Sins of the Father | Sebastian x OFC (Caroline Rookwood) | Ominis x Garreth

Chapter 40: He Had Fallen First And She Fell Harder

Sebastian

**

Sebastian was standing next to Anne, observing the guests as she spoke and conversed with Lady Malfoy about the lovely tall hydrangeas forming the labyrinth—Professor Weasley was dancing with Mr. Slughorn. Vincent was having a terse and quiet argument with Marvolo, and she—where was she again? He could have sworn the Lestrange boy had asked her to dance—

His heart dropped at the sudden blaze of fire erupting from within the maze sending the guests gasping and jumping in surprise followed by a spark of red and green.

Caroline... Caroline was in there—

He had taken off into the labyrinth of flowers despite the loud protests of Anne and Vincent behind him.

"Sebastian! Wait!"

His feet felt heavy like lead running down the graveled and dirt path, his eyes skyward as he watched the plume of smoke. He winced, crashing into a wall of white flowers, when a blood curdling scream rang around him.

"Caroline!"

He could hear an echo of laughter follow, feet kicking gravel as he followed the path—blast it all! The hedges were too tall, too dense, too—

Another cutting scream rang throughout the maze, his heart thudding, feet pounding, running—running—

Dead end.

Sebastian growled, pivoting quickly when another sobbing scream rang—his ears ringing, his body cold—no, please... no. His wand rose cutting through the hedges, setting the flowers ablaze as he began cutting through the walls of sticky petals.

This was his fault—he should have known, should have planned, should have anticipated—

There was a deafening silence as he gripped his wand, slashing through leaves, stems, anything—she couldn't... Caroline couldn't be—

A strangled cry drove him further, his hands joining his wand to tear through—he could feel the warmth of the blazing hedges calling—the sound of whimpers and angry whispers just beyond.

"Your pain—good—doesn't hurt—not—"

Sebastian pushed through stem and branches in the cloying silence before another pained scream rang as he ground his teeth.

He could hear laughter through the thorns and hooks, "Your father put—better fight!"

Almost—the hedges tore at his jacket, his shirt, singed as he ran through.

"You're weak—just—Hobhouse—Noke—"

He was close—Caroline—Caroline—just a few more steps—hands shaking as he pulled—his wand work sloppy, cutting through the hedge.

"Not sure why it's you, you're weak—Sweeting would have been a far better choice."

Sebastian's thoughts cut short, breath hitching at the sight of two figures through the hedge. The honey blonde of Caroline's hair was disarray around her head, black gown stained with petals and wrinkled as she lay on the ground beneath the point of a wand.

"A small reprieve just makes the pain hurt all the more, doesn't it?"

Caroline screamed, face etched like the horrific visage on the Scriptorium's door as she stood, with a decadent smile on her unblemished face, white gown gleaming brightly against the wreckage around them.

"Depulso!"

Her shriek cut into the hedge across the way as he pushed through, sliding to a stop at Caroline's form. His hands shook, the grip of his wand going slack as he picked her up gingerly, brushing the strands of her hair and sweat from her face. Her arms bore scratches, twitching to grasp the dirt beneath her fingernails.