darker_london | Renee - Vengeance, not victory

Scarlett was gone. Renee didn't want to even think about what this would mean for her and Kait. The girl's patience with her had seemed to be held by a slender thread of late... and like the sword that once hung above her bed, she could not trust in it to not come crashing down upon her.

Her tools were before her, ready to conjure the four elements as she had done so often in the past. Never before, though, had she summoned them to do harm. But there was nothing to stop her now. Hope had left her, and she was nothing but a shell, devoid of emotion.

Well, that was not strictly true. No matter how deeply she tried to purge her heart, she could never escape the fear that emotion and weakness would return to her somehow... and from that fear, indeed, they would inevitably grow. But not yet. This was her moment of strength. All was ready. And what Marcel had provided her with, she would now turn against him.

The glass bowl before her was larger this time, an ornate salad bowl she had "borrowed" from the pantry. It was hardly ever used... Mother would never miss it. It was filled with water, of course. By her left hand, a stick of incense burned. By her right, sat a bowl of salt. Tonight, she would need no circle. All she needed were her two dark gods, Shiva and Kali.

"Shiva," she intoned. "Destroyer of Realms, come to me. Use the loathing in my heart to find your prey. Accept this blood sacrifice in gratitude for your righteous wrath!"

Without hesitation, Renee took up her ceremonial knife and re-opened the wound in her left hand. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she squeezed the wound, dripping blood into the bowl. Slowly, the water turned red.

"Kali, Mother of Sorrow, take this healing water and turn it into the black slough of hatred. May it no more give life, but choke the breath from he who has wronged me, he who is named Marcel."

She could feel the blackness enclosing her heart. All that was good, creative, and light in her was shrivelling against its touch. The shadows in her soul were expanding, filling her, blackening her chakras. No good could come of her now. She was despair made flesh.

"Shiva, dark brutal one, as my blood stains this salt, let my hated one's blood stain the earth!" Again without hesitation, Renee took up a handful of salt and rubbed it into the wound, being sure to catch every grain of salt in the bloody water. The searing pain was almost beyond endurance for one so unaccustomed to it, but her purpose was stronger than physical maladies. The material plane was not her concern at this point. And the ritual was nearly complete. It was funny... she would have thought cursing a mage more difficult than this.

"Kali," she called once more. "Of the destructive properties of fire and air, no man may remain ignorant. Bring them to Marcel, that he may bear the weight of their fury!"

Taking up the incense stick, she pressed the burning end of it into her hand, grinding it in until the flame was snuffed out and the ashes drifted down into the water. All that remained was for her to instruct them...

"Snuff out his life as I snuff out this flame - slowly and mercilessly."

The incense stick splashed into the water, all four elements united. The ritual was done. A terrible curse would be upon him now. Slowly, the darkness lifted from Renee's soul...

For a long time, she simply sat numb. It was the image of her mutilated hand that finally brought her back with a jolt. What had she done? Anger and despair had overcome her once more, and now... it was done. For the second time in not even two weeks, she had been an agent in bring metaphysical forces to bear against another human being. Not helpless, though. No, Marcel was definitely not that. Maybe he would fight back.

Maybe that was all she deserved.

Still somewhat in shock, Renee climbed up onto her bed, and huddled against the wall, gripping her legs up against her, chin resting on her knees.

Slowly, but utterly overwhelmingly, the emotion that filled her was deep, heavy loneliness.