#forbidden tomes? check

[recitedemise]

"Hm." Gale hums, peering about the emblazoned front of that well-worn tome. It looks adequately loved though just recently filched, and rummaging about his extensive memory, Gale concludes--with a smile!--that its name, he knows. Sure. They're a fellow connoisseur, hands always with a book. It strikes something bright within him, a feeling that leans on thrilled, and making toward their tent with a kick in his step, Gale, most friendly, greets hello. "Another enchanting if not debatably ordinary read?" he asks, expression devious. "Oh, it's perfectly adequate, don't misunderstand me, but in a gesture of good faith, I may be tempted to have you peruse my collection. That is, if you've a notable appetite for the more possibly controversial."

"Just an offer, of course. Life is short, and I've a feeling you aren't so uninspired in your tastes." / @bonegrieve.

[soundleer]

im so tired but my brain is still thinking of this one headcanon latelyyyy

what if jevin is like a librarian as one of his hobbies, especially assigned to lend safe tomes and archives and keep watch of the forbidden ones... this crossed my mind bc he reminded me of blueberry pie cookie from cookie run. jevin would look similar to her if he was a cookie like...

c'mon like look at them, do you see my vision- i seem to REALLY like blue lads who rarely smiles and do magic oopsieee

....OH I HAVE AN IDEAAAAAA!!!! but i gotta yap on the tags though (so used to doing that, its like whispering to me and i like to whisper my thoughts lol)

[devilevlls]

I feel like 23 was made for Satan. :') I don't mind whether it's SFW or NSFW! Surprise me! (if that's okay) ♥

Thank you for the request, sorry it took me longer than expected T-T I hope you enjoy it! 💚

Don't touch that, it's supposed to be cursedˎˊ˗

Gender-Neutral MC༘ ⋆｡˚

Satan, the so threatening avatar of Wrath, exuded his unexpected aura of tranquility as he sat amidst the towering stacks of books in his bedroom. Beside him sat MC, their curiosity unabated as they flitted from one tome to the next, their eyes alight with fascination. “Wow, there are a lot of things, Satan. You are incredible!” They say happily while picking another book to check.

Despite the chaos of books spread around the room, Satan remained unfazed, his attention captured by the pages of his current read. His gentle demeanor belied his fearsome reputation, and he regarded MC with a warmth that was both unexpected and endearing.

“You certainly are a curious type of human, aren’t you, little one?” He smiles softly.

As MC's restless fingers danced over the spines of the books, a mischievous gleam in their eye, Satan's smile widened, finding amusement in their boundless curiosity. But his amusement turned to concern as MC's hand hovered over a particularly ominous-looking volume, a foreboding aura emanating from its weathered cover.

"Don't touch that, it's supposed to be cursed!" Satan cautioned, his voice a stern reminder of the dangers lurking within the pages of forbidden knowledge. Despite his typically cool-headed demeanor, there was an edge of urgency in his tone, a warning that brooked no argument.

But it was too late. Before Satan could intervene, MC's hand had already made contact with the forbidden object. With a sinking feeling, Satan moved swiftly to shield them, bracing himself for the inevitable consequences.

Poof…

In the blink of an eye, Satan vanished, leaving behind a bewildered MC to search for any sign of him. Panic gripped them as they scanned the room, their heart racing with worry.

Wait, where is he? Then, a movement caught their eye. A cute cat sat before them, its gaze piercing and familiar. In a moment of realization, MC connected the dots—Satan had transformed into the feline before them.

Stunned by the unexpected turn of events, MC sighed in resignation, gently scooping up the cat and putting him on their lap. With a mixture of concern and determination, they turned their attention to the fallen tome, its pages fluttering open to reveal the secrets within.

"Oh no... Satan, that's so bad," MC murmured, their voice filled with concern as they gazed down at the transformed cat in their lap. Despite the gravity of the situation, the feline appeared surprisingly content, purring softly as it rubbed its head against their thighs.

MC blushes, their mind focused on the fact that it was actually Satan taking advantage of his cute form to be bold. They stroked his fur gently, a sense of reassurance washed over them. "Here says you only need to hear a secret and the spell is undone," MC murmured, their voice tinged with uncertainty as they studied the cryptic message within the tome.

They paused for a moment.

After a few minutes of gathering their courage, MC finally spoke, their cheeks flushed with embarrassment. "Alright... I'm actually in love with you. Even if we are so different from each other... I... Can't deny it."

As the words hung in the air, tension thickening between them, Satan's form shimmered before returning to its usual state. Still seated in MC's lap, he wrapped an arm around their neck, a smirk playing on his lips as he teased, "Oh, is that so...? You will need to elaborate now, kitten."

Despite the playful tone, there was a warmth in Satan's gaze that spoke volumes—Deep down he felt the same. And as they sat together, wrapped in the quiet intimate moment, MC realized that perhaps their secret had been the key to breaking not only the curse all along—but their relationship into a deeper one, stronger than any magic or curse could ever hope to be.

Drabble prompts you can use in your requests!

[rockislandadultreads]

For Fans of Legends & Lattes!

If you enjoyed Travis Baldree's Legends & Lattes, be sure to check out these fantasy read-alikes!

The Teller of Small Fortunes by Julie Leong

Tao is an itinerant fortune teller, traveling between villages with just her trusty mule for company. She only tells "small" fortunes: whether it will hail next week; which boy the barmaid will kiss; when the cow will calve. She knows from bitter experience that big fortunes come with big consequences. When a reformed thief, ex-mercenary, baker, and slightly magical cat recruit her into their desperate search for a lost child, Tao starts down a new path. But as she lowers her walls, she’ll have to decide whether to risk everything to preserve the family she never thought she could have.

Shoestring Theory by Mariana Costa

The kingdom of Farsala is broken and black clouds hang heavy over the arid lands. Former Grand-Mage of the High Court, Cyril Laverre, has spent the last decade hiding himself away in a ramshackle hut by the sea, suppressing his guilt over the kingdom’s ruin. For he played his part – for as the King, Eufrates Margrave, descended further and further into madness, his Grand-Mage - and husband - Cyril didn’t do a thing to stop him. Cyril knows his days are finally numbered, but are there enough left to put things right?

Sorcery and Small Magics by Maiga Doocy

Leo is a master of small magics and has vowed to never *again* write powerful magic. That is, until a mix-up involving a forbidden spell binds Leo to obey the commands of his longtime nemesis, Grimm. To dissolve the curse, they’ll have to uncover the true depths of Leo’s magic and set aside their long-standing rivalry. Little do they know that an odd spark of attraction will start to flare between them. 

This is the first volume of "The Wildersongs" trilogy.

Can't Spell Treason Without Tea by Rebecca Thorne

All Reyna and Kianthe want is to open a bookshop that serves tea. Worn wooden floors, plants on every table, firelight drifting between the rafters… all complemented by love and good company. Leaving their lives as one of the Queen's private guards and the world's most powerful mage, they settle together in Tawney, a town that boasts more dragons than people, and open the shop of their dreams. What follows is a cozy tale of mishaps, mysteries, and a murderous queen throwing the realm’s biggest temper tantrum.

This is the first volume of the "Tomes & Tea" series.

[holdmymallowsweet]

What are you doing here? 02

Ominis Gaunt x f!MC Word count: 4684, properly tagged on AO3

Chapter summary: It's the start of a new school year, and Ominis hopes he and Sebastian can carry on as they used to, even if one of their trio is missing. Looking back, that thought seemed almost foolishly optimistic.

a/n: This is the first of two pre-library chapters, featuring Ominis’ thoughts and feelings and whereabouts during the first few weeks of their fifth year, while Sebastian and Mc are busy fighting trolls and sneaking into the restricted section. Enjoy!

Chapter 01 || Masterlist || Chapter 03

Chapter 02 - Relegated

Calling her arrival at Hogwarts ‘memorable’ was almost an understatement. Disrupting the feast, led through the great hall by the headmaster himself after a rather lively argument behind half-closed doors that had the entire student body sit in nervous anticipation, it was no wonder that she seemed to be the only thing deemed worthy of discussion by anyone who was not a quidditch enthusiast.

Ominis wasn’t too bothered by it. Usually the one who’d know everything that went on within the castle’s walls and not so secretly fond of gossip, after everything that had happened at the Sallow’s during the summer, he longed for some peace and quiet. A sense of routine, while he and Sebastian would try and figure out how to go on, now that one of them was missing.

Who they were, where they’d come from and why they’d made such a spectacle of their entrance didn’t have to be his concern, not tonight at least. They’d ended up at the opposite side of the Great Hall anyways, out of mind. It wouldn’t keep him from having a decent meal, a good night’s rest, a regular day of classes tomorrow. Nothing else would either, if he could help it.

Wishful thinking.

They’d barely passed the giant hourglasses to return to their common room for the night, when Sebastian took him by the arm, years of experience letting Ominis know before he even opened his mouth that he had other plans.

“Listen, Ominis-”

Ominis groaned. “What is it now?” He was so tired.

“I think I’ll make a detour into the restricted section before bed.”

Oh for Merlin’s sake.

“On our first night back? You could at least wait a day before getting yourself into trouble again.” And wasn’t he tired as well, after the day they’d had?

“There’s something I want to check.” Sebastian paused. “For Anne. If you’re worried about me, you could come too, if you’d like.”

Ominis raised an eyebrow. It seemed like an off-handed remark, but there was something pleading in his friend’s voice, and it did make him feel guilty for how he was about to answer. But not guilty enough. “I’m sure you don’t need my help to get yourself another detention.”

“Fair enough.” And just like that, Sebastian was gone.

Ominis took a deep breath. He suddenly felt nauseous, and it had nothing to do with the food.

Was this how his fifth year at Hogwarts was going to be like? Sebastian taking every opportunity to engage in extracurricular, clandestine activities and the detentions that would undoubtedly follow, where did that leave him? He’d hoped with Anne being the way she was, that Sebastian would perhaps be a bit more reasonable, grow up a tad more.

His exploits hadn’t bothered Ominis as much last year, when his friend first started digging through forbidden books and sought out the seclusion of the Undercroft by himself, but last year he had Anne. Anne, who would rather play games with Ominis than put her nose in old, eerie tomes, who would usually take his side in their petty arguments, who would listen to him and fill the silence with cheerful chatter, in a way only she could. In that moment, more than ever before, he was suddenly very aware that she was truly gone. 

It felt as if the realisation ate a hole through his stomach..

Ominis inhaled slowly, rubbing at the crease that formed between his brows. He was so tired.

The two Slytherins had walked up to the castle from Feldcroft, as they did every year. Making the journey to London and spending the whole day on a train had always seemed ridiculous when they lived that close to Hogwarts. 

In the years prior, the three of them would have left the Sallow’s house early and made a day of it in Hogsmeade, but it wouldn’t have been the same without Anne. So they’d spent as much time with her as possible, holding on, attempting to avoid the moment they’d have to leave her behind until the last second. It had been a subdued, gloomy journey after that, not to mention exhausting, both physically and emotionally.

Ominis stood there motionless for a while, trying to collect his thoughts. He was passed by waves of chattering students, eager to return to their warm beds and catch up with their dorm mates in private. Imelda stomped past him, cursing under her breath. Obviously upset about not getting to boss around her team on the Quidditch pitch this year, she would likely try to make it everyone else’s problem as well.

He sighed, resigned to head down to the common  room alone.

“Did you hear? About the new fifth year? Why they were late to the sorting?”

He strained his ears, determined not to miss the answer, slowing down a bit to walk behind the gossiping pair of friends. Change of plans. Perhaps holding on to his old habits would do him some good after all. And perhaps there was a chance for some more light-hearted thoughts to occupy his mind. Something intriguing and perhaps funny to discuss with Sebastian when he got back.

“No, I just heard they were with Professor Fig. Did something happen then?”

“I don’t know any details about it.” The girl paused for dramatic effect. “...but they say their carriage was attacked by a dragon. Some bloke from the ministry was ripped apart right in front of them.”

Oh, you can’t be serious.

“Nothing yet.” Ominis teased. “I hope we get to see- or at least hear one today.”

All in all, his mood had been surprisingly good this morning. Leaning against the common room windows, he’d amused himself trying to keep the new first years on the lookout for mermaids, listening to their little sounds of excitement and impatience, wondering how long he could keep them there before they caught on. 

It had been Anne’s idea last year, and the fun had lasted until the prefects told them to cut it out. Ominis knew it would never be quite the same without her, but she’d insisted he do it again, ‘in her memory’.

He’d tried hard not to think about the implications of that phrasing.

“I- I think I heard one!”

Sounds of little hands slamming against the window and excited, high pitched gasps made the corners of his mouth twitch into a sly grin.

Being back at Hogwarts and getting a good night’s sleep in his familiar bed had done wonders to rid him of the near constant feelings of unease and dread he had since Anne had been cursed.

Ominis missed her dearly, but it was a relief to be away from the now gloomy home in Feldcroft that had once been his sanctuary, from the tension stemming from Solomon’s anxiety and his constant disagreements and shouting matches with a helpless, short tempered Sebastian, periodically disturbed by Anne’s cries and moans of pain. 

In the family’s time of hardship and grief, he’d felt like an intruder.

Ominis would have liked to help, he would have done anything, anything for his closest and only friends, but in the end all he could really do was stand there and listen to the Sallows telling him that another examination had not come up with results, that another remedy they tried had failed. The best he could do was stay out of their way, trying to melt into the wall.

A week before they had to leave for school, the consensus amongst the healers was that nothing could be done except have her rest and wait to see if she got better on her own. They were told she wouldn’t return to Hogwarts. 

Sebastian had not taken it well.

Determined as he’d been to stay awake and wait for his return last night, the exhaustion of the day had caught up with Ominis, and he’d been fast asleep when Sebastian had snuck back into their dormitory. They’d made up for it in the morning, gossiping about her as much as everyone else as they’d gotten dressed. It felt normal, comforting. 

Until, after a particularly wild theory of Ominis’, Sebastian had blurted out “...wait until Anne-”

It had been an innocent mistake. Ominis hadn’t commented on it, but the carefree mood was marred by heavy clouds. But the rain hadn’t fallen, not yet, at least.

Ominis listened for the sounds of his friend, who went through his newly stolen library books in front of the fireplace, pacing back and forth and sometimes mumbling to himself. He seemed to be doing all right, for now, at least.

Even if he was no longer in the mood for conversation.

Sebastian had been picking up bits and pieces of information about the new fifth-year and her journey to Hogwarts on his way to the library, most of it probably exaggerated, some of it seemingly complete and utter nonsense. 

Regardless, most of the Slytherins thought of it as an excellent adventure, a riveting tale that would go down in Hogwarts history. Imelda thought it was brilliant of her to take away all the attention from the first years.

Ominis couldn’t help but feel sorry for the girl. He might have expected her to relish the attention if she’d been a Gryffindor or even a Slytherin, but Hufflepuffs were usually happy to quietly exist in the background and mind their own business. He could relate.

He decided to stop thinking about it. Either way, their paths likely wouldn’t ever cross, unless they’d happen to walk through a classroom door at the same time.

“What do you think mermaids look like?”

Only, the way things progressed, thinking of her or not wasn’t his decision to make.

“What do you mean, you fought a troll?” Ominis asked, distraught. “Are you all right? Is she all right? Did you get hurt?”

“Don’t worry, Ominis, we’re fine,” Sebastian drawled, unbothered.

Sebastian hadn’t wasted any time telling him about his exploits in Hogsmeade with the new fifth-year. They were sitting by the common room fire, eating their way through an assortment of snacks Sebastian had stolen from the kitchens on his way back. Naturally, he’d been rather hungry, having missed dinner. And almost getting smashed to pieces did apparently conjure up quite the appetite.

He’d barely made it back in time for curfew, stumbling into their common room where Ominis, first annoyed, then worried, had been pacing up and down waiting for him.

“She was brilliant, you should have been there.”

Why hadn’t he been?

“Real duelling prodigy, that one,” Sebastian stated through a mouthful of food.

Yes, Ominis had gathered that much from their Defence Against the Dark Arts class earlier that day.

He frowned, his good mood from this morning long gone. He hadn’t talked to his best friend since the end of Hecat’s class, when he told a stunned and confused Ominis that he’d invited the girl who just beat him to Crossed Wands, but the Hogwarts rumour mill had done it’s best to keep him informed about their whereabouts since then.

Sallow and the new fifth-year really hit it off.

Sallow and the new fifth-year were seen going to Hogsmeade together.

Didn’t Sallow have other friends he was usually with?

No one really cared that much.

It didn't exactly feel good. And although Ominis was usually content to leave Sebastian to his own devices, after being deserted for almost the entire day, one might think an apology would be in order. 

Perhaps an inquiry about what he’d been up to- nothing, really, but it would have been polite to ask.

But it was Sebastian, and politeness was not his strong suit.

He listened to Sebastian chewing noisily, feeling his way through the stack of food until his hand landed on an apple tart. More because he wanted to keep his mouth busy than because he was hungry, and also because he’d already gotten his fingers sticky, Ominis took a small bite. If he said something now, it wouldn’t be anything nice and he wasn’t spoiling for a fight. 

“There’s more to all of this. She practically admitted it,” Sebastian said. Dreamily, intrigued.

