Or Seth could make her feel better.
The thought of the many inventive ways he had of making her feel spectacular had her smiling.
Except something covered her mouth, and she couldn’t move her lips. Something tight and uncomfortable that shouldn’t be there.
A gag?
Terror had her eyes flying open, but it didn’t make a difference. She was in the dark. Not dark like she was in her bedroom with the curtains pulled. Pure dark.
Mara tried to sit up and realized she wasn’t just gagged; her arms were tied behind her back, and her feet were bound.
What the hell?
Panic had her thrashing against whatever held her and screaming out, but the gag made that impossible. Her efforts made her head spin, and she had to swallow hard so she didn’t vomit even as her heart thudded against her rib cage.
Was this real or a nightmare?
She’d never been the type to have vivid dreams. They were mostly vague snatches of emotions that drifted away as she woke.
This was real.
Someone had tied her up and gagged her.
Who? Why?
Her heart pounded, and she squirmed, trying to free herself.
When lights appeared and danced in her vision, she forced herself to slow down, to breathe through her nose. Passing out wouldn’t be smart, but smart didn’t seem to be within her reach at the moment.
Tears pricked her eyes, and she squeezed them shut. No crying. Crying meant she’d need to blow her nose, and that wasn’t possible. She needed it to breathe—no tears and no screaming.
Could she die of fright?
Would she suffocate herself if she panicked?
Would that be better than whatever this person had planned? Who had done this to her?
Slow down. She had to slow down her heart rate. Find some control.
What would Seth do?
Well, first off, he wouldn’t be thrashing about in a panic. The man was as steady as the earth. Even while he’d been injured, she’d bet he’d been able to focus. To help others. He and his team had all been injured, but they’d worked together to complete their mission and get Maki’s body home.
She needed him, but until she found him again, she needed his courage and determination.
But she was a baker. Someone who played with sugar. Someone who loved to sing.
She needed Maria’s courage now—or Ariel’s. The mermaid had changed her species for a guy. Surely Mara could get out of whatever held her so tightly. Maybe using her playlist about bravery would help.
“Defying Gravity” was all about breaking free. Sure, Elphaba was breaking free from the past, but Mara could use that courage.
She closed her eyes against the enforced dark, and let the lyrics flow through her mind. Her heartbeat immediately slowed and her pulse beat in time with the song.
Once she was more in control, Mara realized she didn’t have a clue how to get out of the bonds. None of her favorite musicals gave her that information, and she never watched scary movies.
She should have spent more time with Seth honing her self-defence techniques. They’d talked about it, but with the focus on getting the No Phailed Apples Inn up and running, there hadn’t been much time.
They’d spent all their free time in bed, and she wouldn’t regret even a moment of that.
