Me and the Devil: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter ONE TWENTY THREE - Don't Leave Me

My fading vision traced the dark dipped silence through uneven breaths. The pain at my chest had spread, the warmth through my veins had painted my skin, covering nearly the entire right side of my body.

I blinked back the sleep that threatened to crush my skull but it was beginning to get more and more difficult.

My focus shifted from my pained breaths to the cool press of Ominis' fingertips against my neck just around my pulse. I listened to the relief and chaos of the uneasy silence. I watched the silhouette of Sebastian's figure against the moonlight, standing tall over the body of the man so many feared. Top hat laying haphazardly against the ground a few steps away. Sebastian's fingers still gripped tightly around his wand though it begun to shake as his breaths slowly evened out.

Moonlight dimmed a bit more and things begun to feel out of place - as if I was looking back on memories rather than experiencing them.

Sebastian turned to me slowly, a weight heavy on his shoulders. His eyes clipped the darkness, hazy and blank, only growing wide as they landed on mine. His face twitched and dropped to my side hands fumbling for mine.

Ominis' arms pulled me closer to him, tight around my waist and shoulder, tugging me further from Sebastian.

Sebastian's bottom lip trembled.

It seemed an eternity before Ominis' grip loosened and he spoke quickly. With my ear now pressed to his chest, his stuttered voice drowned out his pounding heartbeat.

"I- I can't find her bag. The Wiggenweld.... She needs help. I- I can feel the blood. It's bad Sebastian."

My consciousness dipped in and out between each of his words.

Sebastian was quiet a moment.

"I killed him."

Such a complex statement, such simple words.

"He cursed Anne. Used Atley's magic...."
He blinked a few times, nostrils flaring. "He deserved it... I killed him."

Ominis winced, chest heaving.

"I don't- Sebastian her bag."

Sebastian's figure remained frozen in place, fingers a hair's length from mine, eyes wide and dark. I expected to see him frantically searching and I waited for my mind to catch up to reality but more time passed and his body still hadn't moved.

Ominis' tone dropped quickly, sharper than a knife.

"Sebastian I need you to fucking snap out of it. Right now or Atley is- isn't going to be ok."

Not ok?

The thought evaporated as moonlight crested around Sebastian's head, a crown of broken star shards and I smiled lazily.

How beautiful the moon is tonight.

Something snapped and his body moved quickly out of my sight though the ghostly remnants of his figure took a moment to clear my vision.

I thought Ominis was stroking my hair, thought he was speaking to me.

"Hold on darling. Please stay awake, squeeze my finger if you can hear me."

My skin pressed gently around something smooth and cold. I hoped I was doing it right.

"Put your hand here." Ominis spoke again but this time not to me.

Sebastian was back, something clutched in his hand and thrusted over my body.

I watched Ominis' shaking pale fingers pull Sebastian's hand over my chest, pressing it down and I could have sworn I hissed.

"Ominis-" Sebastian's voice strained.

"Press harder."

My jaw felt tight and the heat in my chest nearly boiled.

"Ominis she's-"

"Don't fucking stop pressing. She needs you Sebastian."

His palm dug in further to my chest and I winced despite a lack of physical pain.

The sound of a cork splitting from a bottle echoed in my ears.

Sebastian's voice barely a quivered whisper. "Help her. Please. I can't loose her."

"I'm trying!"

Smooth fingertips traced over my lips before cool glass pressed against them. The taste of something incredibly bitter followed shortly behind and I gagged a bit. A hand at the back of my head held me steady.

A moment passed, my ribs felt as if they were splitting down the center and I coughed up something sticky and warm.

Ominis' breathless voice tickled my skin. "It's not working."

"What do you mean it's not? What- what-" Sebastian's fingers twisted in my shirt, I could feel his trembles through my ribs.

"I swear to Merlin Atley. You cannot leave me with-" Ominis choked on his words. "Keep fighting. We will get help. We will-"

The moonlit shards over Sebastian's head twinkled along the tips of his ears as his messy brown hair clung to the side of his face, matted in blood and sweat. His forehead tipped to mine as he pressed a shaking, tender kiss to my temple.

His whispered wishes dusting the fog from my thoughts.

"Don't leave me. Please. You promised! You pinky promised that you'd never leave me alone."

Leave you?

No.

I don't want to leave you.

I don't want to leave.

I don't- don't want to leave you.

Evidently I'd spoken aloud, garbled but audible and Sebastian sobbed.

Tears stung my eyes.

Fear clung to my chest.

"Please don't go. Don't go. Don't fucking go Atley. My Atley. My- my- my cabbage?"

A hiccup.

Ominis disappeared from my peripheral vision.

"I love you. Please Atley. I love you."

The smell of cedar wood the last to brush my senses as the moon dipped beneath my vision.