Understandable, all things considered. Not yet alarming.

“Just wait, I’ll get to the bottom of this.”

Ominis didn’t like the sound of that at all.

Sebastian was starting to get obsessive again. Ominis knew him well enough to recognize the signs. Sebastian had been like this when he’d joined Crossed Wands, when he’d started sneaking into the restricted section, when he’d started to teach himself spells- dangerous, forbidden spells, many of which Ominis knew his friend didn’t bother telling him about anymore after he’d first voiced his concerns.

And now there’s the new fifth-year. Sebastian was going to make her his new research project, his new favourite pastime, and while it might have been good for him to have something to distract him from Anne, it made Ominis feel...

He refused to call it jealousy. He’d settle for ‘concerned’.

“Perhaps you shouldn’t.” Ominis tried to keep his tone light, but didn’t quite succeed.

“Why not?”

Ominis sighed heavily. “I’m sorry, only… I’m having a bad feeling about this.”

They were silent for a moment. Then, Ominis heard a stifled chuckle from his friend.

“When you say a bad feeling, you mean like an-“

 “Sebastian, don’t-“

“Like an ominous feeling?”

Ominis half-heartedly threw his leftover tart at him.

Maybe it wouldn’t have been that bad if he felt like he could ever get a break from her, but she seemed to be everywhere. Except of course when she seemed to be nowhere at all, sneaking out of school at odd hours, coming back hours later carrying the faint scent of the forbidden forest, or the lake, but even then, she was always… there. In the whispers in the hallways, in rumours, slipping into every conversation he’d have with Sebastian, at some point.

In their first Herbology lesson, it was her mandrake that shattered the greenhouse windows and almost took out his eardrums, turning an already debilitating class into a headache.

While he struggled in potions, she somehow excelled at the subject and even found time to steal from Sharp's office.

Ominis had groaned internally at the whole spectacle. If Garreth Weasley could put her up to theft not five minutes after making her acquaintance, he’d rather not think about what sort of mischief she got up to with Sebastian.

Like sneaking into the restricted section of the library. The tale of Sebastian Sallow taking the fall for her spread through the school like wildfire. When Ominis had asked him why he did it, Sebastian had simply stated: “Because that’s what I do for my friends. I’ve taken the fall for you before, anytime we’ve done something bad enough that I thought it might get back to your parents.”

Ominis hadn’t known what to answer. She’d been at school not even a week, and yet she already enjoyed the same friendship privileges as himself, in Sebastian's eyes. It felt as if he’d been punched. He knew his feelings were stupid and childish, it had been absurd to assume that Sebastian would never want or need any other friends. But still, Ominis couldn’t help but wonder why he wasn’t enough. 

He wanted, needed to let these feelings out somehow, and at first he considered putting them into his letters to Anne- but Anne had enough to deal with, sitting in that dreary house in agony with no one but her uncle for company. 

Ominis thought of her every day, everytime her empty chair in their classrooms reminded him of her absence, every time he heard someone talk about flying, or taking a sneaky dip in the lake before it got too cold. All things Anne used to love, that she wouldn’t do again, perhaps not ever.

If she tried to fly a broom and was struck with a bout of pain while mid air, she’d die.

No, he wasn’t going to bother Anne with his troubles. If she needed to know that her brother was positively smitten with the new student, Sebastian could tell her himself.

As the week went on, thankfully without further incidents, Ominis became more accustomed to her presence. She was, to his surprise, a fairly decent student, learning new spells on the first or second try and performing well in class, even when the teachers put her on the spot. How she managed that, when she seemed to prioritise gallivanting through the highlands over studying, was a mystery. She was polite, outgoing and cheerful, quickly making friends and wrapping her classmates around her finger with an effortless charm not unlike Sebastian’s.

The more time passed, the less Ominis could bring himself to share the enthusiasm.

Of course he’d been somewhat curious about her too, at least at first. 

He’d even made small, tentative attempts at approaching her. Perhaps making sarcastic remarks about her duel with Sebastian and their adventures in Hogsmeade had not been the best way to do it, but her complete and utter indifference, to the point of not even replying to him, left him dumbstruck. She could have at least quipped back.

And it stung- the realisation that she didn’t recognise him. 

Which meant Sebastian hadn’t mentioned him to her, at all.

He started to seek out the solitude of the Undercroft more often, lately the only place where he felt truly free from her presence, even if every empty crate in there seemed to taunt him with memories of himself and the Sallow twins, of nights they’d spent sneaking out of the common room to laugh and play games and eat stolen food from the kitchens. 

Simpler times that he’d never thought he’d one day miss so desperately that his very soul seemed to ache.

He knew he’d be there alone now, like all the other times, though he secretly wished he’d walk in there to find Sebastian waiting for him. Ready to carry on as they used to, even if there was someone missing. At least it would be a small comfort, for both of them.

Hearing the familiar mechanical whirring of the Undercroft’s hidden entrance made him pause, and for the briefest moment it seemed he’d gotten his wish.

“Hello Sebastian.”

No. Wrong.

“Wait.”

It wasn’t Sebastian. In an instant, he tensed up, his stomach filled with dread. Someone found the Undercroft, someone he didn’t recognise, someone who wasn’t supposed to be there. If they left without saying anything, he would never find out who they were.

“You there. I can hear you.”

Say something, anything.

“Oh, hello. Ominis, isn’t it? I believe we have Potions together. And- Herbology?”

His insides turned to ice in an instant, as he realised what was going on here.

It was her.

Of course it was her.

She tried her best to sound cheerful, but there was definitely a nervous undertone in her voice. And while it wasn’t his most pressing concern, the fact that even now she didn’t seem to remember him from any of their classes, other than those he was obviously rubbish in, did nothing to endear herself to him.

“I recognise that voice.” He said, more to himself than to her. “You’re the new fifth-year.”

He tried his best to sound calm, failing miserably as his frozen insides melted into white, hot anger.

“Did you just come from the Undercroft? How did you get in there?”

He already knew. He wasn’t asking because he needed the answer, he wanted to know if she was going to be honest about it.

“That room’s called ‘the Undercroft’? Ah. Well, I was exploring and suddenly found myself in a strange passageway-“

Liar.

He had enough of her. Of both of them.

“Don’t lie to me. No one ‘stumbles’ upon that room. Sebastian told you, didn’t he? You breathe a word about this place to anyone and not even your precious Professor Fig will be able to help you. My father is friends with the Headmaster. I’m not afraid to exploit that connection if I need to.”

It was an empty threat, of course. He hadn’t spoken to his father in ages, and he wasn’t keen on being in the vile man’s debt, especially over something like this. But there was a good chance she didn’t know and if she asked around, all she would find out was that his father was indeed friends with Professor Black, and perhaps that would frighten her enough to keep her mouth shut.

“You needn’t threaten me. I’m not going to say anything about your Undercroft.” The Hufflepuff’s voice sounded more assured than before. If she was at all intimidated by him, she didn’t show it. “And Sebastian is a good friend. You shouldn’t immediately assume the worst of him.”

“I don’t need you to tell me about my oldest friend, thank you very much.” His patience was at a breaking point, and it finally seemed to dawn on her that there was no way to salvage this conversation.

“Ominis, I just meant-“

“I know what you meant. Sebastian gets himself in enough trouble. He doesn’t need your help.”

At least she had enough sense not to respond. He walked past her, giving her a much wider berth than necessary. The thought of accidentally touching her, even briefly, made him sick.

It wasn’t entirely fair to her, and a small part inside of him knew that, but at that moment, it felt as if she’d taken everything from him. His best and oldest friend, his sanctuary, his very thoughts and feelings, everything seemed to revolve around her and Ominis just wanted it to end.

Fuming, he stormed into the Undercroft. Sebastian was still there, as expected, cheerful and completely oblivious. “Hello Ominis, I-“

“You.”

The atmosphere in the room shifted instantly.

“Yes? What did I do now?”

“Are you seriously pretending not to know?” Ominis snarled, anger dripping from every word like poison.

Sebastian went dead silent for a moment.

“Ominis, let me explain.”

“There’s nothing to explain. I trusted you.”

“And I trust her, I wouldn’t have taken her here if I didn’t. You know me. I promise you she won’t tell anyone else, I won’t either,” Sebastian pleaded.

“I suppose that includes me,” Ominis spat. “Would you have told me she was here if I hadn’t found out by myself?”

“I knew you wouldn’t take it well. It was wrong not to ask you before I showed her-”

Ominis snorted.

“-but I know she will keep it to herself. I can’t tell you why, not yet, but I know she’ll keep my secrets. Trust me.”

“But it’s not your secret, is it? It’s mine.” Ominis couldn’t make sense of the feelings welling up inside him anymore. He felt angry, betrayed, but most of all, hurt, and it all seemed to merge together to form a dull, throbbing ache in his head.

Yes, it was his secret. His special place, one of the few good things that came out of being a Gaunt. For him to share with the ones he loved and trusted. And even if Sebastian was right, even if she could be trusted- and he was not at all convinced that she could- it should have been his decision. 

If Sebastian had bothered to actually introduce them to each other, to include Ominis in whatever the two of them were up to, if they had gotten to know each other, on his own terms and in his own time, perhaps he might have told her himself.

But it wasn’t only the betrayal. If only he could find the right words to tell Sebastian just how abandoned he felt, tossed aside for a newer, shinier toy.

He wasn’t enough. He’d never been, for anyone. Too weak, too useless, too defective.

He couldn’t bring himself to say it. What if he said it, and Sebastian couldn’t pretend it wasn’t true?

Tears were threatening to spill out of his useless eyes, and he squeezed them shut, furiously pinching the bridge of his nose, desperately willing them to stay inside.

“Ominis?” Sebastian said, cautiously approaching him.

Ominis took a deep breath, fighting down the tears, at least for now. He leaned against one of the stone pillars.

“Anything else?” He hated how choked his voice sounded.

“What do you mean?”

“Is there anything else you told her, that I should know about? Be honest.” Ominis hoped the answer was ‘no’. And for that to be the truth.

Sebastian took a moment to answer. When he did, he spoke slowly and carefully, as if he was scared the wrong words would make Ominis’ temper flare up again. “Nothing that you’d disapprove of, I think. We talked a bit about Anne, and… you.”

Ominis raised an eyebrow. “Me?”

“I told her you’re blind and that you use your wand to get around.”

“Why, thank you. I’m sure that would have eluded her otherwise.” Ominis remarked dryly, undoubtedly getting an eye roll in return.

“I told her the Undercroft is special to you-” Sebastian went on, ignoring Ominis derisive snort.

“-and a bit about your family.”

That hit Ominis like a Graphorn, making him tense up with a sudden, poorly concealed panic. “You didn’t-”

“No, of course not. Nothing she wouldn’t have found out eventually anyway.”

The crease between his brows and the harsh line of his lips formed involuntarily as a familiar darkness crept into his mind. His thoughts must have been obvious to his long-time friend.

“I’d never tell her about anything you’d want to keep a secret,” Sebastian said.

“I wanted to keep the Undercroft a secret.”

Sebastian groaned. 

It filled Ominis with a sick sort of satisfaction. “What did you tell her then?”

“...just, well. That you’re descended from Slytherin himself, that the Gaunts care a lot about blood status. But I let her know you’re not like them.”

So she knew. Perhaps that was why she’d seemed so flustered when talking to him.

“What did she say?”

“Nothing much. I’m not sure how much she knows about these things to be honest, I mean, she’s a Hufflepuff. And I didn’t bring her down here to give her a lesson on pureblood culture,” Sebastian said, unconcerned.

“Then there was no need to tell her anything. If she didn’t know, you could have left it at that,” Ominis said, irritated.

“It’s not exactly a secret, Ominis. Everyone else knows and you’re classmates, she would have found out eventually. Wouldn’t you rather she heard it from me?”

“I’d rather she heard it from me, actually.”

Sebastian huffed, obviously amused even if he didn’t dare to laugh.

“You just said there was no need to tell her anything.”

“I… fine. Just do me a favour and keep me and my family’s secrets out of your future conversations.” Ominis said dejectedly, as the fight went out of him. He hoped this would be the end of their argument. His head was still hurting from all the shouting and he just wanted to go back to their dormitory and take a nap, forget about her and all of this for a blissful few hours.

“All right. But now that she knows about the Undercroft, is she allowed back in here? It is a good place for spellcasting and there’s more I’d like to-“

“Sebastian, please.” Ominis’ voice was little more than a whisper. He pinched the bridge of his nose again in frustration.

“Please, I know you find her intriguing, that you’re using her to distract yourself from how much you miss Anne-“

“I’m not using her, we’re friends.” Sebastian’s voice dropped, he genuinely sounded hurt.

“You know what I mean. We’re friends, Sebastian, the two of us and Anne. All I want is for things to go back to how they were before, and so do you.” It was a last effort, a genuine plea for Sebastian to let her be, before their friendship went up in flames.

“That’s not-” Sebastian broke off mid-sentence and took a deep breath. “You don’t understand.”

“No, I do not.” Ominis admitted.

He wouldn’t for a while.

more a/n: But he will in the next chapter! …maybe. So this turned out quite a bit more angsty than intended, but I think Ominis’ anger at Mc when he finds out she’s been in the undercroft is very genuine and doesn’t just come out of nowhere, so I’ve spent a lot (and probably way too much) time thinking about how he must have felt about Sebastian and Mc’s friendship. Also I did settle on Anne having been cursed right at the start of the summer holidays. Because I’m pure evil and I like the thought of Ominis coming to Hogwarts like “at least I still have Sebastian��” only to have him snatched away by Mc. …sorry. Originally this and the third were one chapter, but the length of it got slightly out of hand and I’ve had the perfect spot to split it exactly in the middle (more or less, they’re 4k+ words each now). I hope to get the next one out a bit sooner, so you won’t have to wait that long.  I hope to see you all next time! And thanks again for every one of your sweet comments and your support, it means the world to me ❤️ And finally, as usual, this fic has no beta (unfortunately) but I do my best to make sure it’s free of spelling errors. If you find any anyway, or you notice me using words wrong, let me know (nicely) so I can fix it.

[blueraineshadows]

Lured

Dark!Leander x F!MC x Dark!Sebastian

Triggers: NSFW 🔞 smut, sexual language, dubious consent at the start, dominance, choking, capture and imprisonment, manipulation, blindfolded, tied up character, branding, edging, bisexual characters.

Long fic. Please check the triggers.

The side street off Knockturn Alley was dim, shadows long and stretched in the low evening sun, the few people about kept their heads down and hoods low as they scurried or lurked. Soon, the shadows would consume the little light that was left and the dark would bring out those who liked to dabble in mischief and mayhem.

MC kept her vigil at the end of the little cobbled street, the buildings leaning forward as though tired of existence as she kept her eyes trained on a particular shop at the far end. Her client had been very helpful in their directions. Their stolen artefact was definitely not in the care of Borgin and Burke, the establishment far too well known for the likes of this particular trinket. This item had been stolen by a thief who was out-witting even Burke's best pilfering agents but nobody knew who it was.

MC had spent years tracking down artefacts, trinkets, treasures, even luring people out of their hiding places when the call came. She was good at it and earned good coin for her efforts. This skilled thief was stumping even the Ministry, so when this client had come with information and the job to track this item down, MC had leapt at the chance.

She was on the scent, the shop in sight, and come nightfall she would be going in. She had her suspicions, her contacts had whispered some clues that had tickled at some memories buried deep in her stash, and she wondered if her instincts were right.

....*....

The front door would be too obvious, but after scouting out the exterior of the small shop, a curious frown marred MC's brow. There was enchantments at work here. Circling the building made one arrive at the front without seeing anything but solid brick. It was the front door or nothing. For a shop, it was well guarded, and her suspicions hiked up another notch, an eager excitement teasing at her.

Peering through the grimy shop window revealed no more than a display of books and nondescript items, nothing that stood out or encouraged one to step inside, and she wondered if maybe her client had been wrong. This didn't look like a place for the dark and forbidden, but then appearances could always be deceptive. Her curiosity was piqued, and she determined to dig a little deeper.

There was only one way to find out. Swift and sure, MC clicked the lock with a flick of her wand, and she slipped inside, closing the door ever so carefully behind her. The interior was dark, the scent of old books and dust in the air as she stepped silently past racks of more simple fares. The counter was dark wood, the register an old brass affair, and a glass lamp stood unlit beside it.

It was a curiosity shop, but the dust betrayed the lack of custom, and the possibility of it being a front for something else was all too clear. She stared curiously around, her finger tips trailing along the spines of old tomes as she neared the door that led to the rear of the shop.

A creak of wood behind her made her still. She held her breath, ears pricked up as she listened. Another creak, and the subtle low breaths of another in the room reached her ears. Her fingers, slender but strong, gripped her wand, heart pounding as she waited.

It was not uncommon to face a skirmish, she was well practised in it, and was rarely afraid. She had faced bigger and badder things in her time. Her senses strained, every fibre on alert towards the presence behind her. She wondered if her suspicions were about to be confirmed. Was it him?

She barely flinched as the tip of a wand slid against her throat, warm breath fanning against the edge of her hood. Fingers gripped at the black fabric near the top of her head, a strange shiver sliding down her spine as it slid back to reveal her hair beneath. The wand tip pressed deeper against the flesh of her neck and she swallowed, tense and curious.

