Chapter Seven - Backfire

Alright guys, here's your next update! I'm going to apologize yet again for how slow this has been updating wise, but hopefully this specific update makes up for that!

Just so you guys know, this is four days later. Yup. Four days. Which means this is the day of the ball. So, do enjoy!

Evx : Indeed he did. You don't demand things from girls like that. And I guess we'll find out more about Savannah later...Way later, actually...:3 And I'm glad you liked it!

heywassuphelloo : Yes, hating Savannah is good. Hating Savannah is a great idea. cx You'll find out about her in good time!

booknerd00 : I'm glad it tugged at your emotions. c: It was supposed to. And yes. Everyone must wish to kill Savannah! Hehehe.

Guest 1 : Yes...Mina was rude. But you'll realize later why she blew up the way she did. c: Trust me, it is legitimate. I wouldn't want to talk about it to anyone if it happened to me, especially if they demanded me to.

Goat : Haha, well, I will say one thing. Savannah was involved in the fire. I won't say how. c: You will have to keep dying of suspense till then.

Guest 2 : Thank you!

And now? On with the show!


Teague's POV


It's been four days now. Four days. And I'm sadly still receiving silent treatment from Mina. Since she refuses to talk to me or listen to me, I've been leaving her gifts on the table. Mainly chocolate and flowers. Sadly, she's ignored those too. Is her heart made of stone or something? Generally I've been able to get girls to fall for me way before this.

I brush out my suit a bit. There's no time to contemplate this now. I have a job to do.

"You look fantastic." I say as she walks up behind me. No response, as usual. I yearn to apologize for what I did, but I don't think she'd listen. Not only that, but I have a feeling she would also decide to lecture me on assassin conduct. That's just something she would do..I think. I watch her as she shoves something into a hidden pocket in her dress. Probably another dagger. She has quite a few of those, way more than the average girl does. Then again, she is an experienced assassin. I guess that's only to be expected.

I open the door for her with a slight bow. "After you."

Still, I receive no response. She steps past me as if I am literally nothing. I can't even get her to yell at me again. Never have I ever been in any situation like this. I follow her down, and on the car ride over she is completely silent. I can't get a grip on what makes her tick. Generally I've always been able to figure out how to get someone to do what I want, or how to coax a certain emotion or reaction out of somebody. But this time? This time, I've somehow failed to grasp it. Did I miss a telling sign? Should I have noticed some small detail that I dismissed as nothing? I have no idea, and now I'm merely grasping at straws.

Once we arrive though, it's like she's a whole different person. We both are out of the car, and she links arms with me. A dazzling smile lights her face, one I have never seen on her before. Actually, I don't know if I've ever seen her smile before. Is she acting? Or is this for real? Probably the former, as the latter seems to be wishful thinking, but I choose to believe the latter anyways. Just this once.

"Names?" At the door, an attendant stops us to check that we're on the list.

"Amy Watson and Tyler Williams." She responds eloquently and naturally. That lie is pulled without a hitch, so all I have to do is nod.

"Have a good evening." He opens the door, and we step inside.

When we reach the ballroom, I'm in shock at the vastness of it, even though I've already seen it. I don't know, but something about the fact that it's filled with people seems to make it seem like it's the first time I've ever been here. But, now to go on with the plan. And that plan is to act normal till we see this Carmichael guy.

"Would you like to dan-" I turn to look at Mina, but she's not there. How did I miss that? How did I miss her arm slipping out of mine? My eyes skim over the crowd, but there are so many masked girls - not to mention that it seems she slipped on a Glamour so she doesn't stand out - and just so many people in general that I can't see her anywhere.

That idiot! What on earth is she doing, ditching the plan like this? She's supposed to be the best, but she's letting her emotions cloud her judgement! Working solo is an awful idea considering what abilities this Fae - and possibly his son - have! I have to find her!


Mina's POV


I slip through the crowd, and manage to make it up one of the many staircases to one of the many balconies. That should give me a position to watch till I can see the target. And once I see him, I can track him. I hang back in the shadows, waiting with baited breathe. Half of me looks for the target, but the other half is watching for Teague. I need to make sure he doesn't see me. He'll mess it up. I just know it. I need to work solo. I should've from the start, but I only thought of it just now. Not that it matters. This is how it'll be.

"Why are you looking for my father?" A voice asks from behind me.

