Right Where You Left Me | Sebastian Sallow |

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Waves of Worry

My breath was heavy, my face hurt from the intensity of scrunching my muscles and tightly closing my eyes. The world felt still, dark, silent.

My hands were shaking as I desperately wrapped my arms around Sebastian's waist. I kept my eyes shut while my face was still buried into Sebastian's chest, his pounding heart beating across my cheeks.

Sebastian enclosed himself around him. One arm was around my waist while his other hand cradled the back of my head. His head was placed gently on top of my head. Even though Sebastian was holding onto me for dear life, he was still gentle. He always was.

I opened my eyes. Sebastian and I embraced each other tightly while we sat on the cold, dirt path that was right in front of the Sallow home. The world was dimly lit by the faint torches and the stars that twinkled above.

"Eliza? Eliza!", Sebastian scooted back a little and cupped my cheeks in both of his hands, "Are you okay? Are you hurt? Tell me now." Sebastian had a worried look in his eyes as they danced across my face, trying to find a scratch or unnoticed bruise. He scanned my whole face, I'm sure if one of my freckles was out of place he would notice.

I put both of my hands on each of his wrists, "A-are you okay?" I stared back into his deep brown eyes with the same worried look. I glanced down at him, and we both lucked out, the curse didn't touch us.

Sebastian scoffed, "After everything we just went through? Everything you just went through and what you found out; you're asking me if I'm okay? Comical Eliza." He started rubbing his thumbs across my cold, freckled cheeks.

"Physically? I'm perfectly fine. Mentally? It feels as if every weight in the world is holding me down, drowning me with the fear of the unknown." My whole body started to shake; it wasn't much but it was noticeable. Sebastian's hands moved from my cheeks to my arms, glancing at his now shaking hands.

"Darl-Eliza, what's going on in your head up there?" His grip on my arms became firm, trying to hold me still, it was no use. I started to think back on everything I had just seen at Rookwood Castle, my memories feeling like weapons. I started to hyperventilate, the worry in Sebastian's eyes grew and he pulled me close to him. My thoughts started to get drowned out by the sound of his pounding heartbeat.

CRACK

The sky became illuminated by light. Bolts of lightning danced across the sky, followed by their typical thunderous roar. Sebastian looked deep into my Hazel eyes and wiped a single raindrop as it started to fall down my freckled cheek.

"Let's get you inside and by the fire." Sebastian sprung to his feet and hoisted me up next to him, putting one arm around my shoulder. His hip was on mine, warm and comforting. He opened the door, and my eyes became fixed on Ominis, sitting at the table near the fireplace with a cup of tea between his hands. Across the table was an older man with fare skin, thick curly dark brown hair, and a beard. John, I presume.

"Where have you two been? John has been waiting patiently for hours and I didn't expect this to be an all-day field trip!" No one spoke. Ominis paused his words sensing something wrong. He walked over and placed a hand on my slouched shoulders and cold skin. Ominis knew there was no more energy left in my body, how my gray mood infected the whole room. Sebastian placed his hand on my other shoulder.

"What happened out there Eliza? I can feel how uneasy your mood is." Ominis knew me very well, it did not matter if he had his sight or not.

I swallowed and took a sharp breath, "Elijah, he knows about the pages. He knows about me."

Sebastian and I both sat down at the table with Ominis and John and explained everything that had just taken place. The secret door, the prison cell, the pages, the blood, the pictures of me...

"So, Rookwood created this curse originally for Isadora and now you Eliza are the most wanted witch? Not exactly how I expected this debrief to go." Ominis sounded stressed as I watched him swirl in a spoonful of honey into his tea.

I peeked underneath the table we were all gathered around to see Ominous rapidly tapping his foot onto the cold, wooden floor. I knew Ominis was worried. We all understood that if Ominis was worried, we all should be.

I was attempting to be sly as I was peeking my eyes underneath the table, trying to hide my worry. I felt slight pressure onto my right shoe. I looked over to my right and saw a small part of Sebastian's boot placed right over mine for comfort.

My eyes traveled from our boots and up to his eyes, the same chocolate brown eyes I have always known, were already staring into mine. He gave a quick grin and nodded; he understood what was occurring in my head.

It felt as if my brain was trapped in a massive storm in the middle of the ocean. My waves of worry were crashing back and forth against my skull. My thoughts were the sinking ship, the storm's main target. My hopeful thoughts are trying to stay afloat, but my worries keep pulling them down under into the deep, dark abyss. It appears there would be no calm in this storm any time soon.

Glancing over to John, I noticed his expression stayed the same the whole conversation. He was invested yet, worried at the same time. He stayed quiet as we explained, giving an occasional nod or a massive sign.

Although, I kept thinking about what John had to say about Anne, why he was here and why did the news needed to be shared in person. I was about to mention it to John, but Sebastian beat me to it.

"Alright John, we told our news, now it's time for yours. What is happening to Anne?" He was desperate, clearly being shown in his voice and how he leaned slightly forward towards John.

John glanced over to Ominis and I, and then back to Sebastian, "Do they know what has happened?"

"Every word." Sebastian responded. The response was quick, anxious to hear the news about his beloved sister.

John swallowed and took a breath, "Very well. As you know the last update you received about Anne was how this curse's darkness has spread up to her wrist correct?"

We all nodded.

"The curse has now spread up to her upper arm on both sides, almost touching her shoulders. I can only imagine how much worse she would be if you did not put her asleep Sebastian."

I pictured Anne asleep, cold and stiff as she laid in her small cot. Half dead, half alive. I could see her dark, charcoal arms. How could this sweet, innocent girl be going through this all alone? What soul deserves this? Certainly not our Anne.

Sebastian's breathing accelerated. His next words were spoken so softly I'm not sure how any of us heard, "How much longer does Anne have John?" His eyes were closed when he asked, almost as if he knew the answer to his own question.

"Less than a year Sebastian. The darkness started to spread more rapidly within the past week. If there is a cure out there, we need to be diligent and find it before Elijah finds us."

Sebastian threw his chair back, standing up and forcefully opened the door, slamming it shut on his way out. My waves of worry began to crash against my skull again, the storm growing and becoming more intense. I am worried about Sebastian's own storm raging in his head. Worried that this would drive him mad yet again, what the relic did to him.

Only this time, I fear his storm could pull him under, never coming up for air or a moment of peace again.