"Of all the witches in the world that could have walked into my shop in the dead of night, it would have to be you wouldn't it?"

MC felt her heart stutter behind her ribs at that low, soft voice. Her mind scrambled, searching for a memory that shivered in fog. She knew that voice. He knew her. But it was not the voice she had been expecting. MC was thrown, caught off guard at her suspicion being squashed by that almost gentle tone.

Fingers touched her hair, a soft caress that threaded downwards to brush loose strands back from her face. Her eyes moved to glance sideways, wanting to see who it was but not ready to make a move yet. That voice niggled at her. She knew it, but she was struggling to put a face to it.

He moved closer, a spicy scent mixed with a scent that was very male filled her nose, and she felt the warmth from his body close at her back. Hot breath bloomed under her ear and then he inhaled slowly through his nose, taking in her scent like a predatory beast. The close proximity, the warmth, the allure of that scent and that voice, it all combined to leave her confused. She still hadn't moved.

"Still so beautiful," he said softly. "Beautiful and deadly."

She gasped, shock making her stiffen as a pale hand plucked her wand right out of her fingers. Since when had she ever been so slack?

He chuckled, low and deep, as her wand disappeared out of sight. This time, she turned, her eyes lifting, having to look up into a face that made her gape. She stared at his pale skin that seemed to gleam in the dark, a strong brow and nose and dark eyes that burned into her own.

He was harder looking than she remembered, his face angled and full of darkness, a confidence lingered in his gaze that hadn't been there when she had known him at school.

"Prewett," she whispered.

His full lips twisted into a smirk. "So, you remember me?"

The tall, awkward Gryffindor boy who had helped her in Herbology with soft words and shy smiles was gone. This was a man. A man with the glow of the dark in his eyes. He was the last person she had expected to see here in this part of Knockturn Alley, but the voice now matched up with her memory of him.

Leander Prewett had caught her in the dark and taken her wand from her, and she had let him.

"What happened to you?" She asked, stunned.

His smirk disappeared and she uttered a small cry as slender, cold fingers circled her throat. MC moved to step back but he tugged her forward, his face so close she could see the smattering of freckles across his nose in the murky light.

"Don't underestimate me, MC," he said. His voice was low, soft, but there was an edge to it. An edge that seemed to scrape down her spine with delicate nails, and she arched her back at the sensation, her body reacting before her brain could stop it.

MC stared at him, her throat bobbing under the tight feel of his cold fingers around it. This was different, a whole new side of the boy she had known. He had been a fair duellist, he could hold his own, but he had been awkward and his mouth often opened before thinking. His posturing and bluster had not made him one to take that seriously, but this man before her now was leagues away from all of that.

Her heart began to thud a little faster as she stared into his eyes, that strange scraping shiver in her spine spread outwards and into her limbs.

She had met some nasty pieces of work over the years, had a few scraps with them, and taken more than one down when the need arose. Some of them had even lured her into their beds, the ones with irresistible smiles and dark eyes, the ones who had a particular cocky charm that reminded her of one boy in particular.

But Leander had never turned her head in that way. So why was she now quivering in his hands? He had taken her wand, he wasn't exactly choking her, but his hand could squeeze if he wanted, and she wasn't pushing him off when she should.

"Well?" He prodded. "Are you going to reveal why you're creeping around in here after hours?"

His hand at her throat subtly tightened and she gulped. His eyes blazed and she just couldn't look away. Leander Prewett was making her blood sing, her skin waking up and her pupils dilating as he held her in a choke hold in the dark. Everything about this screamed at her to kick him in the shin and tackle him to the floor. She needed to get her wand back and get the fuck out of here. Abort mission.

But she just stood there, eyes locked with him, her body responding to his darkness in ways that would have had her laughing in disbelief ten years ago. He looked too certain and assured, a knowing smirk on his lips that suggested he knew exactly what she was doing here.

"I... " She stopped, her voice cracking on that simple sound.

His head tilted and his eyebrows twitched upwards. "My, my," he said slowly. "The Hero of Hogwarts is speechless."

"Don't call me that," she said quickly.

Her hand grabbed at his forearm as he squeezed her throat even tighter, her lungs beginning to constrict with panic. "Please... Leander... "

He chuckled. "I know why you're here. He said you would come, and he was right."

"What?" She rasped. "Who?"

Her original suspicions flared once more. He wasn't alone, but the idea of Prewett working with him... No. It couldn't be.

Leander let go of her throat, moving with such speed that all she could do was keep sucking in breaths with long gasps, coughing a little at the freedom in her throat as he pinned her arms behind her back. He pressed his face close to her ear as he shoved her up against the nearest bookshelves, the wood pressing sharply against her ribs. His nose was in her hair, the sound of his steady breaths against her ear making her shiver as his body held her in place.

"What are you going to do?" She asked, her voice betraying her as it wobbled with uncertainty.

He hummed softly, a hand pressed to her waist, fingers gripping harshly and her head tilted backwards, eyes fixed wide on the dusty books in front of her face.

"I'm going to take you to him," he murmured. "I reckon he is going to be pleased to see you. We've heard about you, your little deeds and clever tricks. He said the artefact would draw you out, and he was right. You walked right through the door as if I had called your name."

She trembled. Her client had given her this address, had claimed the thief frequented this shop, and she had indeed walked right in here.

It was a trap. The bastard had tricked her again. Every time she got close, he played a new hand and left her unbalanced. When would she learn?

MC grit her teeth, angered at herself for not taking more care before entering here, and now she was without a wand and pinned against a bookcase. Leander was strong, and he was so different, unpredictable, and she had no idea what he might do next.

"What do you want?" She asked.

He chuckled again, his hand at her waist moving around to press against her stomach, holding her firmly against the lean hardness of his body. Her breathing hitched slightly and she bit softly against her own tongue. Fear mingled with the strange swirl of excited curiosity.

"You," he whispered against her ear.

Her gasp was swallowed by the swirl of black and the sharp crack of Disapparation.

....*....

Leander's grip on her was firm as they stumbled into a firelit chamber. The stone floor was gritty under her boots and the air stale as though they were underground. MC turned her head, eyes darting quickly about to take in the sloped curve of the stone ceiling and the huge fireplace. Some of the columns were cracked and crumbling, the look and feel of the place suggesting age and little use.

"Where are we?"

Leander didn't answer, he just moved her forward, her feet scraping across the stone as they approached a doorway in the far corner. There were storage crates along one wall, barrels and items draped in sheets, chests that promised more curiosities that tugged at her thoughts. She couldn't seem to help it, her heart lusted after beautiful things. She craved the rush of the discovery, of touching something that had perhaps been untouched for countless years.

Leander hauled her away from the storage and she turned her gaze on the dark maw of the archway he was pushing her towards. The entrance way appeared to shimmer, a shift in the light against the inky black behind it. A memory came to mind of enchanted archways that would shift a room, illusions that led her through ancient trials, magic that she'd had to puzzle her way through in order to prove herself worthy.

But she wasn't a clueless teenager anymore. She didn't need to prove anything to anyone. One look at that doorway made her balk, though, and a slither of fear finally slid down her back as she began to resist with her feet, pressing back against him. "Wait... Leander... "

He pushed her harder. "Move," he ordered.

MC resisted, not wanting to go through that archway, something told her that going through it would be like crossing a line she couldn't step back from. She twisted, pushing back against Leander as she found her fight.

But he was stronger, over powering her easily and backing her up against the stone wall, those cold, long fingers wrapping around her throat again. In the glow from the fire his red hair gleamed, the hard lines of his face thrown into shadows and sharp angles. He was quite the sight, formidable and unmoving, so far from her memories of him, and yet it didn't look wrong on him. In fact, it had quite the opposite effect.

"Why are you doing this?" She said, writhing against his grip.

His lips lifted into a smirk. "I like it when you fight back," he said. "You always did have fire in your belly, MC. I could see it in your eyes when we were at Hogwarts together, and you've still got it, even now."

"Let me go," she said.

"Are you going to behave?" His eyes glittered, almost as though he was daring her to say no.

"What happened to you?" She asked again.

The hand around her throat shifted, smoothing up and around, his thumb grazing gently just under her jaw. She lifted her chin slightly, the delicate caress of his fingers sliding into her hair feeling far more delicious than it should. She squeezed her eyes shut and tried to ignore it.

"Don't." The word slid from her lips in a pleading whisper.

She felt his warmth move even closer, fingers sliding back down her neck to press against the flutter of her pulse. It raced, a betraying throb against his fingers as his breath tickled near her ear. "Don't what? Touch you?"

His words caressed the shell of her ear and she shivered, hands grabbing his forearms, fingers curling into the black fabric of his robe.

"I can feel the rush of your blood," he whispered. He pressed his fingers harder against her pulse and a soft whimper left her lips. "Are you scared? Or maybe you like this?"

Her eyes opened and she met his gaze, the firelight dancing in the depths of his brown eyes, pupils wide and fixed on her.

"Do you want me to like it?" She taunted. "Or, do you want me to fight you off?"

"Plenty of time for all of that once we go through that door," he said. "You walked willingly into the shop, and now you're going to walk through there. He's waiting on the other side for us."

She paused her wriggling at those last few words. MC turned her gaze towards the endless dark through the archway, that odd shimmer catching at the corner of her eye. Her breaths quickened, anticipation thrumming through her.

He was waiting.

Surely her suspicions had led her to the right place, the game of cat and mouse they had played for years could be coming to an end...

"Who's waiting?" She asked, as if she didn't know.

Leander smiled. "Let's go and find out, shall we? I reckon you won't be disappointed."

He didn't let her go, but he didn't have to push her either as they stepped up towards the archway. As they stepped through, a chilling sensation spread over her skin as they passed through the enchantment. Her eyes blinked as the darkness shifted into the ambient glow of lit lamps. A quick glance over her shoulder revealed the chamber they had left, but a warped vision of it through the shimmer of the spell.

The room they were inside now was more inviting, lit softly and with comfortable furniture and books. So many books. Shelves and tables filled with them, piles stacked around the room and even on the floor. A cheerful fire crackled in a hearth and rugs covered the floor under settees and easy chairs. There were two other doors, wooden and both closed, but no windows. As she had first suspected, it appeared that they were indeed underground, but the high ceiling arched upwards with delicate stone work and beams of solid wood.

Her eyes swept the room quickly, assessing everything with a sharp eye before her gaze settled on the man sitting in the chair nearest the fire. Her lips parted, the fight leaving her body as her gaze travelled over the long limbs, the confident way he sat and the devastating smirk that pulled at his mouth.

"Sebastian," she whispered.

It had been seven years since they had graduated Hogwarts with promises on their lips, but neither of them had kept them. He was still beautiful, even more than she remembered, his hair still ruffled and begging for her hands to run through it. His face was leaner, the angles sculpted in tempting lines that she used to smooth with her finger tips as a girl.

But that was so long ago. Since then, he had led her on a dangerous dance through Scotland and England, ducking through the shadows as they both chased after artefacts and knowledge. Sometimes she had been one step ahead, but he was cunning and quick, and she had felt the bitter taste of frustration more than once.

In one smooth motion, he stood and stalked across the space, head slightly dipped as his dark eyes roamed over her. The flutter in her pulse before was nothing compared to the way it hammered now, her knees weakening and her mouth going dry as he drew ever closer.

Stupidly, she stepped back, bumping up against Leander who chuckled right near her ear, his hands sliding down both of her arms. She would get no back up from the tall red head, she was sure.

"Hello, MC," Sebastian said, his voice deeper and richer than their school days. "I'm so glad you could finally make it."

"You did this," she said. "You set me up."

Amusement danced in those deep, brown eyes, eyebrows lifting playfully. "And you played the game so well, MC," he said. "I'm a little disappointed at your predictability. I expected more of a fight if I am being honest."

"Honest?" She huffed. "Im surprised you know the meaning of the word."

He was close enough for her to see the amber flecks in his eyes, the firelight picking out the gold in his hair. He lifted a hand, long fingers catching her chin and tilting her head to his liking.

"If memory serves me correctly, you love the game as much as I do," he taunted. "Do not preach to me about honesty, my darling. Your heart is as dark as mine, if not darker."

She glared at Sebastian, defiance making her pull her chin from his grasp. Leander's grip tightened on her arms and she felt his breath at her ear again.

"Be a good girl now, MC," he warned.

Sebastian's eyes moved to Leander. "Where's her wand?"

Leander slipped her wand from his robe and handed it over to Sebastian. MC shifted, arm snatching out to make a grab for it but Sebastian was faster. She growled in frustration, dodging to one side to wrench free from Leander's grip. She stumbled and ran, circling a table and almost skidding on a rug.

"She's not playing nice," Leander said. "She looks like she is thinking of trying to escape."

Sebastian's laugh was low and soft, his fingers slowly spinning her wand, his face lowered as he watched her through his lashes. "I do love it when they run," he said softly. "It makes the capture so much more satisfying."

MC gulped, eyes wildly searching for a route out of here, Sebastian's soft laugh sending shivers over her skin. There were two wooden doors that were closed and the enchanted archway she had passed through. With no idea what lay behind those doors and her wand in their possession she had limited options.

Had they done this before? Lured women down here and tortured them? Had they become that dark and twisted? Her heart was thudding as she eyed them both.

"Give me my wand," she demanded.

Sebastian slowly shook his head, his fingers smoothing over the wood of her wand, his gaze thoughtful before he aimed it at her.

"What the fuck is this?" She asked, backing up, her legs hitting against a high backed chair.

Sebastian's eyes glittered with something, a shifting shadow in their depths that pulled at something deep within her. She stared at him, unable to tear her gaze away as he stalked slowly towards her. She skirted round the chair, still backing up, not taking her eyes off him for a moment while he had her own wand aimed at her.

In doing so, she had missed Leander circling around the other way, and when his hands grabbed at her from behind, she squealed. Bucking against him, she twisted and fought, but he was stronger, his arms wrapping around her until she was pinned, her chest heaving against his iron grip. His lean hardness was pressed against her back, his own quickened breaths in her ear.

"Naughty girl," he rasped. She tried to squirm and he chuckled. "I think we might have to chain our little plaything up, Sebastian. She isn't playing the game."

Sebastian stalked closer, his eyes dark, his teeth rolling his lower lip. MC struggled, trying not to look at him and failing.

"There's my fiery girl," he said softly. "Don't worry, Lee. She will play, we just get to have a little fun breaking her in first."

"Fuck you," she spat.

The tip of her own wand settled against her skin, trailing softly over the back of her hand and dipping down to her wrist. Her heart pounded and she couldn't tear her eyes from Sebastian as Leander held her steady.

"Incarcerous."

A silvery wisp slithered from the end of her wand, parting into two and solidifying into a rope that twisted sensually around her wrists, sliding effortlessly against her skin. The ends broke free from the end of her wand and were deftly caught by Sebastian before he pocketed it. His smile was of smug delight.

"Now I have you," he said. Leander loosened his grip on her as Sebastian gave the ropes a tug. She had no choice but to stumble forward. "No more hiding, MC. I've finally caught you."

Her heart raced, she was trapped, at his mercy. She should be kicking and screaming, but she wasn't. Just like before, when Leander had her pinned against the bookcase, it was a twisted curiosity that thrummed through her rushing blood.

"What are you going to do?"

Sebastian's eyes shifted to Leander as he moved to join him, they shared a dark look before they both turned their gazes back to her.

"Now the fun really starts," Leander said.

Sebastian's smile sent a tingle down her spine.

....*....

The silvery bindings around MC's wrists were cool and strangely soft, and when she pulled against them they didn't hurt her, but they were strong and held her in place. The coolness was welcome against her flushed skin, her body trembling with conflicting waves of uncertainty and unbidden desire.

Her arms were lifted, the bindings holding them up where Sebastian had attached them to a wooden beam. Her feet were on the ground but she couldn't move far. She was effectively a prisoner, hanging there, her eyes following the two men as they circled her slowly like two predators, their eyes hungry for the kill.

"She looks good, doesnt she?" Leander said, pausing in front of her, his gaze moving slowly down her body.

Sebastian moved to stand beside him. "A prize indeed," he agreed.

"Is this what you lured me here for? To tie me up and stare at me?" She asked. "What's next? Torture? Pain? You want me to suffer?"

Sebastian's eyes were dark. "Oh, there will definitely be torture, and maybe you will suffer a little, but the pain will be sweet. I promise."

MC felt her lungs constrict, breath stuttering as she pulled on her bindings. She shook her head. "Fuck you," she bit out.

Sebastian chuckled. "Patience, my darling."

Leander was becoming fidgety, his fingers flexing and his movements antsy as he eyed her. "When can we start playing?"

Sebastian reached up to brush his knuckles down his cheek. "All in good time, my love," he purred.

Leander leaned in to the gentle touch, a soft sigh leaving his lips. MC stared, transfixed, a flutter of fire stroking outwards between her thighs. She clenched them together, her mind trying to deny what her body was seeking.

"Are you... you two are together?" She asked.

Leander narrowed his eyes. "Is that a problem?"

