Mara - The Lady Grief (Completed)

67 Pieces of Love

Time Immortal, A House, The City of Ersetu, The Underworld

Thane

Mara hands the bowl of Inanji's regurgitated blood to Lier. "I'm sorry," she says softly.

He grimaces, but drinks it down, immediately looking ill after he does.

"Go, lay down, Lier."

"Not on that bed," he mumbles. My brother and I each grab an arm and help him to the table, laying him out across the surface.

"Hold it inside, Lier, that's it," Mara encourages him in a thready voice. Her dark eyes are frightened as she approaches Inanji with the dagger.

Fingers white on the handle of the blade, Mara leans forward and plunges the dagger into Inanji's left shoulder.

A slice, and Inanji's body surges forward. Mara stumbles back with the knife, her other hand clasped over her mouth to silence a scream, but we are there to hold the Love goddess still.

Inanji's eyes roll and she slumps back down.

Mara sneaks back forward. "No," my Heart breathes.

"What's wrong?" I ask her in a low voice.

"Look at the wound," she murmurs.

We look. It seals itself together as we watch, leaving just a pink line and blood staining her skin.

"I don't... does she have the same healing ability? I wasn't ready... what do we do?" Mara turns to us, eyes blinking with tears.

"Kill her and take it all for Lier," Thelios snaps.

"That's not how it works. Patriarch showed me the scrolls of gods receiving power. The source must give up a piece. You and Thane each got half of War."

"That's right," I mutter. I vaguely remember, eons ago, shit... "what now?"

Mara looks back at Inanji. "I have to cut her in half and give two pieces away. She needs to be completely ruined to break apart."

"Two?"

Her eyes drift to the trunk holding Anthea. "Yes, two. And... I need souls, not gods. Urto disappeared into you two." She sounds faint.

"No, not her, not Anthea, my Heart," I can't keep the desperation from my voice. Anthea has been lurking around my soul for centuries and I can't have her become immortal. A goddess.

"She would be no better than Inanji."

Mara just shakes her head, tears pouring. "There's no time, Thane. We need to complete this before Inanji wakes up or Lier suffers any more."

I look at Lier, moaning lowly on the table.

Mara goes to open the trunk.

Five of us move to stop her. "We'll do it, Princess," Belen says grimly.

The trunk opens to reveal an still-unconscious Anthea.

"I think... I think the burial rites worked?"

"Does she still have Inanji's blood in her system?" Belen asks softly.

"Most likely," Mara answers.

"Cut the bitch again," Lier croaks out from the table.

"Don't. Not yet. Use this soul, my Lady. Please."

We all turn to see Erra with a small, broken-looking female by his feet.

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Mara