In the Shadows of a Legacy // A Sebastian Sallow story

Chapter 25-A savior in the dark//flashback

I sat on the floor of my living room, hunched over, nursing a bottle of firewhiskey. Blood dripped from my hands, making a grotesque mess on the wooden floor beneath me.

I took another swig, the drink burning down my throat. Downing the last drops, I got annoyed and chucked the bottle at the wall, shattering it into countless pieces. I summoned another bottle with a quick "Accio" and started gulping it down, trying to drown out the screams of the ashwinders I had just torn apart. Some poachers I caught had blamed this group of ashwinders. I didn't give a damn whether their words were true or not. Someone had to pay for Sebastian's betrayal, and I'd torch the whole damn United Kingdom to find them.

"Ophelia?" Ominis' voice bellowed from the other side of the door. "I know you're in there! Open the door!" he demanded, his fists pounding against the door.

Ignoring his command, I kept drinking from the bottle, feeling the world around me blur. A loud crash came from the door, and I knew Ominis had broken in. Groaning, I called out to him, "Don't you know it's rude to break in?" I taunted, hearing the heavy footsteps of my long-time friend marching into the room.

"Merlin's beard, Ophelia," he sniffed, "you stink like a corpse." He leaned down beside me, his hands fumbling for my face. He found my chin and turned my face towards him. "What the fuck? Why are you wet?" He sniffed the air loudly, "Merlin's fucking beard-is that blood?"

I laughed cruelly, the sound echoing in the room. "They got what they deserved," I murmured, smirking to myself as I took another swig.

"Damn it," Ominis scolded, snatching the bottle from my grip. "How much have you had to drink?"

"Not fuckin' enough," I slurred.

"Come on, you need a bath," his voice softened. "You smell like death."

"No, Ominis I'm fine," I slurred, pushing his hands away.

"No, it's not up for debate," he stated simply, lifting me effortlessly into his arms, my drunken limbs unable to resist. I slumped against his sturdy frame as his wand cast a red glow, guiding us towards the bathroom. Gently, he set me down on the floor and turned on the tap for the tub.

"Take off your clothes, Ophelia," his voice gentle yet firm.

"No, Ominis, I'm fine," I protested, once again, hitting his shoulder. "Quit trying to be my parent."

"Ophelia," his voice grew stern, "enough."

Reluctantly, I shed my bloodstained attire and turned around, allowing Ominis to unlace my corset. His fingers worked swiftly, undoing the many strings before dropping it to the floor. The soiled clothes formed a heap, discarded on the ground. I should feel shy being naked around ominis, but I was too drunk, too overcome with grief to give a damn. Ominis had seen my soul, and that was way more embarrassing then being in his presence naked. Slowly, I eased myself into the water, feeling its warmth permeate my body and chase away the cold. Soon, a faint pink hue tinged the water as blood drifted off my skin and mingled with it.

"You need to put an end to this, Ophelia," Ominis murmured, grabbing soap and running it through my hair in a soothing motion, scrubbing away the blood that had saturated it. "There's only so much I can do at the ministry. Sooner or later, they'll catch on to what you're up to."

"They got what they deserved," I repeated defiantly.

"That's not your call to make, darling." His fingers scrubbing against my scalp.

"I'm only giving them a taste of what they did to Sebastian," I spat. "They condemned him to hell, and I'm just returning the favor."

"This is madness!" Ominis' voice rose. "You've crossed the line, Ophelia. First it was Leander, and now it's anyone who has ever even glanced at Sebastian."