Mara peeked between the curtains of the infirmary, balancing a small tray of Zug pastries. The smell that greeted her from inside the cubicle had her twist her head away. “Oh, oh! What is that awful smell?! Miina, a-are you alright in there?” She asked, shielding the freshly baked goods with one arm, as if they’d been the biggest victim from the wafting assault.

"You’re back,” Miina said, and from the other side of the curtain, Mara found her friend’s tone in her mind too croaky. Too tired.

“Can I come in?”

“You almost did a minute ago.”

Mara couldn’t hear her friend’s chuckle, but the voice in her mind sounded lighter. Parting the curtain when she stepped in, Mara ensured it remained wide open, hoping some of the foul smell would dissipate. To Mara’s surprise, Miina seemed unaffected by it. She was sitting on the bed, in uniform and with socked feet awaiting their respective boots. Somehow, it gave the impression she hadn’t moved in a while.

Mara set the tray on the side table and clenching her nose, she inspected Miina’s injured arm. It wasn’t in a cast, but lightly bandaged, and while Miina wasn’t moving it, she didn’t seem in pain, either.

“I’m sorry about the smell," Miina smiled softly. "Know that it’s not me. It’s some weird potion the elders have used to help this heal faster. Unfortunately, it does stink like a Stench Kow.”

“A Stench Kow?”

As though an ill thought came to her, Miina frowned slightly. “It’s a cow; except they’re bigger, smellier, and they’re from here, but it’s just a cow, don’t worry about it. I’m sorry. Let me finish up quickly and we can go outside— Wait. What are you—how are you even here? Didn’t they tell you what happened?”

Mara helped Miina fix her jacket on the side of her injured arm; it just looked a bit ruffled there. She then sat on the bed next to Miina. “I’m caught up on what’s happened. I also talked about it with Lucious, but I’m letting him sort it out the rest with Leviathan.”

“With the king? Why?”

Mara paused, admiring Miina’s gorgeous features. The concern hovering over her grey eyes were simply disarming. Miina had much changed since they first met; especially now that she was captain, preferring to keep her guard up for most of the time. They rarely had moments alone to talk, but when they did, it was in moments like these, with simple and concerned reactions like these that Mara could still see that shy Grey servant who became her first friend in Hell. “Because Leviathan brought me here.”

“He did what?!”

“I asked him to. I needed to come and see you,” Mara tilted her head to Miina’s injured arm. “I’m so sorry I couldn’t come sooner.”

“Mara, you really didn’t need to I’m fine. It’s really dangerous here.”

Mara smirked. “Then, I won’t even tell you about Leviathan’s proposal.”

“What proposal?! Mara, I’m serious. There’s one of these things out there somewhere in Court. No one knows what it wants, but it’s still killing everyone; demons and souls, it doesn’t matter. You should go home.”

“I’ve heard it all from Lucious. He almost used those exact words; but believe me, Earth is no safer than Hell.”

Miina cocked her head at her, but Mara wasn’t about to volunteer further information that would only increase the tension. It was clear Miina wasn’t aware the arena attackers had been sniffing around Mara’s quarters at the palace, making her potentially the intended, if not the primary target. The only thing Lucious and Leviathan seemed to agree on was to latch on the six wolf bodyguards to her. It would forever be a mystery to her how she mustered the tone to order them to wait outside the infirmary entrance. For everything else, Lucious was nowhere done with Leviathan. “I will! I’ve already promised Lucious I would. Just as soon as I leave here! Now, tell me, how’s your arm? I’m surprised they’re letting you go so soon. It still looks tender.”

“They’re not exactly releasing me,” Miina bent over, wrestling with putting her boots on with one hand. “I just don’t need to be here.”

Mara squatted by Miina’s feet and eased her hand aside. “Alright, lady grouch, let me.” She drew one boot closer.

A hint of the old shyness poked through Miina’s smile, but she let Mara continue.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” Mara asked, focused on tying the laces. “It looks painful.”

“It’s nothing. I’ve had worse injuries.”

Based on the life Miina had lived as the leader of the Kumani, Mara knew it to be true. Against demons, though, how high did city gangsters rank?

“Miina, what happened?”

“I let my guard down. Don’t worry; it won’t happen again.”

Mara waited; it seemed like there was more to come.

“There’s a human soul; a woman. She’s so freakishly strong, Mara. You had to be there to see. At the same time, she’s so vulnerable; afraid and confused. I feel like she needs help. I don’t know, I keep thinking I could help her, somehow. I feel like I should. If it weren’t for other souls helping me… I wouldn’t be here today.”

“Is that how it happened? Were you trying to protect her?”

Another soft smile. This one with a hint of embarrassment. “Kind of. It’s a difficult situation.”

“This soul, where is she now?”

“Anise. She’s somewhere safe. It’s not the most welcoming place, and I really want to get her out of there, but she’s safe. She’s a bit… unstable.”

Mara paused for a moment. “Unstable… you mean… her soul…”

Miina nodded quickly, as if saying it aloud could cause more harm. Her weak smile slowly changed into a knotted frown. “I figured the elders could help. They have all these crazy medicines; I thought they’d have something to slow down her transformation.”

Mara gently reached for Miina’s other foot. The helplessness was palpable in Miina’s tone, almost the same as that day, when they first met. She wondered if Miina had struggled with this helplessness when she decided to help her, too. That day, Miina broke her Grey servant cover and exposed herself to great risk. She didn’t have to, but she did. Mara often wondered how things would’ve turned out, if Miina hadn’t bothered.

“Miina, if you feel you must help her, then I have no doubts that is the right thing to do. There’s nothing stopping you, but the thoughts running in your mind.”

Miina blinked until the crease on her brow finally softened. “It is that simple, isn’t it?”

Mara chuckled. “Yes. Sometimes it just ends up being that simple. It’s what you do. You jump at the rescue.” Mara finished with the other boot and pulled herself up to sit on the bed next to Miina, while this one watched her with a strange tentative stare. “What is it?”

Miina parted her lips, but no sound came to Mara’s mind. Nothing that Mara could read from her lips either.

“I’m really happy you’re here,” Miina finally said.

“I’m happy, too,” Mara said, feeling there was more to come. She rested a hand on her friend’s and squeezed.

“Mara… I think I’m in trouble.”

By now, Miina’s eyes were fixed on her lap.

“Miina, what’s wrong?”

“I’ve made such a mess of things.”

The slight tremble from Miina’s hand told Mara this was no longer about Anise.