Basilisk (Dark Ominis Gaunt x OC gothic romance)

Chapter 83: Charcoal

(This chapter turned out way longer than I originally intended! Lol)

~~Veela~~

She really wasn't sure what to make of this letter. It seemed almost like Ariadne had sent it to the wrong person, but it was clearly her little owl who had brought it back to her.

"What do you think, should I write it back in the same way? Maybe she suspects someone is reading the letters." She said softly, smiling as the owl perched on her hair happily. It seemed to like sitting in her hair like that, and as long as it didn't poop on her she didn't mind. She was rather fond of her little owl already, even though he had cost almost all of her savings. It was worth it, though.

She looked at the bottom of the letter and her breath caught. Hope you're doing well. It was short, but the fact that he'd responded made butterflies fill her belly. Ugh she was such a fool for feeling this way, she really shouldn't! Maybe it wasn't butterflies, maybe she was just hungry. She didn't have much money for food now, after all.

She wrote a quick reply, sighing as she sat on her bed cross legged in the inn, trying to think of what to say.

'He is most eager to meet you, so you should expect him within the next day or two. There is no Mrs to speak of, he is a widower of many years past. As for when he may visit, he prefers to get his business done earlier in the day. He is a man of prompt and succinct words.'

She realizes after writing the words that she was betraying her father by writing this. She bit her lip gently, having a strange conflicting feeling within her even though he'd already thrown her out. All her life she'd strived to please him, and yet here she was turning against him so easily... but for what?

She thought of what her father would do if he found Damien and Sebastian, shivering when she thought back to the werewolf she'd watched die. To think she'd thought she was capable of doing that herself... even if she hadn't been stopped by Ominis she didn't really have it in her to kill someone in cold blood like that. It's what made her a terrible auror.

She sighed, looking down at the note in her hands. She was choosing between her father and... and what? They weren't friends in any way. She hadn't even spoken to most of them other than threatening them.

She looked over to the nightstand where the copper key rested, and felt a soft fluttering within her again.

Ah. She was choosing between her father and Sebastian... which was absolutely stupid, because both of them had used her. Yet only one of them seemed to actually care for her.

"What do you think, little guy?" She asked with a weary breath.

The owl only gave a soft hoot in response from within her hair, and she chuckled softly. "I really should give you a name. You're such a good little messenger."

Another hoot sounded, and she smiled as she thought for a moment. Messenger... "how about Hermes?" She said, unable to see him while he was on her head.

Another hoot, and she figured that was as close to approval as she would get. "Hermes it is." She smiled, and looked back down to the note.

'Do not underestimate my good sir's impatience in this matter. He is eager to speak with you, so I will be concise. If he is turned away, he will be most perturbed. I would be cautious if his temper flares.

As for how I'm doing... as well as I can in the circumstances. Thank you for asking.'

She really wasn't sure what else to say. She was such rubbish with sending letters. She'd only ever sent them as correspondence or as part of her job. No one had ever really sent her casual letters at all.