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 "Make It To Christmas" by Alessia Cara.
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Tippy spends the next day cleaning the estate from top to bottom. I still can't believe my parents agreed to have Anne and Sebastian stay. I think for Anne, it's out of pity; for Sebastian, it's out of mere curiosity. Dad was the first to relent, saying that if I weren't staying away from him anyhow, I'd feel better if it was at least under his watch.
Mum said I'm done if she sees one closed door in the house. It made my cheeks go red.
Sebastian replied with an owl straight away. He said he was scared yet overjoyed, and Anne would join if I'd promise mince pies.
It is a little much to make demands, but okay. Mince pies it is.
The Sallow twins arrive via Apparation this afternoon. I walk over the cobblestones to the estate gate, knowing they can't enter without an Avery being there. It's a fun little charm my ancestors installed on the gate—if not with a family member, you'll burst into flames when trying to cross. They were charming, weren't they? My parents tried for years to get rid of it but to no avail.
I see them from afar. It is awkward because I must walk far from the door to the gate. I wouldn't say I like it when you already see someone and tread and tread while they stand there and stare you down.
'So, this is where you live, huh?' Sebastian says when I reach them. He has his arms crossed and lets his eyes wander over the cobblestone to the house, which is tall with multiple stories and somewhat Victorian.
'Yeah. Avery heirloom, one could say.' I place my hand on the gate and push it open. Under my touch, it hums, recognising the familiar Avery lineage and easily swings to the side.
'And what about the gate you mentioned in the letter?' Sebastian says, watching closely how I open the gate and usher them in. 'You said we weren't to touch it?'
'Yeah, it's a good thing you didn't.'
'How do you know I didn't?'
'You don't look like roasted chicken to me. That's a strong indication you didn't touch it.'
'He tried ...,' Anne mutters under her breath.
'Of course, he did. I would've expected nothing less,' I grin. 'Come on, let's head inside. It's freezing out here.'
I watch, with a hammering heart in my chest, how the twins follow me along. Anne carries something in her hands, a glass covered with a cloth. 'What do you have there?'
'It's a surprise,' she says. 'I didn't have much but figured arriving emptyhanded is improper.'
'Well, that may be true under normal circumstances, but—'
'Just leave it, Ellie,' Sebastian intervenes. 'She desperately wanted to bring something.'
Fine.
When we're at the door, I lay my hand on the knob and, like the gate, it hums and swings open. I go inside the lavish entrance hall and step aside. There comes barely any light through the stained glass windows as the snow outside, mixed with the grey sky, clouds the sunlight. However, opulent chandeliers hang from the ceiling and glow warmly on the marble floors.
