"I thought you were braver than that," Demetri teased as he stepped away, releasing me.
"You caught me off guard," I glared.
"I did not!" he contested with a wide grin as he leisurely walked backwards, away from me. "I made my intention perfectly clear and you stood there like doe, ready for the taking."
I leaned against the tree trunk and paused to collect myself. Demetri may have been several yards away already, but my legs still felt like Jello.
"You look like you've had enough for one night. Perhaps we should return before you lose consciousness altogether," he said mockingly as he cocked his head to the side.
"No! Come on, don't be a jerk. If you have something else to share, then do it now," I protested, pushing myself away from the trunk. "You know time isn't on my side."
Demetri gave me a long, calculating look. He was sizing me up.
"Come here," he beckoned. His voice was too soft, and his expression was too smooth.
I complied passively, but as I shuffled clumsily toward him through the snow I couldn't shake the feeling that I was placing my head right in the lion's mouth.
"What?" I asked pointedly when I finally reached him.
"This," he said, holding up a small, brass rectangle. He was grinning ear to ear.
"Is that a Zippo?" I asked, squinting at the lighter with growing frustration. "Is this a joke? My dry shampoo has more firepower than--"
Before I could finish my tirade, Demetri flipped the top off of the lighter and a massive, furious stream of flames poured out of it.
I yelped and jumped backward, narrowly avoiding a hard fall on my backside.
Demetri flipped the top back on and the flames ceased immediately.
"HOOOooo!" I exhaled with a loud whoosh before busting out in laughter.
"Not bad, eh?" he said, laughing darkly.
"Ooo..." I cooed as I blindly reached out for it. My eyes were the size of saucers.
I could incinerate the entire coven with one of those babies!
Demetri instantly swiped the lighter out of sight. "Oh, no you don't!"
"Self defense! I need it for self defense!" I protested.
"This is a custom lighter," he informed me with condescending eyes. "Only select members of the coven have access to these. Not even your little monsters can get a hold of one of these."
"So? You just want to watch me squirm," I complained.
"So, I can't just hand one to you," he said, drawing out his words. "You have to earn it."
"I am so sure," I said sarcastically. "Don't worry about it. I'll figure out how to get one without you. I mean, it can't be that hard. I'll just apply to be an executioner like you."
"That's not quite how that works," Demetri said flippantly. "Regardless, I thought you hated killing."
"My body count is much higher than you think," I grimaced.
"What's that supposed to mean?" he asked with a spark of renewed interest in his eyes.
"I'll tell you if you give me your lighter," I said firmly.
He raised his eyebrows at me.
"Liam," I confessed.
"What? Your friend from school?" He laughed loudly.
"It was an accident!" I snapped.
"You never cease to amaze me," he managed to say in between laughs.
"Shut up. You better not tell anyone about this," I threatened. "Not even the twins know about that. Now, give me the lighter!"
Demetri pulled out the lighter again, but just as my fingers were about to brush against the medal he snatched it away again.
"Hey!" I cried.
"How do I know you're not going to kill me?"
"Because I said so," I said rigidly.
Demetri continued to stare at me expectantly.
"Because!" I huffed, exasperated.
I looked up at him carefully, one more time.
He gazed back intently.
"I need you," I said begrudgingly.
"For what, exactly?" he said slowly.
"The details aren't important right now."
"I strongly disagree."
"How do I know I can trust you? For real?"
"I'm handing you my lighter, aren't I?"
I considered his words with quiet apprehension. My pulse quickened as he took my hand and placed his lighter in my palm before wrapping my fingers around it.
"I didn't really come back for Alec."
I was absolutely terrified, but for a new reason - for the first time, I was fully bearing my soul to someone. I was sharing my deepest, darkest secrets.
With Demetri. Of all people.
Curiosity burned in his eyes, but he remained silent.
I took a deep breath and continued.
"I've come back to avenge my family," I said in a rush. "I know that feeding is a part of life here, but no matter what I do, I can't shake the anger. It infuriates me that those-- those-- assholes are strolling around in their fine clothes in their fancy castle and I know it's so hypocritical, but I just-- I need to watch them burn."
"And you need me...?"
"I know who one of them is. I need you to bring him to me, isolate him, so I can kill him myself."
"Violet. That's treason," Demetri said flatly.
"He's a low level grunt. No one will miss him," I insisted.
"And if we get caught?"
"You're way too talented for the coven to lose. Whatever they do, you'll survive it."
"I said we."
"I'm going to do it, with or without you," I sighed. "If I have to wrangle another plastic lighter and torch them with hair spray, I will."
Demetri studied my face pensively.
"Just...stay out of my way," I added. "Please."
"I didn't say I wouldn't help you," he said mildly as I began to turn away.
I look up quickly with intense surprise.
"Just this once," he said with heavy finality. "But, you owe me one."
"That's fine! Whatever you want," I agreed eagerly, too elated to care about the details.
"Now, let's get you back to your bedchamber before you freeze to death," Demetri said, returning to his familiar, nonchalant demeanor. "You humans are so delicate."