Serpent's Embrace | A Sebastian Sallow Story

Chapter Five: Moonlit Rendezvous

It was cold as Madeline trudged her way across the field that separated her house from the Sallow's, her breath escaping her lips in a visible fog as she wrapped her cloak around herself tightly, clutching a new wand tightly in her hand, along with a book on curses. She didn't know if anything in it would be useful, but she felt now was as good a time as any to extend another hand out to Sebastian Sallow through his sister.

Her boots crunched along the dew covered grass and gravel, the moon high in the sky and stars glittering down at her as she approached the thicket of grass she and Anne always hid in. She was doubtful that this would be any different of a night.

She'd been right.

Anne sat under the large tree in front of her uncle's house, a small patch of candle light glowing out at her through a window in the shack. Madeline paused briefly as she took in the sight of her best friend, who suddenly seemed so much more delicate to her.

Anne's brown hair was flowing freely over her shoulders, down her back, her bangs seeming too long and swallowing her face. Her already pale skin was almost glowing in the moonlight, and despite the swath of blankets draped around her shoulders, she seemed to be fighting the urge to shiver, her face pinched slightly in pain as she leaned back against the tree with her eyes closed.

Madeline cleared her throat as she approached, though she knew the sound of her boots kicking at gravel would have alerted Anne ages ago.

Anne Sallow opened her eyes, and grinned widely at her best friend, opening the blanket wrapped around her shoulders to invite Madeline into their warmth. She smiled as she sunk into her best friends side.

For a moment that was laced with comfortable silence, they sat together. Anne's head on Madeline's shoulder, her soft brown hair tickling Madeline's face as the wind rustled and soft clouds blew across the sky. Any other night, it would have been peaceful. A calm quiet that both girls sought so desperately from one another.

But tonight, the silence turned heavy fast. Madeline was burning inside to discuss the spells she cast, and the way she was frustrated at still not having her own wand, and wondering what house she would be in come September the first. Add in the strange discovery Fig had sworn her to secrecy on... All laced through those burning thoughts, however, was a raging guilt at wanting to discuss anything as trivial as school when last Madeline had seen her, Anne had been carried into the healers by her brother, pain torn across her face.

She couldn't talk about herself.

So she didn't.

"What did they say?" Madeline asked finally, pulling away from Anne and glancing at the cup of half-drunk tea beside her friends leg. Instantly she found herself wondering if it had any potion in it designed to help her pain.

Anne sighed heavily, glancing towards the glowing window. She followed her friends gaze, staring at the candle in the window. It was a system she and Sebastian had agreed to once Anne and Madeline got close and would spend evenings huddled in the garden.

Sebastian would light a candle in the window of his corner of the house, and use it as a light to read, and if Solomon seemed likely to wake from his drunken stupor, Sebastian would blow the candle out to warn Anne to come back inside and for Madeline to hide until the candle was lit again and it was safe to run home.

"I thought Sebastian and Solomon might be able to put aside their distain for eachother for a day at the very least."

Madeline's brows scrunched inward. "They haven't been able to for your entire lives, Anne. Why would they start now?"