In The Shadow Of His Love (Reader vs Sebastian Sallow)

Chapter 18 - Scriptorium, part II

Trapped in a small room with only one way out, Riley starts to feel a bit anxious. She knows what needs to be done. And it is up to her and Sebastian. She is not dragging Ominis into it. Sadly, Sebastian has a different view on the subject.

"Tortured faces on the door and Crucio's etched into the stone. My guess is if we cast the Cruciatus curse the door will open. That's why Noctua died. She had no one to cast the curse on. Ominis has the most experience with this. He should cast it. You seem to be in Ominis' favour, will you ask him about this?" Sebastian suggests and Riley closes her eyes. She does not want him to do it. She does not want Ominis to have anything to do with the Cruciatus curse.

Walking towards Ominis, her mind is made up. She will ask him to teach it to either her or Sebastian. He is not getting involved in this.

"I overheard you and Sebastian and I won't do it. The Cruciatus curse is pure torture. I would know" Ominis says before she can even approach him, and Riley nods in understanding.

"I don't want you to. Can you teach it to us?" Riley looks at him, standing in the corner, all anxious. She feels really bad for dragging him into this. But she will not be trapped here and die. She rather gets tortured to get them out of there.

"The Unforgivable Curses won't work unless you really mean them. Sebastian will need to sort out another solution" Ominis says and Riley takes a deep breath. This is not how she imagined today's day. "If you cast Crucio you will regret it forever" He adds as she is leaving. To have regrets, or to die, that is the question. And she knows the answer to it.

Walking back to Sebastian, she just shakes her head, and he sighs. He could not have been expecting Ominis to agree.

"Ridiculous! As if dying in here is a better option than casting a damn spell" Sebastian says loudly, frustration in his voice.

"He will not do it," Riley says in a defeated voice. She's never seen Sebastian this frustrated, and she understands. Both of them. Ominis does not want to have anything with it, but surely dying is worse than whatever the pain would be!

"It's up to us. I can teach you Crucio, or I can cast it on you" Sebastian's voice shakes a bit and Riley gasps.

"Wait, you didn't say you knew how to cast Crucio!" She looks at him, annoyed. Why did he ask her to talk to Ominis then? Was he hoping Ominis will cast it on him? Riley is no seer, but she could have easily predicted that outcome.

"Because I'm not sure I do. Ominis knows that yet he's left us no choice," Sebastian quickly adds and Riley sighs, closing her eyes again. Going through all the options, there is nothing else. No logical way out of the situation. They cast it, or they die. Simple as that.

"Then you better figure it out, because I'm not dying here. I'm ready" Riley says and looks at Sebastian with an intense gaze. She does not break eye contact, ensuring the message is clear, as she is confident about it. She can take it.

"No. Absolutely not. I can teach you and you cast it on me" Sebastian says, his voice even shakier. But Riley's made up her mind.

"Do you want to die here?" She asks resolutely and stands in front of him, closing her eyes. "Get it over with. And you better figure out how to top the last date. You will need something beyond magical to make up for this mess" She adds with a bit more light in her voice and grins.

There is a long period of silence and Riley is just standing there, with her eyes closed. The tension is killing her. Just do it already and get it over with. If he did cast it straight away, it would all be done and dusted by now.

"I'm so sorry" She can hear his voice close to her and can feel his lips touch hers for a brief kiss. "Crucio!" Sebastian says loudly and the most horrific pain spreads through Riley's body.