Pray Prey

(Day 56: Saturday Morning)

"Where were you on January thirty-first on the night of the incident?" the layer questions.

"I was at the school in my dorm, running a bath," Mal answers "And after I found out the water was too cold I went searching for why it was."

"So, you weren't at the event that Audrey Lee was holding that night?"

"I didn't even know there was an event," Mal looks down as she responds. "But I eventually went when I was told Audrey was the one that made the water cold."

"You're going to lose them if you keep making your explanations so long," the lawyer informs. "It's going to be a long day for everyone, and you don't want them to think you're making excuses either. You want to get your side of the story across to them using as few words as possible. Also, try not to look down. The ruling judge may not see your expression, but the panel will and you don't want them to think that you're lying or doubtful."

"So, I'm just supposed to stare at the person who's questioning me?" Mal inconceivably asks.

"Or at their ear or the space over their shoulder," he tries to help. "Just try not to look down, and whatever you do don't look up and to the left. I've noticed it's something you do when you're trying to remember something, but I'm going to suggest for you to practice not doing that for your own sake. Studies show that most people do that when they lie."

"Great," Mal sarcastically answers. "How am I supposed to get through this if I'm not even allowed to remember anything?"

"So, it's true." Mal looks towards the door at the sound of Audrey's voice, and she watches as she takes a few steps closer. "You really did try to kill yourself."

Mal rolls her eyes at Audrey's apparent concern, "Don't flatter yourself. I did this to save my life, not to take it."

"But it's not the first time, is it?" she questions as she takes a few more steps. "You did it after you found out what you did to me?"

"Yeah," Mal slowly lets out before partly grinning. "Just too bad it didn't work, 'cause now I have to suffer the sight of your obnoxious, bland, pink attire."

"You're being defensive," she notes.

"Of course, I'm being defensive," Mal furrows her eyebrows. "Some prissy princess walks into my room acting all sympathetic, as though she's not the reason why I'm even here in the first place."

"I'm not the one that slit your wrists."

"No." Mal counters, "You're just the one that accused of me sexual assault, when all I was attempting to do was get heat."

"Through a kiss," Audrey angrily defends, tears suddenly intruding her eyes. "You had me retrained through whatever magic you were using—"

"It wasn't magic," Mal mumbles.

"And not only that," Audrey lifts a hand up, "but you not only tried to kiss me with a clear lack of permission, but you were also going to force me into a sinful act. I could have been sent to Hell for what you almost made me do."

"I thought sodomy was the sin," Mal remembers, "not girls kissing each other."

"Same thing," she insists. "Marriage is between a man and woman, not two women."

Mal offers a look, "Sorry to burst your bubble my pretty, but I'm not looking to marry you— or anyone, in fact. I don't need God's permission to be with someone. I'm just sorry that you're so insecure that you do."

"God created us. We owe our lives to Him. He has a paradise for us to go to, and all we need to do to get there is to follow his rules. Why would you risk that for the sake of kissing girls? And not marrying anyone? What, do you want to sentence both you and Ben to Hell?"

Mal huffs, "Explain to me, how would I be sentencing Ben to your Hell?"

"Premarital sex is a sin," Audrey informs. "Surely you knew that."

Mal's quiet for a second, "No. I didn't."

"The union between a man and a woman is sacred," she preaches. "It's God's will for men and women to find happiness with each other in a way that's good and pure. God—"

"God. Do you ever shut up?" Mal infuriates. "It's because of you that I was held in jail, that I nearly died of cold. Where is that in your little book of rules?" She doesn't speak, and Mal lets out a breath before mumbling, "I swear, if you were anyone else I'd be taking your heat right now without a second thought."

After Audrey observes their close proximity the lawyer lets her know, "She's not being serious. The doctor was just here five minutes ago." before she looks towards him. "She didn't do anything to him." He looks at Mal, "Now. As your lawyer, I highly recommend you to end this conversation. She could be trying to gather information to discredit you. She may even be recording this entire conversation."

When Mal and Audrey's eyes meet Mal glows hers, "Are you recording this? Tell me the truth."

"No," Audrey answers.

"Are you trying to discredit me?"

"No."

"Then why are you here?" Mal questions.

"I just wanted to make sure you were okay." The glow in Mal's eyes fade, and then Audrey places a hand to her head. "You didn't have to spell me. You could have just asked."

"It's not a spell," Mal tries to inform again. "It's a dragon's sight to see heat and hypnotize prey to do what we want." She slightly rolls her eyes, "It's a hunting thing, I guess."

"I'm not your prey," Audrey uneasily replies in sternness.

"Then stop acting like it," Mal coaxes. "Stop treating me like a predator and drop this case. Stop making yourself out as some kind of victim."

"I am a victim," Audrey points to herself. "I'm not just making this up for attention. We've got you on camera, and you're going to pay for what you did to me."

"Tell me," Mal comments in slight boredom, "do you try to be this dramatic or does it just come naturally to you?" Audrey places a hand on her hip with raised eyebrows, which Mal rolls her eyes at before sitting up more, "Look. I've been through some crap too, but you don't see me making a big deal out of it, do you."

"And you think that somehow makes you stronger?" Audrey asks in seriousness. "If you were wronged and you didn't get help, that's your fault. It was your choice."

"Get out," Mal glares at her.

