Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter SEVENTY THREE - Possible Truths

"Was that magic?" Anne's eyes widened, still clutching her chest but a bit of life had flushed back to her cheeks.

"No." I immediately regretted how quickly I had answered, squeezing my eyes shut as the light and sparks faded around my fingertips.

"Yes it was!" She sat forward, excitement sparking her nose red. Her smile showed no hints of the wave of pain just moments before. "That was wandless, nonverbal magic Atley." Her head whipped to Sebastian. "Your girlfriend is an incredible witch!"

Sebastian flipped his head back and forth between us, fumbling between words of denial of my magic and confirmation of my "incredibility".

"She uhm- bloody brilliant she is but no- that uhm- she-"

Syllables and consonants fought for control of my tongue, my brain flicking over possible lies, possible truths, possible admissions.

"It's ancient magic."

"What?"

"What."

Sebastian and Anne spoke simultaneously. A smile creeping up her face and his eyes growing wider than I'd ever seen them.

"You have to promise." I stepped closer, glancing down at my hands for any traces before grasping her gloves and lowering my voice. "You have to promise, not to tell a soul."

She grinned, biting her lip.

"I swear."

So I told her. The trials, the keepers, the flares - Sebastian was all too excited to help explain, jittery with excitement.

"It's amazing Anne. The light, the HEAT... See look, look here." He pulled the neckline of his shirt down, showing off the marks like badges or medals. "It happened- uh... it happened- never mind. Doesn't matter. My point is, she's absolutely brilliant."

"And dangerous." I added with a stern look in Sebastian's direction. "I can't always control it. I didn't mean to hurt- The flare ups seem to happen when I'm particularly emotional."

"Ya. Emotional." Sebastian grinned and I kicked his thigh.

Anne's grin hadn't left her face as she took it all in. "Incredible. First Ominis speaks parseltongue, and now you have a special ancient magic? I'm jealous!"

"That's what I said!" Sebastian raised a hand and high-fived his sister.

What have I gotten myself into?

"I've been wanting to tell you for so long Anne." Sebastian's eyes glistened and I smiled, the tip of relief tossed off my shoulders.

I wasn't sure exactly what compelled me to tell her. Perhaps it was the look of life in her features or simply the feeling of trust in my gut, but as much as I searched, I didn't feel a single ounce of regret. Only relief, and love.

Sebastian and I had sat cross legged on either side of Anne as she begged for more information. I had told her everything about the events before my arrival to Hogwarts and Sebastian had wound his hand around mine as my breath stumbled for a moment. I caught the tip of Anne's smile but she pretended not to notice our locked fingers.

Sebastian spoke quickly, mind running faster than his mouth could keep up, recounting every moment of the first trial in great detail. The knights, the trolls, my magic, the pensive memories. He had been bottling it all in for so long, I hadn't even realized how much it must have been eating at him to keep these things from his sister. To keep anything from his other half.

Anne's eyes sparkled as she took it all in. The conversation only lulling after her eyes began to droop and she had to blink the sleep form her vision every other second.

Sebastian had smiled gently as she began to nod off and lifted her up with ease. He carried her to the front door, waking her up and keeping her on her feet so she could duck inside after a quick goodbye to the both of us.

The door closed silently and Sebastian took a moment to himself before turning back to me with a small tear on his right cheek.

"Thank you for trusting her."

I could only smile and wipe the tear from his face with a swipe of my thumb. He nuzzled into my palm, kissing it once.

"Now, let's go get some answers."