A Dangerous Desire

2| The Pretend Game

"Oh!" Grandeur's eyes lit up. "The one you've been telling me about? Hailstorm, was it?"

Glory winced as her positive expression faltered.

Interesting.

"No, Ma," she said, reaching over and taking my arm. "He's dead to me. This is Deathbringer." She debated on it for a minute before resting her head on my arm to rest her case with a painful sigh.

"Aw, he's cute," Grandeur as she gave me a sincere smile.

God, I really don't want to have to kill her.

Oh well.

I chuckled. "It's nice to finally meet you, Miss Bright," I said respectfully as I reached over and shook her hand. "Glory talks about you a lot, you know. You seem like a great mother." I felt Glory's grip on me tighten.

"Is that so?" Grandeur asked, sending Glory a cheeky smile. "Well, I'll go make you guys some tea if that's okay with you." She sent me one last look of appreciation before turning around and heading out of Glory's room. Glory kept the smile on her face until the door closed behind Grandeur.

She almost instantly shoved me off of her, catching me off guard.

Once I righted myself, I sent her a grin. "Boyfriend, huh?"

"Just momentarily," she growled. "At least until I tell her you dumped me because I wasn't 'good enough.'"

"I wouldn't do that," I said in an amused tone, partly sympathetically.

"Right," she said harshly. "And now you can't leave because my mom apparently likes you."

"I mean, who wouldn't?" I asked, flexing my muscles before plopping down onto her bed. There was a desk at the far corner of her room and the pillows on her bed were aligned neatly. "I'm just too lovable."

"What's your problem with me, anyway?" she demanded, keeping a firm glare on me. "Ever since you came here, it's like you're obsessed with me. What do you want?"

I regarded her for a moment, slightly tilting my head. "Possibly a... friend."

Or much more.

I almost immediately stomped down that thought until it was nonexistent.

She scoffed. "You have a weird way of asking for it." She crossed her arms. "And there are a bunch of other people in our school. Go and bother them."

I gave her a cheeky grin. "I'd rather bother you. Besides, you are much more interesting than all the other people. Hailstorm is a selfish narcissist who only cares about himself, and all the girls who have approached me are brainless slugs."

I wasn't lying. They were all easy and desperate–the complete opposite of Glory. I liked that about her. She gave me a challenge.

But I'm not here for that, I reminded myself. I'm supposed to be focusing on trying to set my mother free. Her life is in my hands, and the longer I spend trying to connect with Glory, the more I'm toying with Quickstrike's life. I have to focus on my one goal: killing Grandeur.

"Tell me about it," Glory snorted as she rolled her eyes. "I'd be so justified to just stab a pencil into his eye right now."

I let out a laugh, which seemed to startle her.

"You should really go," she said after a moment, not meeting my eyes.

"But I want to get to know you," I said. "Besides, it's not like I have anywhere to be right now."