Mimi's Demons

Chapter 29: To Be Believed In

A day later, Mimi's stomach was still tight as a pickle jar, so she couldn't eat much. Even what she did eat she hardly tasted. She kept seeing that blur of webbed, pitch-black wings. It had been all she had seen, but she had seen the direction and heard the whispers of unseen demons in the shadows. They had been excited. More excited than lies or violence or lust could ever give.

A big hand landed on her head. She looked up to see Duke leaning over her without remembering him leaving his chair. He had a frown on his face she didn't like.

"Now you look at me," he said. "I said your name several times."

She set her fork down. "I don't feel good."

He nodded, giving her head a pat before looking over at Serena beside her.

"Make up a bath for her. You still have some of the salts?"

"Yes. I make sure they're always stocked."

"Good. Get to it."

Serena stood up, bowed, and scuttled away. Mimi found herself watching her go, her stomach tightening more. She didn't want to be left alone with this guy. The ever-present shadow outlining his figure was thicker today.

He finally took his hand away and sat in the chair Serena had vacated.

"Care to tell me how you heard about a murder?" he asked. There was an attempt at gentleness in his tone, but it was ruined by something hard and unyielding.

She looked down at where she'd clenched her hands in her lap. "I don't want to tell you."

"Tough luck. Eleven-year-olds shouldn't be involved with murderers, with or without responsible parents."

She wanted to quip back something about him being far from a responsible parent, but not only did she found that wasn't technically true, it had gotten difficult to push out words with a clenched up stomach. She shivered deep to her bones and her hands had become so pale they were purple and hurt.

She hadn't seen the demon itself, but it had been big. Bigger than any she'd ever seen. Its wings had taken up the entire window, blocking the sunlight and plunging the bedroom into an early night that only she saw.

"Mirianna, we can sit here until you answer me."

"I can't."

"Your mouth seems to work."

Her eyes burned. "No."

"Why? Are you afraid you'll get in trouble?" he sounded amused by the fact. "Went somewhere you shouldn't? Planned the murder yourself?"

It was a bad joke and she made sure to glare at him to let him know that.

The tears budding in her eyes ruined the effect, she knew. His black visage blurred. Black hair. Black eyes. He even had to wear black clothes a lot. And that shadow about him, never clear, but just like that unnatural night of her bedroom. She wondered if it would kill him to wear yellow.

The tears finally fell and she could see him again, watching her closely. Despite all the severe black, something seemed to have softened in the way he looked at her. She recognized that soft look. He'd give it to her occasionally. But she didn't know what it meant.

"I won't be mad," he said.

"I'm not afraid," of that, she wanted to finish, but if she had her tightening throat would have made her squeak and she had an image to keep. It was bad enough that she was a girl and little for her age. No one took little girls seriously.

"Then what are you afraid of?"

The question made her head explode with answers.

Everything. Mimi was afraid of everything.