Everything had to be perfect, but also, imperfect.

She considered wearing a dress she knew Deacon liked, but decided against it. She didn’t want to appear too excited for this date, it would look too suspicious. She decided instead to just wear dark green bell bottoms and a unbuttoned chiffon top tucked into her pants. The tight cuffs of the lantern sleeves made her wrists itch, making her regret not choosing another shirt before leaving the house. Her makeup was done in a simple style, just eyeliner and mascara.

She approached the bar and sat next to a chattering group of girls who seemed to be celebrating a birthday or some other event. Ana started to look around for the bartender when she felt someone bump into her shoulder.

“Oh, I’m sorry hon—Ana! I haven’t seen you in forever!”

Ana turned to look at the girl closest to her. Bright blue eyes, with freckles covering her skin. Ana searched her memory and realized it was Charlotte Brooks, a girl she talked to a few times in high school. She was apart of the cheer leading team and was often at parties that Ana was at. They didn’t keep in touch when high school ended, but it was nice to see at least one of her classmates flourish.

“Charlotte, how have you been? Are you still with that Kevin guy?” Ana smiled. I have time to talk. Deacon hasn’t come yet.

Charlotte raised her hand and showed off an emerald ring on her ring finger. “Sure am! Married after graduation, and we just had a baby a year ago. Isn’t that exciting?”

Ana nodded enthusiastically. “That’s great. I’m happy for you. I assume you’re here for a celebration or something?”

“It’s my birthday, actually.” The freckled woman took a sip of her drink before setting it down on the bar. “Hey, we’re actually heading down to the lake soon and going for a late-night dip. You’re welcome to join us!”

Ana smiled softly before shaking her head. “No, I’m good. I’m actually meeting someone here.” Her eyes went to the drink Charlotte set down. It was an amber color, with a lime stuck on the rim. It was almost gone, and an idea popped in Ana’s head. “That looks good. What is that?”

The bartender finally approached her. A frazzled, fatigued woman who looked like she was already done with her shift. Surely someone who wouldn’t notice a mistake or two. “What can I get ya, hon?”

Ana pointed to Charlotte’s drink. “Can I get what she has?”

The bartender nodded and got to work making a drink.

“It’s good, you’ll like it.” Charlotte hopped down from her seat before laying down a couple bills on the bar. “Me and my friends are going to the lake. Enjoy your date!”

Ana waved goodbye, but her smile faded as soon as she left. Charlotte has a great life, a far better one than mine. She turned back to the bar and took a sip of her drink. I could’ve had that if I didn’t have Marchosias as a father. That could’ve been me getting married and having a baby.

She shook the envious thoughts away and returned to the present. She watched the distracted bartender zip around, getting drinks for the people sitting at the bar and making conversation when she could. When she was distracted with an old man on the far side of the bar, Ana took the chance and switched her full drink with Charlotte’s near-empty one.

It was something she noticed about Deacon over the months they’ve seen each other. He was willing to take risks and be more flirty if he knew Ana had drank more. A disgusting habit, but it was one Ana had regrettably encouraged. She was too lost in herself to care that the man she was taking to bed thought he was taking advantage of her. She wasn’t lost now. She had a plan, and she will find out what he is hiding from her.

Somebody sat in the seat next to her, and she turned to see Deacon. Dressed in a plain gray t-shirt and faded jeans, he appeared as if he had picked the least wrinkled clothing off of the floor. And here I spent almost an hour getting ready. I should’ve just put on a trash bag or something.

He looked her up and down before motioning to the bartender. “Why the sudden change of heart?”

“Got bored.” She looked away from him and took a sip of her drink. He ordered a beer and took a large sip.

“You got bored, and I was your first thought?” He teased.

She rolled her eyes and bit back a retort. Be nice. You’re supposed to be nice. “Maybe. Maybe not.”

“Did you get bored of your guy friend already? What did you say his name was?”

“I didn’t.” She stared down at her drink, the warped reflection in the amber liquid staring back at her. “I haven’t seen him in a few days.”

“Oh? Interesting.”

Ana turned to him and studied his face, but could not discern what he meant by interesting. Was he expecting another answer? It doesn’t matter. I need to change the subject before he gets jealous again.

