Aftermath | Sebastian Sallow

2: Chapter 22 (Graphic warning)

Sebastian POV

We find our way out of the cave, taking mark of our location as to find it again. Felix and I place protective spells around it, to keep anyone from entering- and keep the knowledge within.

"I suppose they'll be wondering what happened to us, at Gringotts." Y/n says with a smile on her face, as we finish up the spell.

"I'm not so sure that grumpy old Goblin will really be missing us all that much." I mumble to her, she offers me a chuckle.

"So you think there will be other caves, or places, like this. That could contain more information about the magic and our ancestors?" Felix asks beside me and Y/n falls quiet.

He hadn't said all that much since leaving the cave. I imagine he's rather upset to find that Xaiden was, in fact, the reason for their parents death.

I'm honestly starting to feel myself grow sorry for him.

"Yes, if what I could gather from the text is correct. I'd like to come back to keep researching. There are references to the other locations." I answer him.

"Of course. I wouldn't be opposed to that." Y/n says with a smile, trying to remain optimistic.
"Sounds like we have quite the adventure ahead of us."

Us. Our future, together. I love the sound of that.

I begin to smile at Y/n, when we hear screaming and cries in the distance. Felix and I look at Y/n who, being the heroine that she is, takes off running towards it.

I sigh and begin running after her. The screams come from a small, isolated hut with smoke billowing from the top. It's on fire.

There are two figures surrounding a family of four. A child lay unconscious on the ground, and the mother grabs onto a smaller child. She rocks back and forth, crying. The father fights to defend them all, from the two dark wizards tormenting them.

Y/n immediately starts fighting the three dark wizards. I pull my wand to the ready when I'm caught off guard as Y/n thrusts her magic towards one of them and instantly brings him down. She quickly does the same with the others.

The father of the family falls to the ground with blood pooling around him. Felix crouches over the small boy laying unconscious.

"Please! Help him!" The mother screams at Y/n.

She stands there for a moment, eyes wide and mouth gaping open. She runs over to the injured father, and as I follow I take a glance at the bodies of the dark wizards.

All of the limp, breathless. She had killed them.

Y/n falls on her knees beside the father who cries out in agony. "Oh... uh.." She says frantically, with tears starting to well in her eyes.

She looks at me, trying to hold it in. "I don't have a choice."

"Y/n.." I start to say in question. "Y/n, no!"

Y/n hovers her hands over the man's body, with her wand in one hand and the other palm facing flat.

My heart beats even faster than it did before, skipping over itself, as dark red and black energy starts seeping out of the man's body and into her palm.

She begins wincing but continues. "Felix!" I yell over my shoulder. He looks up from the unconscious boy and over at us, shocked to see what his sister is doing.

As Felix runs over to us, it's too late as she's just now finishing up. The man blinks a few times, then sits up, removing his hand to the once there wound. Only to find that it had completely healed over.

The young child that had been sitting with their mother cries and runs into the father's arms. While doing this, Y/n stands with Felix helping her up using an extended arm.

He grabs both of her arms. "Are you insane!? You know the repercussions, you taught me!" She looks his dead in the face and forcefully shrugs his hands off of her.

While I stand to follow, Y/n stalks over to the the other boy, who the mother is now leaning over. She places her hand on the mother's shoulder and whispers something to her.

The mother nods, with tears in her eyes. Y/n positions herself over the boy and does the same motion as she did before with the injured father.

I stand in disbelief at what she's doing. The girl that was so frightened to utilize the magic this way before, is now doing it without a second thought. Not to mention slaughtering the dark wizards without so much as a flick of her wrist.

"Something is wrong, very wrong." I say to Felix as he stands beside me.

"I thought the necklace was helping her.. it's making her-"

"Power crazy." I finish his sentence and glance over to him. "I know the look of it."

"What do we do?" He asks me, but we both turn our attention towards her again when the mother cries out.

"Oh, thank you! Thank you dear girl!" She says to Y/n and rocks back and forth with her now perfectly awake and healthy child.

The mother and child run to the father and eldest.

"I'll.. be back." Felix says, turning to meet with them.

Y/n walks over to me, wiping the tears from her face with a grin.

"What was that?" I demand at her.

"I had to save them, Sebastian. You know I did." She says casually.

"You used your magic. You took their pain. There are spells, potions we could have tried first." I argue with her. Her brows furrow in anger.

"Those would've taken too long! You know they would've died before then, at least their father would have. Do not argue with me about this. I did the right thing, and you know it!"

I stand in silence as I contemplate her words. How could I honestly argue with her when she did save their lives?

"I offered them a fortune to repair their home, or relocate. They accepted graciously.." Felix looks between the stare off of Y/n and I.

I turn my head away to look at the family, who now holds each other close.

"You're alright?" I turn my head and snap back to attention again, as Felix examines Y/n and looks her in the eyes. "You're okay?"

She smiles up at him and nods her head. "Yeah, I'm fine." She grins and looks at me one last time. "Really, I am."

Y/n turns to start walking away from the family, back to the direction in which we were heading before.

"Bloody hell.." I mutter under my breath.

"I know." Felix says in response, as we both walk side by side and follow Y/n along the path.