Killing Me Softly

VENICE, ITALY.

The arrow shot through the air with a high velocity, piercing not only through his clenched hands but grazing the side of his face as well. Zepestine dodged it, breaking it over his legs and letting the shreds fall to the ground between them both.

The woman lowered her bow, elevating her green eyes to match his as he inched closer. The italian winds drew in the scent of the pasta that cooked in the building behind them, a stoned Venice resident facing the lake. It's late October, and the sound of his feet against the dry dehiscent leaves are crusty, and Zepestine ran his frail hands through his disconnecting grey beards.

Eva stepped away as he cornered her, heated breathes against her neck whilst muttering something in Italian. She stepped back into him, allowing the coarse surface of his palms envelope her moist skin and he held up the bow to the tree.

"Eva. You were trained for this." He muttered. "One wrong move and you'd be dead by the hands of him. You must know—" He paused, letting his hands to fall to her waist which he slowly arched. He placed his chin upon her shoulders, directing her where she was to take another shot.

"You must know how to kill a wolf" He whispered.

"This is no ordinary arrow, Eva. This is Vanadium" He added, as she slipped her face into the scarf around her nose. The clothes fell across her shoulders, leaving only her eyes unmasked. "Coated with Amanita phalloides, once you take a step back" He drew her close, allowing her take a lungful of air. "You shot out everything around you and keep your eyes just on one thing" His words were slow. "Your prey"

"You must remember, stance, nock, hand placements, anchor, aim—" His thumb hooked the string, allowing him to draw the arrow back. Her index finger grazed the tip of her jaw before he let go.

"Release."

And this time, it pierced through the rock before them, scaring off the pigeons that dared come close. They fluttered their wings, soaring lowly above them and Zepestine backed away. The bow anchored to the grounds as Eva pulled out a cigarette, lighting it between her lips.

"What happened to you, Daniels?"

"Seems like you've lost your touch" She took a puff off the smoke, slowly dissipating it through her lips and Zepestine reached for the snout. "I just got a bunch of things on my mind" She cleared her throat, setting her eyes on the waters before them.

"You better clear your head before your next target"

"One mistake can cost you your life." He gritted through his teeth, crushing the cigarette with the sole of his feet and Eva Daniels chuckled lightly. "Another target?" She echoed and Zep croaked. "There is no job besides this"

"But i have a life" She faked a thick Russian accent and he laughed ridiculously at how naive that thought was. "There is no life outside this" His voice went low, maintaining a stoic gaze with her and Eva cleared his throat.

"Outside the One."

"I'm serious Eva, pull your head back in the game. Our next series of targets are going to require all that you've got" Zepestine said before pulling away. And her eyes darted the bow and the one single arrow that was still on the ground. With a quick reflex, she hefted it in her hands, aiming for his back.

And within a split second, she shot at him.

The arrow froze in the air, and a smirk crept to her lips. Casually, he applauded her, turning around. And he nodded, controlling with his eyes the arrow and it fell between them.

"Who's next?" Eva emotionlessly muttered and he cleared his throat. "I'll tell you over dinner" He looked pointedly to the house and she heaved a deep breath. Zepestine pulled away, leaving her in the center of the woods. Her gaze falls on the silk curtains bristling in the winds and she goes up the hill, trailing behind him.

"Hold up."

-

The stack of documents fell to the table.

It usually was like this, a profile parceled in a postcard envelope with a name and a photo attached to it. Zepestine tossed it over to Eva who gorged the last strand of pasta on the plate before her before pulling out the paper.

"Aiden Keller" She called the name across it and he nodded.

Zepestine was not only a father figure, he was a guardian sent from wherever these postcards came from. The One, they call themselves, and all Eva knew about them was only what he wanted her to know. But growing up, she just didn't care because what she knows won't be able to hurt her.

And after each mission was a wad of cash waiting on her bed, enough papers to seal her lips, and keep her roped. It's been that way for years, even for the next coming years. Her eyes went dark as she looked back at him. "How do you want it done?" She asked and Zepestine smirked coldly.

"Clean."

"Fast, smooth. And faultless, possibly painless. It's your call to make Eva" She looked back at the paper before her. "Before tomorrow." He added and she let her hair fall upon her shoulders. "Before tonight." There was a crack in her voice as she brushed past his shoulders, walking out of the cabin doors.

ROME, ITALY.

Darkness had fallen over the mansion, but the crystal lights illuminated the streets. Eva pulled he sweater over her head as she knocked on the front door. She held the same envelope that told her to kill him, as if she were a postman and that was the first guess of the gateman that opened the door.

The hoodie shielded half her face so he couldn't get a good look. Instead, she just hefted it in his face and when he came close, she hooked her arm around his neck, smashing his jaw into the concrete pavements beside her. There was low groan as he stiffened on the spot and Eva made her way into the compound, closing the gates beside her. Before heading in, she saw the one room that still had its lights on and heaved a deep breath through her lips.

The sound of howling dogs filled her ears as she grasped her pockets for the knife she had. Quietly, she crept through the front doors, making her way past the maidens and eventually the butler, until she stood in that very room with the lights on.

Brushing it slightly open, Eva let her hoodie down as she walked in. And by the corner of the room was a man admiring himself in the mirror. Her brows arched in disgust, her nose picking up his egoistic scent as she inched closer. Perhaps it was when he'd felt her presence that he suddenly jolted—