Modern Assassin Eryn AU Aesthetic

Jet Black Heart

So I wrote a modern day au with an assassin!Eryn and @herald-divine-hell’s Alexandra. Turned out way longer than intended, but oh well. More content! Happy Birthday bro! Enjoy!

    The midday suns light refracted and sparkled on the pools slowly undulating surface. It was an infinity pool, stretching out towards the end of the cliff, and stopping just short of the sea, so it seemed to join with the deep blue waters of the Mediterranean beyond. There were three lounge chairs surrounding the pool, but only one occupied. It had a stunningly beautiful woman lying on it. The young woman’s pale skin would’ve been mercilessly burned by the sun, if not for the protective shield of the oversized umbrella overhead. Her thick black hair was a flowing main of curls, each strand as soft as satin. Her emerald green eyes were striking even at a distance, the flecks of gold within her irises flickering like little tongues of fire. She leaned back in her lounge chair and turned the page of the book she was reading. It was an old fantasy favorite; The Lord of the Rings. 

Eryn saw all of this through the scope of her rifle. She aimed the crosshairs on the womans head, her finger hovering over the trigger. It would be a simple enough matter to kill her. A single twitch of movement from her finger, and the rifle would deliver death in less time than it took her to blink. The smell of the sea wafted in on the warm air. The Italian summer sun beat down pitiless. Her back was damp. She felt sodden from being out here too long. The summer may have been drawing to a close, but the sun seemed not to care. It was content to burn just as bright as any other day. The dark black jacket she was wearing didn’t help matters. She hadn’t meant to come here with such heavy clothes, but the night before she had been at dinner with some very influential informants, and the dress code for the restaurant had been formal. When the night had come to a close she had been too tired to change out of it and she’d forgotten to change until this exact moment. So here she was. Sweat trickled over Eryns brow, glinting in the harsh sunlight, and for a moment she was tempted to wipe it away, but she couldn’t break her concentration. Not yet. She had a job to do. 

She had gotten this job a few days before. The contract was simple: Eliminate Maxalias Trevelyan. It had been left up to her to decide on the method. The tricky part had been finding where the man actually was. There were rumours that he was currently hold up on his private island away from society, and he hadn’t been seen in public for quite some time. But others said he was hiding in an underground bunker somewhere in the countryside. No one had any solid leads on his whereabouts. Eryn couldn’t get near the man, but his daughter was here at their private villa on the Amalfi Coast, and quite unaware of any danger. Eryn could kill her, and her death would likely draw out her father from his hiding place to attend the funeral. She could see the graveyard even from the roof she was perched on. It would be a simple matter to kill him. She could likey do it from this exact spot. His daughter was collateral damage, but it was needed to complete her mission. When Maxalias Trevelyan was dead, there would be a hefty sum of money waiting in her private account, and the hiring client would consider their money well spent. It was her job, it was what she’d been trained for. And yet… 

Eryn lifted her hand away from the trigger, and looked up from the scope, gazing at the woman from afar. She knew the womans name; Alexandra Trevelyan. Although she looked like a model she was actually a world renowned writer. Eryn had taken time to skim through her latest works. She was certainly famous for a reason. Eryn knew nothing about writing, but her words were so intricately curved together as to elicit emotions within the first paragraph. She had remarkable skill and knowledge of languages. She was also known to fluently speak multiple languages; including French, German, Italian and Spanish, to name but a few. It occurred to Eryn that she didn’t even need her fathers wealth. The fortune she gained on her own time would be well enough to maintain such a display of wealth and status. According to her file, she was known to be extremely intelligent, and exceptionally kindhearted. A rare trait for someone of such high status, and an unexpected one, considering the sinister nature of her father. She’d once saved a child from a burning building. Apparently she had been attending a theatrical performance of Hamilton, and a light fixture had a defective wire. 

Eryn bit her lip. In all the years she’d been working as an assassin, she’d never once gone against her orders. A contract is a contract, and she had to see this through, but this woman… She’d done nothing wrong. Her only fault was being the closest blood relative of her father, and something in Eryn rejected the idea of killing her with such cold blooded intentions. 

