A Ballad of Snakes and Shadows // A Dark Sebastian Sallow Romance

Chapter Fifteen: Control // .SALT.

TW: Violence, death, blood, cuckhold, humiliation/degredation, CNC

It hadn't taken nearly as long as I expected for Ominis and I to reach the bottom of the staircase. However when we stepped off it and onto the landing below, I thought we'd find something a little more substantial than just a single room.

It was a tiny alcove, no bigger than the sleeping chamber in the Room of Requirement. It didn't make sense - what I had seen with revelio suggested a much bigger space.

A single candle hung on the wall to our right and crumbling stone surrounded us. A wooden table sat at the other end of the alcove. I took a step towards the table with Ominis' hand still in mine.

"Curious." I whispered as I approached it.

"What's down here?" Ominis asked as I looked over what seemed to be tableware. Someone had set this table, with fine china and cutlery, for a single person.

"A table..." I said. However the meal on the plate wasn't meant to be eaten - it was not food or any delight.

It was a stone that sat in the middle of the plate. It shimmered in the light of the candle and its color was made of night. I could see blues and purples shifting within it as I stared at it.

"There's a rock, or perhaps a gem of some sort?" I studied it, feeling as though it was calling out to me. There was a hum coming from it and its magic beckoned me to touch it.

"It's a portkey." I said as Ominis' hand squeezed mine tightly with apprehension.

I felt the same anxiety he did the more I stared at the peculiar stone. We had no idea where we were going to find ourselves if we used the portkey. It could've been a trap for all we knew.

"Are you sure about this?" Ominis asked quietly.

No - I wanted to tell him. But what choice did we have?

This underground stairway had been warded against apparating. If we stayed put, we would have to wait for someone else to come through the entrance and who knew how long that would take. But even if we could leave, I did not want to.

This was another lead we had to chase and I was not about to give it up.

"Yes." I breathed out before turning to Ominis. "Are you ready?"

His mouth was turned down in a worried frown that I ached to erase off him. We both knew the potential danger that laid ahead for us, but if we were together we could face it.

I leaned up to press a kiss to Ominis' lips, gently reassuring him we could do this.

That scowl on his face slipped, replaced by a sheepish grin. His cheeks lit up in the candlelight.

"Let's do it then." Ominis sighed. I clutched him tightly and pressed my fingers to the stone.

Everything was a blur as we were winnowed away. It was all whorls of different colors and varying images. I could not pick apart a single one as the stone transported us. The only thing I knew for certain was that I'd been unfair to Ominis for complaining about his arm.

His nails were dug into the skin of my arm now, holding on for dear life.

I took a deep breath as we arrived at the portkey's destination, steadying myself for the landing. I kept a firm grip on Ominis, who otherwise would have fallen to his knees. I hated portkeys - they were too disorienting and far more complicated than basic apparition.