I flinch, and whip around to be faced with a boy. He has bright blue eyes that bore into mine, and I feel frozen, which is my first clue that this guy is nothing but trouble. His hair is a sun-bleached blonde - is everyone blonde around here? - while his suit is a simple black. His mask is also simple, as it's just white. But his lips are in a smirk, not a frown, and I don't think that's good.

"It's not nice to murder people, you know." He takes a step closer, but I'm pressed against the railing of this balcony already. Not that I really feel like moving would work, because something about him is throwing me off balance. Did he inherit his father's Fae abilities? Because I'm doomed if so.

"Stop it." I whisper-shout at him, and the feeling of being frozen eases slightly. He pulls back a bit, but the smirk doesn't leave his face.

"Interesting. A Siren with a Lure. I can't say I've ever met one before. Your Lure can't be more powerful than Enticement though, so I have nothing to worry about."

He's baiting me. Somewhere inside me, I know he's baiting me. But I can't stop myself from biting it. I'm too riled up from other things already. If it's one problem I have, it's that I have a temper that is way too short.

"Is that a challenge?" My eyes narrow, although I'm slightly freaked out that he can figure out this much about me. What can he do, read minds? Mess with them? I believe his father can manipulate minds, so I guess his son - if he has Fae abilities, and he certainly does - would have a similar skill.

"Maybe it is. What are you going to do about it?" He steps closer.

Move away from me. I send the command silently, praying that it works.

He steps backwards, but not a lot. It hardly has any effect on him it seems. Shoot! "Impressive for a girl, but feeble."

Stop trying to fight me. The silent order sends a chill through my body, and I feel frozen again. This time, I heard his command in my mind. Was that because he wanted me to? Or because I was listening? But suddenly I'm wanting to obey, and it's like I'm ripping myself apart as two sides of me struggle about whether or not to do what he asks.

He grabs my arm, pulling me down the hallway - half of me is willing, while the other have fights the entire way, so it's really half struggling and half following - and into a room. I'm panicking now. I'm an idiot. I'm an idiot! I've going to get myself killed! My free hand slides into one of the hidden pockets of my dress, groping for a hilt of one of my daggers. I manage to grab one, and begin to slowly pull it out.

"Release the dagger." It slips from my grasp.

I need to hide my thoughts. I can't let him here me. He pushes me against the wall, but my Lure seems to be having no effect on him. And that's extremely bad. I try to focus my thoughts on anything but what I'm about to do, and end up focusing on one of the worst things possible.

Charlie.

It hurts, but as I push that thought to the forefront of my mind, I try to do something I managed to do a few times with Charlie. With our Lures, there were a few times where he and I could communicate back and forth in our heads. It was temporary and it weakened us fast, but it worked. Hopefully I can send one-way messages still.

Teague! I scream his name in my head while trying to focus on Charlie.

I regret calling for him almost instantly. I don't trust him. He probably won't even come. And that made me dizzy. I catch sight of something in the boy's hand. What was his name again? Brody? My vision is extremely fuzzy, probably because it took a lot to probe around and try to catch Teague's thought line - I'm not even sure I did - in order to communicate, but I manage to make out that it's a dagger. And it has letters on the hilt. An E, a R, a J, an A, and a D. Erjad? My prized dagger? He's going to take me out like that?

"Don't scream." He whispers in my ear. "As long as you obey that, this won't hurt too much. You'll wake up in a little while, after I've figured out where to keep you till this is over. I can't have you getting away and possibly hurting my father, now can I?"

I manage to send out one last thought. Teague, get the target! Forget about me! I guess being in a near death situation makes you instinctively trust people. Or maybe I've unintentionally forgiven him. I don't know.

Something nicks my arm as the world spins, and then the hilt of the dagger slams into my head. The lights all go out as I hit the ground.


Uh oh. Things are not looking good for Mina right now, are they? Do you guys think Teague will risk the mission and go save her? Or do you think he'll listen and kill the target first, which is potentially risking Mina's life? Let me know in a review! Also, let me know what you think of Brody's character!

To explain about the whole Enticement thing and why her Lure was weaker and why she was falling into it so easily was, first, she was angry. In this reality, Mina's Lure is weaker when she's blinded by anger. Second, she was taken by surprise by how strong Brody's Enticement was. (Speaking of Enticement, that basically allows you to "entice" thoughts/information out of someone's head, and it also allows you to get specific actions out of people if you want it. It works better on the opposite gender.)

Three reviews will buy next chapter!

~ Dagger