12 ~ Invisible Igni

. : Sebastian of Havfrue : . 

Sebastian had expected the key to hurt as it sunk into his finger, but instead, it seemed as if his flesh simply turned into a jelly. The key locked into the bone, and twisted, turning his finger in a full rotation, before leaving his hand altogether. His finger glowed in a pale shade of blue for a moment, before dimming. 

He held his freckled hand up to his face, examining both sides. Not a single mark was left, no proof that he now had access to magic. His father had made it sound like a horrific experience, something that had left him traumatized and in pain. Sebastian's grandfather, the king of the seven seas, had said his father was being over dramatic. Sebastian was beginning to believe his grandfather was right. 

"Have you told your parents that you were getting access to magic?"

Sebastian's back straightened as the greasy voice of his pirate companion washed over him. He had crept up behind him in the large group of students. They stood outdoors, waiting for their fingers to be unlocked. "They both went to this school and are aware of the expectations. It is not as if I will need to use magic once I am back fighting for Neverland."

Kendrick snickered. "Are you sure? Looks like Igni's health is better than ever." 

Sebastian followed his gaze, to the end of the student line, where Laura stood. He frowned. He hadn't noticed her return, but Kendrick was regrettably right; she did look healthy. It was a far cry from the last time he had seen her, twitching and distracted in Professor Dovey's office. Her face had a healthy glow, and she seemed to be more alert, her eyes darting around. 

She glanced briefly towards Sebastian, and he inhaled sharply. He could've sworn that her eyes had just flashed orange when she looked at him. He blinked for a second, but they were back to their normal brown shade. 

"Are you good, Sebastian?" Tedros asked, looking over at him. His face dropped into a frown at Kendrick. Clearly, they both thought the pirate was unwelcome.

Sebastian nodded. "I'm fine, just seeing things," He dismissed it with a wave of his hand, but his heart was pounding in his throat. He had no reason to fear her. He had bested her on Neverland by getting her beyond the barrier, but now, something in him was telling him to run. 

He turned his gaze to Kendrick, realizing with an ounce of discomfort that the pirate was both taller and wider than him. Evil was treating him well. He stood with more confidence-- even dressed in the rags that were the evil uniform-- and his face was fierce. 

"Is there something you want?" Sebastian asked. Kendrick couldn't do anything with all the other students and faculty here. 

The pirate let a small smile slide across his face. "I hope you understand that we are still allies, despite the different schools."

Sebastian glanced at Tedros, who was trying to keep a straight face. What was he supposed to say to the persistent pirate? Nothing except his parents wanted them to be allies. He was not benefitting, and he knew, the second he became king, that he would ban pirates from trading. All they ever brought was illegal substances and crime through the kingdom.

"Allies. Sure."

Kendrick's eyes narrowed. "I have an agreement with your parents Sebastian. If I end magic, I ensure a prosperous future for myself and my crewmates. I can do it with or without you, whether or not you agree with my methods"

Sebastian winced. He didn't agree with his methods-- had nearly killed Kendrick himself when he had realized what he had done to those sleeping children. The good did not kill unless necessary, and the violence that had happened that night still caused bile to rise in his throat.

"I don't agree with your methods, Kendrick, and I would appreciate it if you stepped away from me. We may work together in another world, but right now, we are enemies in different schools. Do not expect me to work with you again until it is absolutely necessary."

Kendrick's face flashed, though not in hurt, but instead in malice. Sebastian was aware that he was angering the evil student, but did not care. He was tired of Kendrick's manipulative and cruel behaviour. 

Kendrick gripped his soldier, tight enough that Sebastian could feel his dagger-like fingernails digging into his shoulder through the cornflower blue of his uniform jacket. "If you would like to be enemies, Sebastian, so be it. I am not the person you want to risk angering."

"Leave him alone, man," Tedros gave Kendrick a shove. Kendrick stepped forward, as if intending to fight Tedros but seemed to think better of it after he noticed that he had drawn more than a few students' stares. 

Kendrick didn't entertain a response and instead stalked off, in the direction of his evil colleagues. 

