Invisible String - Sebastian Sallow

Chapter Fifty-One: Unbreakable

Sebastian's POV

It had to have been a dream.

A nightmare.

An image planted by someone, like we'd been experiencing all year.

There was no way it was possible for Abbi to have done what she did. It was impossible to think of. She was a smart witch, a powerful witch, who knew better than to let anyone mess with her.

She always looked them in the eye and told them to fuck off, usually killing them in the process.

But I knew it wasn't a dream. And the proof was in front of me right now, breaking my heart, stabbing me in the gut and twisting the knife.

She was here, in front of me, her face, staring at me with her beautiful green eyes, her expression full of tormented concern and grief. Guilt laced through her iris's, tears welling in them.

She was standing on the other side of the bars, donned in all black clothing, armor and robes of hers that I had only seen shoved into a drawer once. Dark and beautiful on her normally but now entirely wrong for her frame.

What I couldn't stop glaring at was the hand gripped on her shoulder.

Thorfinn Gaunt had brought her to me, and held onto her shoulder like he owned her. He was the one who controlled this, controlled her, and he was making a point of showing me just that. My stomach twisted at the thought, wanting to throw up the disgusting food I'd been given.

She wasn't his. She was mine, and I was hers. Thorfinn Gaunt had no claim over her, despite what he might think.

She took a step forward, her hand closing on the bars of my cell, and I could feel the pull of our combined magic respond to her closeness. I felt my feet rush forward, moving towards her as she moved to me, my cold and clammy hands closing around hers.

"What did you do?" I asked, my voice breaking as I looked into her fierce green eyes. "I'm not worth this."

"I'm getting you out," she said softly, her eyes wide as she willed me to understand her.

I didn't understand her. I could feel the infernal scar of the Unbreakable Vow on her hand, wrapped around her, waiting to crush the life out of her the second she failed to complete the deal. I thought I had hated the scar on her neck and would never be able to hate anything more.

I was wrong.

I had to close my eyes and fight back the frustration. I couldn't talk to her plainly with him standing just over her shoulder. He hadn't even told her all of his plans and she'd signed her life over to him. He would never be satisfied, and she would never be free.

Dark Magic has its price.

Ominis had warned us over and over again, begged us to see that.

I had never listened to him, not really. Insisted that it would be worth it in the end, the good I could do with the spells, with the power in our hands.

Those spells had cost me Abbi.

It was never worth it.

"Abbi," I sighed. "You should have left me here."

Thorfinn stepped forward at this and yanked the cell door open, his face full of impatience as he watched our reunion.

"If she doesn't keep her end of the bargain, you'll be back here."

I glared at him. Abbi stroked her thumb across the back of my hand, pulling my attention back to her. "Let's go, please, Seb."

She slipped her small hand in mine, and squeezed it tightly. I held it tightly and followed her, glaring at Thorfinn as his serpent Patronus guided us through the halls, the rattling breath of the dementors echoing behind me as we went.