The Devil's Game

Branding

A smile of my own split my lips, in the few seconds it took to process the deal my entire visage changed. I abandoned the timid girl act replacing it with an almost sociopathic calm. Straightening my back I called to him "Deal, Pan." His name felt foreign as it rolled of my tongue. I laced it with my residual hatred. I gripped the dagger placed in my hand lightly getting a feel for the blade. It was several inches longer than the dagger I'm used to, the balance was off, it was much to bottom heavy to be accurately thrown. But the wooden handle was solid and it was more of a weapon than my fists.

A circle soon formed around the two of us. The lost boys gazing upon us with their many sets of judgmental eyes. They all assumed this to be short fight, girls weren't supposed to be able to fight.

The two of us began circling, prowling around each other poised like mountain cats. Pan had drawn the dagger from his own sheath. He held it in his right hand, the other placed a few inches behind. Killian had always taught me to focus on the whole of your opponents body. The slightest shuffle of the foot or flick of the eyes could be enough to give you the warning to block and counter effectively.

Pan's foot changed pattern in our endless prowl warning me of his next move, I was able to quickly evade his lunge and send him staggering. A collective gasp escaped the lost boys, they had never seen their leader faulter in such a way before. Pan turned snarling, attacking again, this time with a sweeping slash. It was easy enough to dance away from. Surprised he continued his onslaught of attacks, each slightly different. Some quick stabs, others draw out slashes, and even others he lead with the blunt edge hoping to bruise and disorient me. I yet still I didn't attack, I needed him to get cocky but more so I needed to analyze his style. Each person has a unique fighting style, and each leaves gaps for me to slip into and use to overpower my opponent. Pan's was a good fighter, but he relied on offense, so his blade flew just slightly too far from his body after each attack leaving him vulnerable for less than a second, I would need to act quickly but it was usable.

Taking this into account I waited for his next strike, delaying until the last second I  side stepped and sent my first attack. I felt my blade graze skin, it sliced lightly across his arm drawing a trail of blood in its wake. I began to smile as the crimson fluid stained my gleaming knife. Pan was wrong in making this wager I'm better than he ever could be.

As we whirled to face each other I felt a surge of fear as a gazed into him, he didn't look angry or afraid. He looked amused, as if the pain was nothing, as if I had played into his hand.

It then occurred to me that something about his fighting style seemed off. It just didn't fit him. The sloppiness, the anger, the lack of calculation. And as I attempted to take advantage of the next opportunity it hit me, but all too late. As Pan's free hand closed around my wrist and skillfully brought my body in a full 180 so my back now rested against his chest. He was doing it purposefully to set a trap for me, and in all my cockiness I had walked right in.

I struggled but he had both of my arms in his grasp. "Ready to give up," his lips brushed against my ear, "love?". He breathed the last word making me jerk my head to the left away from him.

"Never!" I exclaimed. I brought my foot hard on his driving my right shoulder into his sternum creating space and using the advantage I spun so I was facing him. While he was still in a daze I brought my foot into his chest shoving him back and effectively breaking my wrists free of his grip. Barley taking a chance to breathe I advanced on the boy. I swept my leg around in a low spinning kick, knocking him off his feet and pounced on him like a painter on it's prey. As I straddled his waist pinning his hands above his head he began smirking. A smile of knowing mirth.

"There it is, there's that fire! Tiger Lilly!" The use of my nickname surprised me enough that he was able wiggle free and flip us. The weapons flying free of our respective grasps. "What a fitting name for such a beautiful creature." The look in his eyes was that of a hunter overpowering his prey, a dark and bloodthirsty adrenaline. He removed one of his hands from mine to reach down and caress my face tenderly, it was a touch of a lover. But as his thumb danced upon my lower lip it burned like a brand. I raised my head snapping at the offending finger. Quickly withdrawing his hand his gaze turned hungry. "So you want to bite." Pan lowered his moth to the skin just above my collar bone. Lips brushing it lightly, then he bit down, teeth digging savagely into the flesh much like a starving animal. A sudden yelp of pain escaped my throat. I felt the skin break, warm blood pouring into his mouth and down onto the sad excuse for a dress. He pulled away gazing down at me eyes glinting with a light darker than the evil queen herself. Blood dripped from his lips, fear infiltrated my soul. This young boy was truly insane. He should be locked up in a tower like Rupunzel. The fear in my eyes carved a gruesome grin across his features, white teeth stained a horrific shade of crimson.

I flinched away from reaching fingers desperate to tangle in my hair. To pull my body into his. That's when Pan began to laugh, it wasn't a pleasant sound. The laughter eliciting from his throat was that of a dead man walking. The madness of selfish and cruel man lived too many years. It drove tendrils of ice into my heart and chills down my spine.

"Now you're mine Tiger Lily!" Pan growled, my own blood spattered across my face as he brought his lips down to meet mine.
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Not going to lie, I went all out for the crazy on this one... Did you enjoy it?

I'll try to update soon. Sorry.

Casey