SISTER MARY

15

                       CONSCIENCE
                          ~~~°°°~~~

Mary couldn't do it. There was something about Ikechukwu lying unconscious on her bed helpless and defenceless. Any other man and she wouldn't have cared so much, but didn't understand why it was different in this case, maybe it was his innocence or maybe—she shook her head, she refused to believe she was becoming weak.

"I shouldn't care," she mumbled under her breathe. Sighing, she walked over to the bed, sitting down.

"What's wrong?" Athea asked once she entered Mary's room. One look at Ikechukwu and she could tell he hasn't been touched.

Mary frowned at her mother's presence. "Nothing," she answered avoiding her Athea's eyes.

"So, why haven't you done it?"

She let out a huge sigh. "Stop asking me questions mother, I haven't done it, because I can't."

"What do you mean?" Athea questioned, an eyebrow raised as she glanced from Mary to Ikechukwu.

"I don't want to do that to him. I mean, it's rape."

Athea scoffed. "Rape? Who cares? Since when have you ever cared?" She paused watching Mary. "Don't tell me that this human is getting to you."

"Don't speak rubbish mother. No one's getting to me. I just don't feel comfortable with this, most of the guys I've had this with have always been through consent, this is different, this is rape, I am not going to stoop that low."

"Oh shut it. Do you understand the situation we're in? There isn't time for this conversation. I am not asking you to do this Mary, I'm commanding you as the Queen."

Mary gave her an incredulous look, then clapped her hands, laughing. "Who are you trying to intimidate? It isn't going to work."

"Urrgh! Why do you have to be so stubborn! Catherine would have done as I said." Catherine was Mary's elder sister. Mary and her sister had never gotten along and she didn't like to be compared to her sister

"Don't you dare compare me to Catherine. Where is she by the way? Didn't she abandon you? Abandon us?"

Athea's hands twisted into angry fists. "The rumors aren't true Mary, your sister just needs to-"

"She hasn't been around for two years!" She yelled throwing her hands in the air. "You need to stop revolving round a lie, she's not coming back," Mary said simply.

"Shut up!" Athea thundered. "If you choose not to sleep with the human, don't. But I'll never forgive you if anything happens to my sister, and remember you can't fully get your powers back till we get the Tarum, so you better have a plan up your sleeve."

Mary rolled her eyes, her mother spoke like she was the one holding her sister hostage, this whole drama would never have happened if she had been giving the vacation she knew she deserves. "Can I take him back?"

"Back?" Athea repeated like she didn't hear Mary well. "No. He knows too much now, he stays with us. What has come over you?"

"What is he going to be doing here? Can't you just wipe his memory and send him back?"

"I can, but since you care so much about him, he's your burden now."

"You're being childish mother." Athea left without another word. Mary turned back to Ikechukwu, she knew he was already awake. "You can open your eyes now," she said to him, but after a few seconds when she got no response she walked over to him. "You are not deceiving anyone, I can see your eyeballs moving round and your fingers are trembling really bad."