Her eyes widened as Leander took hold of Sebastian's chin and kissed him full on the mouth, Sebastian responding with a low moan. She gaped, not expecting that at all. Neither did she expect it to make heat flare deep within her, her arms pulling on the ropes as their kiss deepened. MC had to look away, squeezing her eyes shut, trying to think of anything else that wouldn't fire her up like this. She couldn't give in. She wouldn't play their game.

"Is someone jealous?" Sebastian teased. MC flinched as his fingers trailed from her jaw to her neck, the touch light but confident. She swallowed, her throat visibly working as she shifted away. A crease appeared in his brow, and he took hold of her jaw, forcing her to look up at him. "Play nice, MC."

"Do you think she would like a taste before the real games begin?" Leander whispered.

Her eyes flew to him. "What?"

Sebastian nudged Leander towards her. "Try her," he said softly.

MC trembled as Leander advanced, her feet sliding backwards, the ropes pulling tight until she could go no further. His eyes blazed, tongue sliding over his kiss swollen lower lip as he gripped the front of her robe and dragged her forwards.

"Leander...no... "

Her whimper made his lips twitch and he dipped to nuzzle at her neck, her head twisting as her whispered pleas spilled from her lips, denying what her traitorous skin responded to. She felt the brush of his nose, his hands gripped her waist and then lips tasted her skin. He wasn't gentle, his kisses exploring her until he was at her ear, a wave of goose bumps spreading over her skin despite her efforts to twist free.

Leander sighed, breath hot, and then he claimed her harder, his mouth sucking at her neck, tongue flicking in tempting strokes. It sent rivers of fire through her, a soft sound leaving her mouth that made his hands slide greedily around her, holding her closer as the suck turned to pain. It was a sweet awakening that made her lips part with a cry.

This shouldn't feel this good, but Leander's mouth spread fire on her flesh, the sting of his bite sure to leave marks on her skin. With Sebastian watching on, the erotic situation she found herself in was heightened. She was no prude, she had seen plenty in the underbelly of the Wizarding World, even Muggles had their dark side. But this situation was a new one for her, and while a slow fear curled in her gut, there was also curiosity and desire, a deep throb that made her thighs clench with a shameful need.

Fingers took hold of her chin again and Sebastian studied her face with approval.

"I think she likes it," he said, pleased. His eyes were dark with arousal and she was losing herself, her arms slackening in their bindings.

Leander dragged his mouth up to her jaw. "She is so lovely," he murmured. His hands slid down over her hips, moulding her with firm fingers. "So soft."

MC stared into Sebastian's eyes and he smirked, slow and devastating. His fingers brushed her hair back from her face, gentle as he slid them into her locks before he gripped tightly, making her wince. With a sharp tug, he pulled her head back, her throat fully exposed now. At the first hungry claim of his mouth on her skin she groaned. Both of them, one each side, devouring her.

Her eyes stared up at the dark, high ceiling, her mind shattered in shock, her blood aflame with a need so sharp and sweet it made her bones melt. Leander's firm grip on her hips held her steady as her legs trembled and her wrists went slack on their bindings.

"Such a good girl," Sebastian crooned.

A low hum of agreement came from Leander as his hands cupped her behind, fingers digging into her soft flesh through her clothes. "I want more."

Sebastian moved back, his hand on Leander's shoulder. "I think it's time to play a game," he said.

Leander reluctantly lifted his mouth from her, eyes eager. "I do like to play."

"What... what kind of game?" MC asked.

Sebastian smiled and stroked her cheek. "Listen to her, Lee. She is so hungry for more."

Leander moved slowly to her right, Sebastian hovered on her left, his wand spinning distractedly. "I thought you liked playing games, MC. You've been trying to hunt me down for months, have you not?"

"And now I have finally found you,' she said, lifting her chin with defiance.

Both of them chuckled and exchanged a look. "You're only here because we let you find us, sweetheart," Sebastian said. "We thought you might want to come and play with us."

MC felt her pulse quicken at his words but her eyes were watching the pair of them carefully. They looked too poised and ready to pounce again, her neck still damp from their kisses was like a taster, a mere glimpse into what they might do.

"Why in Merlin's name would you think that?" She asked.

"Oh, come now, MC," Sebastian said. "Look how prettily you moaned for us just now. Don't tell me you wouldn't like more."

Leander smirked and stepped closer, his eyes fixed on her, the gleam in them difficult to look away from.

"Well, you thought wrong," she said, however the tell tale breathlessness in her voice didn't hold much conviction.

Sebastian tilted his head, his hand slipping into his pocket to pull out the artefact. The little sphere shimmered in the glow from the lamps, the colours of it bleeding into each other just as the client had described.

"Not even for this?" He taunted. He rolled the sphere in his fingers. "I bet you would love to get your hands on this."

Incredibly rare and desperately sought after, the Seeing Sphere was a prize indeed. A sacrificed drop of blood would be absorbed into that shimmering surface and images would appear in its depths, prophetic images. MC stared at it, fingers twitching with the urge to caress that alluring surface that slid effortlessly through Sebastian's fingers.

She had never seen it before, only heard the whispered rumours, so when it was stolen she had lusted after the chance to hunt it down. But, of course, Sebastian had to get his hands on it first.

"You would never give up such a thing," she scoffed.

He grinned. "Play the game and find out."

Her eyes moved from him to Leander and back again. Were they being serious? "Will you give me my wand?"

"Absolutely not," Sebastian said immediately.

She scowled. "You could at least release the ropes, my arms ache."

"You need to be a good girl for us first," Leander said.

MC could see how they were both carefully moving around her, one on each side like predators stalking prey. Her feet shifted on the stone floor, needing to keep moving as though she could actually escape. She glanced up at where the ropes were fastened around the wooden beam. They were fixed tight, the beam solid and thick. She had no chance of pulling that free. She sighed and hung her head.

"What do you want?" She asked.

Sebastian gave a deft flick of his wand and the button at the top of her blouse slid free. MC gasped and looked down as the button below popped open next.

"Stop it," she hissed.

A third revealed the lacy edge of her chemise. She glared at Sebastian and he chuckled.

"It's not like I haven't seen it before," he taunted.

MC felt her cheeks grow hot, her gaze flicking to Leander as he took another step forward.

"I haven't seen it before," he said. "Time to play nice and share, MC."

He stepped forward, a pocket knife in his hand. She eyed it warily.

"What are you doing?" Her voice wobbled as she spoke, his other hand holding her still as he held up the knife. She gasped, a hiss of surprise as she felt a pin prick on her finger tip, the blood welling up into a droplet.

"What are you doing?" She asked, eyes wide with horror.

Sebastian moved closer, holding up the Seeing Sphere and Leander held her hand tightly, guiding her bloody finger to it's shimmering surface.

"We want to see what happens when you touch it," Sebastian said, his voice heavy with intrigue. He gave her a dark smirk. "Just think about what you want, your deepest, dirtiest desires."

MC tried to pull back, but Leander yanked her arm forward with ease, her finger sliding over the surface of the cold sphere, her blood smearing in a streak that shimmered before it melted away. MC felt the thud of her heart as all three of them stared at the ball waiting to see what it would reveal. She may have been tied up against her will, but the draw of the artefact had her intrigued, she wanted to see how it worked, seduced by its magic and potential.

Inside the sphere an image began to form. MC was in a clearing, her hands raised as she channelled ancient magic, the sky a roiling mass above her head as blue bolts of lightening struck the earth near her feet, dark shadows shifted around her, faceless figures that seemed to evaporate and reform in ghostly mirages. MC shivered, not understanding what the image meant and as she looked at Sebastian, ice slid down her spine at the hunger she saw there. The glow from the sphere seemed to reflect in his eyes, the flicker and shift of her power a desire all of its own.

She had suspected that his interest in her when they were young was fuelled by the power she could weild, it was one of the reasons she had drifted from him in the first place, and it seemed not much had changed. Is this what he wanted from her? To use her power for his own ends?

Inside the sphere the image began to shift, and MC realised she was now naked, her body twisting as if floating through water, her hair fanned out around her head. She watched, transfixed, as Leander and Sebastian appeared with her, their bodies also exposed, and then they were entwined in lewd positions, the expression on their faces revealing the pleasure shared.

MC felt her cheeks grow hot, the memory of their kisses on her neck adding to the tingle of desire that crept over her after watching the images unfold inside the sphere. Both Leander and Sebastian were watching, their lips parted and eyes blazing as they looked at each other and smiled.

"Well, well," Sebastian said, turning to MC. "What a filthy mind you have, sweetheart."

She shook her head, trying to deny it, but her mind filled with erotic thoughts regarding the both of them.

"This is a trick," she said. "This isn't me. What kind of dark magic is this?"

The image in the Seeing Sphere faded and Sebastian slipped it back into his pocket. He turned those hungry eyes on her, licking his lips.

"Time to satisfy those dark desires," he said.

MC shook her head, pulling on her ropes and leaning back. "No," she said. "I'm not going to let you use me."

"And how are you going to stop us?" He asked, his head tilting curiously.

Leander moved around behind her and she twisted, trying to keep them both in her line of sight. He slid a hand down her back and she scooted forward, her body colliding with a waiting Sebastian, who took hold of her robe with a gleam in his eyes.

"Let's get you out of these clothes, shall we?"

They worked as a pair, unbuttoning and tugging until she was in naught but her socks, her cheeks and chest flushing red at the way they were looking at her. They circled her again, finger tips grazing against her waist, her hips, her arse. She trembled, twisting and pulling on her ropes as her skin betrayed her, prickling into goosebumps and tingling with each teasing caress.

She shook her head, denial spilling from her lips in muttered protests, but they kept touching. Gentle teases of finger tips sliding over her hips and along her thighs as she twisted and pulled on her ropes. They removed their own robes and shirts, bare chested now, the both of them sculpted with firm muscle, limbs lean and strong.

"Let's see if she can tell us apart," Sebastian said. Leander moved towards him, his hand sliding up over Sebastian's chest. MC watched through lowered lids, intrigued despite herself as Leander caught Sebastian's lower lip between his teeth. The sight was erotic, elements of the forbidden, and she fought against the way it made her thighs tremble, heat coiling tight and hot. They kissed and Sebastian whispered something against his mouth, words that she couldn't quite catch. Leander smiled and nodded before turning his dark gaze on her.

He had a piece of fabric in his hand as he approached her and she tried to pull back as he wrapped it about her head, a blindfold, her eyes hidden behind the black fabric. He slid his thumb down her cheek, toying with her lower lip, and all she could do was tremble.

"No! Why do I need this?" She asked, shaking her head, but the fabric didn't shift.

"Its all part of the fun," Leander whispered.

Now all she could see was darkness, she could only rely on her other senses, her ears straining as she heard Leander step back. She shivered, her skin prickled, the ever present tug of heat settled firmly between her thighs. She turned her head from side to side, anticipation making her lips part and her arms pull on the ropes.

Footsteps, slow and deliberate, circled around her and she shifted, trying to follow them and then whimpered as fingers trailed up the back of her thigh. The touch felt like a trail of fire, the fingertips grazing her skin more titillating because she had no idea which one of them it was.

"Stop," she pleaded, but the word was broken, pathetic. The tightening of her core making a liar of her.

More fingers tickled softly just under her breast and she flinched, the touch illicitng a small cry from her lips as the hand cupped her breast, the thumb sliding over the peak and then, the hand was gone. Her eyes moved from side to side behind the blindfold, her chest rapidly working as she panted softly. Her breasts felt heavy, aching, the peak taut after the fleeting touch.

A low chuckle sounded to her left and she turned, just as a hand caressed her arse. "Sebastian," she gasped, her hips lifting into the touch.

A low hum sounded at her back, a brush of lips on her shoulder blade. "Good girl," he murmured.

MC clenched her thighs as his hands moulded her arse and swept to hold her hips, guiding her against him, she felt the fabric of his trousers as he began to grind against her. Her back arched, arms straining on the ropes as she shamelessly pushed against him, the heat in her core throbbing.

"Look at her, she loves it," Leander said, somewhere in front of her.

Sebastian chuckled and then let go, stepping away from her and she whined, stumbling a little. Her cheeks coloured, shamed at how much she wanted more. She heard them both circling again, her ears trying to follow as she heard the rustle of clothing, the not knowing driving her to an edge.

"What are you doing?" She licked her lips, her voice far too needy for her liking.

Silence. She stilled, ears pricked, holding her breath as she waited, the hairs on the back of her neck lifting as one of them blew gently against her back. Goosebumps spread up her arms and her pulse was skittering wildly, gasping for air into taut lungs.

She jumped as hands slid up her thighs from the front, all the way up until thumbs grazed at the junction of her legs, the hands swooping around underneath and parting her legs. She looked down, but of course, could see nothing. The touch was super sensitive, every nerve ending on full alert, so when the swirl of a hot tongue licked against her inner thigh, dangerously close to her heat she moaned loudly.

Neither of them spoke, she could only imagine which one was there before her. Were they looking at each other, using silent gestures to communicate while she hung on her ropes, blind, desperate and shamefully aroused?

The tongue moved higher, erotic, hot, mouth sucking at her sensitive flesh and the muscle beneath quivered, the heat at her core intensifying as she felt a head brush against the hair there.

"Fuck," she whined. "Who is that?"

No answer. The mouth stopped, lifting from her skin and she bit her lip at the urge to beg for more.

A sharp slap connected against her arse, not too hard, but enough to make her jump, the sound of it splitting through the silence followed by her cry of surprise. Her hair was grasped and her head was tugged back, hot breath fanned against her neck and teeth nipped at her earlobe.

"Naughty girl. Don't ask. You have to guess." The voice was a rasp, but she knew who it was, melting as Sebastian nibbled along her neck.

"I'm sorry," she said, immediately biting against her tongue for letting the words slip free of her mouth. She was pitifully at their mercy, desperate and needy.

Sebastian's hands glided up her waist and over her ribs, cupping her breasts and teasing the peaks, drawing soft moans from her as he devoured her neck. Meanwhile, Leander’s hands smoothed up her thighs and around her hips, his mouth pressing hot kisses across her stomach. So many hands and distracting mouths, it pulled her deeper into the haze of lust that pooled thick and hot.

She had long since abandoned the idea of running, her body soaking up everything they were offering, her mouth no longer pleading and denying, but whimpering and gasping as fingers moved ever closer towards her core, but never actually touching it.

"Please," she whispered.

Leander pressed his face against her, just below her navel, his hands cupping her arse, and he moaned at her little plea. "Such a good girl, begging for it," he said.

He kissed her flesh, slow, teasing, moving lower and to the side and down over her thigh. She parted them for him, so eager, so ready for more. His mouth moved to her inner thigh, his tongue a delicious promise as he licked and teased. Her hips flexed, her pussy hot and wet, aching for him to taste her, but he stopped, and she felt him withdraw.

She whined, desperate and frustrated, and he dared to laugh, a soft snigger at her discomfort as she heard him move away. Not only that, Sebastian removed his touch too, stepping away and then they were circling again. Hands slid across her stomach, her back, fingers swirling under her breasts and over her hips.

MC pulled on her ropes, her shoulders now aching from being held up for this long, her head lolling slightly. Sebastian had promised her torture, and she had envisioned dark curses and pain, but not this. This sweet torture of hating them, but wanting them, her body aching to be taken in the most filthy of ways.

She would take them both if she had to, at the same time. She realised she needed it, craved it like the opium whores in the dens of London.

A firm grip on her hips made her lift her head, anticipation making her draw a deep breath as those hands slid upwards to her arms, kneading the strained muscle there. Soft kisses trailed across her collar bone, the spicy scent of cologne and male skin teased her nose, the same scent she had picked up in the shop. Teeth grazed her throat and she tipped her head back.

"Leander," she sighed.

She felt his smile against her throat, his hands swiftly grazing down to her arse, pulling her close against him. Her breasts grazed bare chest, and she arched, his naked arousal rubbing against her hip. She moaned, writhing against it. If he was naked he was planning on putting that impressive thickness to good use.

"You want me to fuck you," he murmured into her ear. He shifted, guiding his hard cock between her thighs, the silken length brushing up against her folds. He rubbed it back and forth, groaning into her ear. "Mmm, I can feel how wet you are."

"Yes, gods yes." She panted, hips seeking out more friction as a warm body pressed against her back.

"I'm going to need a feel of this," Sebastian said into her other ear.

MC gasped as she felt Sebastian's cock slide against her arse, the tip slippery with pre-cum as he slid it along the curve of her cheeks and between her thighs to join Leander's. She yanked on the ropes viciously at Leander's low moan, both of them rubbing against her folds and each other. What she would give to be able to see!

Their cocks thrust between her thighs, rubbing her in teasing strokes that were nowhere near enough, her slick dripping out to coat them both.

Sebastian was panting in her ear, driving her crazy with want as Leander held her hips, grinding her against their cocks. Their moans sent her spinning, their lust for each other making her twitch and burn with heightened arousal. She was enclosed within their combined heat, sweat beginning to prickle at the back of her neck, dampening her hair and making her squirm.

"Let me see," she begged. "Fuck, let me see."

"No," Sebastian said. His hand slid between her thighs, and she felt the deft stroke of fingers against her folds, she threw her head back with a groan and then she shuddered as he pushed two fingers deep inside her. "Fucking hell, she is soaked, Lee."

