Burn

CHAPTER 11

Because Margo was unwaveringly mature, and because Carter was vaguely terrified, Tuesday morning proved no more relaxing than yesterday's. Both arrived early to school and spent the next hour huddled in a corner of the library, pouring over the mysterious book with equal parts fear and excitement.

"Look at this one!" Margo crowed, waving a triumphant hand to encompass the double spread of inked images and tiny writing. Written in block letters across the bottom was the word Prohibere, marked by a collection of sharply curved runes. "You know how I said this looked like Latin? Well..."

She pulled her phone from her pocket with a smug grin, and began brandishing it eagerly through the air. "According to google translate, this word means 'stop.' That must mean it's a spell to stop demons, right?"

Carter hesitated, then nodded once, slowly. "I suppose."

Margo gave an impatient huff. "Carter, you don't get it. This means we have a line of defence against demons who might try to attack us! We can actually do something."

Carter tried to summon the rush of relief he knew Margo must be feeling, attempted to conjure a semblance of joy at the prospect of real, true protection, and found only wariness, and a cold, empty sense of dread. "I don't know, Margo," he said finally, shifting uncomfortably in his seat. "Where did this book come from? How did it turn up at school? Something feels...off."

"I agree," Ryu chimed in, from his usual place atop the table. He seemed to have an aversion to chairs, which, Carter often mused, may or may not be demon-related. With Ryu, one never knew. "This situation is suspicious as fuck. You can't trust it."

Carter stifled a wince as Margo turned a dark, narrow-eyed stare on him; he knew her well enough to recognise that blatant disapproval. "Perhaps," she began, in sharp, accusing tones, "you only say that because you're trying to hide something." She leaned closer, then, accusation wrought across her face. "Maybe you're worried we'll find a way to really stop demons from attacking. And maybe, just maybe, you don't want that. Hmm?"

"How dare you," Ryu hissed, drawing himself up so that he resembled a furious, spitting cat. Every hair on his head seemed to stand on end, trembling with the force of his rage. "You don't know anything about me."

To his obvious dismay, however, Margo remained placid in the face of his anger, and merely cocked a single brow. "Are you done?" she drawled, once several seconds of uncomfortably tense silence had passed.

Ryu deflated suddenly, shoulders hunching as he fixed Margo with a deeply embittered pout. "Sometimes I really don't like you," he sniffed, and rose from the table to stalk haughtily away into a nearby aisle.

Margo glanced hesitantly over one shoulder and began to gnaw her bottom lip, but Carter waved a dismissive hand. "He'll be fine," he assured her when she flashed him a worried glance. "His ego's just a bit touchy."

When Margo gave a slow nod, Carter pulled the book back across the table and began hurriedly flicking through it, clumps of sharp black text and inked illustrations flashing through his mind. The faster he went, the more blurred each page became in his mind, so much so that he almost missed the page he'd been hunting for entirely.

There, below an image of a demon encased in a bubble, was the word, 'Praesidio.'

"What does this mean?" he asked, softening his voice as people began to filter into the library.

"Let's see..." Margo leaned across the table to squint into the page, then withdrew and began typing on her phone.

Carter sat in tense silence as he waited, apprehension bubbling, sharp and rife, beneath his skin.