Capes

Chapter Nine

| THE STAGED ROMANCE |

"EXACTLY the person I don't want to see right now." I groaned to myself when I saw who was on the roof, joining the misery that plagued me.

"Ouch, that wasn't the greeting I was expecting. More like 'hey Illusion, how's it going? Save any more damsels lately?' Or maybe 'don't you look handsome, Illusion'." The masked man in spandex crossed the roof to come closer to me even though I tried to ward him off with my eyes. Ilusion's smirk fell to become a frown. "What's got you riled up, Shadester?"

I kicked a pebble, training my eyes on the gravelly ground, to avoid looking up at him. My mask cut into the tops of my cheeks with a slight, biting pain from when I bowed my head but I ignored it. Looking at Illusion was worse than some fleeting sting.

I tossed the stationary paper Allure had sent me to Illusion. He caught it before the wind took it over the edge of the building's roof. Deepening his frown as he looked at the note and Allure's glorious calligraphy, Illusion scanned it. Once. Twice. I already knew what it said by heart. The words were burnt one by one into me and I despised it.

Dearest Shade,

This is for if you change your mind. Seduce Illusion, ignore the little obstacle you call having a boyfriend, and all will be forgiven. Choose wisely if you want to gain your hero status. Remember we're the only ones who grant such a wish.

Lots of love and persuasion coming your way. ~ Allure.

Every swirl the beautiful handwriting created made me want to slap her. I had been having such a good time, hanging up being Shade for a while. But she just couldn't resist reminding me, in such a blunt way too. Calling Blake an obstacle; how dare she.

People weren't pawns she could play with and move around. She wasn't some deity. She was a self-proclaimed hero spouting nonsense that I needed to do insane things in order to become a hero. It was hypocritical along with so many other things.

"Aren't I not supposed to know you're going to seduce me?" Illusion asked, speaking for the first time since reading the note and falling quite silent.

"Doesn't matter now." I shrugged and kicked at another pebble. "I'm not going to do it."

Illusion came closer to where I perched, on a little heap of bricks piled up to make something of a makeshift bench. "Why not?"

I seethed. Why did everyone ask me 'why not'? It was obvious why I couldn't! "I have a boyfriend."

"Yeah I have a special someone too." Illusion got a faraway look in his eye, as if imagining them, before he dropped down onto the bricks beside me. "But they aren't involved in the trials you're going through and I'm betting neither is your boyfriend. Is he?"

I shook my head. Illusion's smirk returned to grace his lips. "He isn't."

He knows nothing about this side of me.

"Exactly. And that's what this crap," he held the note up, "is. It's a trial. Allure is testing your limits because she knows you'll quit when it comes to your man and I don't blame you. I'm not saying you should cheat."