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heretic - five

I had this in my drafts and then I listened to Seven Devils by Florence and the Machine and well... here we are.

Heretic - Series Masterlist

Walter De Ville x Female Reader / Bucky Barnes x Female Reader

Word Count: 2.7K

Warnings: 18+ ONLY, language, light stalking, religious themes, HUGE spoiler of what happens in Wages of Sin, a guest star appearance from another story, mentions of biting.

Summary | Accepting a teaching position halfway across the world seems like the best way to make a fresh start. But running away from your demons doesn’t mean you won’t run into more, especially when the Dean of the university seems to be hiding some of his own.

In the middle of the night, Sister Maria is awakened by a sharp knock at the door. The hour is late, this much she knows by how dark it is inside her room. Despite another knock, she lies still, waiting for a moment before she hears silence. Peeling back the blankets, she swings her legs over the side of the bed, eyes adjusting to the darkness when another knock is heard.

There is urgency in the next knock, Sister Maria making her way down the hallway, moving slowly to see if whatever is on the other side still seeks assistance.

When she opens the door, Walter stands in front of her with a hard glare, nearly menacing while she inches her chin up to match his gaze.

“It’s late,” Sister Maria reminds him in cold tone. “What do you want?”

“I’m aware that I am interrupting your rest, but I assure you, Sister Maria, I come with great urgency. It appears our dear professor is missing.”

Sister Maria doesn’t bat an eye, noticing that Walter seems almost too casual for the news he has just sprung on her.

“You sound surprised. Did you think she would stay after you locked in the library?”

“It was not by my hand. I know that we have never seen eye to eye, dear Sister. This is not a social call,” Walter sighs, a sly smile appearing on his lips that disappears just as quickly. “She has the book.”

Sister Maria’s eyes widen at his news.

“No,” she hisses. “It has been hidden for centuries. I don’t believe you.”

“You don’t have to. I assure you that the book is in her possession and should she follow her curiosity, she will know the truth.”

Sister Maria takes a step toward him, her finger pointed solely at his chest.

“You led her right to him.”

He gives a small shrug, as if he’s unbothered by the consequences that could occur.

“I cannot interfere with what will happen. You may try to stop fate, Sister Maria. I will remind you that it is written in the book and in our ledgers that it will happen.”

“I have to find her,” Sister Maria says.

“Before he does? He’s already seen her. It’s only a matter of time before she understands why she’s here.”

“Then I will find her before he does to explain she can fight it.”

Sister Maria slams the door on him, intent on changing her clothes to search for you.

“I wish you luck,” Walter calls out from behind the door. “You will need it.”

The hotel room is small but cozy, enough for you to escape from the cold air that seemed to come out of nowhere once you had stepped outside the library. It feels like a dream, the way bits and pieces of what transpired come back to you, pulling out the book from your bag. It’s heavy, well-worn and old.

Too old, by the way you hold it carefully in your hands, examining the deep claw marks on the cover that you trace with your fingertips.

“Wages of Sin,” you read out loud, scanning the cover. “Authored by Magistrate Steven Grant Rogers. Whoever he is.”

Your phone vibrates at the bottom of your bag, your hand sticking inside of it to examine who would be calling you at this hour, the number unfamiliar.

“Hello?”

“Hi sweetheart.”

The voice on the other end is sweet and kind, goosebumps rising on your forearms, your mouth going dry.

“Did I lose you?” the voice on the other end asks warmly.

“I’m here,” you answer, the book sliding off your lap.

“How are you?”

“I’m fine, Grandma.”

There is a sigh of relief on the other end.

“You know how I worry about you. How has the school been treating you?”

“Fine. I’m still settling in.”

“It does take time. Though I’m sure you’ll find your footing in no time. I’m so proud of you, sweetheart. Brefine is unlike any university you’ve ever seen. We are so proud of you.”

Clutching the phone tighter, tears spring to your eyes, wiping them away quickly.

“H-How did you hear about Brefine?”

“Oh,” your grandmother chuckles. “You didn’t think you were the first of the family to set foot there, did you? I did my time there. Priceless memories. Have you visited the library yet? There’s a fascinating book there that I believe you’d be interested in reading.”

“A book,” you repeat. “There’s so many.”

“I’ve read it many times. In some ways, it saved my life.”

“How?”

“Oh,” she quips. “Everyone who reads it finds it to be deeply personal. You’ll have your own feelings about it. But it is an important read.”

“Of course.”

“I love you,” she says, covering your mouth to hide your sob. “Today, tomorrow and for the rest of eternity.”

“I love you too.”

“I will see you soon.”

