Under Your Scars || Sebastian Sallow x MC

Chapter 60 - Lost and Found

Where are you?
And I'm so sorry
I cannot sleep, I cannot dream tonight
I need somebody and always
This sick, strange darkness
Comes creeping on, so haunting every time
And as I stare, I counted
The webs from all the spiders
Catching things and eating their insides
Like indecision to call you
And hear your voice of treason
Will you come home and stop this pain tonight?
Stop this pain tonight

I Miss You

-Blink-182

____________

Sebastian POV

My eyes darted around the room, looking for the source of the eerily calm yet persistent voice. It was dizzying, and certainly not because I was still a little intoxicated. 

"Over here, Professor Sallow," the voice called my attention to the portrait of Niamh Fitzgerald, who seemed to be the only portrait awake. "Come to the map chamber, quickly."

I narrowed my eyes. I had never truly trusted the Keepers, not since they had forbade Juliette from helping Anne eight years ago. Something about them hoarding Ancient Magic, never even opening themselves up to the possibility of using it to help others, felt off to me.

Still, she said Juliette's name, so she had my full attention. 

"I suppose you can come too, Headmistress. And even you," Niamh added with a tone of annoyance.

McClaggan looked to me, then back to the portrait.

"Me?" He asked, pointing a finger at his own chest.

"No," she shook her head quickly. "Her."

We all followed her gaze, spinning around to find absolutely nothing but bookshelves and portraits of former headmasters, all still sound asleep.

This Keeper is losing her Gobstones

"Rosalie," Niamh said sternly, like a mother scolding a child.

A familiar whooshing sound resonated from the empty space and Rosalie Corben revealed herself, removing the disillusionment charm that had been keeping her disguised behind us for Merlin-knows how long.

How had the bloody portrait seen her but I hadn't? McClaggan and I were usually sharper than that, but these were unprecedented times. I was still slightly buzzed and Liam was... well.. concerned.

"I'm sorry, Professor," Rose said without a hint of apology in her voice. She had truly been spending too much time with her girlfriend, and it showed. "I simply had to bring you this."

She held a damp piece of parchment out to me; its fibers were barely holding it together.

"It's the letter she left you. She placed an enchantment on it and, well... see for yourself."

I accepted the parchment and held it up to the light, wishing to all hell that I had remembered to fetch my glasses when I was summoned up here.

I expected to see the goodbye letter, the one that had torn my heart to pieces three days prior, but instead I only found five words:

Protect her.

I love you.

She loves me.

There it was, in Juliette's perfect penmanship. The words I would have rather heard from her lips than via 17-year-old messenger owl. All it would have taken for me to end my suffering was to remove a simple enchantment...