Consuming Darkness: Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 57

-Ronnie-

   The door slammed shut behind me and I was instantly plunged into darkness so complete that I felt like it would suffocate me. At first, there was no sound, just the slight ringing noise that accompanied such silences. The comforting scent of old books and pine that usually greeted me when I entered this room was gone. There was no smell at all.

   "Sebastian?" My voice came out muffled by the shadows that clearly did not want me here. I felt a tingle run up my spine and my grip on my wand tightened. My ancient magic breathed to life in response to my heightened adrenaline. "What has he gotten himself into?" I sighed to myself.

   I received no response except a slight wind that began to pick up and the shadows began shifting around me, blowing stray hair that had fallen from my braid. I cast Lumos and a small light flickered to life at the tip of my wand. It only glowed for a brief moment before an icy cold breeze quickly slid over my hand and across my wand, taking any semblance of light with it. My robes began to catch the breeze and flowed around my ankles.

   Whispering murmurs began to sound from all around me. There seemed to be many voices so quiet and talking all at once that I couldn't even begin to make out what they were saying.

   "Seb? You in here?" I asked the darkness. My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I pointed my wand at the ceiling shouting, "Lumos Maxima!" An orb of swirling light ascended toward the ceiling. I was only able to watch for a moment as the shadows swallowed the light. There was nothing else to see except for more darkness.

   The pit in my stomach only grew. "Sebastian!" My voice was more urgent as the panic rose. The room wasn't that big, and I had been in here enough times that I should be able to make my way around in here without any other senses than touch, but when I reached where the back of the couch should have been it was no longer there. The room must have altered itself to contain this sheer amount of dark magic. "Bloody hell..." I grumbled. "I'm going to kill you Sallow..."

   I could not see, I couldn't smell and I couldn't rely on my memory to navigate this new space. The whispers only continued to grow louder. I knew Sebastian was in here and the fact that he wasn't answering worried me even more. What if the shadows had claimed him like he said that could? He promised me that wouldn't practice without me! Why would he lie to me?!

   "Veronica," a raspy hushed voice whispered, jarring me from my thoughts. It sounded nothing like Sebastian but who else was in this room with us?

   "Veronica," a few more voices joined in sweetly. They repeated my name, almost as if it were a melody, the feeling of the room shifted. Were the shadows speaking to me? I no longer felt cold, instead, I felt like I had wrapped myself in a fuzzy blanket in front of a fire.

   "You won't find him," they chimed, but their voice lulled me. Maybe I didn't want to find him, I could stay here. Maybe I could take a nap.

   "You haven't slept well in so long."

   "Let us help you."

   My eyelids felt heavy, and my limbs felt as if they were being pulled down. My brain was going fuzzy.

  "Yes, sleep Veronica," another voice called.

   "Sleep," many voices sang together.

   I wanted to sleep, every part of my body begged for it. But there was a familiar hum of power, a fire in my veins that refused to relinquish control. Suddenly blue flames pulsed from me, clearing my head. The shadows hissed like feral cats and snakes at the touch of ancient magic.

   I blinked my eyes quickly. I had dropped my wand somewhere and I knew there was no use calling it to me. The shadows controlled this room, but so far seemed unable to directly attack me which meant Sebastian was still somewhat in control... or at least I hoped.