I straightened my organza burgundy dress and touched the off-shoulder lace appliques, adjusting the lace-up embellishment which was too cumbersome to manage.

It was a high-low gown and being totally sleeveless it actually made a contrast with my skin. The corseted inner layers actually made a cleavage enough to make me one of the hottest assassins in town.

“Focus Jezebel,” I told myself, adjusting the Venetian style gold mask, beset with rhinestones.

The entire ensemble was one of the covers to sneak me into the masquerade party thrown by Lady Damien, for the birthday of her nephew.

And seeing the purple velvet covered ball room with majestic crystal chandeliers, I couldn’t help thinking how people can throw away money on useless parties while I had to come down to be a killer to fend for my family.

I steeled my mind. If I was going to think of my family, I would never be able to pull this off. The weak willed ones never had any chance at being an expert assassin. I was one of the most demanded of my lot, because I had never ever failed a mission.

My beauty, style and grace had made me easy to blend in with the high class as most of my victims were taken at parties and other places where it was easy to get them alone.

I opened the clasp of my purse and glided my fingers on the cold metallic surface. My revolver with its silencer and its precision was the most effective in killing.

Today’s victim was the nephew himself. I never asked my clients why I need to kill the person I’m hired to assassinate. It never mattered anyway as long as I got the money to feed my family.

I was never shown how Cedrick Damien, my victim, looked like, so I had to wait for the lady of the manor to formally introduce him.

And then it would be smooth stalking till he was alone.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My breath caught as I saw the man who was destined to die that day.

The thing that stood out most was a rush of brown hair reaching almost up to his chin, making his clean shaven face and square-cut jaws stand out. His high cheekbones and the costly clothes spoke volumes of his legacy. He had a shiny black mask on his face.

Lady Tremaine, my employer caught my eyes from the other side of the room. Her expression let me know clearly that I had spotted the man.

I had to slap my mind into focus. I couldn’t bear to be attracted towards the man I was supposed to shoot.

As he glided through the guests, bowing and shaking hands, laughing and talking and all the while behaving in the most demure way, I trailed him like a shadow, trying to maneuver my way through a sea of guests. They were all draped in costly silk and jewels, making a colorful show on the floor. With the masks, the company looked more intriguing.
And as I got lost in all the grandeur, I almost forgot about him.

“Damn!” I muttered, realizing that I had lost him again.

I skidded through the floor, trying to search for him, when the music started and every one of them paired up, moving to the beats.

Someone caught my hand and I turned around almost bumping into the person.

He straightened me and I found myself looking at a pair of deep chocolate eyes, through a black mask.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I gave a dry laugh, cursing my fortune.

“Why did you laugh?” his voice was wary.

“Nothing,” I mumbled, “Lord Cedrick,” I quickly added, “Do you know me?”

“Everyone is a stranger here. That’s the beauty of a masquerade ball,” he gave a full throated laugh.

“W…What do you want from me,” I stuttered, wondering for a moment if somebody had tipped him off about me.

“Would you like to dance milady?”

“What?”

“You’ve got such killer eyes, Miss…”

“Jezebel,” I replied.

I couldn’t believe it. Of all the people, he had chosen me to dance. He really had a magnetism for death. I knew this was too good an opportunity to miss. I could as well take him away from the crowd and slip something in his drink. Far more convenient than the gun.

I nodded and he gently pulled me to him and as our hands locked, I had a weird feeling in the pit of my stomach. I had never dithered on a kill, but today was going to be tough.

“What do you do? Do you study or…”

“Whoa!” I was astonished, “I had expected you to ask me which family I belonged to, my home and my position and all such stuff.”

“I don’t like all this show of superiority. My parents started as mediocre farmers from where they were raised to prosperity. They had always taught me humility. Now they’re gone and my aunt is squandering away my parent’s hard earned wealth on meaningless parties,” he sighed.

“I can’t tell you about myself,” I told the truth, glancing around uneasily in case lady Tremaine was around, “It will harm my family whom I’m working so hard to support.”

“I’m sorry, I won’t pry,” his apology was sincere.

“Hey sugar,” one man came towards me, drunk as usual. “Wanna dance?”

“Get out of here before I punch your nose into your mouth,” I replied, venom pouring out with each word.

Déjà vu hit me as I traveled to one such day three years back. The cold, clammy hands, the smell of alcohol and sweaty fingers groping me…I shuddered.

The man attempted to throw himself at me when Cedrick caught him by the collar and shoved him back, “Lay your hands on her once more, and you’re dead.”

The man seemed unfazed as his cahoots joined him, leering at me.

Cedrick stepped forward, menacingly, pulling me behind his back.

One man lunged at him while he threw a punch, socking him right in his face. He took down another who tried to sneak up on me.

And suddenly I heard a click as I saw someone from the group point a revolver at him. Before he could pull the trigger, my pistol fired and he sank to the floor, clutching his wrist.

It was then the horror of what I had done crept up to me. I had blown my cover. I froze.

Cedrick was staring at me wide eyed, but it took only a second for him to gather himself up as he snatched the revolver from me and in one swift motion, he caught my hand, dragging me away from the scene.

I didn’t care where he took me because I knew it was too late. I had slipped and I was going to be sentenced for my crimes. Tears welled up inside me.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

He flung me on the bed and closed the door of the room.

“What the hell was that?”

“I won’t say. I won’t reveal anything and you won’t get me out of this room, alive,” I said, drawing up my spare revolver.

“No, wait,” he screamed, “I may help you.”

“It’s too late,” I mumbled, holding the revolver to my head.

What did it feel like to die? Was it painful or was it like sleep? Gone in a whiff?

My hands were shaking.

“You won’t do that. Listen to me. I got a tip off. I know who you are and I know that you came to kill me…”

My grip on the gun steadied. I was right. He had been tipped and being associated with the elite, my name would be enough to give everything away. I was a fool.

“I just want to know who hired you. I’m not a bad man, Jezebel and I would actually help your family and send you to school. I have enough money to cover up this small incident. But I want to know who wants me dead? I can’t live with that threat looming over me.”

His voice was calm and composed and it had a soothing effect. There was the chance to change my life. I could spill everything.

And at that moment, it all came back to me...the hands snaking up my thighs...lips, kissing me forcibly. One of these elite classes had shown up at our house promising me a good future. He had just taken me, raped me repeatedly and sold me to a brothel when he was done with me.

I had escaped and joined the assassins. How could I trust one of them, again?

“Lady Tremaine,” I confessed, pulling the trigger.

There was a movement in my peripheral vision.

In that split second, Cedrick had lunged for the revolver and we fell to the floor together, the bullet hitting the ceiling.

He hauled me up, pulling me to himself, literally shaking.

“Why?” I cried.

“I’m in love,” his lips touched mine.

—————-—--————————
1500 words completed.

Written for the Weekly Prompt contest by ChickLit

Thanks Pipigrin edelmeehan KashishBelikov and MaryFahey for always supporting me.