Eryn looked through the scope again, and tried to persuade herself to pull the trigger. People die everyday. She knew that every moment she took a breath, someone else was taking their last. Some people have to die in order to things to move forward. Collateral she may be, she was Eryns way to get to her target. There was no other. She took a deep breath and pressed her finger against the trigger again. If she hesitated for one more moment, she might never do it.

Just then, Alexandra’s head jerked up. Eryn was glad she’d stopped herself, otherwise the bullet would’ve hit the chair and she would’ve alerted everyone, and lost the element of surprise. She zoomed out and moved the scope to scan the area, wondering what had called the womans attention. Another woman had appeared, one of the many servants scattered about, carrying a tray of drinks. Alexandra took hers with a coy smile. Eryn knew she was saying something but listening in was impossible at this distance. Whatever she’d said drew a blush to the womans face, so prominent Eryn could’ve seen it even without the aid of the scope. The servant spoke a few more words, then hurried away, Alexandra watching her go with obvious interest. That look… And the way the woman had blushed… Eryns eyes narrowed, storing away another interesting piece of information about Ms. Trevelyan. 

Perhaps there was another way to get to her father… 

The sunlight chased after Eryn through the narrow streets. The suffocating heat seemed to be trapped in the bricks. Thankfully she’d gotten a granita at a stand along the way, and the ice was starting to cool her down. She’d also taken off her heavy black jacket and tie, and unbuttoned and loosened her white shirt a bit to allow her some air. She’d wanted to change out of her slacks but she hadn’t brought any shorts. 

She looked down the street and watched as Alexandra continued walking down it. The woman seemed to know the town well, and didn’t stop to get her bearings as Eryn often had when she’d flown in the day before. On the right Eryn noticed a swinging sign advertising the store in the building to their right. It was one of the few Italian words Eryn recognized. Il Libro.  Without stopping Alexandra turned and walked straight in. Eryn waited a few moments, then walked in after her. The blast of the air conditioning was welcoming, but she was stopped at the door by the elderly and angry owner of the store who was barking something at her. Eryn could only pick up bits of pieces of what he was saying. She only knew a few phrases of Italian. Then he pointed to another sign in the stores window she hadn’t seen and she understood. No food or drink. Eryn walked back outside and set the granita on the pavement, then stepped back inside to find the manager grumbling something unintelligible before moving away. 

Eryn found Alexandra in the historical section, browsing through the selections with her intense green eyes. Glancing up, Eryn spotted a book title she recognized. Eryn wasn’t short, but she wasn’t quite tall enough to reach it. The book was only just out of her reach. Eryn looked back at Alexandra, then moved towards the bookcase. She made a show of straining to reach the book, standing on her very tip-toes and quietly groaning in frustration. As she expected, Alexandra noticed her struggle and jumped at the chance to help. Eryn heard her heels on the soft red carpet, but didn’t turn her head, remaining absorbed in her impossible task. Alexandra reached the book with ease and pulled it down for her. Eryn smiled and laughed softly,

“Thanks.” She said when she received it. 

“You’re welcome.” Alexandra gave her a dazzling smile. In a moment, Eryn’s previously planned out conversation was gone into the depths of the void that was her mind. She still held out the book in her hand, frozen in place. Glimpsing her through the scope of her rifle, Eryn had already seen that Alexandra was a beautiful woman. Close to, she was breathtaking. There simply was no other way to describe her. 

Before Eryn could find the words she was going to say, Alexandra spoke more of her own. “Are you new to the city?” 

Eryn shook herself out of her trance and said, “Yeah. I only just got here yesterday on business. I haven’t had much time to explore.”

“Maybe I could show you around?” Alexandra moved her hand and moved a a stray hair back into place. 

Eryn nodded, forcing herself to keep her eyes forward, and not to be distracted, “Sure.” Then she looked down and remembered the book still in her hands. “I should probably pay for this first, though.” 

