BLOOD AND BONE | rewritten

10

It was taking some getting used to, being wholly herself again. Gigi's limbs were both sluggish and airy at the same time, as if adjusting to this new unmedicated state. Gigi would have expected her healing ability to have returned her to normal. But perhaps even it wasn't enough to fix her.

At the specialized center Hunt sent her to, they warned her of the side effects: gastrointestinal problems, sensory impairment, trouble with muscle movement, confusion. Most of those initial symptoms wore off, leaving her with a fatigue that affected her all hours of the day. It made resting difficult; Gigi needed more sleep than usual, but was plagued by half-lucid dreams made more sinister by the others in the room. It had been years since Gigi slept in a room with company. It made her feel erratic. She did her best to shut it down. Still, she feared they might catch her mumbling in her sleep.

Being there and living alongside so many people made Gigi feel unreal. She had to pinch herself several times a day to be sure she was really there. Especially when she saw that corpse. This was finally real life.

Living life off the medication gave Gigi a wide scope of emotion. That could get out of hand rapidly. So she did what she could. Second and third-guessing every word, every minuscule action through her head before carrying it out. Compared to the way she heard others speaking, she sounded like those dolls with the creaky jaws. Wooden. But it was better than letting anyone see the scattered wasteland of her mind.

Gigi was sitting on the edge of her bunk tying the laces of her boots for the start of a new day. She took a moment to feel the wiry fabric of the laces, to hear the soldiers hurrying them in the background. Ever since she returned to the world of the living, sounds and feelings and things seemed so much more glaring than she recalled. The world was vivid. Bright. Loud. It held colors so vibrant Gigi thought she could reach out and take them.

The girl named Rainey jumped down from her bunk. Having finished lacing her boots, Gigi watched as the shorter girl applied a coat of red lipstick. Where she'd gotten it, Gigi had no idea.

Watching Rainey get ready made Gigi wonder for the first time if she looked...good enough. She had no grasp on what was considered presentable anymore. Self consciously running a hand over her hair, Gigi tried to remember the last time she'd checked herself in a mirror.

Rainey's black eyes flicked accusingly to Gigi. "What are you looking at?"

Gigi blinked to be sure Rainey was really looking at her. The last thing Gigi wanted was an issue. "I am not looking at anything."

Rainey pivoted away, chin high like she already knew Gigi would take a submissive position to her. "You know, it really makes one wonder."

"What do you mean?"

"The corpse, of course. It makes one wonder if one of us did it. Anyone here could have an undisclosed skill that allowed them to do such a thing." It was a heavy, blatant accusation.

Gigi didn't usually understand jokes. Would a small incredulous laugh be appropriate? But Rainey was not kidding. "Do you believe I am capable of murder?"

"You're weird. You take up virtually no space at all. Everything about you is off." She straightened to her full height. "You know what they say about those crazy people in the news: you never catch the red flags until they've done something terrible. But I've seen yours. So if you try to cross me, I will gut you."

Gigi felt her own heart sink. She thought...she thought she was doing better. Did she truly not understand what was considered normal behavior anymore? Did she stand out that much? "I never want to hurt anyone."

All she did was lower her sculpted brows, red lips twisted in a sneer. Gigi was unsure whether Rainey was being serious or if she was simply attempting to intimidate. She prayed it was the latter. Otherwise, what had Rainey seen in Gigi that made her instantly attack?

Before Rainey could insult Gigi further, the soldiers were ushering them out the door and down to a part of the House they hadn't previously visited. Busts of various Bereyski historical figures watched them pass. Gigi could name none of them.

Minister Stepanov was sitting in a simple armchair when they filed inside the casual meeting room. But the air around her was filled with such power and confidence that Gigi felt starkly out of place. What with her chewed fingernails and wraith of a body.

"Rumors regarding my assistant's death are running wild," she started, mouth firm. Her heartbeat was as steady as ever. "My enemies believe I welcomed it by allowing foreign criminals into the House. Others fear I am hiding integral knowledge of the terrorist for my own political maneuvering. However untrue they may be, this simple fact remains: unrest is rising within my people. The matter must be addressed.

"I will be holding a press conference tomorrow morning. But I am not foolish enough to believe myself safe from attack. In fact, I welcome an attack. Only the people within this room know what the event will truly be: a trap. I will make myself too easy a target to pass up so that you eight may use your abilities to locate my would-be-killer before disaster strikes."

She waved a hand, her House ring glittering under the chandelier's light. "Of course, the interrogations will continue today to avoid suspicion. But we will not uncover anything until tomorrow. Until then, lie low. And do not disappoint me."

After making a few more announcements on upcoming plans, Stepanov told her audience to warn her of any suspicious behavior they spotted. Gigi glanced to her left to catch the cutting look Rainey slid her way. Gigi fought to keep her face a blank canvas.

She only hoped the others would not discover she lied about her criminal charges.