Split WiP Chapter 6: In Which There's a Family Reunion of Sorts
Naturally, after the last bit went smoothly, this confrontation had to fight me.
Rin sucked in a breath. Then, another.
“Okay,” he said. “Okay.” He adjusted the carrying case Father had tossed on him so it was slung across his back in a more manageable position. Then, he clenched his hands into fists, opened them and clenched them again.
Yukio started to say something and then realized that Rin was watching his flames intently, gauging them. He bit down the words and waited.
There was a buzz in his breast pocket.
Yukio tugged his cell phone out just enough to unlock the screen and read the text there. His blood ran cold at the characters on the screen.
“I played with them.”
Rin’s voice snapped him out of it.
His brother was holding out both hands, a single, steady flame hovering over each palm.
“The flames,” Rin clarified, a small frown stealing over his face as his eyes watched those same flames. “I played with them. When there wasn’t anything else to do.” He looked up at Yukio. “I know how to use these.”
There was something in his eyes. Something Yukio didn’t recognize mingled with that familiar determination. But, he could worry about it later.
Yukio opened his mouth to warn Rin about Father’s message. He was seconds too late, and a guttural laugh cut him off.
“Good!” a voice boomed. “This wouldn’t be any fun if you’d become all the way human.”
That voice.
Rin spun around, tail whipping out from under his shirt and lashing the air. A growl boiled out of his chest.
There was a figure standing on a tree branch above them, shadowed by leaves. Always above him. The demon kings liked their symbolism simple and blunt.
“You didn’t even sense me, little brother,” the figure continued.
Brother? Ha. A brother was…. Suddenly remembering Yukio behind him, Rin shifted a bit, placing himself more fully between his brother and the demon.
“What do you want, Beelzebub?”
Teeth - too many and too white and moving - glinted in the dark figure’s face. “I want to finish what I started.”
Rin sucked in a breath. Then, another.
“Okay,” he said. “Okay.” He adjusted the carrying case Father had tossed on him so it was slung across his back in a more manageable position. Then, he clenched his hands into fists, opened them and clenched them again.
Yukio started to say something and then realized that Rin was watching his flames intently, gauging them. He bit down the words and waited.
There was a buzz in his breast pocket.
Yukio tugged his cell phone out just enough to unlock the screen and read the text there. His blood ran cold at the characters on the screen.
“I played with them.”
Rin’s voice snapped him out of it.
His brother was holding out both hands, a single, steady flame hovering over each palm.
“The flames,” Rin clarified, a small frown stealing over his face as his eyes watched those same flames. “I played with them. When there wasn’t anything else to do.” He looked up at Yukio. “I know how to use these.”
There was something in his eyes. Something Yukio didn’t recognize mingled with that familiar determination. But, he could worry about it later.
Yukio opened his mouth to warn Rin about Father’s message. He was seconds too late, and a guttural laugh cut him off.
“Good!” a voice boomed. “This wouldn’t be any fun if you’d become all the way human.”
That voice.
Rin spun around, tail whipping out from under his shirt and lashing the air. A growl boiled out of his chest.
There was a figure standing on a tree branch above them, shadowed by leaves. Always above him. The demon kings liked their symbolism simple and blunt.
“You didn’t even sense me, little brother,” the figure continued.
Brother? Ha. A brother was…. Suddenly remembering Yukio behind him, Rin shifted a bit, placing himself more fully between his brother and the demon.
“What do you want, Beelzebub?”
Teeth - too many and too white and moving - glinted in the dark figure’s face. “I want to finish what I started.”