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He stood just beyond the threshold to the bedchamber, the door right at his back, closed securely behind him. Soft dusk light filtered through the windows highlighting deep, rich, velvet and satin. The flaws were there all the same though. An almost stark juxtaposition, once you noticed them. A threadbare corner here, a fraying hem there. Carefully concealed in folds and shadows, hiding any mark of time that threatened to ruin the whole illusion.
“Good evening, Amatus,”
Illario suppressed a flinch as blood red nails trailed from left shoulder to right, trying his best not to grit his teeth.
“I didn’t expect to see you today,”
He forced himself to smile.
“I thought I would surprise you,”
Zara flushed slightly, cheeks colouring with no doubt stolen blood. “Charmer,"
“Only for you,” He reached out, fingers brushing her jaw, halting her circle around him.
She took a single step to put them toe to toe, reaching out to touch him once again. A single finger drew a line over the bare skin of his throat down and over his exposed sternum. His skin prickled, goosebumps rose on his arms even under the fabric of his shirt and the warm Antivan air. No matter what she did, her skin still felt cold, almost clammy to the touch.
He captured her hand in his, bringing the back of it to his lips. Every part of him was aware of her attention as he lowered her hand, and smoothed his thumb over the press of his kiss.
Her hands were beginning to belie the mask of her youthful face, no doubt her guards would have another body - sallow, skeletal, drained of its blood - to dispose of by the morning.
“I couldn’t bring myself to stay away any longer, knowing you were here… In my city… It’s been driving me mad,”
Keeping their hands together, he drew her closer with an arm around her waist, hand carefully placed in the small of her back, bunching in her chemise. Red. The only colour she ever seemed to adorn herself with. Nothing more fitting, he supposed.
She laughed softly, looking down for a moment before slowly trailing her eyes back up to meet his. Her hand rose, caressing the back of his neck, sliding through the much shorter hair at the base of his skull, the tips of her fingers massaging the bottom of his scalp.
In moments like this, if he closed his eyes, it was so much easier to pretend. She was soft, gentle, and far enough away that he wasn’t exposed to the faint smell of decay that lingered under the carefully layered scents and perfumes she used to hide her true nature. He’d seen the bath of freshly shed blood only once.
It was enough.
Crows weren’t exactly strangers to death, to torture. He’d created, and seen enough dead bodies to last a lifetime, but that was where his involvement ended, and it was extremely rare a client requested disposal as part of the contract. They usually wanted to send a message.
The Venatori… Especially at Zara’s level… He didn’t like to think about it.
He lifted her hand to his shoulder, leaving it there as he ran his thumb over her bottom lip. Her lips parted as she stared up at him, icy eyes completely focussed only on him.
“Beautiful,”
The left corner of her mouth lifted, for a moment she looked almost normal. A woman infatuated by her lover.
Good.
“I take it this is more of a personal call,”
Loosing a careful laugh, he took a calculated, bashful step back. Not too far. Eyes on the floor for just a moment.
“Am I that easy to read?”
And now, lift his eyes to meet hers with a small self depreciating smile.
“Only to me, I suppose, love,” Her hand cupped his cheek, thumb skimmed his cheekbone.
“Only to you,” He murmured against her palm - he tried not to breathe too deeply.
“Poor little Crow prince,” It was her turn to trace his lips. “Whatever shall I do with you?”
He blinked at her, before curling his lips into a grin, kissing the tip of each of her fingers.
“Whatever you wish, my love. I am yours for anything your heart desires,”
"Anything?"
He held her gaze, tonight was moving a little more quickly than he had planned. "Anything,"
Zara's eyes trailed up and down his body appreciatively, and without even glancing away from him she flicked her wrist.
"Leave us."
He watched the guards over his shoulder, careful to smirk in a way that reached his eyes as he added;
"Yes, leave us,"
One day she'd give that order, he'd snap her neck and walk out of this place like nothing had happened. Unfortunately she still had her uses.
She fisted a hand in the collar of his shirt to pull him down to her. He went willingly, allowed his eyes to fall closed, cupped her jaw, and slid his lips against hers. Both of her hands were on his collar pulling him closer. He deepened the kiss, slipped his hand into her hair, and tugged, only slightly. She gasped, breaking them apart, exposing her neck in a way that might have been enticing had it been literally anyone else.
Seduction was his bread and butter, it came to him almost as naturally as breathing, and Zara had been the ultimate target. A high up Venatori mage, with power enough to help him fulfil his ambitions… And it had been so easy.
A little attention here, the right smile there… Compliments about her appearance scattered about like breadcrumbs for the vain to devour. Piece of cake.
He kissed her neck, laved at her pulse point, she backed them to the bed.
"Zara…" He breathed.
"Yes, my love?"
"I… I've missed you,"
"Really?" She chuckled. "Show me how much,"
He forced his jaw to relax, made a show of rolling his shoulders, lips spreading in an easy grin.
And told his biggest lie of the evening.
"It would be my pleasure,"