Some Thing Called Myself (Complete)

XXXVIII: Something Suspicious

Ch. 38: Something Suspicious

It took her a moment to understand what was happening. Mara felt a warm body against her back and two arms wrapping tight around her, keeping her in place.

"What the hell are you doing? They're gonna see you."

The chamber disappeared behind a column when her captor leaned back, dragging her along. Mara couldn't see it, but she felt it when the Sents downstairs placed the mysterious cargo inside the cathedral. The doors closed with a wooden bang that echoed among the stones. With the blood's owner locked behind them, the metallic scent started to dissipate.

No blood meant no flesh. What would she eat now? She was starving.

"Mara, look at me."

The person behind her moved. They held her shoulders, made her lean against the wall, and stopped in front of her. Whoever this was, they were nothing but a blurred silhouette against the dim light, with a voice only partly recognizable. Mara's stomach growled, her eyes dry and unfocused.

She could eat this instead.

"Mara-boo?"

The sound of a beating heart caught her attention, and she angled her face so her mouth could be closer to it. She wetted her lips and leaned forward, jaws opening.

"Look at me, please. Mara, it's me." A hand reached for her chin and lifted her head. "Goddess. Honey, your eyes!"

She closed her jaws with a clack, and her hands slipped up to wrap around Tai's neck. This was Tai, right? Or not? They must be Tai—or she wanted them to be Tai. Warm and spicy and delicious. Tai, Tai, Tai.

Her jaw opened again, and she leaned closer and closer to them. She would start with their cheek—her teeth touched their skin, ready to take a piece of it—then she would chew gum and bone and muscle until....

"What are you doing, boo?" they whispered. The person's heart beat fast; Mara felt it, strong, on the part of her skin that touched their neck, now covered in goosebumps. They raised their trembling hands. "Mara-boo, please." They held her wrists and grunted, using all their strength to unwrap her arms. "Wake up."

Wake up.

Mara blinked a few times. When she opened her eyes, the horrified expression in front of her wasn't Tai's.

It was Mimi's.

She shook her head and did a double take. Her eyes widened, and she forced her organs to awaken. Unlike all the other times, it took Mara a while to go back to breathing. Maybe, she thought, the longer she spent with her organs shut down, the longer it would take to awaken them.

That was definitely dangerous.

"Mimi," she whispered. "What are you doing here? I mean..."

Mimi let her wrists go and stumbled a step backward. She rubbed a hand on her cheek to clean Mara's saliva, and her face twisted even more. Mimi placed a hand on the sword attached to her hip.

Something could and dreadful swirled in Mara's stomach. "Mimi? What are you...?"

She unsheathed her sword. "I just need to make sure you're all right," she whispered.

"That's...ridiculous; of course I'm all right."

Mimi took a step forward. "Something happened a long time ago—and you made me promise to do this if you lost control."

"W-what are you doing?"

"Keeping my promise. Only if you're not all right. Only if you...changed." Mimi lifted the blade and touched it to Mara's neck, forcing her to flatten her back against the stone wall once more. "Look at me," Mimi said with a fake smile. "And don't look away until I order you to. Everything's gonna be okay."