A Man Has Horns // Sebastian Sallow

Chapter 58 - Feelings With Wings

"Where are we going?" I asked finally making the corner of another staircase, leading deeper and higher into the castle. 

"You'll see," he smiled walking a foot ahead of me, his hands into his robe pockets. 

We walked mostly in silence, partially due to my still confusion over his sudden appearance into my life. He was going to be my Yule Ball partner and although that had not particularly meant much to me, today he might have saved me from a collapse. I knew what happened when I got emotionally overwhelmed. I feared I was a brink away from loosing my grip on my magic when he interjected. Or had I already? Had my hair levitated? 

I swatted away the thought, not having the strength to have concern over it now. 

We walked another spiral, making to a small landing before another range of stairs were before us. 

My heart was now racing from the exercise and it was a pleasant change. A normal change. This was normal.

"SPARE THE MEN AMONGST LILITH"

I closed my eyes and sighed, feeling my body cringe. I knew that this was going to happen. I was worried Sebastian would have re-sparked or grow the intensity of rumours but in reality it was being seen with any man -  another man who I was clutching at for an adventure. 

A bitter taste filled my mouth. 

What was I doing.

But even before I could show a lack of a reaction, Anselm took out his wand and turned to the heckler. 

Suddenly the student in my year was forced on his knees, his face hovering inches from my boots. 

I froze, my eyes the widest they could be, shooting from the student to Anselm and back again.

"Apologise," he said with a cold and calm tone.

I couldn't see him. His head was too far crouched. 

"HNG WH-what are y-hou do-hn-ing," the faceless student tried to pull his head form my boots, to move any muscle in his body but was unable. 

This wasn't just a simple summoning charm. Was he... 

Had he cast Imperio?

I kept starring, my mind and heart silent. I was frozen.

"Apologise," Anselm repeated in a sonorous voice.

"I uh, I apologise!" the student squirmed. 

"Now kiss the floor beneath her feet."

"Anselm!" I lurched myself to him, strands of my hair hitting my face from the sharpness of my turn. 

This was an absurd and unexpected reaction of him. 

A small crowd had gathered around us, many pointing and whispering at Anselm, the student...

Me. 

"Kiss the floor," he said again, bobbing his head a few times as if he was loosing his patience, as if counting the seconds it took him to do it, frustrated that it was taking the nameless, the faceless so long to comply. "And that's it."

Before I even responded, before I was going to put a stop to this, the boy kissed the floor three times.

"They're alright!?" he exclaimed and Anselm lowered his wand. 

His head jerking back hard, making him fall to his backside. 

"Leander..." I looked and sadly let out.