What if you decided not to turn him in? What if he has to stand trial anyway? And what if you get asked to be a witness?
Would you save him? Or wouldn't you?
For Sebastian Sallow, Eleanor - Ellie - has been through hell and back. She did it all for...
The song choice for this chapter is "18" by One Direction.
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'What are you doing here?' Sebastian says, completely dumbfounded, after he takes his sister in his arms and swings her around. 'I haven't seen you in so long.'
He doesn't dare to let her go, probably feeling like this is just a dream. Ominis and I stand awkwardly in a corner, both sure we shouldn't really be here and just giving them some space.
'Elara and Ominis organised it all,' she says with a smile. 'I've been so lonely in the cottage, and I wanted to see you, so Elara had the idea to hide me here. Ominis brought me here this morning and Elara went to get you.'
'Ah ... so that was the task Ominis had to do, I see,' Sebastian grins. 'It is so lovely to see you. How long will you stay? How much time do I have?'
Anne shrugs. 'As long as Elara will have me. She needs someone to take care of this room anyways, tending the plants and beasts.'
'Beasts?' Sebastian says. 'Where?'
He looks around the room as if he was expecting them to just wander about. 'In the Vivarium, dummy,' I say. 'I wouldn't want to have them just live on tiles.'
'You've been busy last year, Elara,' Sebastian says in awe. 'You had a whole life I didn't know about.'
Yeah. Likewise.
'This is Anne's room for as long as she likes. Deek, the house elf, is aware of her presence and can attend to her every need. He won't say a word, I made sure of that.'
'I don't know how to thank you,' Sebastian says and turns around to look at me. 'This is ... this is a lot.'
'Yeah. I may not be able to spend time with you, but I can at least do this,' I reply, hoping he interprets it as what it is: Me telling him that he still means something to me, even though I can't show it.
'We will give you some space,' Ominis says. 'If there is anything Anne needs, she can just tell Deek. He'll come to get us.'
Ominis puts a hand on my shoulder – how does he always know where I am? – and ushers me out of the room, leaving the two siblings to talk.
'That was a great thing you did there,' Ominis says and smiles. 'Heroic, I would say.'
'Oh, come on. You would've done the same if you could. Don't you think I see the way you go all soft when she's around? Don't try to hide it, Ominis.'
Ominis' ears go faintly pink. 'Don't tell Sebastian, will you?'
'Nah, I won't. I wouldn't tell Anne either, promise. I wouldn't want Sebastian to rip your head off.'
'You think it'd be this bad?' Ominis asks.
'I have no idea,' I reply and shrug. 'It's not like I'm talking much to him lately.'