Leander pulled back. MC whimpered and tugged on her ropes, realising she wanted to drag him back, hips rolling as Sebastian began to thrust his fingers in and out of her twitching opening. But her whimpering turned to moans as she felt Leander's sinful mouth on her thigh again.

Sebastian continued to fuck with his fingers, pulling out her leg as Leander spread her open, his tongue finally licking a leisurely stripe across her opening, lapping around Sebastian's fingers as he worked her so well.

"Listen to you," Sebastian taunted into her ear. "So desperate, so needy. Such a good girl for us."

When Leander found her clit, sucking and swirling over it with devastating rhythm, she felt the tightening almost immediately. Her walls fluttered and clenched around Sebastian's fingers and her thighs began to tremble.

"She is close," Sebastian said. "Too close."

Immediately, they both pulled back, cutting her off and leaving her literally hanging. A cry of disbelief was all she could manage, her whole body quivering on the precipice of release with no way of getting them back.

"Bastards," she choked.

She throbbed, legs shaking as she swayed on the ropes, wincing at her desperation. She could hear their smug laughter and grit her teeth, frustration clawing at her. "Oh, man up and just fuck me already," she spat.

They went quiet. Not a sound except for her own quick breaths and the roar of her pulse in her ears. She shifted, pulling on the ropes, that prickling sensation teasing up her back again as she tried to place where they were in the blackness of her vision.

"Someone is getting impatient, aren't they?"

Her head twisted sharply to the left. Leander. A finger teased at her sternum, trailing slowly downwards through the valley of her breasts, and then disappeared. Soft footfalls and then a palm glided over her hip. She whimpered, and he chuckled, a dark sound that sent a shiver over her.

"Maybe we should let her have a taste."

Behind her. Sebastian. Her eyes darted uselessly behind the fabric, her whole body tense as she waited, but nothing happened. A taste of what?

The pressure in her shoulders suddenly released, the taut ropes slacking off and she staggered, strong arms circling from behind stopping her from collapsing to the floor. She gasped, surprised, groaning at the resistance in her tired arms as they fell to her sides.

They had released her, although the cool bonds were still attached to her wrists, she was still roped. Sebastian nuzzled into her hair.

"This is far from over sweet girl." His hand wrapped about her throat, fingers on her jaw tilting her head back as his other hand cupped a breast, rolling the peak gently. "Who do you want first? Me or Leander?"

MC swallowed hard, shifting against his grip but he only held her tighter, her sweat slick back pressed against his firm chest.

His mouth pressed against the skin under her ear, hot, teasing. "Come on, don't be shy. You're the one who wants us to take you."

His hand slid downwards, teasing strokes that drifted lazily over her aching core, making her twitch, poking at the unsatisfied tightness that needed release.

"Is it me you want? You want me, right here..." He pushed a finger into her, slow, deliberate, and she arched with a gasp.

"Or, maybe she wants me," Leander said, his voice surprisingly close. Her head twisted under Sebastian's grip, desperate sounds spilling from her as hands took hold of her hips, tilting her upwards. "I could fill you up, MC. I want to watch you take all of me."

"I want to watch, too," she begged. She lifted an arm, aiming for the blindfold, but her wrist was caught and pulled backwards. She grumbled at the block, wriggling against Sebastian's hold but failing.

"No peeking, darling," Sebastian crooned. "We get to watch. You get to feel."

Her legs were parted, both of them supporting her weight as she felt the tip of Leander’s cock brush up against her, rubbing slowly over Sebastian's fingers. MC thought she might actually lose her mind, her hands reaching out to grab firm muscle, smoothing up Leander’s chest as Sebastian guided him inwards. His tip breached her folds, nudging in and she gasped, hips rocking forwards as he slid even further in.

"Oh... gods, that's big," she stuttered, her walls stretching to take him, fluttering at the satisfying fullness as he pushed deeper.

"He feels good doesn't he?" Sebastian whispered knowingly. "You just wait. He fucks so well."

The images Sebastian's words conjured seared through her mind, Sebastian on his knees while Leander took him. MC shuddered, thighs clenching, her fingers digging sharply into Leander's chest.

"Do it," she begged through clenched teeth. "Show me."

Leander worked his hips, grinding against her, his cock so deep it nudged harshly against her limit. She winced, but pushed back against him, desperate for friction.

"She is so tight," Leander said, humming in approval. He guided her hips, fingers tightening as he pulled back to thrust. MC moaned at the delicious drag and thrust, and he did it again. Leander growled. "Fuck..."

Sebastian adjusted his grip on MC, she could feel the tautness in his arms, the heat and rapid lift of his chest. "Give it to her, don't worry, I've got her," he said.

Anticipation exploded into hot shock as Leander snapped his hips, thrusting hard and firm. MC grunted, her hands scrambling for purchase, her body slammed back into Sebastian as Leander filled her, over and over. Each punishing pounding filling her up, his thickness sliding effortlessly against her hot spot, and that throbbing ache twisted dangerously.

"Don't let her come," Sebastian warned, his voice betraying the effort it took to brace up against Leander’s brutal force.

MC bit down, clenching her teeth against the sounds that wanted to burst from her mouth, she could barely keep her scrambled thoughts together, but didn't want to reveal how desperately close she was to spinning over the edge.

Sebastian was right, Leander knew how to fuck. The angle, the pace, his sheer size and strength. She ached to be able to see it, longed for it, her hands exploring the sweat slicked skin of his shoulders and chest. She tried to imagine the flush on his pale skin, the intensity of his dark eyes and her core trembled.

A hand splayed over her abdomen, pressing downwards, she guessed Sebastian's. He moaned near her ear. "Gods, I can feel you inside of her," he said.

His mouth claimed her neck in a stinging suck, and she brought a hand to his hair, curling her fingers into his rumpled locks and gripping.

The wave of her release rose up, muscles contracting and she couldn't stop the moan, long and desperate. Gods, she needed this, craved it. She held her breath, teetering, ready to let go and drown.

Sebastian ripped his mouth from her neck. "No!" He commanded. "Not yet!"

He yanked MC backwards, Leander’s fingers scraping painfully over her hips as he slid free from her. Her own hands tried to grab at him with a cry of frustration, her orgasm cut off for a second time, legs useless and trembling beneath her.

"No, please," she said, her voice cracking. Stunned, she felt tears sting her eyes under the blindfold. So close! "Sebastian...please!"

Just like when they were clueless kids at school, Sebastian was selfish and controlling. The twisted games that had driven them apart back then came back to her, filled her with frustrated fury that she had found herself back in his grip, her body caving under his silken tongue and dangerous eyes.

She planted her feet and twisted from his grip, shoving back and stumbling forward, slipping in her socks. She reached up and tore the blindfold from her head, blinking against the sudden rush of light and colour. She rasped breaths in and out, her gaze focusing on a very naked Leander.

Her eyes washed over him, his freckled skin as flushed and sweaty as she had imagined. His cock was rigid and glistening, pink and swollen from being buried deep inside her. She tore her eyes from him, core contracting at the memory of it.

Dazzled by the sight of Leander, she had hesitated too long. Sebastian was on her, pinning her arms behind her back easily, the muscles on her shoulders screaming in protest.

"Bad girl," he growled. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, a tear slipping from the corner of her eye and trailing down her cheek. The deep sound of his voice was like finger nails down her back, shiver inducing and opening her up to his darkness. It shouldn't feel so good to hear him call her that. But it did. It pulled at something deep within her. So, when he shoved her down, she went willingly, her eyes opening to fix on Leander's darkly smug face.

"On your knees," Sebastian ordered. He gripped her hair with one hand, her wrists with the other.

Leander stepped closer, his hand pumping himself, cum beading at his tip. MC leant back, eyeing him, but Sebastian pushed her head forward. He was on his knees behind her, and she felt the ropes at her wrists tighten, binding them together at her back.

"Bad girls dont get what they want, MC," he warned. "You're going to open that pretty little mouth and take him like a filthy whore."

As if in protest, she clamped her lips tightly together, fighting against his hand at the back of her head. Why did he always have to get his own way? His hand slid around her throat again and she swallowed against the pressure, turning her head, but he gripped her jaw and forced her back, his thumb probing her lips apart.

"Play nice, MC," he urged. "Be a good girl, and you will be rewarded."

Leander caressed her face, brushing back her hair, and teased his weeping cock against her closed mouth. MC couldn't tear her eyes from his, the dark glitter of his gaze taunting her. The sweet boy she had known was nowhere to be seen as he pushed his swollen cock against her mouth.

Sebastian's thumb found his way into the corner of her mouth, her lips finally slackening as she bent to his will. He slid his thumb in further and she couldn't resist sinking her teeth into it. He hissed sharply, his fingers gripping so tightly on her hair she winced.

"Bitch," he rasped, pulling his thumb free. "She bit me."

MC laughed, the sound bubbling up and out through her lips, but it was cut off as Sebastian squeezed her throat. She fought against her ropes, gulping as he yanked her head back, her eyes lifting to see the flare of annoyance in his dark eyes.

"This could get a whole lot worse for you unless you play nice," he warned. "You will get no rest, no respite, until we are satisifed. You wont be leaving here until you are dripping from the both of us. However long it takes to fill you up, and we've got all night sweetheart."

She heaved in her breaths, tied, trapped, and throbbing. Her eyes moved between the two of them, both of them unflinching and solid, a wall of male desire. Their earlier passion for each other came to mind.

"What about you two? What if I said I wanted to see you dripping from each other?"

Leander smirked. "Like that idea do you? Maybe we could oblige you, but not if you misbehave, MC."

She writhed against Sebastian's hold on her, choking slightly against his hand. "I thought you liked me being a naughty girl," she taunted, her words tight around the chokehold. "Good girls don't want to be fucked hard by bad boys. I don't want to be a good girl, I've never been a good girl and have no intention of being one right now."

Sebastian tightened his grip, grinding against her bare arse, his cock hot and twitching. She pushed back against him, her eyes on Leander and smirked in satisfaction as Sebastian moaned.

Leander narrowed his eyes. "Open your dirty mouth so I can fuck it," he said, aiming himself towards her again.

MC held eye contact. "Untie me first," she countered.

"And why would we do that?" Sebastian asked. His thumb caressed her jaw, a gentle touch contrasting with his firm, choking grip.

MC rubbed herself against him again, soft cheeks against hot arousal. When she spoke, the harder tone in her voice slipped and a subtle edge of need shone through. "I want to touch you."

A flicker of something flashed across Leander's gaze, the hard glitter softening for an instant before disappearing behind hardness again. MC felt her core flutter, curious to know what the tall red head was hiding behind his stern face.

"Please," she whispered. "Let me touch you."

Leander's eyes shifted towards Sebastian over her shoulder and he gave a subtle nod.

"Don't make me regret this," Sebastian said with a sigh. "One stupid move, and I will rope your arms and your legs, do you understand me?"

"I understand," she agreed.

He released her throat and she coughed, staying still as Sebastian used his wand to loosen the binds at her wrist. The cool charm vanished and she flexed her hands, bringing her arms around to her front, brushing hair back from her face as she readied herself.

She looked up at Leander with a nod of thanks before she dropped her gaze to that mouth watering arousal. She swallowed thickly and then opened her mouth. This time, Sebastian's hand was gentle as he cupped her jaw, his mouth at her ear so that she got the full benefit of his groan as Leander pushed his cock past her lips.

....*....

Years, months, so much time spent chasing down dark artefacts and even darker wizards. MC had dabbled in many things, but never had she allowed two men to take her at the same time.

It hadn't been something she had considered, not coming across the opportunity, or meeting two men that could tempt her into such an act.

Curiosity had always landed her in trouble. She often found herself in dangerous situations and thrived on getting herself out of tricky binds. Her curiosity and pride had led her here into this underground chamber that was clearly the living space of her two old school friends.

Her greed for getting her hands on the Seeing Sphere, for being the one to catch the elusive thief, had her on her knees, naked, with her mouth wrapped around Leander's cock.

He was a big boy, and he knew how to use it, but she took him. Her hands gripped at his strong thighs, the permission to finally touch and move fueling this savage lust that consumed her. She sucked at him greedily, soaking up the deep moans of pleasure she stole from his mouth.

All the while, Sebastian was at her back, his mouth marking her flesh and his hands teasing her just enough to stroke the fire in her belly, but holding back with devastating skill so that she didn't find that elusive peak.

As a girl, she had craved Sebastian's touch, her heart had yearned for him until she thought she might cry. Over the years, that become a rivalry, and she thought those soft feelings had festered into something bitter and twisted.

One touch, one kiss, one glance at his dangerous little smirk and she was yearning for his touch all over again. As his mouth spread hot kisses across her shoulders and down her spine she tilted her hips, offering herself up shamelessly to his hand, parting her thighs so he could seek out her core and drive all rational thought into oblivion.

Leander's hands were in her hair, holding her steady as he fucked her mouth, her eyes streamed from the size and power of him. But she wasn't a quitter, and she dug her nails into his thighs and urged him to release.

She didn't even stop when Sebastian hauled her hips higher and positioned himself, pushing his own throbbing arousal against her slick folds. She moaned around Leander, eyes rolling as Sebastian slid deep, thrusting into her with approving groans and sighs.

Caught between the both of them, MC was coiled tight, the ache for release twisting with savage need. Being cut off from pleasure twice, she feared it happening a third time, but her body was relentless in its chase for it. Her hips rocked to meet Sebastian's urgency, her mouth worked to give Leander what he wanted.

She was being such a good girl for them and she craved her reward.

Leander gripped her hair tightly with a deep groan, and MC braced herself as his cock began to twitch and throb.

"Fuck... MC," he gasped, as spurts of hot release filled her mouth.

She almost gagged, swallowing in gulps, eyes streaming, her hand softly cupping his balls as they emptied. She leaned forward to press her forehead against his stomach to catch her breath. Sebastian had stilled for a moment, she could only imagine that they were looking at each other, whatever bond they shared glowing in their eyes.

For her, it was pondering this sudden intimacy with a man she didn't know, the flesh of his stomach hot against her face, soft red hair tickling against her nose. His musky scent surrounded her, and she smoothed a hand up and over his hip, a curious heat tingling through her. Without thinking too much, she pressed a kiss just below his navel. In response, his long fingers carded through her hair, gently cupping her head against him.

"Shall we move this somewhere more comfortable?" He suggested.

MC turned to look over her shoulder, Sebastian was flushed, eyes dark and skin glistening as he held her hips. He was still buried deep within her, and as their eyes met, she gently rolled her pelvis, savouring the thick fullness of him. His eyes glittered, his lips twisting into a smirk. He gave her arse a squeeze and nodded.

"I reckon our knees would thank us for getting off this hard floor," he said.

It was Leander who helped her to her feet, and when she swayed, legs trembling, he easily swept her up into his arms. Carrying her bridal style, he walked towards one of the wooden doors set into the stone walls of the cavernous room. MC put her arms around his neck and leant her head against him, a moment of respite.

This was a far cry from the dusty, dark shop where he had caught her and pushed her into the bookcase. The flicker of curious attraction that he had brought into life there had now grown into something else, intimacy shared, and behind the hardness his face portrayed, she suspected that the boy she remembered was still in there somewhere.

It was that part of him that held her like this, that carried her to the large four poster bed and placed her carefully on the neatly made sheets. She looked up at him, meeting those dark eyes and smiled. He didn't smile back, but she was sure that something softened behind his eyes.

The room was not as spacious as the main living space, but it was still quite big. The furniture was dark wood and old, drapes hung at the corners of the bed, and rugs softened the space here too.

Sebastian lit a lamp with the flick of his wand, crossing the room with a confident stride despite his naked form. He approached the bed, eyes roaming over her as he licked his lips. MC clenched her thighs together, her arms aching from being tied, her core burning with pent up frustration at their prolonged stimulation.

Sebastian Sallow had been a torment for years and this was unlikely to end any time soon. When their gazes met, memories and tension combined to pull on the strange bond they shared. They had killed for each other, they had whispered dark secrets and walked dangerous paths hand in hand. They had argued and stung each other with harsh words.

He had hurt her, and no doubt she had hurt him too, not that he would ever admit it.

As he approached the end of the bed and climbed on to it, those dark eyes never leaving hers, the deepest parts of her reached for him. Despite everything, her body had a will of its own and answered to the darkness he conjured.

He gripped her ankles, pulling her down the bed and spreading her open, lust flaring in his gaze. She gripped at the sheets, twisting them up in her fingers as heat flared thick and hot at her core.

Please, no more torment, no more urging her to heights and then leaving her suspended and aching. Her eyes begged him for it, her lips uttering whimpers as he pressed his mouth to the inside of her ankle in a soft kiss.

"Please," she whispered.

The artefact could wait, as could the coin she would earn for retrieving it. They were problems for later. For now, she needed her reward from these two, the artefact had shown her their bodies entwined, and so it had come to pass. She was ready to see it through.

Sebastian moved closer, settling between her thighs, his eyes alight with hunger. His hand smoothed up her skin, cupping a breast, hips grinding lazily. MC's hips lifted to meet him, the teasing press of his arousal not enough, she wanted more.

