shades of fire || ONC 2024

part one - chapter one

PART ONE

—☽☼☾—

They burned a witch in Bingham Square

Last Friday afternoon.

The faggot-smoke was blacker than

The shadows on the moon;

The licking flames were strangely green

Like fox-fire on the fen ...

And she who cursed the godly folk

Will never curse again.

Witch-Burning, by Mary Elizabeth Counselman

—☽☼☾—

He was Rune again.

The night was dark, but flames still flickered in the edge of his vision, clung to him like ghosts, an after-image that he couldn't shake.

Yet another one that he couldn't save. Yet another one that would haunt him forever.

It was almost enough to make him lose count. (He wouldn't, not ever, but he'd like to — just once, he'd like to forget.)

And he had tried so hard, this time, had gotten so far — but it was too late, too little.

He'd made too many mistakes.

And now he was Rune again.

Not even a week, this time, before they had moved on, set their sights on the next thing.

He was still raw and angry and afraid, the fresh burn on his arm still blistered, and yet they would not grant him a break. Not this time, they said, not when they were so close — and not when those were the only words his father had said to him:

"Ravensworth. End of summer. Rumor has it the entire town is magical."

The rest of the orders had remained unsaid, but after almost five years of this, there wasn't any need to. Gain the town's trust, figure out their weaknesses, know whom to betray, when and how to strike. Report back. Strike first, ask questions later. Never something as simple as "make me proud, son," no.

Regulus stifled a snort at the thought that his father could ever be something like proud of him, and shivered as his mind flashed, briefly, to what exactly it would probably take to make something like that happen. — Fire and screams and bones turned to ash, a riot of colors, cheers amongst the crowds because they deserved to burn, because they were bad and their blood was dirty, and they lied and cursed and worshiped the devil, evil was in their nature and magic to ash was the only thing that mattered, and— and Nathaly's eyes were full of hope as they met his in the crowd, and then hope turned to despair, to pain and anger and fear, and then there was hatred where there had once been love, and ashes where blue fire had burned. And Rune had become Regulus again, for the first time in many weeks.

Rune —Regulus — Rune slowed to a stop, glad for the first time that the night was so dark he could hardly see the path in front of him. Glad that the tears would remain invisible to any human being around him, that the echo of his shuddering breaths would get lost among the trees. A sob stuck in his throat like it wanted to choke him, but he clamped his hand down on the fresh burn and the pain helped him swallow it down.