Cause & Effect | Ominis Gaunt Love Story

Chapter 65: Arrestum Momentum - Mature Read

She who has defied nature, time will take her.

If her days were numbered—which she already knew they were—then she ought to make the best of them. Even if that meant humoring a sociopath by walking around the gardens at night, looking for a hidden herbology corridor.

"What do you think Sebastian hid?" Was her way of giving in, allowing the question to slide past her lips with only a glimmer of interest in her voice.

Ominis' head tilted, analyzing her question. His eyes were bright in the dim lighting, making him appear more sinful than she'd seen him be in a while. Was it an effect of the alcohol or her finally realizing that she'd fallen for the villain rather than a hero?

"I'm not sure." The Auror replied, pulling out his wand, "But whatever it was that Sebastian hid, it was important enough for Solomon to risk getting caught." He casted a wordless lumos charm, holding his hand out to her, "Coming, princess?"

She hesitated, hearing the prophecy again in her head, before taking his hand.

If time took her away, then she'd go kicking and screaming.

Even if the lovers hadn't been destined to meet, the fact of the matter was they had. They did meet. They were real to each other. She wouldn't apologize or call it a crime for loving him.

Stella lifted her chin, her own power coursing through her as she casted her own wordless lumos charm for the first time. Their light now joined together, grew brighter.

"Lead the way."

Chapter 65: Arrestum Momentum - Mature Read

(T/W: DUBIOUS CONSENT)

There was a slight buzzing noise as Ominis and Stella avoided the beehives. There was a staircase up ahead and to the left that led to a lower level yet to be explored. Both parties had spent the last fifteen minutes looking around the Northwest ground of the castle, but neither had said anything more than little comments about not finding anything.

Stella wanted to bring up the prophecy now they they were alone, but wasn't sure how to. As they walked down the stairs, she held onto the back of his sleeve. The stairs were uneven and even stepping onto the ground, the grass was unkempt. How many little bugs were lurking, ready to nip at her?

Even as she shivered and Ominis placed a warming charm around them, she had to clarify, "I'm not cold. It's the tall grass. I hate bugs."

"Poor princess." Ominis drawled with a sarcastic tilt to his voice, "Try not to think about the spiders, ants, roaches, or vampyr mosps—"

Stella walked away from him, muttering loudly enough for him to hear about how much of an insufferable prat she found him to be. He snickered, clearly unfazed and still inebriated from the potent shot of alcohol.

Honestly. If she'd taken a shot like that, she'd have spit it out immediately. Probably cried for a butterbeer or two just to quell the burning sensation in her throat.

"These dry vines are one spark away from becoming kindling." Stella pointed out, walking along the permitter of the castle.

It was covered with English Ivy—

"Good idea."

She was tugged backwards against him as an arm draped across her chest. His fingertips brushed the silk against her breasts teasingly, catching her further off guard when he let loose an incendio spell against the wall.