Shadow of the Key | Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 24: The Writing's on the Wall

"Just call my name, like you'll need me."

- Elley Duhé

Amelia's POV

She wasn't aware of how much time has passed as she sat on the floor of the Undercroft in Ominis' arms.

He held her in a tight embrace while softly stroking her hair as she wheezed and sobbed into the crook of his neck, soaking his collar underneath. He didn't seem to care about it.

And after the night she endured, neither did she.

The image of Sebastian kissing Adelaide and her ancient magic flaring up kept replaying in her head over and over again. No matter how hard she tried to fight it, the memory was ingrained into her conscience.

A timeless loop of watching the man you just came to terms with your feelings for, with his lips all over another's.

She felt like an idiot.

How he had such an effect on her that encountering that scene alone somehow triggered one of her worst memories. Her home up in flames. Her parents dead in the house.

Endless. Fucking. Loop.

They've never been together so she shouldn't care. Yet, seeing him with someone else still felt like a stab wound to the chest and he was twisting the knife.

But why? When did everything change?

Fifth year was never like this, not even sixth. He was so focused on finding a cure for Anne and then once they had cured her, he only focused on his studies in sixth with the occasional tease towards her here and there.

Why is it that once feelings like hers got involved, everything between them turned to absolute shit?

She was so lost in her thoughts that she hadn't realized that Ominis was still holding her, stroking her hair softly as her sobs started to subside and her breathing slowly returned to normal.

She couldn't even talk when they reached the Undercroft. Ominis sensed this and remained quiet, the both of them basking in the silence of the night that they both desperately needed.

After a while, he spoke up in a hushed whisper, "Amie?"

When she parted her lips to speak, only a soft squeak was able to escape her. Her throat felt dryer than the desert and it was as if her body was too weak to produce a single word.

Ominis gives her shoulder a comforting squeeze, "You don't have to talk, love. I understand."

She nods against his shoulder, because she wasn't even sure she could talk about it.

He pulls her in a bit closer, "Anne said she was going to talk to him. It's not just you that's upset, we all are at the moment."

Amelia attempted to clear her throat to no avail, letting out another quiet squeak when she attempted to speak.

"Do you need water?"

She gives a faint nod in response.

Ominis releases his hand from her head, pulling his wand out of his pocket and conjuring up a goblet before casting Aguamenti into it.

She steadies her trembling hands as he passes her the goblet, ensuring a firm grip before taking it, shakily rising the goblet to her lips and chugging down the contents like her life depended on it.

Ominis smiles and gently takes the empty goblet from her, placing it beside them. He resumes his tender strokes on her hair, his touch bringing her comfort and reassurance.