Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Fourty-One: Power Couple

Eyes burning, I led Sebastian quickly into the Repository. Still covered in dust and decaying drills, I marched with purpose, my wand clutched in my hand tightly, my ears ringing.

I should be dead.

I was supposed to be dead.

It seemed, despite everyone's best efforts, I refused to be dead. Too many people had tried, and none had succeeded.

"Abbi."

"No."

"Abbi," Sebastian said again, his voice tight. I glanced back at him.

My magic was wrapping up his arm, but unlike before, the glowing red tendrils weren't ghosting over him. I could see indentations where my magic was cutting into his skin, his new robes burnt in spots, the heat of my anger flaring hot enough to cut and burn through the magic. I released him quickly, my eyes wide as I watched a few small droplets of blood pop onto his arms and robes as the magic retreated.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, my hands shaking.

He took my hand again, "I wasn't complaining."

"I hurt you," I said, still unable to move my gaze from his cut arm.

"You could never hurt me."

This made me look him in his brown eyes. Still with a faintest green glow, the brown pools were darker than ever, his expression searching.

"Everyone used me." I said, giving him what he was looking for.

"I know."

"They wanted me dead."

"And they'll suffer for it."

"They're paintings, Sebastian. We can't cause them pain."

He tilted his head to the side, smirk forming as he did. "We can Imperius them, you don't think Crucio wouldn't cause them some form of pain? Or simply burning them?"

I laughed, "I suppose you're right. But first..."

I looked back up the chamber, towards our destination. We walked on, Sebastian following in silence as we went deeper and deeper into the chamber. I didn't pause as the large Guardian that guarded the door faced us and bowed. I didn't pause where I had last time in Isadora's chamber, where Professor Fig had been torn from my sight.

I kept walking, Sebastian's thumb tracing shapes over the back of my hand, like he was trying to calm me.

I was already calm.

Isadora's magic, which had once felt so foreign to me, stirred lightly in my chest, and I realized why I hadn't felt it.

Her magic used to be darker than mine. Her anger, her icy coldness, the pain she'd stolen, it used to be heavier than my own. But now, as I breathed in deeply, it felt like my own.

I looked back at Sebastian, who's eyes were transfixed on the container of magic floating above us, glowing red. I withdrew my wand, following the lead my magic was screaming at me to do.

Wands out. Bind hands. Face each-other.

"Follow my lead," I said to Sebastian, who nodded numbly before shaking himself free of the trance, his gaze ripping away from the Repository and to me. He pulled out his own wand, and smiling crookedly, held his arm out to mine. I counted the freckles on his face.

I clasped his arm with my hand, so that our wrists were lined up, like I'd read about for Unbreakable Vows, and he gripped back tightly. The magic screamed louder in my ears, it's violent tendrils tightening on me.