Alexandra did indeed know the city well. Finally snapped out of her hazy trance, Eryn followed beside her making pleasant conversation. Alexandra had the most melodious laugh. Each time Eryn heard it, she wished she could hear it again, and began trying to think of anything that would make her laugh again. 

They reached an open square with dozens of people milling about. Through the crowds, Eryn saw something that soured the good mood she’d just been in. There was a man sitting on a bench, reading a newspaper. The sunglasses he was wearing was a pathetic attempt at hiding his identity. Eryn knew his face. The man was a member of Interpol, and he knew Eryn too. He’d come perilously close to cornering and arresting her the last time they had met. The only thing that had kept him from succeeding was a pair of train doors slamming closed at just the right moment. If he saw her here, he would no doubt cause trouble for her. She needed to get rid of him, but she couldn’t do it in front of all these crowds.

Eryn had just formed a plan in her mind when the man looked up. She couldn’t read his face well with the sunglasses hiding his eyes, but she knew she’d been recognized. The man folded his paper down slightly and leaned forward, obviously conflicted about how to act. He couldn’t make a scene and arrest her here and now, and they both knew it. She had a gun with her, and she would use it if she had to. He also had a gun, and the sight of firearms would cause panic. She was known to be a dangerous criminal. If he attempted an arrest, she would resist, and she wasn’t shy about starting a fight here in the middle of everything. She’d done so before. They shared a staring contest across the pavement, each waiting for the other the make a move. 

It was Eryn who struck first. 

She broke eye contact with the man long enough to turn and face Alexandra again. “I’ll be right back, I’m going to find a bathroom.” She promised, then moved away, striding as quickly as possible without arousing suspicion. 

“Alright, I’ll be here.” Alexandra called after her, but Eryn was only barely listening. 

She made eye contact with the man as she passed him, her eyes communicating a silent dare to follow her. To be sure he would follow, she decided to add a mischievous smile, to try and bait him. If he thought she was up to something, he might be more eager to stop her. And her smugness would no doubt wound his fragile ego. 

As she disappeared into the bathrooms, she heard the paper rustling as her threw the paper down and went after her. She went past all the bathroom stalls lined up to the side and exited out through the door on the other side of the room. 

The man burst into the bathroom and looked around, then saw the door swing shut and rushed through it. He found himself in a narrow, cylindrical area beneath all the stores stacked above him. He looked to the side and caught a glimpse of Eryn as she turned and made her way up a set of stairs.He followed her up the stairs, but lot track of her when she reached the top, and for a moment she was out of sight. When he made his way up she was no longer anywhere near. Then her heard a door slide shut. The door to a clothing store. He made for it, and looked inside cautiously, his gun now raised. The store was dark and empty, no one insight. 

He cautiously slipped inside, his feet making no sound on the navy blue carpet. The store was only inhabited by hats, shoes, and finely tailored clothes. All around the store he could see mannequins all standing about motionless. Somehow they all seemed quite judgmental, even for a couple of inanimate statues. To one side, he could see a collection of changing areas with curtains that could be pulled shut for privacy.

He raise his gun and looked inside the first room. There was no one. He pulled back the curtains on each side of the second one. Nothing. He jerked around and edged to the side to see if she was maybe hiding behind the register. 

Eryn burst out from the third changing room like a shark leaping from the ocean to catch a fish dangling above the surface, the curtains fluttered about her like pearly white cascades of water. Her hand clamped against his mouth. Her gun barely whispered as three bullets spat from it’s heavy silencer. She pulled his lifeless body back inside the changing room, leaving him propped up against the bench. There were still clothes piled up everything. A few drops of crimson had splattered on the priceless fabrics. The janitor was certainly in for a surprise the next time he came in here.

When Eryn caught up with Alexandra again, she found her still where she’d promised, leaning casually against the railing between the square and the beach, watching the waves crashing in from the open sea. As Eryn approached her, she stopped a moment, and took in the sight of her. The warm breeze blowing in combed its invisible fingers through her hair, splaying it out as if to display it to the world. 

