Take a Shot

Unstable

"What's your plan, Star?"

"Honestly, Seb?" She turned her head to the side and he tried not to flinch at the blood creating rivers down her face. "I don't have one," she slurred, head lolling.

"Don't play with me. You always have a plan."

She sighed, knocking her head back against the wall. "Not this time."

Sebastian bit a curse out of the side of his mouth. Without their magics, they were useless. They didn't see any way out of this, even putting their genius minds together.

He sighed, looking up at the far-away ceiling. He had sort of expected to go this way: tortured, powerless, and alone. He wasn't alone yet, technically, but with how hard they were going on Emerald, he had doubts she would make it much longer. She had a limited amount of blood in her body, and she was losing a lot of it.

This was the worst hold he'd been in yet. He doubted it cracked Emerald's top ten. He could trace mold from ground to ceiling, and the air was damp here, so two things could be assumed: they are near a lot of freshwater, and they would soon be contracting pneumonia, if they hadn't already.

He and Emerald had been positioned in such a way as to see and hear but not touch each other. They were nearly on opposite walls, but the room was too small for two people. If he spat, he would probably hit her. The room was dark, a single, floating ball of light on the ceiling illuminating them. It was better than being in total darkness, and, hopefully, the low light was what was making his cellmate look so ghastly. They were currently being starved as part of their torture, but neither of them even liked eating to begin with, so that wasn't much of a threat, more just a way to quicken their deaths.

"Well, Emerald," he said quietly. She hummed. "I guess if I had to go with anyone, you're in the top three."

"Oh?" she giggled, coughing for a moment then resuming, "I'm not number one?"

They both chuckled, then lapsed into silence.

He had ended up with a good life, despite his wretched youngling years. He'd matured, fought for what was right, and built himself a family. He hoped he had done right by them. He hoped they would continue to grow and be better in his absence.

He hoped Paisley would be okay. He was sure Emerald was thinking of Matt, as well. Nemio would be distraught, perhaps forever, but he would take care of the guild and Paisley after Sebastian was gone. Nemio would find another Guild Master, maybe even take on that mantle himself, gods knew he had earned it through the years. And Paisley would grow and move on. She would live, he was sure, an easy life with him gone. She deserved something easy and less dangerous than this.

"They'll be okay, won't they?" Emerald asked suddenly. She tipped her head forward with what looked to be tremendous effort, red eyes nearly blank as she stared at him, tears welling up.

"Their lives will be easier, with us gone," he assuaged. She nodded, dropping her chin back to her chest.

"I hope he doesn't have to get dirty anymore," she sighed.

"Mmm?"

"With me gone, he can fully leave Harmony. He can go live a little domestic life in a cottage with a bunch of kids just..." she trailed off. They had been planning to leave Harmony, after all. Sebastian had been trying to talk Emerald into leaving that syndicate since before he'd left Astronomer's Ruin all those years ago, but she was incredibly stubborn, so he'd no idea if she had taken him seriously.

"If we get out of this, I know a place you can hide," he said.

"Big if."

He didn't say anything. It was a big if, and they both knew it...and deserved it. Between them were countless bodies and an extraordinary amount of magic power. Hers alone could energize a fleet of warships, and his...it was probably best not to think about. Whether they were here as punishment for their crimes, or as tools to power some sort of evil, he wasn't sure but it was likely one of the two.