Burn

CHAPTER 10

The following morning found Carter tired, irritable, and more confused than ever. As he trudged through the school gates, tugging wayward strands of rumpled hair from his eyes, crowds parted with obvious unease, eyeing him warily.

Carter, so immersed in his conversation with Ryu, hardly noticed.

"For the last time," he hissed at the demon, scowling at him beneath lowered brows, "I don't know where the book went."

"I just don't believe it could've simply vanished like that," Ryu protested, his own lips curving into a pout. "Maybe you were just hallucinating. Maybe there was never a book to begin with."

Carter gritted his teeth at he entered the building, oblivious to the startled glances of his peers. "I told you-"

"I know," Ryu interjected, rolling his eyes, "I just don't believe you."

"Ryu." Carter paused at his locker to give the demon a flat look. "You're a literal demon. You're hardly in a position to disbelieve anything."

To his relief, Ryu was silent all throughout homeroom, and trailed quietly after Carter to first period. It wasn't until they were settled at the back of History class that he muttered, in a grudging tone, "I guess, maybe, there could have been a book."

Carter sighed in exasperation, but he couldn't stifle an amused snort as he turned to meet Ryu's expectant gaze. "Thankyou for finally agreeing with me."

To his surprise, Ryu flashed him a teasing grin, all sharp teeth and black tongue. "You're welcome."

"Mr. Willows?"

Carter flinched in his seat as he was suddenly tugged back into awareness, gazing around at the numerous stares pinning him in place. "Er..."

"Glad you're back with us, Mr. Willows," Mr. Cooper continued, bushy brows rising irritably. "If you were paying attention, you'd know that I've split all of you into pairs to work on the glossary table. Please join Mr. Daniels at once."

Carter glanced reluctantly across the room at a boy with shaggy hair and several ear piercings. He was waving hesitantly, features twisted into a sympathetic grimace.

"Yeah, okay," Carter sighed, standing reluctantly from his seat. Around him, people stood and moved about the room, shifting and reconfiguring the seating arrangements to join their partners.

"Hey," Carter muttered as he slid into the desk beside the boy. An uncomfortable tension lingered across his skin, a reminder of his distaste for strangers. "I'm Carter."

To his surprise, the boy flashed him a dimpled smile. "I know." He held out a hand, shaggy locks falling across his face at the movement. "I'm Anthony."

Carter blinked, hesitant, then grasp Anthony's hand briefly. "So," he continued awkwardly, gaze fixed on the scuffed surface of his desk, "would you happen to know what, exactly, the glossary table is? I, uh, wasn't really listening."

Anthony barked a laugh, the sound sharp and sudden. "I have a vague idea," he teased, eyes twinkling with mirth. "Although, I can hardly blame you. Mr. Cooper's about as interesting to listen to as my Grandma after someone brings up opera."

This time, Carter laughed, too, the sound so unexpected that it startled him into looking up and meeting Anthony's eyes. "Er, yeah," he mumbled, biting back a smile, "opera is pretty important. It's musical art form."

Anthony groaned dramatically and threw back his head, exposing the long, flexing expanse of his throat. "Ahh, stop. You sound just like her."

The pair dissolved into soft, appreciative laughs, to which Ryu scoffed from his position atop Carter's desk. "Please," he drawled, rolling his eyes, "let's hurry this shit up before Anthony bores me to death."

Carter shot him an appraising look, but as their laughter dissolved, he cleared his throat and said, "We should probably start the table. I do not need homework tonight."

"Agreed." Anthony tugged a large History textbook across the desk and flipped it to a glossary page. "How about I read them out, and you draw up the table?"

Ryu gave a sharp bark of laughter and glared witheringly at Anthony. "He's trying to make you do all the work, Carter."

Carter bit back a retort and leaned across his own desk under the guise of reaching for a pen, pinching Ryu sharply on the arm as he moved. The demon gave a squeak of protest and scowled.

"I'm just saying," he muttered, rubbing his arm.

"That sounds fine," Carter told Anthony pointedly, fixing Ryu with a final glance as he pulled his pile of textbooks across the desk. But as Carter tugged a notebook from beneath the pile, a small black book slid from the pile and fell between the desks with a distinct thump.

"Bit clumsy there, eh?" Anthony teased, flashing Carter a grin as he leaned forward and scooped the book from the floor.

Carter's heart beat loudly against his chest, mouth dry with the sudden suspicion that had struck him.

Is that...?

He grasped the book from Anthony's outstretched hand with shaking fingers, snatched a glance at the cover, and promptly felt the urge to faint.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

Oh my god.

"What?" Ryu demanded, clearly startled by Carter's expression. There was an undeniable hint of fear in his voice. "Carter, what is it?"

Still trembling, Carter wordlessly placed the book on top of the pile, right where Ryu could see it.

There, in silver lettering atop a worn leather cover, were the words: Tenebrarum praesentibus adhiberetur: De Dcemone Encylopedia.

Ryu's own gaze widened, and he fixed Carter with a look of pure, unadulterated shock.

"The book followed us."

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