"You've been a good girl," he said softly. Leander hummed in agreement, his fingers gently tracing along her thigh as he shifted, moving himself behind Sebastian. "Do you deserve a reward?"

MC nodded, her hands taking hold of Sebastian's forearms, his flesh warm and taut. "I'm ready," she said.

Sebastian's smirk was smug as he bent his head, his tongue flicking across her skin towards a breast, teasing at the peak before drawing it into his mouth. MC moaned, her hands sliding up to his head and the soft brunette locks that tumbled in irresistible waves.

As his mouth moved downwards, soft kisses and teasing strokes of tongue sending swirls of heat straight to her core, Leander was touching Sebastian, his hands roaming over his back and hips. MC tried to shift to see better, distracted as Sebastian moved ever closer to her core.

At Sebastian's first exploratory lick, MC groaned, eyes closing as he began to swirl and suck over her clit, her body responding immediately. Tight heat coiled delicately making her hips flex and her thighs part even wider. With one hand in Sebastian's hair the other reached up to grip the bedsheets behind her head as she began to feel the rise.

She gave herself over to it, surrendered to the skill of Sebastian's mouth, her eyes lidded as she watched Leander adjust Sebastian's hips and begin to pleasure him. Sebastian's mouth faltered, a low moan vibrated against her heat and she felt her stomach clench.

Fascinated, she pushed herself up onto her elbows, watching as Leander worked Sebastian from behind, pumping his length with one hand and working him open with the other. She stared at Leander, the flush on his cheeks and the hunger in his eyes. When his gaze lifted to her, he smirked and gave her a cheeky wink. Her core fluttered, heat rolling outwards, and a moan slipped past her lips.

Sebastian's moans and his careful ministrations combined with the erotic scene before her eyes. MC fell back against the mattress, her hips lifting upwards as the first wave of heat crashed over her. The clench was exquisite, tightening her muscles and curling her toes, her head tilting back as she cried out in pleasure and relief.

There was to be no let up, as she gasped and clutched at bed sheets, Sebastian continued, sliding fingers inside and curling them just enough to ride out the pleasure, ripples of aftershocks making her legs shake uncontrollably.

"Seb," she gasped, her hand splaying over the top of his head and trying to push him off. "Merlin, please..."

He devoured her, his tongue working harder, his hands clamping down her bucking pelvis and she arched, shuddering and whimpering as a second orgasm rushed over her. Her eyes blinked against a hazy blur, cheeks and neck flooding with heat as she was consumed by it.

When Sebastian finally lifted his head, she was gasping for air, spread out on the bed, boneless. He shifted, moving up the bed, his cock swollen and dripping as he positioned himself. She barely moved, watching him through dazed eyes as he slid into her fluttering cunt.

"I'm not through with you yet," he said, taking hold of her chin. "I'm going to fill you up now, darling."

She groaned, his wet mouth claiming hers in a messy kiss, her own taste coating her tongue and lips. He began to move, thrusting into her at a steady pace, the tilt and slide of him reigniting the flutters deep in her core.

Her head rolled, still dazed, and then she felt him shift, his thighs widening and pushing against hers. He slowed and stilled, buried deep and then he shuddered. She could feel his cock twitching and looked up to see Leander. He was buried deep inside Sebastian, rocking his hips and pushing Sebastian even deeper into MC.

She gaped, bracing her hands against Sebastian's chest as they found a rhythm together, Sebastian a moaning, whimpering mess between them.

To see him reduced to such a state surprised her, but it was stimulating, erotic. She lifted a leg, her foot teasing along Leander's arm as he gripped Sebastian's hip, thrusting into his arse with powerful thrusts.

Leander's eyes were dark, lost in his lust, but he found her gaze and grasped her calf, sliding his hand up her leg in a caress that made her shiver. As a trio, they moved, Sebastian chasing his release within her, Leander pushing for it within Sebastian.

MC was aroused by them both, her hand snaking down to caress Sebastian by the balls, her finger tips stretching out to graze against Leander with each thrust.

They both moaned, Sebastian tensing up and pressing his head to her chest.

"Give it to me," she panted. "I want to feel you do it."

Sebastian's groan was almost desperate, his hand squeezing her breast as his eyes closed tightly. MC looked up, her gaze meeting with Leander's, his eyes intense as he stared at her. She felt the clenching deep within, another orgasm reaching a crest as Sebastian gave in. MC cried out, clenching around his cock as it throbbed and let go, her eyes locked on Leander who remained relentless.

Sebastian clung to her, their bodies slick with sweat as Leander chased his own release. MC continued to watch him, the strange intimacy making her heart thud harder, and when he finally came, his hand slid up Sebastian's back and found hers. She took it, linking their fingers, all three of them joined in the final moment.

....*....

With no windows to give a clue about the world outside, MC had no idea how long she had been down here with Sebastian and Leander. The three of them had dozed on the bed, her in the middle, and she had woken to the warmth of their sleeping bodies each side of her.

Sebastian lay on his stomach, his face towards her, his cheeks pink and his lips slightly parted. Asleep, he looked more like the boy she had known, soft and adorable. She watched him for a while, wondering if things could have been different if all the terrible things hadn't happened. She dared to trace a finger from his temple to his jaw, a soft touch to remember the good things, because there had been some.

He didn't wake, and she left him be, carefully shifting around to look at Leander.

The red head was asleep on his side, dark copper lashes fanned out across the hard plane of his cheekbones. His lips were so deliciously full and pink, she knew how soft they felt against her skin, and it fascinated her. Out of this whole experience, he was the one that intrigued her the most. How did he end up in the bed of his rival? How did a boy once so awkward and soft become hard and dark?

Unable to resist it, she shuffled closer, her gaze roaming over his freckled shoulders and firm, lean muscle of his arms. The dusting of red hair on his chest and stomach begged for her fingers and she carefully placed her palm against his chest. He was warm, solid, and she closed her eyes as she slid her hand upwards, leaning in to press a kiss near his collar bone.

He tensed, his arm moving, and her eyes flew open as he grasped her wrist, stilling her hand. Slowly, she tilted her head back to look at him. His eyes were more hazel brown, not like Sebastian's chocolate eyes, and she was so close she could see tiny flecks in the low firelight. He was watching her through sleepy lids, blinking curiously as his thumb caressed her wrist.

"What are you doing?" He whispered.

Her gaze dropped to his mouth, full, inviting, and she realised she wanted to feel those lips against hers. She licked her lips and met his eyes again.

"I didn't mean to wake you," she whispered, her fingertips flexed against him. "You looked so peaceful."

He studied her carefully, not letting go of her wrist. "I'm surprised you didn't try to sneak away while we slept."

Her lips parted and she stilled. The realisation dawning on her that she hadn't even considered it. "Me too," she whispered.

"Why stay?"

She leaned even closer towards him, her lips lifting slightly. "Well, you have my wand for a start," she said. Her smile widened. "And I'm not sure if I can walk yet after what you two did to me. My arms are killing me."

He grinned, bringing her hand closer to his mouth. His fingers slid from her wrist to caress her fingers. She let her fingers entwine with his, noticing a curious marking on the inside of his wrist. It looked like the shape of an 'S'.

"Did we hurt you?" He asked softly.

She shook her head. "Surprisingly, no."

She watched as he brought her hand to his lips and kissed it, warmth tingling up her arm. She brushed her fingers against those lips, watching as she did so, her eyes darkening with hunger.

How easy it was to replace her fingers with her mouth, claiming his lips in a kiss that went against everything that occurred before. Her kiss was soft, gentle, exploring the feel of him as her body pressed even closer. He didn't respond at first, either surprised or maybe uncertain. But then he kissed her back, deeply, his hand grasping her hip to pull her close as his arousal twitched and grew, pressing her down into the bed.

"You'd better not be having fun without me."

They paused in their kiss, breaking apart to both turn their gazes to Sebastian. He was awake and leaning on his elbows, his sleepy eyes dark as he watched them.

MC smiled and reached for him. "Snooze you lose, Sallow," she said. "Get over here."

....*....

One Month Later.

A low mist clung to the banks of the river, the mud was slippery and thick under her boots and MC was crouched low near the bushes as she glanced back behind her. The bridge to cross the rushing waters was just ahead and she swiped damp hair from her cheek, her hood useless against the moisture in the air.

She had managed to sneak out of the Ashwinder camp, her pocket laden with pilfered tomes and whatever gold she had managed to snatch for her efforts. As she crept through the darkness, the moon a pale half crescent in a sky littered with heavy clouds, she kept herself calm, collected. Under the cover of some nearby trees, she paused, leaning back against scratchy bark as she contemplated her next move.

Her contact, a bad tempered Auror by the name of Ralph, had told her of this camp and the highly sought after books they had in their possession. The Ministry were keen to get their hands on these tomes, the pages thick with dark magic and information on some of the most prominent Wizarding families in their world. A quick glance in one had revealed the Gaunt name, her memories awakening of the blind, blonde boy that had been a part of her life at school.

She patted her robe, her transfigured pocket containing a wealth of valuable information, powerful and dark magic, tools for persuasion and damage control.

She licked her lips, savouring the haul, her skills once again putting her in these positions. These books would earn satisfactory reward in both pride and gold. All she had to do was deliver them to the cranky, old Auror and take her prize in return.

But, she hesitated. She closed her eyes, her body shivering with goosebumps and heat coiling thick and fast in her abdomen, skin tingling as she thought of soft lips, dark eyes and the delicious pull of ropes on her wrists.

It had been a month since Sebastian and Leander had ensared her, four weeks since they had teased and tortured her and then claimed her for their own. She had left their lair with her wand, but no artefact, but her body had been well satiated, and her mind ensared with the possibilities.

The Seeing Sphere had shown her using her power, dark shadows at her beck and call. Sebastian's desire for knowledge and power had drawn Leander into his arms, the pair of them outwitting some of the most powerful witches and wizards of their time. With her on their side, the possibilities were endless.

The Auror, or her lovers.

MC closed her eyes and Disapparated.

....*....

The underground chamber looked the same as it did when Leander when had brought her here a month ago. She still had no idea where it was, merely closing her eyes and using her memory of it in the hopes of landing here, but here she was.

She took a few steps, her gaze falling on the shifting magic of the doorway portal. She wondered if either or both of them were present. As she stepped up to the shimmering charm on the archway, she hoped she was making the right choice.

She stepped through the magical barrier, the room softly lit and warm, the fire burning in the great fireplace. Sebastian was in the chair by the fire reading, his head lifting as she appeared. His smile was one of slow satisfaction.

"You came back, darling," he said.

She moved into the room, circling a settee and standing on a large rug before him. "You don't sound surprised to see me," she said.

He stood, closing his book and placing it on top of a pile beside his chair. He stepped up to her, reaching up to pull back the hood of her robe, a slight crease on his brow.

"You're all wet," he said. "You must be chilled. Let's see to that and then we can talk."

She did shiver as the hood slid free of her hair, his fingers glancing across her cheek as he moved to pour her a whiskey. She glanced around the room as she removed her robe, both wooden doors were closed, the chamber quiet. No sign of the tall red head.

"If you're looking for Leander, he isn't here," Sebastian said. "He went out a while ago and won't be back till later."

MC took the offered whiskey glass and sipped, meeting dark eyes and feeling her cheeks flush. He had guessed what she had been thinking.

"You are quite taken by Prewett, aren't you?" He teased. He took a large mouthful of whiskey, eyes calculating as he studied her. "Is that why you returned? Because of him?"

Her stomach twisted as butterflies erupted, the heat of her core lazily turning over as she thought about it. Partly, yes, Leander had turned her head, but also, Sebastian's own darkness had called to her. Just like it had years ago.

"I've brought you a gift," she said. She swirled her whiskey in her glass, watching him through her lashes. "But I think Leander should be here before I say more."

Sebastian's eyes gleamed with interest and he slipped his wand from his pocket, a smirk twisting his lips. "Is that so?"

He charmed a little bird, whispering to it before sending it upwards. It flapped its wings before vanishing in a sprinkle of sparks.

"Then please, take a seat," he said, gesturing towards the settee. "Leander will be along shortly."

....*....

The books were spread out over the table top, Sebastian leaning over an open one, his eyes devouring the page. Her gifts had gone down as well as she had expected, a kiss from each of them. There had been more whiskey to toast her success in retrieving them, and now she felt suitably warm and flushed.

Leander came up behind her, his arm snaking about her waist and he pressed a kiss to her neck. She closed her eyes, savouring the feel of his closeness. Sebastian looked up and smiled.

"Shall we make it official?" He asked, slipping his wand out again.

Leander nodded and took hold of MC's wrist, sliding up her sleeve to expose the pale, tender flesh of her pulse point.

"What's this?" She asked, tensing up a little.

Sebastian moved around the table, twirling his wand, eyes dark and possessive. Leander held her against him, his grip on her wrist firm.

"Time to make you ours," Leander said softly into her ear. He pressed a kiss to it, lips soft and teasing.

Sebastian pressed the tip of his wand to her pulse point, eyes meeting hers. "Are you sure this is what you want? This will bind you to us, forever."

Her heart pounded, thoughts racing, and then she felt the warm press of Leander's hand on her stomach, Sebastian's gaze full of fire and promise. She nodded.

"This is what I want."

Sebastian uttered the spell, his voice soft and dripping with shadow and the brand scalded her skin. A cry left her lips and she flinched, a fire spreading from the brand through her blood, encasing her heart and making her head throb. Her vision swam, and she was vaguely aware of Sebastian's touch to her cheek, her legs giving way but Leander's strong arms holding her up.

And then all was black.

....*....

The pillow was soft as she stirred, blinking against the low light of a lamp. She could feel a presence, a life force that thrummed in her blood, she frowned, confused, as it seemed to shift, splitting off into two separate forces. One was close, the other was nearby, but not too far.

She turned and stilled. Leander was sitting on the bed beside her, he reached and brushed hair from her face.

"You're awake at last. How do you feel?"

She took a breath, slowly sitting up, the life force closest to her seeming to throb and grow warmer as she met his gaze. She put a hand to her chest trying to make sense of it.

Leander smiled and took her hand, pressing it against his chest where his own heart would be. She gasped, the life force heightened into a sweet pulse. Her eyes widened.

"I can feel you!"

"It's strange to start with, but you get used to it," he said. "You must be able to feel Sebastian too. He is in the other room, but he could be anywhere, and you will still feel it. We are connected to each other through our life force. Only death can break it."

MC smoothed her hand against his chest, swallowing hard. "Joined. Forever."

Leander nodded. "Sebastian saw it inside the Seeing Sphere. He made me confess," he said, blushing. He dipped his gaze. "I... I was in love with you at school. And after seeing the vision, and getting the truth out of me, we set the trap to lure you to us."

"This was your aim all along?" She asked, shocked. Her pulse tripped madly, thoughts scattered as she stared at him. He had loved her? Her own cheeks grew warm.

"That it was," Sebastian said from the doorway. He moved to join them at the bed. He put a hand on Leander's shoulder and caressed her cheek.

"The spell joins the life forces of those in love. We both loved you already. We just had to see if you would return it," he said. "The Seeing Sphere foretold that you would, but I couldn't be sure, and when I awoke to see you kissing Leander with such softness, I knew it as truth. We just had to wait for you to return."

Tears stung her eyes. She loved them both? She didn't love anyone. Her heart had always been closed off to such softness, such vulnerability. And yet, she could feel them both. Two extra pulses of life alongside her own, every heartbeat linking them in ways that no other could ever come close to. She looked down at her wrist, the burn mark there in the shape of an 'S', a raw version of the healed mark on Leander's wrist that she had noticed in bed that night. She traced it with her finger. She would never be alone again.

Leander's hand slid into her hair, cupping the back of her head, the touch gentle. Sebastian had hold of her chin, his thumb teasing at her skin, his eyes magnetic. She looked at them both, glad she had walked through that archway, taken the chance and brought the books here instead of to the Auror.

"Ours," Sebastian whispered. "Forever."

"Forever," Leander smiled.

Lured Part 2 - Before

[romanceyourdemons]

i do enjoy yan wushi’s character design because i just know that the second that man turned thirty he went into his evil little library and checked out the forbidden tome “how to dress like a dilf.” everything about him is so stupidly deliberate i just know he personally sketches out concept art for every outfit he wears

[dragonologist-writings]

Title: Crown of Fire Fandom: Pillars of Eternity Rating: G Status: One-Shot Characters: Original Character (Nona) Additional Notes: Backstory for TTRPG Character, Family Drama & Betrayal, Leaden Key Recruitment Word Count: 1200 Summary: “You have been praying for justice, haven’t you? We are the true followers of Woedica. Justice is what we deliver.”

read below or here on AO3

State your name and purpose.

My name belongs to the gods and my hand to their service.

Even as a child, Nona spends many of her days in the temple. At first she is taken there by her mother, along with her baby sister Decima, as they go to visit her father while he works. But even as time passes, after her mother stops taking her (after Mother is gone), Nona still finds herself returning of her own accord.

It's a wondrous place, with grandiose architecture, chants that feel like magic, books and words and history memorialized in long rows of heavy tomes. More than that, the place carries a sense of belonging, of certainty, of rightness, and though at her young age she doesn’t quite yet have the words to express it, Nona feels it all the same.

