"We didn't do anything. They did." Icy muttered.
"What is all of this?" Musa muttered as she ran a hand over a candle.
"Don't touch that!" Icy snapped."This is exactly what you think it is; it's a sacrificial alter. Take a life, in this case the animal's, and raise the dead. That's what they all think anyhow. They aren't raising the dead, they are summoning something that never was." She paused. "An armature mistake of course. Made by daring adolescents in over their heads...wanting a thrill. The last people who owned this house invited them in. Gave them permission to infest the house. Infest the forest."
"Why would they want to do that?" Layla asked. "It makes no sense."
"I already told you. They were looking for a thrill. At least that's what they came crying to the real estate agent as she was selling the house. Told her that it was their fault it was haunted."
"I so totally would have moved all that garbage." Stella said with a waving motion. "I mean it's like totally gross." She stepped into the room.
"Look who decided to join us." Icy seemed less than impressed. "We would love to get rid of it, but we can't." She lazily tossed the cover back over the alter and headed for the door. Stella and Layla quick to follow. Musa however lingered at the scene. There was something about it. Something she didn't want to admit she liked. She uncovered the items once more--after checking to make sure Icy had left. She pulled a knife wedged between the floorboards (placed dead in the center of a pentagram) out.
How interesting. She remarked to herself. And then she heard footsteps coming toward her. She quickly re-covered the alter, and slid the knife into her back pocket. She had no time to place it back, not yet.
"You need to leave. Now." Icy hissed.
"I know I'm coming." Musa sassed, but followed the witch anyhow. Upon reaching the living room she took a set near Darcy. The witch cocked her head and gave the fairy a strange look.
"What did you do?" Darcy whispered.
"I didn't do anything." Musa muttered.
"You had to have...they don't just...what did you do!?" Darcy cried.
"I'll give you an answer as soon as your question starts to make sense." Musa snapped.
"Musa, your aura is very dark." Flora remarked. "Please calm down sweetie."
"I am calm." Musa growled.
"Yeah, clearly." Stormy snorted.
Musa's expression lit with some sort of fury. She scowled and headed for the stairs.
"And where are you going?" Icy asked.
"To check on Bloom." She shrugged.
"No, you are going to stay down here." Icy tugged the fairy back. "Darcy seems to think you've caused enough trouble."
"I DIDN'T DO ANYTHING WRONG!" Musa threw her hands in the air.
"You didn't mean to do anything wrong. They can coax you into it." Darcy said. "Sort of like how I can coax people into doing things."
"I have no clue what you're talking about." Musa didn't try to hide her annoyance.
"Perhaps we should all get some sleep." Tecna suggested.
"I can show them to their rooms." Darcy volunteered.
************************************************************
Musa awoke to a dull stinging throb on her back. She clenched her teeth against the pain and pulled herself up. She walked down the hall and knocked at what she thought was Layla's door.
"What brings you to my door at six in the morning?" Icy lifted an eyebrow.
"I thought this was Layla's room." Musa answered.
"Do I look like Layla?" Icy asked looking rather amused. "I'm not what you call a morning person."
"You look rather awake." Musa pointed out.
"Still doesn't mean I enjoy the morning." Icy shrugged. "Anyhow, I know you're not still here just to make small talk. What do you really want?" Icy leaned on the door frame.
"Nothing, it was nothing." Musa turned to walk away.
"Your tone suggests otherwise. What were you going to ask Layla."
"To take a look at my back." Musa blurted out, her face instantly flushing. "I mean...it was stinging and stuff when I woke up. It's nothing." She continued walking away only to have Icy pull her back.
"What are you doing." Musa huffed as she tried to free herself from the witch's grasp.
The witch ignored her and lifted the back of the fairy's shirt up. Across her back ran three parallel scratches and on her spin something akin to puncture wounds.
"It most certainly isn't nothing." Icy murmured, with a rather appalled scowl. "Just what did you do when you were alone in that room? You didn't touch anything did you?"
With a defeated sigh Musa led Icy back to her room and retrieved the knife from its hiding place in her drawer.
"You were alone for three minutes!" Icy practically shouted. "Hell, I didn't even think it was possible to screw up so badly in such a short amount of time!"
"What's going on?" Darcy asked.
"She was messing with the alter." Icy scoffed.
Darcy's expression quickly changed from one of indifference to one of wide eyes and slightly parted lips. "You didn't really do it did you?"
Musa held the knife out to Darcy.
"NO. No, keep that thing away from me." Darcy said way to quickly for Musa to remain calm.
"What are you guys talking about!? What's going on? What did you see on my back?" She rapidly fired the questions.
"You really screwed up." Icy muttered.
"What happened to her back?" Darcy asked.
"Scratches. Three of them. And I don't exactly know what to call the other marks." Icy answered.
"Let me see." Darcy instructed.
Musa was about to do as she was told when she felt another stab of pain. And another. On her right arm. She cried out and grabbed her the aching spot.
Icy grabbed the fairy's hand and yanked up the sleeve; fresh blood ebbed its way down her arm and over Icy's fingers. The witch retched her hand back, clearly appalled by the whole thing.
"You screwed up, you really screwed up." Icy glowered.
"What do you mean." Musa repeated. "What's going on?"
"It's attacking you." Darcy bit the inside of her cheek.
"You're a vessel." Icy added.
