Shadow of a Grave ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter twenty-three ✧ smoke rising over trees

Brothers by Defeater

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"Avada Kedavra."

Nothing of value had ever followed after those words.

Every single time the incantation of the killing curse lingered on someone's lips it had always been death, regret, and sorrow that followed it.

Time always moved differently in the moments the spell was cast as if that was a punishment for the crime of putting the words to life. Sebastian Sallow ran through all his opinions in his head within that moment when he heard the incantation of the killing curse as dread filled the alleyway like thick smoke. 

His mind worked faster than his body and everything blurred around them. The smoke would rise eventually, but time he couldn't wait for that, working blind and praying for the best. 

It had been the first time that Sebastian had found himself on the other side of an unforgivable curse. The deranged darkness behind Mavolo Gaunt's eyes was likely going to haunt him for years to follow. The thought that scared him more was the fear that he had looked like that monster when he had used the spells. 

Did death hide behind his irises and explode into violence like the monster in front of him? 

It had been the only time that he found himself on the receiving end of an unforgivable curse and suddenly things changed. It had been the feeling of pure terror that Ominis had experienced as a child to make him swear off the dark arts. Or was it the wild look of emptiness that Amelia had seen in the Scriptorium? It was that sickening look of madness that had forced Anne to abandon him years ago.  

Suddenly Sebastian prayed that hadn't been the look in his eyes that everyone he loved feared. There might have been a lot of bad things that he had done, but he didn't want to be like the monster in front of him.

Bloodthirsty eyes that turned almost inhuman as the bright green reflected against his iris. The void of emptiness behind them, almost as if it was the devil that had stepped into their skin and cast the spell themselves. A burning hiss cracked through the air like lighting as the smell of burning flesh and smoke blasted through everyone's lungs. 

Being on the receiving side of the curse was completely different. And the monsters were a lot scarier. It was the first time in his life that he felt the cold stillness of fear in his veins. 

Marvolo Gaunt's pale eyes hadn't scared Sebastian because of the darkness behind them. It was because he saw too much of himself in them. 

As the green bolt hurled closer to them, bringing death closer, the more numb everything felt.

The curse had clearly been aimed at him. There was no doubt that Marvolo had wanted him dead. When he cast the spell, he wasn't sure if he had been aware that he was holding Annabel, and there was a chance of the sleeping girl being hit with the curse instead. The blackened walnut wand was in his back pocket and with Bella in his arms, he wouldn't be able to reach it to block the spell in time.

One of them would be hit if he didn't think of something fast.

The safest option was to apparate. All of them at the same time and hope that everyone thought the same. His body was moving faster than his mind as he prepped to jump.

"Is everyone alright?" Amit Thakkar's voice had been the first thing that he remembered hearing as he hit the ground with a hard thump.

The Undercroft was as dusty and dirty as ever, but it wasn't the alleyway with the deadly curse flying at them. The group all landed scattered around the floor as they had originally planned, only under unexpected circumstances this time.