Daughter of the Mara (The Mara Chronicles Book I)

Chapter 12

Amelia set the magazine aside and took a wider look around the terminal. There wasn't even anyone at the podium in front of the gate. Had she arrived too early? If that was the case there should still be people in the surrounding gates' seating areas. And why was it so dark? Airports were never this dark, not even in the middle of the night. Amelia inhaled deeply, trying to drive away the encroaching panic that threatened to envelop her.

As she wrestled with an oncoming panic attack, a light shone from the end of the hallway before quickly disappearing. Amelia had just turned toward it when she saw another flash out of the corner of her eye; this time in the opposite direction. 'It has to be planes outside', she thought. That was the only explanation. As the thought crossed her mind a light flashed down the hallway again, this time followed by the image of a shadowy humpbacked figure.

"You're losing it, Amelia," she muttered to herself. "You're not even on the plane yet, there's no reason to be scared."

"Excuse me, miss," a masculine voice said, far too close to her.

Amelia jumped out of her chair and accidentally head butted a brown haired man who had suddenly appeared in front of her. She fell back, slightly stunned, into the plastic terminal chair.

"I'm so sorry," the man said, grasping his forehead. "I didn't mean to startle you."

Amelia looked up into his kind face and immediately felt awful for being so scared. The man had sparkling blue eyes, wore an expensive navy three piece suit, and was far too good looking to be seen talking to her. Her regret was suddenly replaced with confusion as she shook her head softly.

"It's fine," she replied. "It wasn't your fault." She noticed another shadowy figure as she glanced past the man's head but tried her best to ignore it.

He smiled at her, showing straight white teeth. "I was just wondering if you were waiting for the flight to Detroit as well. I was surprised to find the terminal so empty."

She picked up her magazine as she noticed the boarding pass slid between its pages like a bookmark. Indeed, it seemed she was bound for Detroit.

"Yes, I am," she replied after an extended silence. "And I was surprised too. I haven't even seen any flight attendants." Amelia glanced behind them to make sure someone hadn't magically appeared at the podium while they were talking.

"Perhaps they are preparing their knives. They should be along shortly."

His tone was so neutral Amelia almost didn't understand the words. She whipped her head back towards him. "What did you say?"

The man smiled once more. "I was just saying perhaps they are still preparing the plane and will be out shortly."

He flashed his teeth at her once more and Amelia felt her stomach drop to her feet. His teeth couldn't be that sharp, could they? "Excuse me," she said, clutching her magazine tightly. "I think I'm going to go find the bathroom." She glanced down the hall, trying to decide whether she felt safer in the shadowy distance or here with the handsome man with the abnormally sharp teeth.

"Oh please, don't go," he said, grabbing a hold of her arm. "You'll miss all the fun."

Amelia tried to pull her arm from his grasp until it hurt. "Let go of me," she pleaded.

"You can't leave," he said. "We need you here." His smile was almost a rictus, it had become so wide.

Her heart was pounding and she didn't know what to do. She pulled harder, watching as more shadowy figures approached from the other direction.

"They're coming," he said.

Amelia whipped her head back to face him. Two red lines had appeared from the sides of his mouth and were climbing slowly up his cheeks, as if his skin was splitting along a seam. She tried to pull away once more.