common room, I lifted my hand to tug his hat from my head but he slapped his palm against mine.

"Nuh uh. You keep it, I can't have you catching a cold. Plus, Ominis called it terrible so I can't be seen in it again."

I smiled, feeling my cheeks lift and heat gently at the thought of keeping his clothes, eyes darting up to his again.

He leaned in close to whisper in my ear.

"You're looking at me like that again." He pressed a breathy kiss to my cheek. "I better leave before I go insane." He pulled back with a wink.

I caught the edge of his clothing and pulled him back to me, careful not to touch my skin to his neck.

"Don't stay away too long... I'll go insane."

He smiled into my lips and kissed me gently.

"Never."

----

I crawled back into my room and fell face first into my mattress, heart pounding and skin tingling from the shock of emotions tonight.

"Long night?" Marlene whispered from her bed.

I dug my elbows into the blanket and lifted my head up onto my hands.

"You have no idea."

"I think I have some idea." She grinned. "He kissed you didn't he?"

My smile betrayed my face even in the dark of the room. "How does everyone seem to know today?"

"Atley, you sweet soul." She giggled quietly. "It's obvious my dear. That boy has been swooning after you ever since you knocked him on his ass in class. And you've actually been sleeping through the night when you do stay in here." She crossed her arms. "Just- be careful."

I covered my ears and laughed to my bedspread. "It's not like that."

"Would you two please shut it." The girl I believed was Florence rolled over and pulled her blanket over her head.

Marlene smushed her lips together and held in a grin, stifled a laugh and I did the same.

"But... congrats Atley..." Her words muffled below her quilt. "Glad somebody finally got to kiss that Sallow boy."

Marlene winked at me and tucked herself back into her pillow.

I changed quickly in the other room and pulled my aching bones beneath the sheets, shivering at the cold shock.

My mind wandered and I was sure I wouldn't get a wink, but memories of Sebastian's hands on my waist, his lips on mine and the stars overhead lulled me to sleep.

I dreamt of bloody fingers and bodies.