Sebastian let out a breath. "Thanks. I hate him."

"I hate him too," Tedros responded. "Besides, I'm bigger than you, I could take him."

Sebastian snorted. "As if, you will never be taller than me."

As they laughed, Sebastian's gaze drifted, and he frowned. Laura's eyes were scanning the crowd carefully, as though she were looking for someone. He couldn't help the feeling that she had heard everything that he had said to Tedros and Kendrick.

"I hate not knowing anything about her," Sebastian muttered, lowing his voice to discourage any eavesdropping.

Tedros followed his gaze to Laura, his eyes narrowing in the sunshine. "It certainly makes it easier to fight your enemy if you know who they are. Maybe the library has something on her?"

Sebastian nodded. He hadn't thought to look there. He had no idea where to even start, but he wanted the upper hand and would do almost anything for it. 

He dug his hand into the pocket of his jacket, squeezing her necklace tight. It was bribery, for one day when he needed something, but he needed information on her now, and he had to do so without her finding out.

~~~

Sebastian eyed the massive tortoise at the library desk. "Do you think it's dead or asleep?"

Tedros snickered as they walked past, heading to the back of the library, where a large oaken table sat waiting for them. "I would guess sleeping since the faeries haven't started to eat it yet."

Sebastian shuddered. He had never had a bad run in with faeries or pixies-- the ones on Neverland mostly avoided him. He didn't want to know what would happen if the manic faeries that patrolled the school got their hands on him.

The two princes made it to the table and put down their stacks of books, before turning to face the endless rows of books. They were on everything from magic to politics to creatures, and even a small subsection about candle making-- although Sebastian did wonder the uses of this novel.

Sebastian reached up and grabbed a novel on fire magic. No better place to start, right? 

~~~

They had spent hours in the library. The sun was long gone, and darkness crept into most crannies, warded off only by candles that danced in the silence. 

Tedros had dozed off across from him, his golden hair hiding his eyes as he rested on a book about the historical residents of Neverland.

Sebastian couldn't sleep. His eyes were racing across the book. A large stack of useless materials laid next to him. He hadn't found anything. There was no trace of her anywhere. Neverland had its history tracked up to the death of Peter Pan, and then it was as if nothing had happened since. He had figured out that she had been on Neverland for roughly thirty years, since that was when Pan died and no more history followed, as while as around the time Dovey was born. There was nothing else that he could find. 

All he had wanted was the slightest hint on how to face her and her magic. Instead, he found useless tidbits on fire magic and water magic, and how they balanced each other. 

Sebastian groaned, jabbing his hand onto the book, as if would make something he missed appear. He frowned as his hand came away from the book wet.

A small patch of water, no bigger than a few droplets, had spread across one of the paragraphs he was reading. He ran his finger over it; there was no water nearby. Sebastian twisted his neck to look up at the ceiling. The roof was far above him, and he couldn't make out anything in the dimness anyways.

He chalked it up the leaky roof and placed the book on the stack, about to reach for the one on candle making-- as if it would be of any use-- but stopped as the door to the library creaked open.

Sebastian snapped his neck around, and at seeing two figures, one holding a curling flame, he darted under the table. What were they up to this late at night? Then again, it was suspicious that he was in here this late at night. 

They walked over until they were only two aisles away. They went halfway down the aisle, to the section on magic.

Sebastian narrowed his eyes. It was Laura and the reader girl, Agatha. They stopped and flipped through a few books, silent at first.

"This is the closest I've found," Laura's voice was smooth. "A recipe for good looks cookbook, and Sophie doesn't need that."

Agatha snorted. "No, she doesn't."

"We aren't going to find anything here, love spells are usually banned in teaching facilities. They are tricky, and you can't fake true love anyways. It sounds like the riddle calls for true love."

Agatha sighed. "I hope Hester has a better plan."

"I can't cast love spells anyways, they are usually reserved for evil, and I suck at potion magic."

Sebastian frowned to himself, watching the girls leave the library. Love spells? What were they doing? 

Everything he learned about Laura seemed to lead him in a more confusing direction.


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