Eryn shook herself out of her thoughts, and joined the woman looking out to the sea. She closed the phone an turned when Eryn near, giving her an apologetic smile.

“I’m sorry, but something really important’s come up and I really have to take care of it.”

“Ah, that’s fine. Maybe we could see each other again later tonight? Do you have plans for dinner?”

“Not at all.” Alexandra said, her eyes sparkling. Eryn could see the wheels in her head turning at the prospect. She smiled to herself. This was gonna be fun.

Dinner was a lively affair. Alexandra had picked an expensive place that had a gorgeous view of the sparkling Mediterranean. The sun turned its deep blue waves a marron red as it touched the waters, then darkened them further until they were as black as ink as it dipped below, sparkling with flecks of moonlight winking up at the stars. 

Eryn dressed simply, in her dark suit and tie, but no one could see the concealed knife her in jacket pocket. Nor did they know that her watch concealed a small but powerful explosive device that could also be used as a smoke bomb. If needed, she could get away at a moments notice. Like most things in her work, nothing about her was quite what it seemed. 

As enjoyable as the night had been, Eryn hadn’t managed to learn the location of Maxalias Trevelyan. Alexandra had spoken a bit about her father when Eryn had fished for information, but she hadn’t seemed to want to talk about him much. It seemed father and daughter had grown apart, and weren’t on the best of terms. Eryn had broken away, fearing she might tread upon a painful place. Only now, Eryn realized this might be a mistake. She might not know where her father was, she may not even care enough to learn if Eryn had the nerve to ask. But Eryn wasn’t prepared to give up just yet. Alexandra still had plenty of walls up, she just had to keep breaking them down. She would get the information she needed soon enough. She had to. Otherwise, it was going to make for a very unpleasant morning to have to put a knife into that lovely body. Eryn would do everything in her power to avoid that, but she couldn’t escape the very real possibility that that was exactly where this was heading. The thought made her loose her appetite, and she declined dessert. As much as she tried to ignore it, she was becoming quite fond of this woman. How had that happened? This wasn’t supposed to happen. She was supposed to be a cold hearted killer with no thought to anything beyond her payment. She wasn’t meant to care for others this way. What was the matter with her? 

“Is everything alright, Eryn?”

Eryn glanced up and saw Alexandra looking at her with a mixture of concern and curiosity. Her inner thoughts must’ve been showing on her face.

“Y-yeah. Everything’s fine.” Eryn pulled herself together, and forced a smile through gritted teeth. 

“Are you sure?”

“Absolutely.” Eryn relaxed her face, to make her smile as genuine as possible, “Everything’s been great so far, but with you here they’re fantastic.” 

And everything’s going to be horrible when you’re not here. 

Eryn stood in the darkness of Alexandra’s room. Distant sound of the waves rolled in, coupled by the flutter of the loose drapes flanking the open balcony doors. Eryn watched the veiled white cloth as it danced in front of her. Alexandra had left her, supposedly to take care of a few things so they wouldn’t be disturbed, and Eryn had a while to collect herself. More than 9 hours ago, she had been so sure of her path, so determined to get to where she was standing. Now that she was here, she wasn’t so assured that her path was the right one. She felt like an extra in a film, but she’d completely forgotten her lines. 

Eryn loosened her tie and threw her jacket over the back of a chair. She glanced over and noticed a desk in the corner. She approached it, and studied the papers scattered on it. It seemed Alexandra was composing a letter of some sorts, but nothing in the letter was relevant the what Eryn was after. She was just about to look through more of the papers, when she heard the very slight footstep that told her she was no longer alone. Her hand still hovered over the desk, but now she directed it further up, towards the collection of perfumes and cosmetics that was also on the desk. She turned one of the bottles over in her hand, feigning fascination. She could hear Alexandra creeping up behind her, but she pretended not to notice. 

