The Legacy of Our Love

Chapter 26

ASRA

I woke the next morning to Ominis's arm draped across my waist on one side, and nothing but cold sheets on the other.

I shot upright, scrambling for Ominis's timepiece on the bedside table and quite ungracefully waking him up in the process. It was barely a quarter to six, Sebastian shouldn't have been awake for at least another four hours.

"Whadisit?" Ominis's sleep-addled voice was barely coherent as he rose with a yawn to my hurried movements.

"Sebastain's gone!" I exclaimed as I threw myself from the bed, running to check the room and praying that I would find him somewhere within. I was not so fortunate; Sebastian was nowhere to be found.

"Gone?" Ominis's tone was sharp now.

Running back to the room, I found Ominis already getting dressed, and hurried to join him as my anxiety spiked.

"Where could he have gone?" I questioned worriedly.

What happened? Is he alright?

Is he ill?

Is he still upset with me?

"He's either ill, or looking for that damned book again." Ominis huffed as he fastened the buttons on his shirt.

"Why not wait for us? We can help him." I questioned further as I finished lacing my boots.

"Because he's ashamed, Asra." Ominis sighed. "He's lapsing back into old habits and he knows I'm going to chew his freckled arse out for it."

My mind was racing as the two of us finished making ourselves presentable, which was often an effort given how roughly we typically spent our evenings.

"Alright, I'll check the Hospital Wing, you check The Undercroft. We meet back here if we don't find him." Ominis instructed as we hurried towards the door.

Opening it, we found ourselves face to face with Sebastian himself, who had a wide grin plastered across his face as he stood with an arm still extended to open the door. It was impossible not to note the large spellbook tucked under his other arm.

"Found it!" Was all that came from his parted lips as he spoke, his expression shifting slightly upon noting the worry in our faces as he brandished the previously misplaced spellbook. "Why are you dressed?"

Why are we dressed?

Is he serious?

"Because we were about to go searching for you, you blithering idiot." Ominis huffed, one arm lashing out and pulling Sebastian swiftly by the tie and back into the room. "Don't think for a second you're getting out of this conversation Sallow!" He exclaimed in a darker tone while sitting him in an armchair.

"Can you not shout? My head is bloody killing me—"

"I hope it is!" Ominis cut off Sebastian's protest with a snarl. "I've been through with you before, Sebastian. And Merlin help me, I will not do it again."

"It was a bad night, I fucked up okay? Am I not allowed to make a mistake?" Sebastian flushed crimson as he retorted, as if knowing he was fighting a losing battle. There was a deeper emotion flickering behind his gaze now: shame.

"Not when they nearly kill you!" Ominis roared, and I was taken aback at the aggression. I understood we were going to talk to him about last night, but there was clearly something deeper going on here.

"What do you mean again?" I whispered gently, resting my hand gently on his arm in an attempt to calm the turmoil raging inside him.

His hand flexed with forced restraint before speaking. "The last time I found him in such a state was the night Solomon refused to take action against the goblins who cursed Anne." He began with a dark expression. "Sebastian got himself pissed, and decided it would be a brilliant idea to attempt to infiltrate their camp in the ruins and take action himself. He fell attempting to scale the tower wall."