Chains Made of Stars- ON HOLD

Chapter 2: I'm afraid we'll have to do this the fun way, part 2

Mith's unease heightened as the boy continued to stare. His blue eyes had darkened even as a smile still tugged at the corners of his lips. She could tell that it was a façade, a smile that masked something uglier. It was a leer, a taunt, a challenge. She held her breath, suddenly terrified for the Carcerem Society woman.

Mith saw the woman's head snap up suddenly, as if the intensity of the boy's gaze was burning her.

The boy and the woman's eyes met for a short moment.

Just when Mith concluded that shit couldn't possibly get any weirder, the boy took off at a sprint, running fast towards the woman. He caught her in a bear hug, and Mith's jaw dropped. "Aunty Rhi, fancy seeing you here! It's been too long!" he exclaimed gaily, his voice bright and loud.

The travellers rushing by didn't stop to wonder if something was wrong; a long-lost nephew embracing his dear aunt, what a delightful scene!

Only Mith, who was watching carefully, saw the gleam of the small metal knife pressed to the woman's side.

Only Mith, who was watching carefully, saw the stunned fear on the woman's face.

Only Mith, who was watching carefully, saw the manic gleam in the boy's eyes.

What the hell is going on here?!

The boy murmured something to the woman, and she nodded, her hands shaking slightly.

Mith didn't want to scream, in case the boy decided to bury his knife in the woman's small, birdlike body. So she stayed quietly watchful, on the alert for any security personnel passing by. She was fully aware of the fact that she was caught up in something much bigger than herself, and her heart thudded harder with every passing second.

She was stalking a boy who was possibly crazy, a boy who was brazenly holding a woman to knifepoint in the middle of a bustling airport.

Mith watched the woman lift something over her head. It was a fine silver chain, with a brass compass attached to it.

She sucked in a breath. The necklace was the Carcerem Society signum, the chain and compass that all members wore as a way of setting themselves apart from the rest of the world. It was identical to the necklace resting against the hollow of her own throat, a gift from her grandfather for her fifteenth birthday.

What could the boy want with a signum?

Mith's eyes widened in horror. The knifepoint, small and wicked, was being pressed deeper into the woman's skin. She crumpled the chain in her fist and handed it to the boy.

"Stop!" Mith yelled. She couldn't take it. She pelted towards the boy and the woman, and people turned to stare at her, curious.

"Security!" She screeched again, and a guard clad in pressed khaki came running.

The boy locked eyes with her. Mith halted abruptly. He had schooled his features into mild alarm and curiosity. There wasn't a single trace of the malice that had been there only a few seconds ago, something that she found incredibly disturbing. He looked ordinary. Kind, even.

"What's the matter?" he asked, playing the part of the concerned stranger to perfection.

"You! You have a knife! You were holding that woman to knifepoint!"

People were crowding around her now, shocked.

Mith's heart was about to jump out of her chest.

"What on earth are you talking about?" he demanded, the fake-alarm on his face heightening.

The woman gazed fiercely at Mith. Stop, her eyes said. STOP, her eyes said, louder this time. Mith placed two fingers against the hollow of her throat, where a small dial of her compass peeked out of her shirt.