The Sadian Chronicles: Book 2: From Mercury To Venus

Last Thread: Part 1

It was a long ride back up to the Rockies, as Marianna grew weaker. She lay conscious though in some ways vacant. Her eyes blinked, and her face held no particular expression. Ty managed to keep her secret from Carla. He wondered if her pregnancy had something to do with her plausible state.

Even through the bumpy ride up through the mountain trail Marianna stayed quiet and still. "Why doesn't she say anything?" Ty asked Carla.

She parked the van a few feet from the cabin and then turned to Ty, "It could be happening again," she said, exiting the driver's side.

"What?" he asked as he opened the side door.

"Let's get her inside then I'll explain," Carla said and Ty thought she was acting too mysterious.

Ty carefully picked her up and carried her out of the van. In the morning sun, Marianna screamed out in pain.

"Oh, no," Carla gasped when she realized Marianna had been exposed. "Quickly, cover her face. The sunlight could kill her." Carla made sure Marianna's eyes were covered securely with an old raincoat lying in the back of the van.

Ty quickly brought Marianna into the cabin and placed her on the bed in her old room. The windows had long ago been boarded up, and there was no lamps or light fixtures to brighten the room. Marianna's domain was the darkness, and that was the reason she preferred the name Fanta.

She became more aware of things once Ty lit a few candles. "Ty," she said in a cracked voice. He rushed to her bedside at hearing the sound of her voice. "Thank you."

"For what?" he asked not understanding what she meant.

"For keeping my secret," she said, fighting to get the words out. "I don't want Carla to know... not yet. I don't know how she'll take it."

"She loves you, Mary," ty said trying to comfort her. "She'll only want to help you."

"What if my baby dies?" she asked the question as tears formed in her eyes. "It will be all my fault."

"No, Mary, don't say that," he said and tried to make her as comfortable as possible. "What you need to do know is rest and not think about anything negative."

"I'm the one who let Marcus coax me into going to the cliffs, and I'm the one who showed it to him," she said still struggling to talk. "It's my fault... all of it."

"No, it's mine," he said with a guilty look in his eyes. "I knew he wanted to hurt you. I promised to protect you, and I let you down. I let both of you down."

"Don't say that, because you saved us," she said and had a look of gratitude on her face. "I don't know how you found me, but I'll be forever grateful."

"Like you always say, Sadian powers have their advantages." She said and tried to make her smile, but she was too concern for the survival of her unborn child to indulge in anything else.

"Hey," Carla said from the doorway. "How's our patient?"

"I didn't do it, Carla," Marianna said, seeing the older woman though her vision was blurred. She had a desperate look on her face, and she needed Carla to believe her.

"I know you didn't, but the person who did may come after you?" There was a frightened look on Carla's face. "Do you know who it was?"

"It was Marcus," she said, trying to sit up, but her vision was blurred and her body was too weak to support itself.

"Lay back down," Carla commanded trying to get her to relax. "Ty, please, go get the wash basin. I don't want these wounds getting infected."

"Carla, don't fuss over me," she said insistently, trying to free herself from Carla's grasp. "I'm fine."