Burn

CHAPTER 4

Silence blanketed the room in a thick, unyielding tension, every gaze glued to Regina's hunched figure as she hobbled directly into Carter's line of sight. There was something eerily knowing in her milky eyes, as though she could read his every secret just by staring.

It made him itch to look away, but that would be too telling. Right now, he needed everyone in this room to think him completely demon-free. Otherwise...

Otherwise he'd lose any chance of seeing Ryu again.

"It'll be okay," Francesca promised, sprinkling herbs around the rune. "Won't even tickle."

"Much," Regina cackled.

Francesca shot her a disapproving frown, but didn't disagree.

"Someone get me a candle," Regina directed, snapping her fingers impatiently. Her eyes never left Carter's, even when the tall, tattooed person slid an unlit candle into her waiting hand. Instead, she smiled so ominously it deepened every wrinkle on her face, and grinned into the flame when the candlewick flared to life.

Somewhere at the edge of the room, Margo gasped.

"Now, boy," Regina breathed, a hint of reverence in her voice, "we learn the truth of your soul."

Wait, what?

Carter opened his mouth to object, but Regina was already throwing the candle onto the circle of herbs, and he could only watch as a ring of fire formed around where he stood in the centre of the rune. At once, perfumed smoke filled his nose and lungs, along with a rising sense of panic; he was transported back to that night, back to the demon's hateful cries and Ryu's pained breaths, his lips against Carter's, his skin burning, burning, burning away into nothing. Cold night air was mixing with the fire emanating from Carter's skin, hurting but never searing, not like it was searing Ryu, killing him-oh god Carter was killing him, and Margo was screaming-

Choking on a gasp, Carter stumbled to his hands and knees, sweat rolling down his shaking limbs. Around him, the fire died as suddenly as it had been lit, leaving only a circle of burnt herbs and the scent of charred earth in its wake.

It seemed the ritual had already ended, but they why was Margo still screaming-

No, that wasn't a memory, that was real. Margo was screaming and thrashing in the arms of the tattooed stranger, eyes wild as she fought.

"What are you doing to him?! Let me go, LET ME GO-"

"It's alright, child," Francesca insisted, looking vaguely frantic as she danced around Margo's flailing legs. "He's fine, I promise."

It took Carter a moment to realise the reality of that statement, but a brief inspection found it to be completely true; he was perfectly unmarred.

When he could find his voice again, he rasped out an affirmative, "I'm okay."

"Carter!" Margo tore from the arms restraining her loosened and ran to the edge of rune, hovering just beyond the charred remains of the herbs. "Are...Are you sure you're alright?!"

Before he could answer, Velma was at Margo's side, attempting to put a comforting hand on her shoulder. "He's perfectly fine, I swear. Grandmother would never hurt him."

Carter wasn't quite sure of that, and judging by Margo's reaction, never was she.

"You didn't tell us anything about this," she hissed, wriggling free of Velma's grip. The look she sent her was furious. "You didn't even warn us!"

Velma stumbled backward a step, evidently lost in the face of Margo's fury. "W-We're not supposed to-to talk about rituals outside of the-"

"I don't care," Margo snapped. "The least you could've done is warn us about the fire-"