Magicis Par // Sebastian Sallow

21. Rookwood

            Viewing that memory drove a wedge between Sebastian and I so deep that I wasn't sure we'd ever recover from it. He was convinced I could use the same spell Isidora did to take Anne's pain and completely ignoring the part about the power of the leftover magic. The power that Ranrok saught out.

Perhaps the spell was able to be refined. I didn't disbelieve that, but it was far from the top of my priority list. Ranrok had Bragbor's journal. He had everything. Every secret, every location...he was going to get that magic.

But Sebastian only saw me as an enemy now. Aside from my certainty that the Keepers would never teach me how to do perform that kind of magic, I wasn't even sure I was capable of it. Isidora spent years learning how to create and use whatever spell it was. I only had five years under my belt.

Sebastian then twisted the conversation to try and encourage me to syphon all of the leftover magic. I couldn't do that. I knew I wouldn't be able to hold it all. He thought I was more than strong enough. After all, I turned around the next morning and finished San Bakar's trial. I completed all of the challenges, and I did it with little to no sleep most often. I completed them despite the stress of catching up on five year's worth of homework. I did it while battling demons alongside someone I had feelings so deep for but could no longer see that way.

And I'd done it all twice.

This time around was harder. I had done a good job limiting my emotional attachments previously.

I couldn't keep myself from Sebastian no matter how hard I tried.

He wanted nothing to do with me unless he needed something from me—homework answers, to borrow a quill in class, or to check if I'd talked to the Keepers yet. I assured him every time that I'd had the conversation with them and received just as little every time.

With all the free time I had from Sebastian ignoring me, I was able to work more in-depth with Professor Fig and the Keepers. We had a plan and a general timeframe in which we could execute it, but it first required a new wand.

I headed for Hogsmeade bright and early on a warm Saturday in March to ask Gerbold Ollivander if he could create the new wand for me. It took nearly all day, but he managed to do it.

I was leaving the shop when I quite literally ran into not only the last person I expected to find but also the last person I wanted to find. Rookwood. I stumbled back from him and tugged my wand free from my coat, then glanced around to see if anyone was nearby to help.

It was a ghost town.

"I'm afraid you're on your own," he taunted as he approached with his wand at the ready. "I've ensured that we have a moment to ourselves." I didn't answer, only thrusted my wand at him threateningly. "Now, now. No need for such theatrics. In light of what Ranrok now knows, you must agree that our interests are aligned."

"My interests will never align with the one who killed my family."

"They forced me to kill your family. You would let goblins take what is rightfully ours? Haven't they taken enough from you? Now you can have your revenge!" My jaw clenched, fingers tightening around the tip of my wand as it flared to life with the pale blue glow of ancient magic. The tendrils licked at the air like they were itching to strike. "The final repository belongs to wizardkind. We would be fools not to work together." He peered around behind me to better scope out the wand box. "What's that you've got there? Might that have to do with our...mutual pursuit?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about."

He hummed. "Just like you've no idea where the repository is," he sneered.