Chapter Text
The first rays of sunlight barely broke through the cracks in the wooden shutters when a commotion outside woke Sebastian. He opened his eyes groggily, frowning at the muffled shouts filtering through the walls. Elaine was already awake, slipping on her boots with swift, practiced movements. Her expression was grim, her brows knit tightly together.
“What’s going on?” Sebastian muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.
“Trouble,” she said curtly, grabbing her gloves and strapping them on. “Get up.”
Sebastian rolled his eyes but dragged himself to his feet, slipping on his own boots. He followed Elaine out of the room and down the stairs, the noise growing louder with every step. When they emerged from the inn, the sight that greeted them made Sebastian’s stomach twist.
A group of goblin raiders stood in the middle of the village square, dragging a man out of one of the small houses. The man thrashed in their grip, his cries of desperation cutting through the crisp morning air. His wrists were shackled, glowing faintly with the same magical suppressants Sebastian had once worn himself. A wizard, then.
One of the goblins barked an order, and another stepped forward, a glowing branding iron in his hand. The wizard struggled harder, screaming incoherently, but it was no use. The iron was pressed against his forearm, the mark searing itself into his flesh with a sickening hiss. His cries of pain echoed through the square as he collapsed to the ground.
Sebastian’s hands curled into fists at his sides. He glanced at Elaine and saw it—just for a moment—a grimace flickering across her face before her usual stoic mask slid back into place.
“This is bullshit,” he spat, his voice low and shaking with anger. “This is what humans do to us. What you do to us.” He turned to her with his last sentence.
Elaine shot him a sharp look. “Quiet.”
“No,” he snapped, his voice rising. “I’m not going to sit here and watch this. You people—”
“Sebastian,” she interrupted, her voice icy, “get on the horse. Now.”
Her urgency set his teeth on edge, but it only made him angrier. “You’re just like them,” he hissed. “I knew you were, but for a moment, I actually hoped you were someone better.”
A goblin nearby turned toward them, his sharp eyes narrowing as he took in the scene. He stalked over, his armor clinking with each step, and stopped in front of Elaine.
“Trouble with your wizard?” the goblin sneered, his gaze flicking dismissively to Sebastian. “Need us to remind him where his place is?”
Elaine didn’t hesitate. Her expression hardened into something cold and dangerous. Her gray eyes seemed to glow, a whirlwind of different hues inside them.
“You’re overstepping,” she said sharply, her voice low but filled with authority. “He’s my wizard to punish, not yours.”
The goblin bared his teeth in a sharp grin. “Is that so? Then perhaps you’re not doing your job well enough if he’s mouthing off like that.”
Sebastian’s fury burned hotter, but before he could retort, Elaine grabbed his wrist.
Her grip was firm, and for a moment, something strange passed between them. A sensation rippled through him at the contact—power, but not the kind he had come to dread. There was no draining, no leeching of his magic like the other humans had done to him before.
Then, without warning, a burst of magic exploded from her hand. The goblin was blasted backward, landing in a heap several feet away.
The other goblins froze, their attention snapping to Elaine. One of them squinted, recognition dawning in his expression.
“General,” he bowed.
The one on the ground also crouched to his knees in a low bow. Elaine stepped closer, her presence suffocating. “I am sorry, Miss Aryndell,” the goblin stammered, his previous arrogance gone in an instant. “I didn’t expect to see you this far out—”
Elaine cut him off by slamming her boot into his face. The sickening crack of cartilage breaking echoed through the square.
Then she turned to the other goblin. “I assume he will be punished thoroughly for this?” she arched a brow at him.
“Yes, General,” the goblin nodded quickly. “Of course he will.” He waved at the others, who immediately moved forward and seized their fallen comrade by the arms.
“I think losing the hand he intended to lay on my property will be appropriate,” Elaine said smoothly, the storm in her eyes cooling ever so slightly.
“Yes, my lady,” the goblin leader stuttered, his voice thick with fear.
Elaine turned sharply on her heel, dragging Sebastian with her.
“Are you not staying to watch, my lady?” the leader called after her.
Elaine didn’t stop. She didn’t even look back.
“It’s not worth my time,” she said coolly. “But do let me hear his screams.”The crowd stirred, whispers rippling through the villagers.
Sebastian’s mind raced.
This was Elaine Aryndell.
The general of the human military forces that helped the goblins raid the castle ten years ago.
Of course, he had heard of her. She was infamous for spotting even the most concealed hideouts of wizards and witches, shattering revolts before anyone even got wind of them.
The other wizards and witches at the traders whispered about her in hushed voices, spinning tales of her exploits like ghost stories meant to frighten each other around a campfire.
This was his own personal nightmare, and he had no idea how to wake himself up.
He couldn’t believe that for even just a moment, he had thought of her as someone better.
Hells, he had even flirted with her.
Elaine turned to him, her face tight with tension. “Get on the horse,” she ordered, her voice low and urgent.
Sebastian finally took a real look at her.
Her honey-blonde hair, bound back by a strip of black leather, made her features appear sharper. Her eyes were cold, her lips pressed into a thin line. Her stance was that of a trained fighter, and now he knew why. There wasn’t an inch of her that wasn’t controlled, honed, dangerous.
But gods, she looked young.
She couldn’t be much older than him.
Had she already been in their ranks when they took Hogwarts?
What the hell had he gotten himself into?
Sebastian yanked his hand out of her grasp, his eyes blazing.
“You’re their general,” he spat. “How long until you’ve drained me completely? Is that why you waited to use my magic? To make me last a little longer than the others?” He let out a bitter laugh. “Don’t try to deny it—I’ve heard the stories.”
Elaine Aryndell never kept a wizard for longer than a month.
No one ever knew what happened to them afterward.
“Sebastian—” she began.
“Don’t.” His voice was sharp. “You stand here, acting like you’re above all this, but you’re just another human with too much power.”
Elaine’s jaw clenched, but she didn’t respond. Instead, she swung onto the horse and glared down at him. “We don’t have time for this,” she said coldly. “Get on. Or I make you.”
The storm in her eyes was back, and for the first time, Sebastian truly saw her for what she was.
A threat.
A nightmare wrapped in flesh and leather.
What chance did he have, really?
He had thought he could charm her, maybe manipulate his way into another escape before she inevitably dragged him back to the traders.
But this was Elaine fucking Aryndell.
She wouldn’t take him back.
If he defied her, she would kill him and find another wizard.
With a frustrated growl, he climbed onto the horse behind her.
As they rode away, the whispers of the goblins and villagers faded into the distance.