Incubus

Incubus Part 12

You find yourself drifting in and out of consciousness the whole drive. Your breathing has become more labored, your skin hot and feverish. Your eyes crack open, looking out the window, when you hear the car turn onto a dirt road. Trees line the whole path, just the beginning of an endless forest. The dying rays of the setting sun just barely filter through the gaps between the trees. The road ends at a wooden cabin-style house, a yellow lantern illuminated above the door.

Bucky brings the car to a stop and gets out. He moves to your side, opening the door and lifting your body into his arms. You hear Wanda stepping out and glancing over Bucky's shoulder, you see that she's eyeing the house warily. "There's dark magic here," she mutters.

"You really think we'll be able to fix what's been done to her using only light magic?" Bucky questions rhetorically.

The door opens upon your approach, the man on the other side taking one look at you before side stepping to allow Bucky inside. "What in the world have you gotten yourself into this time, Barnes?"

"Where am I taking her?" Bucky asks, ignoring Sam's question.

"Living room." Sam and Wanda have a small staring contest, sizing each other up before he lets her in too.

The scent of cedarwood and eucalyptus fills the air when Bucky steps into the living room and sets you down on the push red sofa. He takes a seat next to you, tucking your body against his chest as he pushes your damp hair off your forehead. "How are you feeling, Lumina?" he asks, his gaze worried as it washes over you.

"I've been better," you try to joke, but your throat has become even more dry, your voice cracking. You grimace at the pain of speaking.

"Alright. Let me take a look," Sam states, walking over. He holds your face between his palms in a gentle grasp, his eyes surveying you for signs of what's happened. His hands, though warm, feel slightly cold in comparison to your heated flesh. You can feel energy pulsing beneath his fingertips, but he doesn't use any of it on you. "You said she was given arachnae venom?" he asks Bucky, who nods in response. "How?"

Bucky glances at you, not knowing the answer.

"Ingested," you explain. "He mixed it with holy water."

If he's shocked by your response, Sam doesn't show it, maintaining the serious look on his face. "Alright, so I'm assuming you're experiencing stomach cramps, right?"

You nod.

"Any muscle cramping? Especially in the legs?"

You shake your head. "No, not yet."

He frowns slightly, releasing your face and taking a step back. "Well the venom explains the faded skin tone, and cramping, but not the high fever or sweating."

Bucky moves to lift up the sleeve of your shirt. "They also marked her, but I'm not sure how."

Sam's face turns solemn when he looks at the mark. "There's only one thing that can cause a burn like that on a descendant." He eyes Bucky warily.

"And what's that?" Bucky asks, despite the reserved look on his friend's face.

"Hell fire."

You feel Bucky's body stiffen beside you.

"How would Rumlow even have access to Hell fire?" Wanda asks, joining the conversation for the first time. She had recognized the possibility that that was the cause of your mark, she just didn't understand how it could be possible.

"He's a Castor," you tell them, bringing their attention back to you. "He's hiding it from everyone at SHIELD. Well, except Pierce. He knows."

Bucky releases a low growl. "Well that's going to make killing him a hell of a lot harder."