A/N: This site seems to be having issues with updating chapters. Lame. :/

Chapter 14

Something vile smoldered in Illumi's stomach, made him go rigid and cold. Everything grew vivid, too close, senses roused by a garish sense of consternation. Hisoka's gaze burned through the crowd. Chiara's guileless, curious, darling face made Illumi's insides flounder furiously. She shouldn't have been here. Why was she here? Who had allowed her to leave the mountain? The shock of it compelled him to act forcefully and without thought – he seized her arm, wrenched her away from the bar. Too harshly. Too late, she'd already been noticed. She didn't seem to care.

Instead, upon stopping, Chiara flung her arms about Illumi's shoulders and kissed his cheek, flagrantly, rising higher still onto tiptoe despite her high heels. He could feel the bow of her smile against his skin, could feel how others glanced at them in questioning. And as tightly as he clung to her, hoping she would simply disappear into him like a figment or mirage, she remained solid and undeniable and infuriatingly real. A thousand scenarios played out in Illumi's mind: what sorts of diabolical things could have happened to her without him knowing; how long it would have taken before he was to find out; most of all, what he would do to her now to drill into her stupid, lovely head that she'd made a tremendous mistake.

How many times had he told her not to leave, never to leave the mountain? Just like that, she'd disobeyed. Someone had allowed her to – Father? Grandfather? And no one had told him. She was his, and yet here she was – out from his control, like some loose little playmate rather than his wife, and apparently too delighted with herself to acknowledge the misdemeanor.

Stolidly, Illumi pushed her away, held her at arm's distance. "What are you doing here, Chiara?"

"I know you're probably a little surprised!" she said and smiled, that girlish glow only making Illumi bristle more. "But just listen, 'kay? Please don't worry. I arrived last night with Canary and Amane. Amane is just outside, and Canary is in the car. I told them to stay there because I saw you at the bar and thought that maybe we could–"

"Answer the question, Chiara. What are you doing here?"

The smile shrank, though only slightly. "I wanted to see you."

"Is that it?"

"Should there be more?"

"You disobeyed me. You're not supposed to be out like this."

"I know, but–"

"But what?"

She shrank into herself, fingers touching uncertainly at the ribbon in her waist. "You were so close by," she murmured, not quite to Illumi. "You were so close and I thought – I thought it would be fine if – you know, if I just came. If we could spend some time together." Lips pursed tightly, she looked up at him with a flickering confidence, a hopeful quirk to her features. "Grandfather said it was fine. I told him I wanted to come and that I wanted to see you and he said it was fine. And anyway ~ you're finished your job now, right? So I won't be distracting you. Even if you want to watch Killua, there won't be much for you to do since he's only–"

"For goodness sake. Stop talking."

At least, she listened to that. She went quiet and lowered her eyes, shame-faced as a shy, shrinking violet.

Likewise, Illumi sighed. "You've acted very selfishly, you know. Don't you understand that it's for your own good that I've asked you to stay home?" He made to touch her, but changed his mind. "Anything could have happened to you between last night and now – then what? You endanger the whole family that way. Do you think that's fitting of a Zoldyck? Should we just run around as we please without any regard for our loved ones? Hmm? Look at me." She did so, eyes luminous with feeling. Illumi continued, "And what about me? What am I supposed to feel now that you've betrayed my trust, Chiara?"

"Ooh, Illu ~ that's quite a speech! ️"

Hisoka.

Chiara stiffened, not uneasy nor alarmed as much as she seemed to be stunned. She didn't turn her head towards Hisoka as he came to loom behind her. Instead, in a way that made Illumi a little softer, she coiled herself tightly into his side, leaning in close as Hisoka leaned towards her – that ridiculous smirk, that leering eye.

"My, my," Hisoka cooed. "Who might you be, little flower? Chiara, was it?"

Above and beyond Illumi's dismay, his disappointment, a vicious protectiveness and jealousy simmered to ever greater life. He watched Hisoka, the incensing glimmer about his eyes' golds. He felt, with harsh attention, how Chiara's aura flickered and flared at his side, like a heartbeat. Faint. Melting as honey. Although he offered little in the way of a response outwardly, he writhed on the inside, only waiting for the right moment to rip Chiara away from Hisoka's grasp.

Her grip tensed around Illumi's arm. "You're a clown," she said quietly, curiously.

"A magician," for emphasis, Hisoka held out a card between two fingers, "actually."

"I didn't know there was a difference."

"Silly girl~"

Surprisingly, she smiled again. "Who are you?" It was an innocent question. Illumi wished she would stop. "How do you know Illumi?" A sweet, welcoming question that made Hisoka laugh.

"Why, I'm his friend."

"Huh. He's never mentioned any friends."

"How strange ~ I'd say we're rather close. Aren't we, Illu?" Illumi was given no chance to object. "We've spent quite some time together recently, with the Hunters Exam and all. And just before that, I commissioned Illumi for a very special task."

"Ah."

"To kill me."

"Uh-huh."