“You left work early for a…family emergency?” She asked.

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“False alarm. My mom thought she was having a heart attack.” He murmured before taking a sip of his drink.

Bad liar. Can’t tell a lie to save your life. Ana drank the rest of ‘her’ drink and set it down on the wooden surface.

“You know,” He set his beer down and leaned into her, his breath on her neck. “Your friend was staring at us while we were talking. He didn’t look very happy about me.”

“This again?” She pretended to not feel disgusted with how close he was to her. “I don’t want to talk about him. I thought this night was just for us.”

He snaked an arm around her waist and she tried her best to not flinch away. He leaned in closer and pressed his lips to her neck. “You’re right. Just us. So why don’t we just go back to my place and relax?”

She smiled, but this time it was genuine. So close to those letters. I’m almost there.

She payed her tab and followed him outside, holding hands. It was night, and there was barely any traffic on the roads. The stormy clouds that had hung over them for the past few days were now gone, and the night sky was a naked and dark expanse of nothingness.

Deacon led her to his truck and unlocked the doors. She opened the passenger door and set her purse on the floor.

“Need help?” Deacon offered a hand for her.

She gave him an incredulous look. “Since when have I needed your help?”

“Just trying to be a gentleman…”

She pulled herself into the truck and closed the door. Deacon walked to the driver side but stopped halfway and turned his head. A person called his name and now approached him. They both appeared friendly toward one another, and Ana assumed they were friends.

She looked down at the glove box. Would it be possible he still had them in there? She opened the glove box and…no. The letters were gone. Just a screwdriver, a pen, and some loose receipts. Damn it.

She shut the glove box just as Deacon finished talking to the person. Ana attempted to act casual as he opened the door and pulled himself into the truck. “Sorry, an old friend.”

“You have friends? Surprising.” She commented.

“Funny.” He looked at her as he started the truck, glancing at her cleavage briefly before pulling on his seat belt. Ana pulled the sides of her unbuttoned shirt together and looked away. I can do this. I can still do this.

—_—

She entered the cramped fifth wheel and set her purse on the small table. “I still think it smells like roaches in here.”

“Roaches don’t have a smell.” Deacon shut the door behind him and fixed his gaze on her.

Ana walked to the kitchen and took an apple from a bag laying on the counter. “How would you know? You grew up rich. Have you ever seen one?”

“Sure.” He approached her and placed a hand on her waist. “I’m looking at one right now.”

“Oh, hilarious.” She took a bite of the apple and chewed, an excuse to delay the inevitable; his thin, dry lips on hers. “Is that how you’re going to get me into your bed? Jokes?”

He smiled, his face mere inches from hers. He smelled as he always does; like cigarettes and cheap men’s cologne. Or expensive men’s cologne, she could never tell. “I can think of something else.”

“Oh?” Ana replied, but that was the only word she could get out before his lips met hers. His breath tasted like cigarettes on her tongue, and she forced herself not to turn away from him. It was obvious he tried to hide with some kind of mint gum or tablet, but that didn’t work.

His hands went to her cheeks to hold her in place. She tried to reciprocate the kiss as much as possible, but there was the smallest feeling of disgust laying in the pit of her stomach. She attempted to ignore it, but it only grew as his tongue found his way inside of her mouth.

One hand went down to her lower back, and he pushed her back into the counter. His other hand went under her shirt, to her breasts. He cupped one of them, and Ana regretted not wearing anything more than pasties. His lips went down to her neck to suck at the skin there, the hand at her waist squeezing her.

Ana didn’t know where to place her hands, but she had to act like she enjoyed this, she had to. Do I? Is this really worth the next hour of disgust? She ending up placing them on his neck as he lifted his head to kiss her on the mouth.

She couldn’t take it. Everything about him made her feel disgusted. His sweaty hands, the weird breathing sounds he made, the way his eyes were half-closed. How could I do this in the past? This was a terrible plan. I hate him, and I want him off of me.

She moved her head away from him, and lightly pushed on his shoulders. “Deacon—”

Fortunately, he moved away and looked at her, although he didn’t look happy. “What?”

She opened her mouth, searching for an excuse. I still want to find those letters, but I don’t want to sleep with him. “Can you wash up first, before we do this? Your breath smells, and it’s really not doing anything for me.”

