Chapter Thirty-Four
Sebastian
“NO-no-nonono! Austin! Hyacinth!” Dahlia shrieked, legs kicking out beneath her.
Smith held the lich’s beloved back with a trembling arm as Sebastian stepped up to a devastating scene.
His heart lurched, stopped by time itself as he stared at a burning cliffside.
A cleric’s temple…so close to the manor?
To the city? It didn’t make sense. But, then again, many things didn’t make sense in the last few days.
Divine flames were fickle. They required an incredible amount of arcane talent to start, and even harder to contain.
The effort and magic required to bring about the devastating scene before him was impressive.
Flames danced on the lens of his mask as he stepped through the screaming stone archway.
What little wood there was left on the temple was turned to ash quickly after.
Only stone continued to stand, and even it was being eaten away.
Sebastian flicked his hands quickly out to his sides, his lightening snuffing out the magic.
Plumes of smoke danced between clumps of necromantic smog.
A byproduct of one of his creations being burned.
Tears welled in his eyes as he stepped up into the courtyard.
The little rapscallion named Snuffles skittered to a stop at his ankle.
There, a foot from him, were the remains of Austin and Hyacinth.
What was left of them was a mockery of his magnificent creations.
A cruel, unforgivable mockery. He sank to his knees by the top of their heads.
His hands trembled for the first time in a long time as he cupped the back of Austin’s head.
His skull was so fragile. His body burned clean of most of his flesh and fat. What little was left was tough muscle and bone. Hyacinth was missing a hand, her wings just hollow frames.
Sebastian sank full against his calves, tears pouring down his face. The wail that escaped him was foreign to him…as it’d been ages since his heart broke like that. His gloved fingers lightly traced the melted seams of Austin.
“My boy,” he whimpered, lower lip trembling. “My boy…why were you out here…I told…I told you! Not to!”
Lightning snapped off his body in sharp bolts.
Purple light ignited the angry storm and snuffed out the last few flames.
He devoured every last one till the temple was just a steaming pile of ash.
Bent over his lap, Sebastian howled into the night.
Pain escaped him as he put palms to both of them, cupping them as tightly as he was capable.
Their bodies so frail…so light…so lifeless.
“Sebastian?” Dahlia hiccupped from behind him.
He snapped up, twisting at the hip to find his beloved stumbling forward. Her knees cracked against the cobblestone as she dropped beside him. Tears streaked down her cheeks, her pale palms shaking like leaves in the wind as she tentatively touched the top of Hyacinth’s wings.
Smith approached like a ghostly whisper, a cool breeze on his burning hot skin. “My lord?”
“Smith,” Sebastian swallowed hard. Austin, you were the one I never expected to lose. You were the only one I took for granted. You were mine. You were to stay by my side. My proof. My boy…you…
Only for Austin to gasp and the three jerked upright.
It was less a gasp and more a rattle, as he was reduced to a charred skull.
Sebastian ripped his gloves off his hands and placed them against the burnt flesh clinging to Austin’s torso.
Pumping magic through him, he used what he could to stitch the tissue around Austin’s face back together.
Enough that he can breathe or speak. His boy coughed hard once, wheezing for air. “Sir.”
“Austin!” Dahlia squeaked, cupping his cheeks.
“Sir…” Austin wheezed, his bones rattling.
“Smith!” Sebastian roared, turning back to the slender who was already working on a portal from the rings he kept on his person. Just hold on, my boy.