"Yup! It's a task I believe I could trust to no one else." Jauntily, Hisoka laughed again. "As a matter of fact, it's a little private joke of ours, but we refer to our contract as something of an engagement ring. We even have a little pre-nup sorted out! Nothing too spectacular, I'll admit, but still quite generous. And it illustrates the nature of our relationship quite nicely." Hisoka smirked suggestively, and Illumi considered the possibility of slicing his throat open then and there. "But enough about me ~ tell me again, who are you?"

Face falling into a pursed, blank mask, Chiara stared at Hisoka. "I'm Illumi's wife."

He didn't look surprised.

Had he suspected it? Had he been baiting her? Probably.

"We don't have a pre-nup though," Chiara continued. The smile returned to her voice with a pointed venom, "No need for one, I guess." Her clasp on Illumi's arm loosened, slipped away. "Do you know Killua, too, then?" she asked. "Since you're apparently so close. Have you maybe even met the rest of the family? I'm sure they must all have been delighted to learn that Illumi has a clown friend."

Illumi gripped her wrist so that she stammered. He glowered down at her. "Stop it."

"Oh!" She blushed, crinkled her nose like a little girl on the brink of a temper tantrum. She didn't stop. "I'm sorry, Hisoka-kun. I meant magician friend. As I said, I don't see much difference."

"Will you be joining us for drinks, Missus Zoldyck?" Hisoka asked, a soft hiss and a smile. "I would so love to continue this conversation."

Illumi refused.

Already, Hisoka had come too close and Chiara had gone much too far. How dare she speak so boldly? Endanger herself. Endanger the whole family, once again. Stupid, reckless girl!

No. I'll be taking her home. This instant.

Hisoka didn't protest, Chiara pouted, and in a swelling fury Illumi dragged her out from Heaven's Arena – hand wrapped as an adder about her wrist, Amane following solemnly behind. Illumi would have words with all the butlers; when it came to Chiara, they took orders from him. Not Grandfather. Not Chiara herself. Only him, if they knew what was good for them. Likewise, he would never allow Hisoka to bring her up. He would never allow her to step foot outside of the mountain again. He would keep a closer eye. He would reaffirm his control.

The car was parked outside, discreet against the night's black coat and the spotlights of city traffic. Illumi, wordless, held open the door for Chiara who, sullen, climbed in without objection. Shopping bags were stowed in excess upon the backseat – pinks and whites, ribbons and brand names, tissue paper sticking out at all angles. Of these, he said nothing. He didn't ask where she'd gotten the money because he already suspected the answer. He didn't ask her what she'd bought because he'd be given the rundown and probably a fashion show at some later point. Inexplicably, the thought made him livid. Such fine, lovely things, tainted by this whole fiasco.

"Will we be returning to the hotel, Illumi-sama, Chiara-sama?" Canary asked from the driver's seat.

"I am forwarding you an address. We will go there first so that I can collect my things. Then to the airport."

"Yes, Illumi-sama."

They shut the divider, plunged into thick silence. There was the hum of the car being started up. The sway of pulling into the streets. It would be about an hour before they reached the airport – longer still before they arrived home.

Illumi didn't look at Chiara, much as he wanted to. "You booked yourself into a hotel."

"I assumed you wouldn't want me staying out on the street."

"So you consider what I want when it suits you, then."

"I'm sorry."

He shook his head. "Unacceptable." Where was he to start? "You've disobeyed me. The one rule I gave you. On top of which, Mother tells me you haven't been behaving while I've been away." He shifted in his seat, shopping bags and tissue paper rustling cozily as he did so. He was pleased to find Chiara already staring at him in a flushed agitation. "You haven't been eating again. Is that right? Mother says you miss entire meals sometimes. And she mentioned that you took your brother's latest letter before she could read it? Also, I've been told that–"

"Illumi–"

"This won't do, Chi-Chi-bean. I'm going to have to think of an appropriate punishment."

"Don't be like this."

"Like what?"

She frowned, wilting. The flash of streetlamps and headlights, dulled by the window's tint, fell across her face in warm splashes of colour – such a doleful expression, such vibrant hues. Illumi didn't like to see her like this. It was difficult to remain angry when she looked at him like that. If only she had behaved. He would give her anything, everything, if she would just know her place, if she would smile for him like she always did. Listen to him. Wait for him to come home, like he always did.

But then again, maybe it wasn't entirely her fault. After all, Illumi had turned her into this. He knew it – he had taken all the necessary measures, cast all the right spells, so that there would be nothing in the world for her but him, him, him. Only him. Of course she'd want to see him. Of course she'd want to be with him like this, would wriggle against inconvenient rules to quell the Illumi-sized hole he'd carved in her heart. In a way, this was exactly what he wanted. Or was this only one of many warning signs? Killua had broken away from him without difficulty. How long would it be before Chiara left him too? He couldn't, wouldn't, let that happen. The very thought was heartbreak.

Reaching across the backseat, Illumi took Chiara's hand from her lap. He held it towards himself. He traced kisses across her knuckles. Such delicate things: veins like gossamer threads, blue through perfect white skin, fingers light as sparrow's wings. "Chiara," Illumi said quietly. "Please try to remember that, all of this, I do because I love you."