He sighed and looked away from her, rolling his lips in thought. He backed away from her and stalked into the bathroom. “Fine.”

That was easier than I thought. She didn’t waist any time. As she heard the bathroom door shut and the sink turn on, she started searching. She first looked on the table pushed to the side, but there was nothing on there except for a stained coffee cup and a paper plate. She searched the cabinets next, her heart racing as she tried to pay attention to the running faucet in the bathroom. There was nothing in the cabinets except for a meager amount of non-perishables, as if Deacon didn’t expect to have any guests in his fifth-wheel. No fancy envelopes with wax seals anywhere. Where was he hiding them? Did he throw them all away? She hadn’t thought of that possibility. It was quite possible that he threw them all away after she snooped through his glove box after their diner date.

She spun in a circle, looking around the room for any possible hiding place to keep letters. He had a chest next to the couch, but it was locked tight and she didn’t know any spells to get it open. They have to be hidden somewhere—wait. What’s that? She kneeled down next to the table and looked under it. A small wooden box, shoved up against the wall. Big enough to hide letter-sized objects. She reached under and pulled it out, looking at the bathroom to make sure Deacon was still busy. She could still hear the sink running, and she could hear an electric toothbrush being used. That’s probably the first time he’s brushed his teeth today, she rolled her eyes and opened the box, her hands stilling at the sight of the envelopes.

She picked one up and ran a thumb over the broken wax seal. What are you hiding, Deacon? She took the paper out and began reading.

Deacon Carbonneau,

Your father insists you come back. You have had two years to complete this mission and have done nothing but mess around with this woman. Everybody here is still skeptical on whether or not your claims that she is a double-core cambion are true. Whatever the case, we can’t take in a uncategorized cambion that is unwilling to join the Creed of Solomon. She isn’t even willing to be in a committed relationship with you. If it’s true that you’ve been trying to get her pregnant as you say you have, then—

“What…?” Ana’s hands shook as she dropped the letter and reached into the box for another one. The sink in the bathroom turned off. She didn’t have time to read another one, but she couldn’t stop. This letter was dated earlier than the last one, around five months ago.

Deacon Carbonneau,

In regards to your claim in your last letter, there is no record of a double-core cambion ever existing. Every cambion has a single core, you know that. You have made a mistake. There is no other way to explain it. Your father will have your head for lying, you know how he feels about that.

If, however, you somehow are telling the truth, then I encourage you to take this girl. Get close to her and wrap her around your finger. You mentioned her core is a dark purple and dark orange? We only have two demons under those colors, Marchosias and Phenex, and they are both very rare and exceptional. We have no way of knowing if one or both of these demons are present in her life, but do you realize the risk of provoking them?

Alas, I digress. I know you are skilled and know what you’re doing. I trained you after all. Even if she doesn’t have a double core, we still must categorize her—

Tears formed at Ana’s eyes as she processed the information, the letter crumpling in her grip. He knew all along that I was a cambion, and he’s apart of the Creed of Solomon. Had Judas known all of this? Is this what he was trying to tell me?

The bathroom door opened and closed. Ana lowered the letter and looked at Deacon, who was leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. “You just love going through my stuff, don’t you?”

Ana’s lips quivered, and she willed herself to stop crying. “What do they mean? The letters, what do they mean?”

He smiled and shrugged his shoulders. “What do you think they mean? They’re in your hands, you’re reading them. You tell me.”

She let the paper fall from her hands. “You’ve been lying to me this whole time.”

He tilted his head and scratched his neck. “Lying? About what, exactly? You’ve never asked me outright if I was a cambion, or if I was apart of a secret civilization tasked with capturing all the demons in the world.”

“You had me believing one thing over the other. Isn’t that the same? Isn’t that still lying?” The tears wouldn’t stop. She wanted them to stop, but they wouldn’t. Weakling, she thought. You’re a weakling.

“Would you at least…hear me out? You read the letters, you know what my goal is.” He walked closer to her and kneeled down. “I think it would be…beneficial, for the both of us, and all of humanity.”

She pushed the box aside and stood up on shaky legs. She grabbed her purse from the table and left the trailer, wanting nothing more than this to be a nightmare.