Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Thirty-Four: Midnight Rain

"There you are," his voice called as he walked into the grassy field. I looked over to him, smiled lightly, and nodded to the space next to me. He wasted no time moving over to sit with me, his arm snaking it's way around my waist.

"Here I am," I said, trying to hide the guilt on my face.

I didn't look at him, instead choosing to look back at the small book in my hands. Black leather binding, Sebastian's handwriting filling it to the brim, I had begun studying it once I'd confirmed Aurora was still safe inside her Vivarium.

"It's Slytherin's spellbook, isn't it?" I said, flipping the page.

He chuckled. "I wrote you your own copy. Thought it might come in handy, in case the original gets destroyed again."

I glanced sideways at him, "Ominis didn't-"

"He has no idea. I copied it while gathering books in the Restricted Section."

I stared at the book a moment longer, a thrill at the idea of further studying these dark pages rippling through my body. We'd be closing ourselves in our cove soon to pour over the pages undisturbed.

We sat in silence for a moment, both us watching Aurora soar overhead, the beautiful Phoenix song filling the sunset around us. I allowed myself to sink into his touch, resting my head on his shoulder and closing my eyes. Ever since the trip to the catacomb in Feldcroft, I'd been bursting at the seams. My veins held more magic in them than I ever thought possible, making me ache.

I needed a release, but I was still denied it. Poppy was off speaking to Dorran, while I was shut in here checking on Aurora and all I wanted to do was hunt down these poachers, and kill them all.

The magic that had been screaming in me even louder since our trip to Gladrags this afternoon was extra loud right now. Begging for release.

But, we'd agreed Halloween.

Sebastian, who still glowered at any mention of the plan, was even less enthused by the date. According to him, he was looking forward to taking me to the Halloween feast, something I had declined to go to since fifth year. He was right there; fifth year I hadn't wanted to impose myself on any of my new classmates, none of them really feeling like friends yet. Last year, the only person I had wanted to go to the feast with was the one I was no longer speaking to. Now, I was being offered that chance on a silver platter, and was denying it to hunt down poacher camps.

As if he could sense my frustration, Sebastian moved us in one foul swoop so that rather than sitting next to me, I blinked in surprise to find him on top of me, my head in the lush grass of the Vivarium, staring into his intense brown eyes. The eyes I loved so much I'd do anything to see them happy. His face was so close to mine, and he was smiling, though the shadows of darkness that I had bound us to in that catacomb were still as present as ever.

"I could get used to finding you in here," he said, voice husky. I shivered under him.

"Oh?" I whispered.

"I've been looking for you all day," he murmured, lowering his lips against my skin.

"What for?"

He chucked lowly, "Just to see those beautiful dark green eyes."

A deep blush rose to my cheeks, and he grinned wider at this. My own eyes had darkened too. No longer bright green, the irises were closer to glass jade bottles, not unlike the vase he had given me with my flowers earlier this year.

"And, of course, my favorite color."

"Seb..."

He was so close to me, I could almost taste him and I held my breath yet again. Waiting. Longing.