Stepping forward, Sebastian tapped Anne's arm and reached deep into his book bag, pulling out a small round object that resembled a little onion. Anne's eyes widened as she looked at it.
"Is that what I think it is?"
The man Sebastian had shushed upon entering stepped quickly forward and snatched it from his hand, holding it high behind him. "We've been over this boy."
"Hey!" Sebastian swung his head from his sister and raised his chin to the man.
"Shrivelfigs cannot reverse a curse." He looked down at Anne who had tipped her head in defeat and was avoiding eye contact. "Nothing can."
I felt the muscle in my jaw twitch.
Ominis had also tilted his head low but Sebastian turned his body squarely to the man, brows creased and hands clenched at his sides.
"The sooner you accept that reality..." The bearded man took his wand from his pocket, twisted it around the shrivelfig and in a moment it exploded into a powder, pieces drifting up into the air. Sebastian reached for it but it was too late. "...the better."
The man turned to the shadows and began to walk back behind a red tasseled curtain when Sebastian took a step forward, slight shake in his voice. Anne reached a hand out for his arm but he was too far away.
"But we haven't tried everything."
Whipping around and taking two large steps back to Sebastian, the man towered over him - eyes angry, chest heaving, voice too loud. I startled at the sudden audio shift and Ominis slid his hand around my bicep to steady me.
"THERE IS. NO. CURE!"
Sebastian tilted his head even higher and rolled his shoulders back, a slight tremor in his left hand but he held it firm.
"When will you accept that?"
It was Sebastian's turn to take another step toward the man, voice barely a whisper but incredibly dominant. "Never." He paused, swallowed, continued even softer. "I can never accept it."
Anne clutched her stomach then, pain shooting across her cheeks, her nose, her eyes and she buckled forward. Instinctually I darted out of Ominis' grasp and caught her weight in my arms. Her ached screams sent shivers through me and she tucked her head against my chest as she heaved in anguish.
Sebastian was at my side in a moment, all wisps of anger completely gone and fear tightening around his neck.
"Anne-?"
Her fingers fisted my sleeves, calling out in pain again and again.
My heart shattered.
Sebastian reached his hands out but hesitated to touch her. His eyes caught mine and the boy from the Defense Against the Dark Arts class was staring back at me. Helpless, hopeless.
The man I now had to assume was their uncle shoved past Sebastian. "Now look what you've done." He growled, I tightened my grasp around Anne, the man now staring daggers into my face.
"Anne- I'm so sorry. Anne I didn't mean to-" Ominis had his hands around Sebastian's arms and was pulling him back towards the door, jaw clenched, muscles twitching.
Their uncle swiftly pulled Anne from my arms and I stumbled back at the force. Anne's face still contorted in pain, her whole arm now shaking at the loss of contact. The man glared at the three of us, one after the other. "Get out."
Sebastian looked as if he might scream, might fight, might cry... but with one last look at Anne as the man lowered her gently into the chair at the little table, he tugged himself from Ominis' grasp and slammed out the door.
Ominis opened his lips desperately and reached out in front of him, his wand had been dropped to the floor in the chaos of the moment. Retrieving it for him, I tucked it into my robe and wrapped my hands around his arm, leading us through the door after Sebastian with a quick glance over my shoulder.
----
It had been nearly half an hour since the incident in the Sallow home and my blood was still heated in my veins against my skin. Ominis and I hadn't been able to find Sebastian anywhere so we had reluctantly walked back to the cottage and tucked ourselves under the tree just out front.
"He will be back darling. He won't leave her- won't leave you- alone." Ominis was tapping my hand gently and I placed my other over his.
"I know." Was all I could manage.
The breeze rustled the leaves overhead, the quieted shhhh of them lulling my mind. The sun was now high in the sky nearly directly overhead but it was anything but warm. Even with the heat of my skin, I shivered against the breeze. Ominis leaned his shoulder into mine and we sat like that, heads leaning back against the tree trunk and faces to the sky. The memory of our first meeting outside the castle, our silence in the night, wrapped its hand in mine.
"There you two are." A gruff voice startled us from the direction of the house. I was on my feet in an instant, stepping in front of Ominis before realizing I had even done it.
The man from inside took another step closer and paused at the edge of the grass, a few paces away but close enough for the hair on the back of my neck to bristle. I noticed the grey tinseling in his beard and eyebrows for the first time.
"Ominis." He nodded at the boy over my shoulder before his eyes flicked over to mine. A grey undecided stare. "You must be Sebastian's friend." He raised a tentative, calloused hand to me and I waited for just a moment, letting the silence stew before reluctantly reaching forward and shaking his hand firmly.
"The name is Solomon Sallow."
"Barlowe. Atley Barlowe." I'm not sure why saying my last name first comforted me, made me feel stronger than I was. Perhaps it was from hearing Sebastian use it so many times over.
He nodded in thought before dropping his arm. "I apologies on behalf of my nephew. He doesn't know when to stop."
I only stared at him, unmoving, waiting for an apology for his own actions. But none came.
"He thinks he can help Anne, but- nothing can be done for her. We've tried everything from Nurse Blainey to St. Mungo's." He sighed. "To no avail. My nephew seems to think he knows better than the healers."
I tilted my chin up as I had watched Sebastian do inside. "Perhaps the healers don't know everything sir." I was letting my instincts guide me- I trusted them here. There was something wrong, something that didn't sit right with me about Solomon Sallow. I felt Ominis stand behind me and the heat of his body spurred me on. "Sebastian is single-mindedly focused on finding a way to help his sister. If there is a cure-" I paused, catching sight of Sebastian a few paces away having just walked back up to the house but stopping to listen. I continued with my eyes locked onto his. "-he will find it."
"Your faith in Sebastian is misplaced." Solomon's lip was curled. "Some sort of Dark Magic cursed Anne- and the goblins aren't likely to explain themselves any time soon." Solomon seemed to feel the eyes on his back and turned his head to notice Sebastian standing behind him. He spoke freely, turning his head to me but directing his voice louder. "Giving her hope is cruel. The only thing to do now is keep Anne here. And stay out of the Loyalists' way."
I kept my tone as professional as I could muster. "With all due respect, sir, hope could very well keep Anne's spirits up."
Solomon scoffed. "You may mean well, but I know what's best for Anne- and Sebastian. They are my stubborn brother's children... especially Sebastian. If you really want to be of help, you'll make sure Sebastian does what he should do." His eyes seemed to defocus. "Not what he wants to do. He has no idea the harm he could do if he doesn't stop. Now," He rolled his shoulders. "I need to take care of a few things. You three keep an eye on Anne. I want you all headed back to that school when I return later this evening."
And with that he was gone, not even looking at Sebastian as he passed.
"I'm sorry-" Sebastian started towards us but Ominis interrupted.
"Come on. Let's go inside." He placed his hand on my shoulder and motioned for Sebastian to join us.
"Let's enjoy our time with Anne."

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Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow
FanfictionSebastian Sallow is a tortured soul with the world on his shoulders whose only mission is to save his sister Anne - at any cost. Atley Barlowe is a budding new witch who also carries the world on her shoulders as she travels the road less traveled t...