Of Fangs & Fins ✔

47. Illusion vs. Desire

SR: Bring Me the Horizon - i apologise if you feel something

Forty-Seven.

Marina.

Crimson curls framed Hadlee's flawless face like a mane, reminding me of a certain Disney character. Today, an emerald spaghetti strap top that brought out her eyes hugged every curve on her torso. Jeans hung on Hades' tapered hips dangerously. Exposed midriff seemed to wink at me as threw herself on a couch.

I smirked to myself, burying my face deeper into the book I was reading, hiding my reddening cheeks. Hadlee felt the need for me to read thick dusty old books, doing research if I ever had a question she deemed idiotic.

"I don't see how this one should be researched... it's a good question," I bit the inside of my cheek in frustration.

Hades shook her head, her typical easy-going smile vanishing from her face. "It's absurd, and a cliché. I said I wouldn't answer those." She reminded me of Eryn for a brief moment and my expression faltered. I suppose even Hadlee had a limit of patience.

Hades tilted her head. Wordlessly, she slid forward on the couch and leaned forward, studying my eyes. I held my breath, willing my mind to be devoid of any thought. Think about anything else. My eyes instinctively dropped to her lips, watching carefully as she ran her tongues over her bottom lip. I dragged my gaze upward, locking eyes again.

As the seconds ticked by, my heart raced, waiting for who was going to be the first to pull away.

I should've known better than to think Hadlee would.

"Why is that, Marina?"

My name sounded like sex with her soft-spoken purr. I shivered, shaking away the pangs of desire that shot through my lower belly. I broke away our eye contact, casting my head down at the words in front of me. The spine of it read, 'Spiritalis Historiae Sanguis Lactantem' which wasn't hard to figure out.

"So, vampires can walk into churches."

"Precisely. We do not blow up into flames or whatever you said," she said, backing up a bit, but not taking her fiery gaze off me.

"So when are you going to tell me what happened yesterday?" I asked, setting the book down among the piles of others. Vampires were much more complicated than I thought. And here I was, asking for Eryn to turn Ally just so she could live. I didn't know all the rules.

"Rules are boring." Hades murmured, "and nothing. It was a vampire, they ran away."

"You're reading my mind and not answering the question," I pouted, folding my arms.

Hadlee stood up, putting her arms above her head and stretching languidly. Her top rode up, showing the rest of her skin. I couldn't take my eyes off her. I squeezed my eyes shut. What the Hell was I doing? This was Neri's partner. I felt gross for even thinking of her in that way.

"And you were undressing me with your mind. I don't know which is more incriminating," Hadlee sniggered, pulling a chair and flipping it backward. She sat down, using the head of the chair to support her arms. "I'm not going to fuck you... at least not yet."

My eyes bulged. My cheeks grew hot and I looked away, trying my best to focus on the task at hand. My insides were screaming in response to what she said, but that's what Hadlee was good at. She was straightforward, and that always got me to forget about important things. "Stop doing that."

"Why don't we play another game, you seem to be fond of them—"

"Stop, Hadlee." I cut her off, "why did that person flip the car? It had to be a targeted attack."