Taming the Serpent

Chapter 21

Students screamed, Sebastian yelled, and Ominis called out, reaching for Silver, panic rising in his chest when he couldn't find her. Claire was shrieking, crying with great, exaggerated sobs. Ominis spun on the spot, his wand sweeping the area, his mind twisting and scattering, his breaths coming short and gasping as his lungs seemed to collapse.

Oh sweet Merlin, no! Not her! Anyone but her!

From somewhere in the depths of his panic, a voice rose up, a steely, cold countenance coming to rest on his face as he turned to Claire, her wailing echoing through the Tower as she clung to Sebastian, trying to comfort her.

"What did you do?" he thundered, and the noise around them softened, as if he'd stuck his head underwater.

"She's not right!" Claire wailed, her voice muffled in Sebastian's chest. "She's all wrong!"

Ominis bared his teeth, his wand arm rising unconsciously, the desire to hurt, to truly hurt rising up in him as it never had before, fury and pain and loss competing within him as he prepared to cast a Crucio his parents would be proud of.

"Ominis."

A soft, musical voice. A gentle hand on his shoulder. Silver's voice. Silver's hand.

Relief as pure and cool as a river washed over him, leaving him weak as he turned, stumbling, reaching for her, unable to speak, his fingers brushing over her cheek, her hair, the back of her head, his fury banished as swiftly as it had risen, pulling her to him.

If the professors hadn't arrived at that very moment, Ominis might have embarrassed himself. As it was, the distraction was enough to make him hesitate, his mind still scattered. He opened his mouth to speak, to tell them all what had just happened, but Claire got there first.

"She tried to curse me!" she sobbed. "She tried to use an Unforgivable!"

"You liar!" Ominis shouted, but his voice was lost under the renewed din that swelled about them, and Silver's presence beside him was pulled away, marched off along with the professors.

"Say something!" he shouted to Sebastian, but his best friend didn't reply, too busy with holding on to Claire as she wailed into his shirt. Ominis clenched his fists, lines of fire rushing up his arms. He spun on his heel and strode away, pushing through the throng of students, already gossiping excitedly. He had to get away before he did something he regretted.

Ominis stormed to the Undercroft, pushing people roughly aside when they didn't move quickly enough, ignoring the excited chatter about him. Once inside, he began to pace up and down, running his hands through his hair and swearing bitterly.

He was torn between worrying for Silver and the trouble she would be in because of Claire's accusation, her lie, and pure black fury at Claire's behaviour. And Sebastian! He'd said nothing to defend her, instead bending at the knees for the sake of his bitch of a girlfriend. Silver had done nothing, nothing but cure Anne, and this was the thanks she got?

He wasn't sure how long he'd been there, working himself into a temper before he heard the gate rise, and a set of familiar footsteps entered. He spun, glaring with all the venom he could muster.

"Ominis, I-" Sebastian began.

"I don't want to hear it," Ominis snapped. "What the hell kind of thanks was that, Sebastian? Silver cured Anne, and you just sat there and let Claire attack her!"

"Mate, that's not-"

"What kind of spell did she try and use? Do you think for a moment it was anything other than lethal? Then she had the gall to say Silver attacked her! She lied, Sebastian, lied about her using an Unforgivable! She could be expelled, and for what?"