A Dangerous Desire

11| The Flawless and Flawed

<Deathbringer>

It was a fair game, and she was winning.

It was like that for the rest of the week. A sort of... teasing game, and it was pretty entertaining at that. She got flustered easily now that I had gotten to her and broken her boundaries, and I knew a part of her also let me in intentionally.

What we were doing—it was taking a toll on me for the worst. I found myself thinking about her almost constantly. The way she always had a sarcastic remark for every situation, the way she'd roll her green eyes at me anytime I'd start flirting with her–it was as if she buried herself into the very essence of my being.

It's all just a part of the mission.

I crept quietly past Morrowseer's office. He was awake, but when he was busy, he never acknowledged anything around him. Although, I figured that was mostly because he chose not to, and I knew if he saw me, he'd get suspicious.

It was almost seven, and I was to pick her up at that time. Of course, I'd need a car, but all cars were issued by Morrowseer, and I was sure he wouldn't let me just take one. I knew I'd get in trouble if he found out I stole one, but I'd be back before he even knew I was gone.

I walked down the twisted hallway, the walls seeming to be closing in the further down I got. I took a sharp left, very slowly pushing away the garage door. Although the hallway to the garage was long and narrow, the garage itself was large and filled with cars. There were five rows of key holders, each one holding a different brand of cars.

I strode quickly past the cars toward it, trying to leave as inconspicuously as possible. I grabbed a key off the third row, clutching it tightly to minimize the jingling sound it'd illuminate if I hadn't.

"And what do you are doing?"

The voice that had spoken was calm but full of danger and genuine curiosity. I sighed, slightly lowering my head before turning around to give Morrowseer a hard and firm glare.

"I need to leave," I said before adding, "And I need a car." He examined me, noting my unusual attire, my combed-out hair, and my eagerness to leave.

"And you aren't even going to... ask?" he questioned. His voice dripped with poison, and it was clear he wanted to catch me with my guard down. His hands were shoved deep into his pocket and his demeanor was excessively... calm.

"I didn't think you'd mind," I lied, shoving the car keys into my pockets.

"And... where do you think you're going?" His lips twisted up into a horrendous smile as I made sure my firm look didn't falter even for a moment.

"I'm going on a date," I finally said. He raised his eyebrows in astonishment and amusement. "It's for the mission. She trusts me."

"The mission, huh?" Morrowseer asked, looking around the garage. He rubbed his palm over his newly-shaven chin, scrunching up his nose thoughtfully. "You seem weirdly dedicated to this mission recently."

I eyed him, knowing what he was doing. "Well, I want my mother back. I'd do anything for her, and you know that."

"Perhaps I do." He exhaled loudly, backing away from me. "Well, then, have fun at your... date." Without another word, he turned around and strode away, slightly chuckling to himself. I stared at him, wondering what he was playing at. He caught me in the middle of stealing a car and gave me nothing more than a slap on the wrist. What was he aiming at, and why was he so calm?

"*"

I raised my closed hand to her door, hesitating. I was on time, but I was also slightly nervous. This was my first date–fake or not–and I was never really trained for this type of stuff. Before this one, my missions were quick and easy. None of them ever required this much acting or patience, and it was unusual for Morrowseer to take this much time before allowing me to kill somebody. If he wanted someone dead, he expected it to be done overnight.