Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Thirty: Aurora

"What about it?"

"Abbi, he accused you of using dark magic."

"I have used dark magic, in case you forgot."

"That's my point! How does he know?"

"Search me," I said, feeling the magic stirring inside of me. Angry. Excited. "He was a lot less confident once you showed up. Wouldn't say a specific spell."

"What?"

Staring at the ceiling, lit by the moon, as I had requested of Deek, I tried to calm the raging magic inside of me. He was right, we had to discuss it. He'd just chosen the absolute worst fucking time. "When I pointed my wand at him, he asked if I was going to Crucio him too."

Sebastian's face paled. "But how did he-"

"I don't think he did know. He found it odd I knew so much about Unforgivables before class started, and he took a shot in the dark."

I looked back at him now, hoping to see that I was right. I needed to see in his face that he also thought it was a stab in the dark comment from Black. Instead, I was met with a paler than life face, and Sebastian clutching his hair, eyes full of concern.

"Abbi, I need you to listen to me, alright?"

I nodded, startled by his expression.

"We don't know who or what is making our dreams link. We know very little about those wisps, and now Black comes in here only a week after we went back to the Scriptorium and accuses you of casting Crucio."

I stared at him, watching as he started to pace back and forth, his voice strained as he continued to talk.

"We have to read more into Legilimency. If Black is a Legilimense, it may not have been a shot in the dark."

"You- You actually think he could be doing this?"

I felt empty inside, my mind racing with a thousand different thoughts, a thousand different possibilities. A thousand new fears.

Why would Black want us drawn back together in the first place? He seemed pissed off about it more than anything.

How was Black such a powerful Legilimense if it was him? He'd never shown much in terms of magical capabilities before.

What was the point?

Were Sebastian and I only growing closer again as pawns in someone else's game?

Puppets to be pulled apart at the strings when it was no longer convenient for the end goal?

My heart broke as I thought about him only kissing me the way he had in the cove, in the Scriptorium, and even just now, in here, because of someone else planting those seeds.

"Seb, I- Are we... You don't look to spend time with me because of someone else, right? It's not just the magic?"

The childish question slipped from my lips, fear in my eyes and pain in my heart while I waited for his answer. He looked up from his pacing, studying my features for a long moment before he moved over to me, taking my hand in his freckled one.

His touch was soft and warm, a tender caress of understanding.

"Abbi, I think whatever is going on is because I want to be around you. Not the other way around."

I let out a breath I wasn't aware I had been holding. My heart, while still bruised from the idea, seemed to be beating normally again. I launched myself into his chest, wrapped my arms around his neck and held him tightly in my embrace, my eyes stinging with light tears as he hugged me back, smoothing my hair.