Her father encourages her interest, of course.

“Would you like to become a priestess one day, Nona?” he asks with a smile. “You could lead the temple and help the erl in court, like I do. It’s a lot of work, of course, and you’ll have to study hard. But the priesthood runs in our family. It could be your calling just as it was mine.”

And Nona looks up with wide eyes at the crowned statue of Woedica, so resplendent and wise. Once again she feels that belonging, that certainty, that rightness, and she eagerly nods in assent.

What company do you seek?

I seek the company of shadows, that our labors may remain secret.

Nona knows what the papers say. She knows what they mean. But still she checks her work, over and over again, until she can no longer deny the truth.

Her father doesn’t believe her at first. “The erl would not be involved in such things,” he insists, but Nona shows him her research, all carefully documented and organized. It’s all there, undeniable proof of her suspicions and accusations.

Corruption. Deception. Even animancy experiments, the kind that have been outlawed in Aedyr for decades. Nona doesn’t know exactly how long it’s been going on, but it’s clear that the erl is using any means he has to collect a very forbidden type of power. More than that, it’s clear he has no intention of stopping, no matter how many of the gods' laws he breaks along the way.

It is the type thing the Church of Woedica simply cannot stand.

“Let me take care of this,” her father says. When Nona tries to protest, he stands firm. “You do not have the authority to convince the court of such things. I do. My voice will not be ignored. I will see that the right thing is done.”

And Nona, fool that she is, believes him.

Tell me of your labors.

To see that the craft of kith and wilder does not disturb what bones the gods have buried.

Nona knows everything has gone wrong when the guards come for her.

She does her best to keep calm, even as she hears the temple-goers whisper loudly, even as she sees Decima’s terrified face in the crowd. She tells herself that this is a simple mistake, and that her father will ensure everything is sorted out.

But her father only watches, stone-faced, as the erl reads out the charges of treason. And when the charges have been read, it is her father who declares her guilty.

“He is protecting you,” Decima tells her later, in the short time they have together before Nona must leave the city for good. “Had he done nothing, you would be facing execution rather than exile.”

She says this as if it is a good thing, and Nona has never felt such anger in all her life.

How do we know your purpose?

You shall know it by the confession of my tongue, the deeds of my hand, and the oath on my soul.

When the cloaked figures appear, Nona wonders for a moment if someone has finally been sent to kill her.

But the leader of the group, a woman with a stoic voice and sharp eyes, only smiles at her. “We’ve heard tale of a city,” she explains, “where a man rules through corruption and taints the land with animancy. We have heard of a Woedican priest who ignores his duties to The Queen That Was. And we have heard of you.”

Nona can only stare, speechless, and the woman’s smile widens. “You have been praying for justice, haven’t you? We are the true followers of Woedica. Justice is what we deliver.”

And how is your oath guarded?

“What are you going to do now?”

Nona is startled by the question, and by the reappearance of the hooded woman that she’d assumed would be gone by now. Perhaps she shouldn’t be surprised- they are standing in Woedica’s temple, after all. Where else would Her servants be?

“I don’t know,” Nona answers honestly, and tries not to show just how much that answer scares her.

“Are you not planning on returning to your place here?”

“Here?” Nona laughs, but there is no humor in her tone. “There’s nothing for me here. Everybody in this city either still believes the lies or hates me for revealing the truth.”

The words leave a bitter taste in Nona’s mouth, but they cannot be denied. Nobody wants her here. Even her sister- (and she thought Des, of all people, would understand, would always be on her side)- even her sister is furious at her for destroying the façade of respectability her father had built.

But Nona destroyed it anyway. At the very least, she helped. And now, because of her and these strange agents, the erl is dead and his followers have fallen with him. Some had attempted a surrender, had begged for mercy, but there is little mercy to be found in The  Burned Queen's justice. Nona does not claim happiness at this, but there is a catharsis in knowing that the scales have finally been evened.

(Father had fallen to his knees, had been one of the men to beg, and that was when Nona knew he had never been worth of a place here.)

Lost in thought, Nona nearly forgets the other woman’s presence until, after a long moment, she says, “Come with us.”

Nona looks at her, surprised and slightly alarmed. “With you? Where?”

“Wherever we are needed,” the woman answers simply. Her eyes continue to study Nona as she speaks, although she never loses her steady tone. “The Queen always has a place for those who serve her well, and you have proven your faith.”

Nona opens her mouth to answer, but before she can speak the woman holds up a hand in warning. “Be aware- this is not a responsibility to take lightly. This life is difficult, and dangerous. There are many places that do not accept the worship of our Queen, let alone our work for her. If you are to do this, you must be certain.”

Nona takes a moment, and thinks about what she will be leaving behind, and what has already been lost, and whether it will be worth it to keep walking down this path. She does not need long to find the answer. “I am certain.”

It is sealed by the Leaden Key.

[asknarashikari]

I have Ise brainrot, and now I'm making it your problem with the draft powered up super form/final form that I came up for him.

Right so hear be out. Storm Dragon. Narratively it would tie in where he started (as the forbidden tome with uncontrollable power) to where he is now (a kamen rider who's grown far beyond who he once was). Obviously this would have him using his old wonder ride book (primitive dragon) along with the new one which I am dubbing Storm Dragon. Why Storm Dragon you ask!? Good question, mostly due to Ise's electric powers but also as a tie in to his uncle ren-ren (being the wind swordsman) and his daddy (being the water swordsman). Now while it wouldn't be as diverse in terms of the element choice like Elemental Dragon is, there would be a significant increase in power to compensate for it.

I did also come up with the Text of Wonder (yes that is what it's called. I deadass checked the wiki to see if the announcements had a name and found out so much more about the wonder ride books) for Storm Dragon. But if you have any suggestions they would be welcome

"Storm Dragon! Long ago an lonely dragon found a place to call home. Raised by proud warriors the lonely dragon grew stronger. Now he calls out to that primitive power once more. As a means to protect what he declares his horde with the ferocity of a storm!"

Also I want Ise rocking the Cross Saber at least once and using it with this form because Cosmic Storm Dragon Espada sounds dope as hell in my brain. And I want proud parents watching their baby basically become a god

Anyways thought?

Goddamn Ise would be too powerful 😭 But yes to all this

I def think Ise could rock Xross Saber at some point. Maybe it would have a strong affinity toward him because Xross Saber is connected to Wonder World, and Ise has a strong connection to Wonder World as well (being the reincarnation of Primitive Dragon). Though I could also see him and his siblings trading off on using it (he has a sister who becomes Calibur and a brother who becomes Blades).

[skullhaver]

well, well, well... you obviously know I want you to discourse on how my hubristic wizard boyfriend is problematic. XD

Our game's version of Galsariad Ardyth:

classic wizard hubris. if he stumbled upon a book titled "Forbidden Spells," he would not fucking hesitate

very judgmental re: intelligence. straight-up thinks he is smarter than most people and will not give others' the time of day if he thinks they're beneath him. his respect for Oak directly correlates to the weight he places on a combination of book-smarts, problem-solving ability, and intellectual creativity

skipped the required wizard ethics courses at the Marble Tomes. his ethics vibe check is pretty solid for some things, but he has a lot of examined assumptions about how the world works

related: limited class-consciousness. he grew up lower middle class and on some level knows he was simply extremely lucky to get where he is today, but also, he does NOT want to look or sound poor by any metric

[wetcatspellcaster]

*Reads Pieces.*

Reading questionable text depicting results of forbidden necromantic rituals.

*some amount of time later*

Gets in line for cleric confused, for foaming at the mouth condition.

Foaming at the mouth condition: disadvantage on concentration checks for spells can occur after reading cursed tomes. Cleric out of spell slots says it will be fine in 2d4 days probably.

Haven't been this hooked in awhile several good bg3 fics all on cliffhangers at once yours among them. Enjoying your writing stay awesome. Had to get my ranting out hope you don't mind.

thank you lovely! the wording of this one made me laugh and fed the wizard-core in me. going to refer to my AO3 posting as 'scribing my cursed tomes' from hereon out.

also loved that this message actually placed my fic in a sea of other very good fics and fic updates :D this is my first time being in an Active Active fandom and I'm glad you're being well fed xxx

[itssweetiedarling]

Magical Night

Day 4 of @12daysofchristmas - "Looks like we're snowed in for the night."

Fandom: Hogwarts Legacy

Characters: Sebastian Sallow/Delilah Reeves (OC)

Warnings: None

Word Count: 1817

Sebastian and Delilah found themselves seated at a quiet corner table in the Three Broomsticks. The tavern was empty, leaving them alone with the bartender. The fire crackles, casting a warm glow on the wooden furniture.

Sebastian and Delilah, both students at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, had decided to escape the hustle and bustle of the castle for a more relaxed evening at Hogsmeade. The Three Broomsticks, with its cozy atmosphere and butterbeer on tap, was the perfect choice.

The air was filled with the faint aroma of enchanted brews, and the creaking of the old building added to the ambiance. The friends, weary from a week of study and review for the end-of-term tests, leaned back in their chairs, taking in the calm that settled over the tavern.

Delilah absentmindedly stirred her butterbeer with her spoon, creating playful swirls in the foamy liquid. Sebastian recounted tales of his latest encounter with a mischievous niffler during a walk in the forbidden forest. Delilah, an adventurous witch, listened with laughter dancing in her eyes.

The bartender approached their table with a warm smile,  "Anything else, dears?" she asked.

Sebastian and Delilah exchanged glances before Sebastian replied, "Just another round of butterbeer, please. And perhaps a plate of your famous Christmas cookies?”

The friends enjoyed their treats and chatted about upcoming final semester exams. The hours melted away.

Finally, as the clock struck midnight, The bartender approached once more, "Time to close up, my dears. Hogwarts students need their rest."

Sebastian and Delilah reluctantly gathered their belongings, bidding farewell to the worker. They stepped back into the chilly night, their cheeks flushing. With the bartender still inside, the pair snuck to the side of the building. Through the window, they peeked inside, the bartender cleaning up their table. When she finished, she left and locked the door. Sebastian smirked, “I’m surprised they didn’t check for a cracked window this late in the winter.” He opens the window, which was left ajar from when they were inside. He gathered his bag and threw it in the building first, then swung himself over. His feet landed on the ground with a click on the wood. 

  Delilah looked around behind her before she did the same, leaving the window slightly ajar once again. 

Once inside the Three Broomsticks, Sebastian and Delilah found themselves in an unfamiliar silence. Even the sounds of the fireplace weren’t there anymore. 

Delilah cast a mischievous grin at Sebastian, and they tiptoed through the dimly lit interior. They explored the nooks and crannies of the tavern, discovering hidden corners filled with dusty broomsticks and shelves stocked with enchanted trinkets.

The friends shared whispered conversations, their voices echoing through the empty tavern. Delilah couldn't resist trying on a worn wizard hat left behind on a table, eliciting laughter from both of them. Sebastian, always fascinated by magical oddities, found an ancient-looking tome on the history of Hogsmeade.

Sebastian decided to play a tune on the piano that stood in the corner. Delilah joined in, her nimble fingers dancing over the keys, creating a melody that echoed through the empty space. As the night unfolded, Sebastian and Delilah reveled in the freedom of the moment. Delilah turned to him, “What was the reason you wanted to sneak in here again?” “I was bored, I’ve already snuck into the restricted section too many times. The thrill isn’t there anymore,” he shrugs. She raises an eyebrow, “So this is a thrill thing?” She chuckles. “I see.” Sebastian grinned, nodding. "Exactly! A little late-night adventure never hurt anyone. Plus, who wouldn't want to have the Three Broomsticks all to themselves?" Later into the night, Delilah was still listening to Sebastian tell more about his escapades. She rested her head on a table while she listened. Neither of them was expecting her to fall asleep, but it happened. Sebastian, smiling, picked up her coat from the side of the room and placed it on her like a blanket. He didn’t have the heart to wake her up, instead, he decided to stay up all night and watch, making sure they didn’t get caught. 

–

Sebastian ended up falling asleep too. As the first rays of dawn began to filter through the windows, the slumbering duo was awakened by the sound of snow blowing in the opened window. Sebastian and Delilah stirred, realizing they had inadvertently spent the entire night in the Three Broomsticks. Blinking away the remnants of sleep, Delilah saw the window. She rushed over, shutting it closed as fast as she could. In her rush, she slipped on the puddle that the snow had created.

"Oops," Delilah muttered, getting herself up.

Sebastian giggled, "Well, that was unexpected." “And a nice way to wake up in the morning.” Delilah wiped at the wet spot on her knees. “We better get going before the bar opens.” She looks around, “Where did my coat go?” Sebastian points to the ground, where it had fallen in Delilah’s rush. “I put it on you, just in case you got cold.” She smiled slightly, picking up her bag. “Thanks…” When Sebastian grabbed his stuff as well and headed to the door, he tried to open the door. It rattled but didn’t open, causing him to remember it’s locked. He chuckled, “Well, uh, the window it is!” He looked over and saw the window was covered by a pile of snow, the storm still raging beyond it. “I guess that option is out too?” He stated with a nervous expression. “Awesome! Look’s like we’re snowed in for the day!” Delilah used a very sarcastic tone, raising her eyebrow at him. “Whose idea was this again?” “It’s fine! It’s fine! I have some floo powder! We’ll just travel back to the common room.” He picked a pouch from his bag and opened it up. Inside laid sprinkles of powder, not even enough to grab a pinch. “Oh yeah, I had to refill this when I was done with school yesterday.” “You’ve got to be joking, Seb!” Delilah crossed her arms. “I should’ve known this would happen. It happened in the restricted section. We always get into places we shouldn’t be then get karma back!” “This can be another adventure, come on.” “Not this time.” She sighs, her breath visible in the air. “I’ll start the fire.” She walks away, casting a spell on the logs to light it. She sits by the fire, rolling herself up in her coat. Sebastian, realizing the predicament they were in, joined Delilah by the fireplace. 

Sebastian looked around, a hint of embarrassment on his face. "Well, this wasn't exactly how I imagined our morning, but I suppose we can make the best of it."

Delilah chuckled, her breath visible in the cold air. "You have a talent for turning ordinary situations into unexpected adventures. Even when they are just plain old bad situations.”

He grinned, "What can I say? Life's too short to be predictable."

She sighs, digging her head into the collar of her coat, still shaking cold.

Sebastian frowns, “Here, I’m wearing layers.” He takes off his coat, placing it around her. “No, it’s fine you could use it.” “No. Keep it.” He looked at her sternly, this look always worked on Delilah. She looked towards the fire again, soaking in the newfound heat. Delilah, now wrapped in Sebastian's coat, couldn't help but feel a mixture of gratitude and amusement at the unexpected turn of events.

Sebastian, trying to lighten the mood, suggested, "Well, since we're stuck here, we might as well make the most of it. How about we share some tales or play a game? I'm sure we can find something to keep us entertained."

Delilah raised an eyebrow, a playful smile playing on her lips. "Tales, huh? Do you remember how I fell asleep last night?” “Hey!” 

They both shared a laugh.

He pondered for a moment, then grinned. "Have I ever told you about the time I accidentally turned my owl into a pumpkin? It was during my first year at Hogwarts..."

And so, an hour passed by as Sebastian regaled Delilah with tales of his misadventures and magical mishaps. This time, without her falling asleep.

Sebastian shivered, “You know, the cold is starting to get to me.” “Take back your coat.” Delilah started peeling it off her. “No, I have a better idea.” He leaned onto her shoulder, “Body heat!” Delilah flushed at Sebastian's playful suggestion. "Oh? Well, I suppose it's better than freezing in here."

They shifted closer to each other, huddling by the fire for warmth. The crackling flames and the comfort of Sebastian's coat created a cocoon of coziness, pushing away the chill that had settled in the tavern. 

Sebastian turned to her with a mischievous grin, "Now, this is a unique way to spend a day snowed in. With you.” “Shut up.” Delilah laughed, "We're probably breaking some rules about being outside the castle without permission. But who's counting, right?" Sebastian gazed into Delilah's eyes, a warmth lingering in his gaze. "Rules were made to be broken, especially when the result is a day like this," he said, his tone taking on a more tender note.

She leaned in a little closer, the flickering light of the fire casting a gentle glow on their faces. "Well, then, I guess we're rebels, creating our own little world in the midst of the snowstorm."

Sebastian smiled, his fingers brushing against hers as they shared the comforting embrace of his coat. "A world where we can have some peace for once."

As the day unfolded, the laughter continued, but now it was accompanied by stolen glances and shared smiles that spoke volumes. 

Sebastian's voice softened, "You know, Lila, sometimes the best moments are the ones we stumble upon, not the ones we plan."

Delilah looked at him, "You might be onto something. This has been... magical."

Sebastian chuckled, "Well, I did promise you a magical night, didn't I?"

She tilted her head, a playful sparkle in her eyes. "You certainly delivered.” She smirked, “Unless a different magical night was intended.”

The day drifted, and as the snow outside began to lighten, they realized that their adventure had come to an end. With a sigh, Delilah reluctantly stood up, Sebastian's coat still draped around her.

"Well, I guess we should face the consequences of our rebellion and head back to Hogwarts," she said, a hint of reluctance in her voice.