The phone call ends abruptly, the phone dropping down to the carpet with a soft thud. Trembling, you stare at it, unsure of what has transpired.

When the phone rings again, you stay still, watching your mother’s number flash on the screen. Shakily, picking it up and answering, you aren’t sure what to expect on the other line.

The sound of people chatting in the background fills you with some relief, your mother calling out your name before you snap out of it.

“I’m here,” you respond, the background noise fading.

“I tried to call you and it went straight to voicemail twice. Is everything okay?”

“Mom,” you begin, your voice watery as she immediately stops.

“What is it? Did something happen? Tell me.”

“Grandma,” you swallow. “I just… I heard her voice. She called me.”

“What? Where?”

“On the phone.”

“That’s impossible,” your mother denies softly. “I miss her as much as you and I can swear sometimes I hear her voice in my own head but… sometimes that’s our minds playing tricks on us.”

“She called me.”

“No,” your mother says abruptly. “Honey, I know you’re stressed but listen to what you’re saying.”

“She asked me about a book.”

“Book? What book? What? This doesn’t make any sense. Are you alright?”

“She mentioned a book and she said I should read it. It felt so real and I,” you pause, a sob erupting from your throat. “I don’t know, okay? I just…”

Your mother says your name, making you sober up at her tone.

“Your grandmother has been dead for ten years,” she reminds you. “That wasn’t her. Maybe it was someone playing a trick. But there’s no way it was her.”

Sister Maria knocks loudly on a door, the sound of classical music playing. Her habit is clean, her fingers touching the dainty cross on her neck as confirmation that it is still there. Once the door opens, the woman looking back at her wants to smile. She can see how her lips twitch before the woman nods.

“It’s been a long time, Sister Maria.”

“Miss Harkness,” Sister Maria responds with a slight nod. “I think you understand why I’m here.”

“Of course,” she replies, opening the door wider as Sister Maria hesitates.

“I’m fine talking outside.”

“Of course you are,” the woman replies. “What is with the pleasantries? Haven’t we known each other for years?”

“Agatha,” Sister Maria sighs. “We have trouble. She has the book.”

“Oh no,” Agatha laughs. “We don’t have trouble. You do.”

“It was you, wasn’t it?”

“Me?” Agatha gasps in a mocking tone, her hand flying up to her chest. “You think I would have something to do with the book?”

“Perhaps not you. But you would know exactly who made sure it was thrust into her hands.”

Agatha smiles.

“I do,” she agrees.

“And I also know that you will not share the name of such an individual.”

“No. I like a little fun, Sister. You’re so wound up about this. It’s foretold. Let it play out as it was written.”

“Where is she?”

“It’s too late,” Agatha hints, taking a step further. “Even if you find her, she’s already been told.”

“Told by who?”

“A little friend of Walter’s. A friend of hers as well. Professor Andy Barber.”

Sister Maria grips her necklace in reply, saying a silent prayer to her Maker as she closes her eyes, a chill going down her spine.

“No.”

“Yes,” Agatha replies. “You would be surprised how we hide in plain sight and your little professor has no idea. The veil is getting thin, Sister Maria. I don’t think you have much time left.”

“You’ve wasted my time, Agatha.”

“Happy to be of service,” she calls out, watching Sister Maria take her leave. “Good luck to you!”

Your eyes can’t move fast enough, taking in every word.

“She was my ward, taken from a household poisoned with pestilence, misfortune and sin. Though not from her own body did sin commence but from her dear ‘sister’ as they called each other, a young woman by the name of Mary. Though peaceful and obedient, it had come to my attention that these girls were driven by a much darker force,” you read out loud, gripping the book tighter. “For when Mary was sentenced to hang, the grief of my ward was so great that the ground began to shake, only ceasing when her other ‘sister’, Wanda, came to soothe her. It was then when I knew I had found a great source of power.”

You see it then, a flash of light that makes your eyes squeeze tightly closed, the figure of a woman being laid to rest in a burrow, the sound of a wail that gives you chills.

Slamming the book closed, you blink out of your stupor, hearing the sound of a cat in the distance.

Keeping still, you wait for it again, the long meow gut wrenching to the point where you get up to find the poor creature, only to find it near your sliding glass door on your patio. Placing your finger to your lips, the black cat meows loudly, pawing at the glass.

“Alright, shhh,” you whisper, opening the sliding glass door as it runs inside your hotel room.

Chasing after it, it hops it on your bed, sitting on the book while it cleans itself, settling down on the book while it’s vivid blue eyes blink at you.

