PART 13

His lips pressed hard together as he stood still and silent in the shadows. He watched with glinting, fierce eyes as the car drove past, and he saw the both of them within it, appearing for all the world as though they were headed out for a shopping trip, or maybe a visit to the movie theatre.

When he realized that his mouth hurt, he stopped pressing his lips together and simply remained frowning angrily at the black car that disappeared down the street, turning a corner.

The one with dark hair was driving, the one with brown hair was sitting in the passenger seat, slouched and eyes hooded, dozing off.

As if nothing had happened.

Teeth ground together as the figure in the shadows clenched and unclenched his fists, and finally turned back towards the alley, through the back streets with more familiarity to them than any tom. Even in the flickering shadows it was visible that his mind was working, scheming, calculating.

He didn’t really have to wonder whether or not Lain would show up at the proposed meeting spot or not; as soon as he’d seen the brunette with his head cradled so comfortably and his face so calm in that car, he’d known.

It didn’t necessarily mean that Lain’s decision was final; there were ways to convince the boy, if last came to last.

Sphynx stepped into a pool of early morning sunlight in a courtyard between two abandoned manufacturing warehouses, riddled with broken glass and the skeletons of machinery. He stared down at one particular broken bottle of dark green glass, the same colour as his eyes. There was grass growing around it and an abandoned, dew-dropped spider’s web inside. He uprooted it with the toe of his shoe, then kicked it across the yard, hearing the crash and shatter of glass as it exploded into thousands of brilliant green pieces.

Baring his teeth, he fisted his hands and took a slow, calming breath, evening his emotions once more. Through sunny blonde locks he looked up at the abandoned buildings around him, brick and steel and glass that would never see use again. Turning his eyes up to the sky, he spotted the last of the stars, disappearing as the sun rose.

This was far from over. Nobody took what was his. Nobody.

He turned and glanced over his shoulder as the man in the white suit showed up, earlier than agreed. “I thought you’d be here,” the man said calmly, tilting his head forward and further shadowing his face under the brim of his white hat. “I take it your lover didn’t pick you over the assassin?”

Sphynx snarled in response.

“I’m sorry to hear that. But, we tried things your way, and they didn’t work out. So, it’s my turn to get things done, and you’ll have to hold up your end of the bargain, Sphynx,” the man concluded, remaining perfectly still as the blonde watched him coldly.

Sphynx narrowed his eyes as he saw a smile spreading across the man’s thin lips.