The Missing Linck

• NINETEEN •

I let out a low growl and his eyes widen by only a minute fraction before he's back to laughing at me. I glare at him with all of the venom stored up inside me, all of it having been there only because of the devil incarnate. If looks could kill, he would be but a pile of ashes right now.

"Oh, look at poor Quintasha! She can't keep her hands to herself," he waggles his eyebrows.

"I mean I could but why would I want to if I could do this?" I sing and pull back a little control, not enough to remove my hand, but more than enough to increase the pressure on his skin and to jab my fingernails as deep in as I can.

He gasps immediately and lets go off all the control. I pull back my palm and massage it, smiling rather gleefully at his discomfort.

"Every day isn't a Sunday, Tasha," he growls.

"Oh, but every dog sure has its day," I retaliate.

"Let's see how you can stay away from me all the time," he challenges me, his eyes taking that rather unnerving sparkly sheen when he's sure of victory.

"Trust me, I won't. I can burn you better up close anyway," I whisper in a low tone before heading off to Valor who seems bent upon insisting I'm well know to everyone else in the place.

"Valor!" I groan.

"Just two more people!" he pleads.

"Valor, I-"

I'm cut off by his urgent low tone, "Tasha, trust me. You haven't got long to sit around and have tea with all these people now, and you better have already met as many as you can when you'll need their support soon."

"Valor, I-"

"Tasha, I still stand by what I told you back then. A lot of people are quite close to hazardous dangers. Reid isn't entirely a good guy, and a lot of others too so don't go about trusting anyone completely. It is imperative that you learn as much as you can and as fast as you can in this place before it's time to leave. Now go and don't antagonize Nikolai anymore until you have control," he laughs as if he's just told me a hilarious joke and I do the same, even wiping my eyes as if tears had poked out.

"Take care," he mouths before he nudges me in Nikolai's direction and takes off laughing with someone else.

I return to the demon with hunched shoulders. Guess I have to bear with his carrot sap from now on...

"What did I say? You can't stay away from me for long, now can ya?" he teases me when I near him.

I roll my eyes at him, hoping he gets my message, "You wish!"

"Oh, I so wish, but you wish it were true more," he answers back like a stubborn six year old.

"Ugh, whatever, just tell me what to do!"

"Well, actually, the first week's all about introductions and we'll pick it up tomorrow. Go start up a conversation with all of these bright minds!" he says.

I scowl at him and walk around aimlessly until Reid shows up and asks me if I don't have anything to do.

"I'm supposed to mingle with all these people. I don't have much else to do," I reply, an inscrutable expression adorning his face at my reply.

"In that case, I'd like to spend some time with you. However, I have work to do. How about you hang out with Quenna?" he suggests.

"Does she know?" I ask reluctantly.

"About the Squad? No, I mean she knows I work somewhere but I've clearly informed her several times that it's confidential, and you are to keep it that way. I doubt we want Quenna in any trouble, or ourselves now, do we?"

"Absolutely not. So if she asks what I did all day long, I tell her?" I question Reid.

"Just kiss her, that ought to do the trick of distracting her," he smiles wickedly.

"Reid! I'm serious!" I slap his arm.

"No, you're not. You're Tasha!" he squeals. I punch his upper arm with quite some force and he winces, rubbing his arm.

"Gee, I know not, oh wise one! Enlighten me!" I humour him, making him laugh so much that tears run down his face.

"Alright, Tashar, I've got to go. Tell you what, tell Quenna you were on a date with me. That way, she would be far too shocked, and change the topic ASAP," he gushes and nudges me towards the exit. I nod at him and walk out the door, Reid having promised to give me further information regarding what I'm supposed to do later tonight.

Reid may seem all nice and friendly and everything but I quite doubt he's as he seems. Sometimes, he has a glint in his eye that screams evil, while at other times, he'd smile at the weirdest things, things that'd make him every bit a sadist.

I figure out it'd be for the best if I were to stay with Quenna for the time being and scope out the situation a bit more before I take hasty decisions. I shrug off the feeling of unease growing up on me as I near the Lynnks'.

Ringing the doorbell, I attempt to put on a cool and casually yet carefully careless expression. However, all of my thoughts come crashing down to the earth and my limbs refuse to cooperate when Quenna opens the door, her hair all over the place and wearing only a sleeveless shirt that comes up to mid-thigh.

Her eyes travel up my body to finally meet mine and my heart skips a beat when I see the blood red colour that's replaced her usual eye colour. She smiles seductively at me and pulls me in, locking the door behind us, and biting deep into my neck.

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So somehow I fell asleep writing this at like six in the evening! Also I'm plenty sleepy right now so I'm not typing much of an AN right now. Also, don't kill me for such a late update!

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