“Never seen a black cat with blue eyes before,” you murmur, watching it stretch out and yawn. “I guess you can stay in here tonight. It’s cold after all.”

The cat closes its eyes, it’s purr loud enough for you to hear as you allow sleep to take over as it settles on your chest.

Andy places the book on the table, watching you sleep soundly, unaware that he is so close.

“Wages of Sin,” Andy says with a sigh. “You have no idea how long he’s waited for you. How long we’ve all waited for you.”

A knock on the door makes him pause, your sleep so deep that you don’t move a muscle, Andy moving toward the door as he opens it, Walter’s somber expression melting into a smile when he sees you.

“Ah, Professor. It is good to see you.”

“Likewise,” Andy replies, opening the door wider for him to step inside.

“She’s a deep sleeper,” Walter remarks, Andy smirking at his surprised tone.

“Most of the time, yes. This is different. A sleep from which a chance will arise for her to reconnect with her past. As the veil thins from this world to the other, the voices become much clearer when before they were just noise to be ignored. From that, she will listen and know the truth of her lineage.”

The ground is hard under your feet, the wind rushing past your ears.

It’s eerily quiet, the fog surrounding you at every turn.

Whispers get you attention, though they seem far away, your face turning at the sound to your right before it turns to your left.

The thick trees stand tall like giants, looming over as a soft, angelic voice whispers against your ear.

“At last,” it speaks, your body spinning to find nothing near you. “At last, you’ve come.”

A flash of a dark cape among the tree trunks gets your attention, your feeble steps slipping on the wet grass to follow.

“There is so much for you to know,” it continues, another billow of the cape catching your attention. “Come this way.”

The voice leads you to a clearing in the forest, looking around for any sign of the voice that has now stopped guiding you.

“You know not how powerful you are, nor are you aware of the world that seeks to make itself known to you,” it says behind you, your body whirling around to find nothing.

You feel something behind you then, a foreboding presence that makes you tremble slightly. Turning around, a hooded figure wearing all black stands, the black gloved hands clasped together.

“Who are you?” you demand, watching the hands reach for the hood. “Tell me.”

Your name is whispered through the trees, rushing through the leaves.

The hands pull back the hood, letting it fall back as your eyes widen.

The person looking back at you is you.

Or a version of you from history’s past.

“No,” you whisper fiercely, seeing her nod in reply.

Taking a step back, you shake your head, the figure’s hands settling on your cheeks.

“Look,” Walter whispers, seeing black veins appear on either side of your cheeks as you wince in your sleep.

“Let her meet her,” Andy instructs, placing his arm out to stop Walter from intervening. “Let her tell her the secrets you’ve failed to reveal to her yourself.”

The black veins reach your mouth as Andy and Walter look on.

The figure, the one who looks like you, moves away from you after placing a kiss on your lips.

“I can feel it,” she remarks with a sweet smile. “Centuries of my bloodline, yearning to be freed and here you are, my granddaughter.”

Her hands brush against the apples of your cheeks, adoration unlike you’ve ever known rushing through your veins and heart, tears welling in your eyes.

She whispers her name against your ear, your mouth repeating it silently.

“I know of this new world you find yourself in. I have saved you for him, my sweet one,” she continues, kissing your cheek as she embraces you, her sharp fingernails scratching against your scalp. “For he saved me as you will save him. There is nowhere you can hide, my sweetling. He will find you, seek you out and you will submit and your powers will grow.”

Almost as if she can sense your fear, she grips you tight.

“Do not fight the gifts I have bestowed upon you. Strange may have followed you into this new world but he and Sister Maria are no match for what pain you can inflict on this world. I have given you a library. The book you read is from your own ancestor, the tale of my deliverance laid bare. I implore you to finish. You will not let me down.”

The lights flicker as you cry out, eyes fluttering open as Andy and Walter watch you look frantically around the room, gasping for breath as you claw at your face, tears streaming down your blackened cheeks.

The black marks fade into your skin, your exhaustion reaching a breaking point when you faint.

Andy takes a cloth from his pocket, dotting your brow with care.

“She’ll be out for a while,” Andy informs him, checking your pulse. “She needs rest.”

Walter stands up straight, the air going still.

“He’s close,” Walter says quietly.

“Then you make sure he’s well fed before he finds her. There’s a cadence to this, de Ville. I won’t have you ruining a good introduction by letting him bleed her dry.”

Walter gives a curt nod, knowing better than to argue with the demon that stands over your bed.

“I’ll buy some time,” Walter calls out, opening the door. “But you better hope that our dear Sister Maria doesn’t come knocking on the door. I have it on good authority that her news comes from a higher power.”

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