Mari: Year One [Completed]

Chapter Seventeen: O Ye Of Little Faith

"You okay?" a familiar voice called out to her, it was Jessamine, there was a worried look in her eyes as she stared at Mari.

"I'm fine." Mari murmured, "Just enjoying the view..." she stroked Jessamine's cheek.

"Well, enjoy the view later, there's a piece of steel embedded into your heart." Jessamine replied, her eyes watering, "There's always more time for that later. Save yourself first."

"Ah, but it doesn't hurt." Mari muttered, still stroking Jessamine's face, "I just wanted to see you for a bit, that's all."

"What do you mean it doesn't hurt? Your heart's been stabbed, sister."

Mari let out a weak chuckle, "Oh, it hasn't. I've left my heart with you, you see."

"Idiot, you're an idiot you know that?" Jessamine said sadly, "You keep saying so many of those things, yet you leave me?"

"Sorry, I'll find you after this, I really just needed to see you." Mari answered.

"Okay, you've seen me. It's pretty weird that this time it's you who's having a fantasy over me. Get up, Mari. I'm waiting for you." Jessamine ordered.

Mari groaned lazily, "Fine. See you in a bit."

The vision ended, and she was staring at the sky again, still set ablaze by the blue fire. She could smell Danilo entering the mansion, and she chuckled quietly to herself.

Her power started to build, shaking the very ground, the walls and everything caught within it.

"I see it now." Mari thought to herself, "I was so afraid of losing myself, I didn't realize that she kept anchored to the ground. Oh me, of little faith." she chuckled again.

The quake intensified and she heard Danilo murmur: "What in the hell?"

The flames intensified as Mari yanked the spike out of her chest, Danilo turned to her in horror and she grinned at him.

"Your faith forsakes you, because maybe he doesn't see you as worthy." Mari announced, dropping the nail to the ground with a dull thud, the flames instantly disappearing as it fell.

"Are there any other tricks, Mister Almazan? I am a busy woman, I have to look for this wretched portal of souls and close it down before it consumes everything." she said quietly.

"What do you mean portal of souls?" Danilo asked.

"You're supernaturally inclined, surely you've felt it?" Mari asked him, and it dawned on him. The phantoms he saw, the ghosts that seeked justice.

"So you do know." Mari said, seeing the realization on his face, "Look, I have no quarrel with you, though you have tried to kill me multiple times, and it just didn't work. I was here because Nicholas Duque harassed the only person I've learned to love, he threatened to make her miserable because of what? Because of being with me? I didn't kill him because of some demented need to feed. I do need to feed, he was killed because he deserves it."

"Who are you to pass judgment on mortals?" Danilo challenged her, and Mari shrugged.

"I don't know what to say, mister. But I just do; for some reason."

"What do you propose then, beast?" Danilo asked, "If you wish to take my life, I will not readily give it to you."

"Look man, if I wanted to kill, I would have. I knew that your holy relic won't kill me, did you truly believe that you were in control all this time? What did you have over me? Garlic? Because of its antibacterial properties? It doesn't kill me, it harms me, but it's never enough to kill me." Mari said exasperated now, "You stay out of my way, or use your stupid, shitty wizard powers or whatever to help me close that gate."