Snake

I hated the way his lips slyly twisted into a smirk.

Hands in his pockets and form leaning against the door frame of the room he came out of while his eyes shining like the scales of a snake stared at me intensely, enjoying the situation that has come forward as a perfect opportunity to toy with me. It's funny how delusional I was to consider him a friend and let him stay over the night, meet Liza, and wreck my life from the shadows.

Ivan turned out to be one of the biggest regrets of my life.

"Is our poor little Rosie lost in this huge mansion? This place is marvellous isn't it?" He pushed himself off the door frame and started walking deeper into the house. A sigh of relief was just about to leave my lips when he stopped midway and turned his head to the side slightly dropping enough hints that it was far from over.

I followed his footsteps as he walked in front of me slowly, taking his sweet time to enjoy the uncomfortable heaviness in the air and the dominance he had in the situation. As long as he liked to believe so.

The knife in between the layer of clothes sat heavily on my hips. There was no better place to hide it nor the worst either. What if it drops down through my trousers? Or what if they find out that my choice of weapon is missing from the kitchen?

He turned around abruptly with that coy smile still smug on his face and placed his hand on the smooth door handle to twist it smoothly and open it to reveal an adequately lit, strip of light, shining on his pale face and lean form. His eyes shining like that of a snake.

"After you, madame." His humorous English accent doing nothing to make the situation seem less tense as he stepped aside, giving me the space to walk into an unknown room which I have never seen before.

It took some time for my eye to adjust to the brightness in the room illuminated by the vintage chandelier above which even if dim was a huge difference to the darkness that shrouded the hallways. A few lamps coinciding with the general theme was placed here and there, namely the huge dark wood desk in the center of the room and in two corners adjacent to the door.

The leather seat that was placed behind the desk looked something that reminded of him. Dimitri. As the minimalist design and dark rich leather with its mate shine loomed over the other two smaller chairs placed opposite to it on the other side of the desk. One of which I was ushered to by the movement of Ivan's hand as he himself went around the desk and plopped himself carelessly with his feet lifted up on the desk, ignoring the carefully placed, rare, and lesser-known stationeries which seemed difficult to use yet provided pleasure to someone with select taste.

"So, how are you liking your stay here so far?" The sarcasm dripping from every word he said while he swayed back and forth on the wooden throne that was not quite meant for such purposes as it growled in disagreement with every unwanted movement made.

"What are you doing here?" I was not quite scared of Ivan. Rather I felt a wave of quiet anger towards him and myself for being so naive and trusting someone like him. Not seeing the true colour behind his eyes quite literally and figuratively as well, as he hid it behind those lavender lenses which he once used to wear.

" Awh! Is poor little Rosie angry?" Anger bubbled more and more in me by the second as he spoke in a baby voice, using the nickname Liza gave me. He was teasing me very badly and hinting at the fact that he possibly knew something about LIza's whereabouts.

"Where is she? Where. Is. Liza.?" If I could, I would have used my hidden weapon on him to get answers I needed desperately. But it was an extra lifeline which I must save and use only when I need it most. More specifically on the man that seemed to be absent in the house. It was a great opportunity for me to find out as much as possible without those prying eyes in the vicinity but of course, he knew me. He prepared, and he left, leaving me with the man that I despised second-most.

"Dear dearie, now this is no fun. How will we effectively communicate if we both keep asking questions without answering any of them?" His baby pout wasn't funny. Rather quite infuriating as I resisted the urge to throw the blob of glass paperweight that seemed heavy and hard enough to do quite a damage. I stared at the dandelion encased inside it instead and blinked slowly. A deep breath in and out, and I decided I shouldn't look at his irritating face any more, focusing my eyes on the stacks of books lined properly on the bookcases covering the walls with wooden framed glass doors caging them inside.

"What do you suggest?" I looked at my reflection on the glass pane, watching my lips move as I decided to let him play his little mind games on me. He was not Dimitri and I could sidestep whatever ploy he had in his head.

He sat up excitedly, perhaps prepared beforehand before he saw me in front of my escape.

"Twenty questions of course! I ask you a question and you answer. You ask me a question and I answer. We take turns and stay true to our promise of answering questions no matter whatever it is. Deal?" I could clearly see the excitement he felt as he smiled broadly with his hand lifted forward in the form of a handshake. I had no idea about what he could possibly want to know about me since I was pretty sure that both of them already knew plenty. Maybe more than I knew.

"Why should I play this game? How do I know that you will have answers that I need?" To come to think about he couldn't possibly be the one that Dimitri trusted to tell everything if he trusted anyone at all... This might as well be a waste of time and opportunity for me.

"Oh because Dimitri and I are siblings."