“Curious are you, ma cherie?” Alexandra purred against her ear, her fingers slowly drifting under Eryns shirt. Without meaning to, Eryn shivered when the woman’s fingers lightly brushed against her bare skin. She hadn’t realized how touch starved she’d become, and this woman’s touch in particular was like a strong shot of whiskey; it made her shiver, yet it warmed her core at the same time. 

“I was just wondering what that lovely scent you’re wearing was.” Eryn spun around, and placed her hands against the desk, leveling a sly smile at her, “I can’t get enough of it.” She bit her lip and tilted her head slightly, running her eyes over the woman. Maker, I can’t get enough of her. She tried to regain her focus, and steered the conversation where she needed it, “Your accents not French, but those words certainly are.”

“My mother was French. She taught me everything I know about her homeland.” 

“And your father?”

“He’s Welsh, if you must know.”

“Where is he now?” Eryn asked casually, trying to distract herself from the sensual sensations of Alexandra’s fingers against her face. 

“I don’t know, and I don’t care. We’re not on the best terms.”

Eryn’s heart fell into her turbulent stomach. Alexandra didn’t have the information she needed. There was only one way to proceed now, and if she was going to keep with her schedule, she would need to do it tonight. But, Maker help her, she wasn’t sure she could bring herself to do it. “I see…That’s too bad. He doesn’t know what he’s thrown away.” Eryn took the hand against her cheek and kissed it, “It’s his loss.”

Alexandra kissed her, deep and hungry. As she began unbuttoning Eryn’s shirt, Alexandra’s hand slowly trailed down Eryn’s arm, sparks of electricity arching out from her fingers. There was a slight clinking sound as she deftly undid Eryn’s watch and set it on the desk behind them. Such a simple gesture, and yet the slow methodical way it was done churned the building heat in Eryn’s core. Alexandra’s hand brushed her shirt apart slightly, but didn’t take it off yet. Eryn held her breath as the woman’s hand drifted into her shirt and across her bare chest. When she began massaging her breasts, Eryn couldn’t hold back and let out the breath, her next breath coming out as a deep moan. 

Eryn felt as if she was burning up with fever, her face was red and her skin was getting damp. A drop of sweat trickled down the side of her neck, but it was stopped by Alexandra’s lips, as she began placing sensual kisses there. Eryn let out a husky breath, but couldn’t find the strength to move. With a shutter, she realized she was paralyzed by this womans masterful lips. She was locked in the grip of whatever spell this woman had put her under. This wasn’t how it was supposed to happen. Eryn had lost control of the situation. It was supposed to be her sweeping Alexandra off her feet, but instead she was the one finding it difficult to stand. All that kept her up was her quavering arms pressed against the desk behind her, and even they wouldn’t be enough soon. Eryn wrapped her arms around the woman, and kissed her fiercely as she tried to regain control. As they began moving towards the bed, she began tugging at Alexandra’s clothes. 

Eryn stood over Alexandra’s sleeping form. The moonlight illuminated how beautiful she was as she slept, blissful and content, her hair a disheveled mess splayed around her. Eryn cradled the gun she’d smuggled in, weighing it in her hand. There was a thick silencer on the barrel. All she had to do was point the gun at her head, and pulled the trigger, then it would be a simple matter to slip out undetected. And a few days later, her father would arrive, and she would have her kill, and her payment. This was it, this was what she’d come here for. And yet… 

Eryn stared down at the gun in her hand, lowering it away from Alexandra’s head. In her whole career as an assassin, Eryn had never once gone against orders. But tonight she was going to have to defy them, just this once. Her employer would likely come after her, and try and hunt her down for failing the mission, but she was adept at disappearing, she would survive. She looked back up at Alexandra, and slipped the gun back into its concealed holster. Maybe she could start to make up for all the lives she’d taken, by saving a life just this once. She leaned down and placed a delicate kiss on her head, then crept out of the room. When she walked past the mansions gates and onto the pavement, she noticed something rustling in her pockets. It was a little piece of paper with series of digits. Eryn didn’t need to ask what they were, and looked back at the mansion with a smile. Maybe one day, when she caught a break from all the running, she would use them.