A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 56 - Silver Lining

Just as daylight broke we had patted down the last patch of Earth.

I was panting again, sitting up to my knees to look at our work.

The headstone was no longer slanted and although there was a distinct look of it being freshly dug, the grave was neat and levelled.

"Alright," Sebastian drew out and sat up, brushing the dirty hands off of on his even dirtier trousers.

I didn't know how it would be possible to remove the dirt stains off of us. The clothes had to be burnt that was for sure.

"Wait," I took out my wand as he was readying to get up and turned to the grave again. I rose both of my hands and incanted.

Tiny snow bells and winterberries spruced from the fresh dirt, small hellebore leaves covering it all in a green carpet.

"You... didn't have to," Sebastian spoke with a hand on the doorknob to his house.

"We did. We had to," I finished, finally standing up, instinctively brushing my own hands on skirt of the night dress. "You won't see it was recently dug either."

He looked at the flowers, reaching his hand to brush one of the snow bells.

The bell of the flower bobbed and he sighed, finally standing up. 

"Come inside," he waved to me and opened the door. 

I did as told. 

"There are linens in the back cupboard by the potion stand," he pointed in the back of the room. "And um... there should be some of Anne's spare clothes somewhere." 

I winced thinking of needing to once again wear ill fitting clothes from a stranger. 

I knew my dislike of Anne was unwarranted, she had done nothing wrong. But I couldn't control the low irk in me about her. Everything that was happening was because of her and she was not even here to face it. In reality I know I had to chosen to place my anger with her. Sebastian received pieces of it, sometimes even Imelda. Anne was my scape goat for the rest that was silently seething inside of me. 

I didn't tell him, not daring to even suggest that was the case.

"There is a washroom behind that door," he pointed in the opposite side of the kitchenette. "Do... you want to go first or should I?"

"Can you show me where Anne's clothes are first?" I bit the inside of my cheek as I spoke.

"Of course," he briskly walked to the cupboard he had loosely indicated at. 

He opened it and a light smell of wool and dried flowers emanated the room. 

A part of the house was him. The smell of salty air and wool had sunk its claws to be forever in his skin. 

Sebastian threw various pieces of clothing to the bed, not really looking too much of what it was. 

"There's a few things," he pulled a cardigan and threw it to the bed again. "But um... maybe it's more fruitful if you had a look."

I picked up a long skirt that was half the size of my waist. 

I coughed holding up the skirt to myself. 

"You don't think it would fit?" he looked down at me holding the skirt. 

"Sebastian," I gave him a side eye stare. "Come on."

"Maybe something else fits?" 

I went over and looked at the few pieces of clothes on the bed. The clothes were the size fit for a child. I lifted the cardigan and for the first time my heart ached for her. When I first saw her in Feldcroft, she did seem severely under the weather, pale with huge black rings under her eyes.