"You know I'm right," Audrey comments with a near smile.

Mal glows her eyes again and yells, "Get out." before Audrey drops her crossed arms and immediately turns around to exist the room.

"I wouldn't have advised that," the lawyer warns.

Mal turns to him in stress, "Shut up." before she winces at her actions, slouches over with a hand to her head, breathing she lets out a sullen breath. "I didn't mean that." She looks back up at him, "It's just that, you know. Apparently it's my fault that I was… that I was wronged, and just because I didn't tell the entire world about it that somehow makes me stupid and weak." He doesn't speak, only offering an unsure expression. "Right." Mal shakes her head before glowing her eyes again, "Speak if you want to."

He opens his mouth before responding, "You're going to have to get that under control."

Mal is quiet for a moment, glancing down at the white sheets, "I don't know if I can. It's tied to my emotions and instinct. The amount of control I do have over it is remarkable." She looks back up at him, "Maybe it's also health related. When I was on the Isle my hypnotism was almost nonexistent. Here my eyes can glow for more than fifteen seconds and my commands actually last more than two seconds."

"Are you saying that this ability of yours fully developed only a month ago?" Mal frowns as she nods, and it's a minute before the layers comments. "Just try your best." Mal doesn't speak. "We were going over the questions you may be asked on the stand."

Mal nods in remembrance, "Yes."

"So," he continues on, "what did you do once you found the victim?"

Mal looks at the wall behind him, as the select images flash through her mind, "I accused her of stealing the hot water and touched her arms to take heat from her."

"Is it not also true that you used magic to restrain her and keep her quiet?" Mal lets out a long breath. "Magic is not a very well-known science anymore. You will be given the chance to clear up the fact it's not when I question the origin of your abilities and need for direct heat sources, but until then you should assume that they won't know the difference between a wand, inherited magical ability, and unique characters that are directly related to a species' biology."

"I know," Mal softly responds, taking a minute to answer. "Yes. I restrained her."

He nods, "And then you attempted to kiss her."

"Yes," Mal merely comments.

After a moment of quiet the lawyer informs, "That would be a good time to explain it's easier to obtain heat that way."

"So that they can write me off as some floozy who would do anything with anyone?" Mal slowly questions.

"No," the lawyer evenly answers. "That would be counterproductive." Mal looks away from him. "We're just trying to open dialogue for what your real intentions were."

She stares out at the open door, watching someone push a cart of vials and various materials past, before she inquires, "Why are you still here?" She turns back to him, "You took a pointless case."

"I'm the king's family lawyer," he answers. "This isn't just about money. It's about loyalty. I haven't given up on your case, because I know how important it is to them. You're very important to them."

Mal lies back down and mumbles, "Yeah, and I'm going to disappoint them all." before she turns onto her side. "Why couldn't it have been someone else? Someone else to have the dragon blood, the fairy magic, and somehow doop the prince to fall hopelessly in love without even apparently trying." She shuts her eyes, "He's going to lose everything because of me."

The lawyer tries to comfort her, "This isn't an impossible case. It's going to be hard, but Ben isn't going to lose anything. Not even you. Not if you try."

She whispers, "He doesn't even know me." before she gulps. "He's going to hate me. He's going to hate havin' risked all of this for me."

"If he can forgive you for attempting an attack on a fellow royal— a previous girlfriend, no less— then surely there's nothing you can tell him that will make him feel any differently about you."

"There is," she quietly responds. "I could tell by how he talked about it… and the thing is that wasn't even the thing I was worried about." Mal puts an arm around the puffy pillow, and after a long minute she says, "I'm tired. Can you please leave?"

He stands from the chair, "Yeah. I think we've gone over enough today."

"And shut the blinds?"

It takes him a moment to comment, "I'm not doing that."

"Why?" she softly questions.

"Studies show that sunlight decreases depression. You may not have intended to kill yourself, but you're clearly still feeling hopeless and I'm not going to stop something that could be helping you."

"But it's not helping." Mal turns to him, "It's bright, hurting my eyes, and making fun of me, acting like everything is all happy and fine when it isn't. It's just making things worse." She sees his hesitant unsureness. "If you don't do it, I'll just have to get up and do it myself."

After another minute he negotiates, "I will close the blinds if you cut your nails short."

Mal rolls her eyes, "Fine. Whatever."

He nods, "I will find a pair of clippers for you." before he goes and stands outside the door, questioning a nurse as she passes by.

- Yeah. Because I've watched Once Upon a Time, it's completely possible that I've made references to characters who may not even turn out to be Disney characters (like Mr. Hyde or the Wicked Witch of the West)... I mean, they probably did show up in some cartoon on Disney Channel at some point, but that's not where I'm getting it from... Unless it turns out that Disney paired up with the creators of Once Upon a Time, in which case I will feel very stupid.

- Also, apparently it's been over a week since my last update. So, sorry. Not really too sure what happened... Maybe I got stuck in future storylines again or maybe the next couple chapters were just that hard to write through. I don't know. Whatever it is, it's stupid. I can't just write and post six chapters a week and then suddenly drop off the face of the Earth... or this website. Given the subject matter I cover, you all could have thought I died. Well. At least it wasn't a month, right? That would have been absolutely horrible... Now watch me subconsciously do just that. Let's hope not.