Chapter 10

She couldn't believe she was doing this. She really couldn't. She sat in front of the murdering piece of trash as if for an interview. A long table separated them with Piper laying on it in front of him. Limrin stood rigidly next to her. He was ready to strike at any moment. This man had killed Chime and would not get out of punishment. Rexi was trembling with anger as he ran a knife along Piper's cheek.

"Get that away from her!" she snapped, rising from her chair halfway before his gaze froze her. He was looking straight at her as the knife dug into the skin of the unconscious child in front of him. She clenched her fists and forced herself to sit back down before her outburst caused more wounds for her Bond.

Skiri smiled and relaxed back again. This girl worried him. He hadn't known they were together until after he had killed Ethan. Would she understand? Doubtful. She had forced him to kill one too many people close to her. A young man entered the room carrying a note. He stopped next to Skiri and smiled down at him. Rexi's heart stopped and flew to her throat. She was out of her seat before she could help it.

Ethan stood there, seeming at ease next to the illusion master. In every aspect but his eyes he was Ethan. He turned eyes that were green instead of grey on the girl and looked her over without interest before he realized just what he had walked into.

"Hey! That's Ethan's little wife huh?" the man asked, shattering her hope. He wasn't anything like him. He smirked as he saw the hope run out of her and she slumped back down into the chair to stare at him.

"Yes, Nathe. That is Ethan's widow. You two never met I assume? Ethan did a good job of cutting himself off from us after he joined Yomi's ranks. I almost didn't find him again." Skiri told him, looking down his nose at the girl at the end of the table.

"What do you mean?" Rexi snapped, turning reluctant eyes onto Skiri. She had a sick feeling when she saw the twinkling gleam in the illusionist's eyes.

"This is Ethan's twin, Nathe. Ethan, as much as he didn't want to be, was my son. I'm glad to say both of them got their mother's hair." Skiri admitted with a grin. "I have a hard enough time dealing with this blue mane. I would have hated to pass it on to my own sons. Ethan's older sister got it however. She's pretty enough though. Go the grey eyes of her mother so that sets it off quiet well."

Rexi felt even worse as the news hit her. She was here to take revenge on her father-in-law for killing his own son. Her children were related to this monster. A hand slowly moved to her stomach before clenching in the dress. "You lie." She snapped, not wanting it to be true.

"You think Ethan took an interest in you because of your beauty?" Nathe asked with a harsh laugh. "I bet you he just married you to get close enough to kill you. He was there you know, that day when you stole all those belongings from my father? He was one of the people you felt you had to poison in order to get free. He almost didn't survive."

Limrin put a hand on her shoulder as she started to gasp to keep the vomit from coming up. "There was no way you could have known Rexi." He said comfortingly.

"He's right. Like I said, he cut himself off from us pretty well." Skiri said.

Rexi had been starting to freak out until he said that. He was wasting her time. If she didn't kill him soon, she would explode. She was up on and stomping across the table towards him without thinking. Her eyes demanded a reason she shouldn't kill him. He seemed stunned at her reaction

The anger turned to a cold fire in her eyes when he didn't answer as she stepped over her Bond and dropped down in front of Skiri. Without waiting, she pulled her fist back and let it hit him square in the nose. He went sailing back and it all became a blur for her. Limrin was beating up Nathe who had attempted to pull her off his father. And then she was sent sailing. She rolled and landed, crouching like a cat ready to strike.

Skiri rose and glared at the girl. He didn't get a chance to say anything because Limrin was on him now. She rushed forward and pulled Limrin off for a moment, holding him back with all her strength. She had to know why. She had to know why he had killed his own son. She turned as she held Limrin back. It was a challenge. He was much taller than her and was full of his own rage and loss.

"Why?" She demanded, turning to watch the two illusionists. Thankfully they seemed to have forgotten about the unconscious young woman on the table. She would have to make sure that both of them kept forgetting about her. "Why did you have to kill him!"

"He betrayed us." Nathe snarled, stepping closer. Her shoulder was starting to hurt again. She could finish this. That was enough for her. It hadn't been a stupid reason that had caused Ethan's death. She'd give them both Yuki poisoning and spirit herself and her friends away to mourn their loss.

Limrin broke through her and launched himself at Skiri again. She took on Nathe before he could attack Limrin and keep him from his rightful revenge. She started to feel that Piper was awakening. Good, they needed another to join them. She was in no shape to really be fighting, though she kept pushing that restriction back. She kicked the demon back, sending him flying into the wall. She didn't wait, she turned as a yell from Limrin as he went sailing. She leapt in when she saw that he was temporarily out of commission. If he didn't kill him, she would.

She kicked, blocked, dodged, and cussed. She used all the tricks she'd learned from Yusuke, Kuwabara, and Kurama. She tried to ignore the pain as her shoulder bled freely now. This demon would die if it was the last thing she did.

"Watch out!" Piper screamed. Rexi hadn't even noticed that she had awoken. She turned just as Nathe appeared behind her holding an ax. It was too late for her to dodge. The ax would cut her in half. She wouldn't be allowed to get her revenge. Then she felt herself being shoved out of the way. A scream and a flare of pain through the bond hit her senses as she turned to stare up at the scene before her. Piper had sprinted over and pushed her out of the way just in time to get her left hand chopped off rather than Rexi being chopped in half.

Nathe turned on the girl and shoved her out of the way so that he could get a better swing at Piper. Rexi's heart stopped as Skiri grabbed her from behind to keep her from running to Piper's aid.

"I'll take my revenge on you now. Watch as your bond dies by my son's hand." He snarled into her ear. Piper went sailing just like Limrin had after the axe cut her from right shoulder to left hip. She had thankfully moved back just in time to miss being sliced in two.

Everything became red.