Sebastian stood up as well, his eyes still holding a warmth that seemed to linger. "I suppose so, but who says the magic has to end here?"

With a playful grin, he extended his hand, inviting her to step back into the world beyond the Three Broomsticks and into whatever unexpected adventures awaited them at Hogwarts and beyond.

Delilah, with a smile that matched his, placed her hand in his. "Lead the way, Mr. Sallow."

[unohanadaydreams]

[tw selfcest] oh i am SOOOO glad my mayuri sex machine ask inspired such a great discussion! part of me honestly feels like mayuri would create some android version of you that he does literal life-threatening things to, or deeply immoral things (removing its voicebox? increasing the pain receptors?) that he cannot do to you as you are a squishy shinigami. alternatively, he probably gets you to have sex with it in front of him.

LISTEN. Mayuri would absolutely do this.

Sexually, he can dole out to a shinigami. That is part of his freak nasty persona, after all. But the knowledge that he loves you? Absolute forbidden fruit. Any baring of soul involves you getting so close you're practically sewed under his skin. This man has not learned lessons on approaching love post-Nemu for the better. But for the worse.

And pre-TYBW, I don't think he would even need an android or mod-soul replacement of you. He could just get away with it. A singular solider going missing is easy to wave away suspicion on if done with any finesse. Seireitei is not a system that cares THAT much about gore until it clogs the cogs of their machine enough that it's noticed and must be cleaned. (Finding out Mayuri went on trial during SAFWY for putting bombs in his soldiers is so funny because he suffers no discernible consequence)

But post-TYBW, there would be more accountability, I think. Kyoraku & Nanao are very built up as a more future-forward leadership. And really, he's only going to want a replacement of you when he's too far gone emotionally.

He can't just admit you've been on his mind all day and have you walk out into the world, able to repeat that knowledge to anyone. You can't just live your own life, separate from him, once you know--and more importantly, once he admits to himself--that he wants and needs you. Mayuri fucking short circuits with the reality of you, a person with autonomy and your own life, have an irrational hold over him. He couldn't even handle having tender feelings for the test tube daughter he reared to have almost no life outside of him!!!

Like, Mayuri already translates his internal suffering into physical suffering unto others, per canon (physically punishing Nemu for his insecurity). So, Mayuri keeping a copy of you to confide in and then punish you for being the one he confides in checks out 1000%.

Having feelings for you is a punishment. So punishment will be your replacement's life.

He's flipping through tomes of ancient torture techniques like they're bed time stories so you can fully feel dread for the what's in store the next day. He is thinly justifying to himself (still! even now!) that he's simply experimenting. Improving upon the old. Updating the past to current standards.

Also Mayuri getting you to have sex with your replacement......like the desperation your replacement feels, absolutely lavishing you in pleasure because you're the first and only person to do the same without punishment. They've only known Mayuri, in practicality. Your attention and care is a blessed first. I think Mayuri would really get off on that--that even your replacement is desperate for you. Like that makes wanting you more logical. That he isn't the only one starved for you.

Anyway! :) I agree and will be thinking such normal thoughts today.

[snappedsky]

Borderlands: Skies the Ultimate Treasure Hunter

Skies explores the Dustbound Archives, looking for the history of the planet and a book for Mancubus.

*Links to previous and next chapters in reblog*

--

Guns, Love, and Tentacles Part 7

Skies walks through the Dustbound Archives back to the front desk. As she arrives, she can hear loud, boisterous voices on the balcony overhead. She ignores them and approaches the librarian.

“Hey, Harriet,” she says quietly, “I need a book called The Nibblenomicon.”

“You need a library card,” Harriet replies, “but I can hardly hear you over this blasted Bonded book club! No one is taking anything out until I can hear myself think!”

“Easy fix,” Skies remarks and heads up the stairs onto the balcony. Three cult members are sitting in easy chairs, talking loudly about some kind of elder god story book. Without a moment of hesitation or even a blink, Skies walks up to the nearest one and jabs her fist blade into his neck.

The other two jump to their feet, readying their guns. Skies twirls her pistol of its holster and shoots one through the head. The other begins firing at her. She dives behind one of the chairs to dodge then aims around it and shoots him a couple times in the chest.

“Easy peasy,” Skies comments. She stops as she notices something has tumbled out of the cloak of one of the dead cultists and picks up a library card. “Lucky me.”

She returns back to the front desk and presents the card to Harriet. “I have obtained a library card. Don’t ask me how.”

Harriet sighs with relief. “Now that a sensible volume has been restored, I can tell you that The Nibblenomicon is located in the Forbidden Stacks. Though I should warn you, everyone who’s ever checked that book out has met a terrible fate...late fees!”

“I will admit, it is true what the young lady said,” Mancubus says from Skies’ ECHO communicator. “Terrible fates have befallen all who gaze upon The Nibblenomicon’s accursed pages. Which are all of them.”

“Right. Well, I just won’t look at the pages then. One more thing,” she adds before leaving. “I also need to learn the history of the planet. Any idea where I can start?”

“Holography tapes can be found around the archives,” Harriet replies. “You can use them on the holoprojector.”

“Much appreciated,” Skies nods and heads back into the archives. “Okay. I guess I’ll find the Nibblenomicon first then hunt for those tapes.”

She follows the signs to the entrance of the Forbidden Stacks, which is blocked off by a gate. She scans the library card on a console next to the gate and it opens up.

As she enters the Forbidden Stacks, Skies is met with an icy floor and a half dozen bodies frozen in place with a mound of icicles up a short flight of stairs.

“What the hell happened here?” she questions.

“Hm, one of these poor souls must have botched the frozen daiquiri recipe,” Mancubus replies, “a fickle drink, that. Well, one of them must have the book. You’ll just have to pry it from their cold, fragile hands.”

“Okey doke,” Skies shrugs and quickly smashes all of the bodies with one punch from her robot hand. One of them has a book, but it’s not the right one. “The Grand Grammoire...?”

“Ah, the definitive work on infernal grammar. Useful for pedantic diabolists,” Mancubus comments.

“No other books, but it looks like this guy tried to grab some kind of valve.”

“For the central heating system, no doubt. A good idea. Put the valve in its proper place and dispel the frost. Maybe then, the location of the tome will become clear.”

Skies wanders around until she finds the boiler room, but the door is locked. She briefly considers smashing her way in but decides instead to crawl through a nearby vent. When she gets into the room, she sticks the valve onto its pipe and turns it, heating up the room.

Skies lets herself out through the door as the frost and ice melts away. She goes back to the middle of the room which is now free of the mound of ice to reveal a pedestal. On it sits a strange book that appears to be made of flesh with two eyes and a mouth on the cover.

“Is this it...?” Skies questions and starts to reach for it.

“Finally!” an irritating voice cries out from the mouth of the book. “I’ve been freezing my deckled edges off over here! Get me outta here before I get all moldy!”

“Oh, great, a demanding book,” Skies grunts as she picks up The Nibblenomicon.

“Finally!” Mancubus purrs with excitement. “The unhallowed mysteries of The Nibblenomicon will soon be revealed. The Vegan Turducken. The Eggplant Harmesan. The Elder Dip. Take it. And whatever you do, do not read it yourself.”

“Ahh, don’t listen to that old stick in the mud!” the book argues, wiggling in Skies’ hand. “You can read me. Come on, open me up! Just check the table of contents real quick.”

“Eh, I’m not much of a chef,” Skies shrugs and slips the book into the coat. “Alright, Mancubus. I’ll get the book to you as soon as I’m done here.”

“Very well,” he replies, “just be sure to check it out with the librarian.”

Skies leaves the Forbidden Stacks and goes back into the large, main room- the Holography Chamber. In the middle of the room is the holoprojector and over top of that, multiple smaller projectors are portraying the planet, Xylourgos. But also scattered around the floor are multiple dead bodies of the Bonded.

“The Vault Hunters must’ve been through here already,” Skies muses, “I wonder what they’ve learned.”

Skies types at the holoprojector and turns on a projection of a man and woman. The woman she immediately recognizes as Eleanor, but without the creepy cloak and tentacles.

“Research log, day one. My name is Eleanor Olmstead. My beloved and I have arrived on the rim-world of Xylourgos. We have finally found the beast of legend after years of chasing its name across the stars! ‘Gythian’.”

“Supposedly it means ‘Eater of Hearts’,” the man continues. Skies recognizes him as the statue man in Cursehaven’s square. “But the original language is dead and lost to time.”

“A charming introduction as ever, Vincent my love,” Eleanor continues. “Gythian’s physiology can only be described as otherworldly. Though its body is dead, its heart still beats. This requires further study. Who knows what xenobiological revelations it has for us.”

“This is the start of a whole new life for us, my darling!”

With that, the projection fades away.

“Eleanor and Vincent Olmstead,” Skies muses, “they were researchers studying the monster. I need more tapes.”

As she wanders through the library, she finds more scattered bodies of the Bonded- more of the Vault Hunters’ handiwork. She fulls both proud of them as her friend, and bitter that they’re stealing all the kills. If she didn’t get hurt before, she could’ve explored all this with them. Instead they felt the need to bench her, and she has to explore on her own.

This big...quiet library...silent as the dead she’s surrounded by...all on her own...

“Listen, just between you and me,” the Nibblenomicon says from her coat. “Page six hundred sixty-six, there is a recipe for fettuccine and Demogorgonzola. It is to DIE for- literally!”

Okay, maybe she’s not on her own.

She ignores the book and peruses the shelves, searching for holotapes. “If I were the Olmsteads, and I didn’t want anyone finding out about my past, I’d hide it somewhere nobody would think to look...like a hidden room.”

She stops as she spots on the shelf an ornamental skull with a gem eye. “Please be a hidden room, please be a hidden room.”

She grabs the skull and it pulls it like a lever and the shelf sinks into the wall and opens like a door, revealing a hidden room. “Yay!”

Inside she finds another holotape and painted on the walls in yellow paint, ‘The heart still beats, the heart still bleeds’ dozens of times. She takes the holotape back to the projector and plugs it in.

“Research log, day thirty-seven,” Eleanor’s projection says excitedly. “My beloved has made a fascinating discovery! Go on, tell them, dear!” “I am thrilled to report,” says Vincent,” the mountain above Gythian’s resting place is home to a treasure trove of ancient ruins that seem to be from some sort of precursor alien civilization. There are technological marvels inside that mankind has only seen in dreams.”

“This could change everything!” Eleanor cheers.

“Even more fascinating,” Vincent adds, “my initial studies hint at a link between Gythian’s eternal life and the technology itself. This will require further experimentation.”

“Do be careful, my beloved,” Eleanor warns, “there are some lines we should not cross. It is called the Eater of Hearts, after all.”

Vincent laughs away her concern. “Darling, really, you worry too much.” Skies shakes her head as the projection fades away. “Ohhh, Vincent. Nothing good happens to anyone who hunts for eternal life. And I already know nothing good happened to you. Or at least...I think I do...”

She goes deeper into the library until she comes to a door that seems to be blocked from the other side. “Oh, you can’t keep me out that easily.”

After a quick look around, she spots a ventilation shaft. She shoots off the cover, clambers inside, and crawls through until she finds another cover leading into the next room. After shooting it off and jumping out the opening, she finds herself in the Central Database, surrounded by computers. She doesn’t get very far however before Bonded suddenly appear.

“Guess the Vault Hunters never came here,” she grins and readies her shotgun. “Good.”

She shoots at the bonded, easily dodging their attacks. With each body that hits the floor, she feels better and better as her stress whittles away.

When almost all of the cultists are dead, a big one approaches. He fires a large, green ball of energy at her. She rolls out of the way and fires at him with her shotgun. The force makes him stumble backwards but doesn’t kill him immediately.

“Oh, so you’re a beefy bitch,” Skies comments as she holsters her shotgun and grabs her pistol.

The cultist fires more blasts at her. She races around him, dodging his attacks as she shoots at him. The pistol bullets seem to do little damage but she is far more agile than he is so he can’t even hit her.

She runs around to his back and before he can turn to face her, she extends her forearm blade and slices the back of his knees. He cries out in pain as he starts to collapse but before he hits the ground, Skies kicks the back of his head and knocks his face through a nearby set of computers. He spasms with electrical shocks before falling dead.

“Now, what do you got for me?” Skies quickly checks his cloak and finds another holotape. “Hehe, nice try.”

She quickly hurries back to the projector and plugs it in.

“Research log, day one hundred and sixty-two,” Eleanor says, “I am worried about Vincent. He is obsessed with Gythian’s heart. I can hardly understand the things he’s been saying lately. He believes the heart holds the key to eternal life, but we still barely understand the mutagenic and metaphysical properties of Gythian’s power. I don’t know what to do.”

With that, the projection fades away and Skies groans with frustration. “Is that it? But what happened to Vincent? What about the rings? I’ve been all over this library and there’s no more tapes!”

“Ooh, you sound stressed,” The Nibblenomicon says, feigning concern. “I’ve got a lovely recipe for an herbal tea that’ll clear all the anxiety from your soul...and clear your soul entirely!”

“Quiet, you,” Skies snaps and sighs, rubbing her face. “Well, maybe the Vault Hunters found something else. I guess I’ll go back to the Lodge.”

She heads through the archives and stops at the front desk. “Hey, Harriet. I got the book. You wanna check it out or something?”

“Oh, you’ve found the book,” the librarian replies, “well, go on, give it here.”

She hands her the Nibblenomicon and Harriet picks it up and examines it. “Now, I’ll just open it to stamp the date here on this perfectly innocuous endpage and- what’s this? Some kind of...recipe? I can’t...stop reading it...”

Harriet begins to glow bright green as she reads the book. It suddenly floats out of her hands and twirls around before morphing with her and turning her into a squid-like monster.

“Oh, come on,” Skies groans with annoyance.

She dives backwards as the monster lunges for her and fires at it with her shotgun. It spews acid at her and she narrowly dodges and continues firing. It’s fast but weak and Skies soon blasts it to mush and the book falls to the floor.

“Troublesome thing,” she comments as she grabs it.

“Yeah, pick me up!” the book exclaims, “but NO STAMPS, got it?! You come near me with a stamp, and I’ll make sure you live to regret it for a long, long time.”

“Whatever,” Skies grunts as she slips it back into her coat and leaves for the Lodge.

[temaylibrary]

Morris Jessup sure does seem to be a cultured fellow, it looks like he's making a lot of references in his letter... Could you tell me about Ebon Enigma? He described it as a "forbidden tome", but his prose is so dramatic I have no idea if that should be taken literally.

Hello, hello, miss Aster! I've never met the person himself, but his writing does seem to indicate a certain archaic flair. Let's see what I can find.

So! Ebon Enigma is a somewhat long popular fiction book from around seventy years ago, about a man who finds the titular tome in a crypt and becomes the recipient of marvellous but dark powers. It's a, ah... somewhat sordid read, in my opinion. The plot is certainly there, but it's mired down with far, far too many scenes of an adult nature. We have a copy in the archives, but you need to show that you are above a certain age to check it out.

In the story, the book draws its power from a black sun in the so-called "Shadowfall," an obvious misuse of the actual real Shadowfell, the existence of which was (at the time of publication) just becoming widely known within the common population. The protagonist uses the power of the black sun to cut a city teeming with demons off the continent and fling it into the ocean.

Is that what you needed, miss Aster?

[kinglyisms-archived]

The Samaha Coven.

Current Matriarch: Mirette Samaha. Future Patriarch: Amir Samaha. Location: Upper Right of Abarith, large wrapping family estate.

The Samaha's are a family of mages that have a deep and innertwining network of history in Abarith. Their Coven Line is nearly as old as Abarith itself and the Samaha's have always served on the King's Court. They are very old, very deep, magic users that tend to lean more toward fire magic but can master nearly all forms of elemental magic. Mirette's strength is water and light, Amir's is fire and light. Amir's father is water and earth.

Mirette is the only living member of the previous King's court, because she is the one who betrayed her friends and told King Gaito about the coup that was going to be held against him. She is directly responsible for the loss of all her friends. She holds no regrets for what she did because it is the reason she is still alive. It's an eat or be eaten kind of world in her eyes. Fight for your own survival.

Amir is Mirette's only child. Medically she can't have anymore and this is a sore spot for her and a heavy weight on Amir because it means he is her only focus and only heir. Mirette expects Amir to get married to another mage, a woman, and create children for Mirette to further the magical Samaha line. She often, and frequently, is trying to set him up with someone and also checks in on how he's developing magically. She expects him to be perfect and powerful. Amir has sacrified most of his life and childhood perfecting his abilities to prove himself to his mother.

The Samaha have the largest magical tome collection in Abarith, Satoru being the second. Satoru has more dark magic tomes than them but the Samaha don't practice dark magic. They often try to get Satoru to relenquish them though because they do believe they should be the ones guarding such dark magic. Mirette is a sore spot often in Satoru's spine.

The Samaha family has over a hundred living members, between elderly, adults, teens and children. They have the purest line because it's forbidden to marry anyone other than another mage. The Estate itself is large and locked behind a gated entrance. Amir tries to spend as little time there as possible, but is often called away to deal with things or have family dinners with his mother that will leave anyone trumatized.