23. Sebastian
Sebastian
T he warm, dank odor of earth drifted in and out of Sebastian’s consciousness, beckoning him out of the darkness. He didn’t want to be beckoned, however. He didn’t feel comfortable , exactly, but sleep was easier than what waited in the real world.
It came subtly at first, the knowledge something was wrong.
It arrived with the flickers of orange flame, teasing at the corners of his unconscious vision.
After a few minutes, his eyes were filled with fire, teasing at first, then all-consuming, building to an inferno.
Sebastian was asleep. He was sure this was a dream or a vision, that it wasn’t real, but it didn’t matter. The heat was scorching and painful.
Then the faces appeared.
His mother, at first, shrieking, writhing in the flames. Next were other friends and family, their skin melting, their eyeballs turning to liquid. But it wasn’t until Justin and Pavel showed up, desperate and in agony, that he screamed himself awake.
His eyes snapped open to near-darkness. He found himself in a crude wooden structure. The shack from the clearing? He wasn’t sure. He’d only been there a few moments before he’d been knocked out.
Beneath his cheek, the dirt was gritty and rough. He rolled from his side to his back, facing the darkness of the roof overhead. A sliver of light peeked through from under the door. It didn’t do much to illuminate his surroundings, but Sebastian was thankful for it nonetheless.
Because he was being watched. As his eyes adjusted, a figure consolidated in his vision, sitting on a stool in the corner. He couldn’t make out much about them, other than that they appeared male.
At the sight, Sebastian froze, every muscle in his body tensing.
“It’s about time you woke up, city witch.”
Trying to seem casual, Sebastian pushed himself up to a sitting position. His head swam for a moment, probably the side effects of being knocked unconscious. He focused on the figure, but the dim light revealed nothing new.
“Where am I?” Sebastian attempted to rid his tone of any desperation. Unsuccessfully.
“Your sister’s…complex? Compound? Supervillain lair? I don’t know what she’s calling it these days.”
Sebastian paused to take in what he was saying. A more important question sprang to mind.
“Who the hell are you?”
The man chuckled, but there was no humor in it. “What, you don’t recognize me? I’m the author of your nightmares, little city mouse.”
Recognition quickly dawned on Sebastian, and he scrambled away from the figure. “You’re the dream witch.”
“At your service. I thought the fire was a nice touch. You just didn’t want to wake up. I don’t know who you saw in the flames, but it gave you the boost you needed to pop back into consciousness.”
Affinity with dream spirits was a dangerous thing. It could easily drift into evil: manipulation and mind control. Understanding the danger he was in, Sebastian’s eyes darted around, searching for his backpack.
“Your bag is long gone, city mouse, as are the contents of your pockets.”
Shit. Without any supplies, Sebastian was vulnerable. In a pinch, he could attempt to entice chaos spirits without any of his tools or offerings, but they were unpredictable. Most chaos witches relied heavily on their spell ingredients, unlike those with more pliable affinities, like water spirits.
“But I’m being rude,” the man continued.
“My name is Alistair. And I, of course, already know yours. I’m looking forward to spending more time together.
Your sister will be here any moment, I’m sure.
No doubt she had a magical alarm alert her when you woke up.
She’d never depend on a person when there’s a spell that will do the trick. ”
Sebastian racked his brain, his thoughts spinning, desperate to find any advantage.
His supplies and ingredients were gone. Perhaps he could appeal to Veronica’s sense of family, as he had originally planned, although the fact she had knocked him out didn’t bode well. She had left him with Alistair, so?—
Oh. This wasn’t good. Alistair’s power with dreams made this situation precarious. To keep control of himself, he would need to stay awake. No matter what.
They could drug him, of course, but that would be less useful for Alistair. Any drug that would put him to sleep would also suppress his natural tendency to dream .
He sure as hell hoped someone realized he was gone and come after him. He wasn’t sure how many days he could stay awake.
Panic rose in his gullet as the door to the shack swung open, crashing against the wall with a loud bang. The room was flooded with light, surrounding his sister in the door frame like an unholy halo.
“Little brother. Glad to see you’re with us.”
Veronica’s long, dark hair acquired a glossy sheen, backlit by the sun filtering through the trees.
“Vee, this has gone too far.” Sebastian scrambled to stand. He would meet his sister on his feet, even if he looked a mess from lying unconscious on the dirt floor.
“Linda took it too far a decade ago. I don’t know why you defend her.”
Veronica’s accusation was supposed to hurt, Sebastian assumed, but all it did was annoy him. In so many ways, she was a controlling brat, much like their mother. And he was supposed to be the chaotic, ridiculous one?
“I’m not defending our mother. But the Circle is not just her. It’s a community of witches, none of whom have wronged you. If you hated Bayonne so much, you could have left. You’ve set yourself up here. Why come back?”
Veronica scoffed, stepping into the darkness to confront her brother. Her features were angular and harsh in the shadows of the shack.
“For power.”
Sebastian shook his head. “Vee?—”
“No. You might think I’m petty. But Linda doesn’t deserve it. The Circle. The grimoire. None of it. She’s treated both of us like pawns our whole lives. The same as she treats everyone. Ordering them around and using them as she needs.”
“She wasn’t that bad,” Sebastian said, frantically racking his brain for a way to protect himself.
“Our own mother used me as bait, more than once. I was almost killed by that feral wolf shifter pack she pissed off!”
“I don’t believe for a second your life was in danger. And she wasn’t only using us for her own ends. She also taught us to be strong.”
Veronica’s eyes flashed with anger. “Bullshit.”
Sebastian reached out and touched her on the arm, but Veronica recoiled, quickly pulling away. Her eyes went hard.
“And what about our father?”
Sebastian scoffed. “What about the asshole?”
There was a deep well of rage inside Veronica, that much was obvious. But something else. Grief, as well. It pressed down on them as she spoke.
“She drove him away. She kicked him out and told him he wasn’t welcome in our home, in our lives. She severed our magical ties with him. Over a lovers’ spat. We didn’t have a father because he cheated on her.”
A wave of anger emanated from Sebastian’s chest and radiated out to all parts of his body. The fact she would blame their mother for their deadbeat father’s actions was ridiculous.
“He was a powerful time witch. He is, assuming he’s still alive. If he’d wanted to reach us, he could have. He doesn’t deserve an ounce of your pity. And he doesn’t matter. I’m your brother, and I’m right here in front of you. Please.”
“Sebastian…” For a moment, he thought his sister might crack. The throbbing sadness and isolation in her voice were palpable. “I’m older than you. I remember how she treated hi m. She tortured him using their bond. I love you but…I can’t let it go…”
“I love you too, Vee.” Sebastian reached out to her from the ground, hoping she might take his hand. “Come back to the city. You can stay with me. We’ll find a place. Linda can keep to herself in Bayonne, and we’ll ignore her.”
At the mention of their mother’s name, Veronica’s gaze went cold. “No. She’s a monster, and she doesn’t deserve what she has.”
“Vee—”
“You can stay here until you decide to stand with me against her. Or until I’ve won in spite of you. But be careful. Family doesn’t mean anything without loyalty.”
Managing to stop himself from pointing out the hypocrisy of that statement, Sebastian stared at her. How could she not see how ridiculous this all was? How she was following in their mother’s footsteps?
Veronica took Sebastian’s silence for continued defiance.
“I’ll check back in a couple of days. Some time in the dark might change your mind.”