Aftermath ✧ Sebastian Sallow

chapter fifty-eight

.44 Caliber Love Letter by Alexisonfire

-✧-✧-✧-

Trigger Warning: This chapter includes sensitive conduct - please see the comment for a full description of conduct. 

-✧-✧-✧-

Sebastian's Perceptive

The forest was thick and difficult to see as the night grew darker. A few bursts of light between trees sent me flying in their direction hoping to find Poppy. 

It was surprising that Amelia said that she was worried about leaving her behind. If there were two people I felt fine searching for Ophelia in the Forbidden Forest, it was Amelia and Poppy.

Perhaps Amelia was growing overly cautious. She had looked exhausted back in the courtyard and had already managed to hurt herself during her search. Maybe it was the anxiety of the news of Ophelia missing that made her so suddenly raddled.

I was anxious too about the missing cat. None of us had considered the possibility in the past year since we bonded Anne's curse to the pet. Maybe it was foolish to think we'd have more time.

"Protego!" Poppy's voice echoed loudly from below.

I quickly dropped my broom down into the treeline at the sound. At first, I expected I would need to pull my wand out to help her battle, but instead, all I found were piles of dead spiders with the small brunette looking up at me. It was easy to forget how skilled she was herself.

"Any news?" Poppy called over toward me as I landed.

"Not yet. Amelia was worried about leaving you alone so I came to get you," I explained, "We should head back now."

"We can't yet!" She said pushing deeper into the woods, "I found footprints, I think it could be something!"

"You mean paw prints?" I ask curiously.

Poppy shook her head, "No, human."

"Then it's probably poachers. I'm not sure if it will do us any good." I sighed.

Poppy just stood hesitatingly as she illuminated her wand against the trail of deep muddy footprints. Eyes following the trail in the darkness. 

"Well, I'm going to follow them. If it's poachers, then I'll just handle it myself." She boasted. 

"Sweeting, come on," I begged, "Let's go back."

But she hadn't even stopped to look back as she followed the trail. I could have turned around and headed toward the castle, but leaving her alone in the forest wasn't preferable either.

Amelia and Anne said everything was fine. There was time to make sure the Poppy would make it back safely. Besides maybe she did find something, she was far more familiar with the Forbidden Forest than anyone else I knew. Maybe she really had found something.

"Slow down," I complained as I rushed to keep up with her, "You're so stubborn."

"Look who's talking?" She snapped back, "Listen, I don't want to give up on looking for Ophelia and I have a good feeling about these tracks."

"You're ready to spend the whole night in the Forbidden Forest just for my sister's cat?" I laughed.

"Of course I am!" She growled.