Firstly, an apology for the really late update. I just hope it hasn't deterred those of you still reading this.
Secondly, I'd just like to let you all know I'll be changing my username some time soon, to something along the lines of Imperatrix. Hopefully that will help to avoid any identity confusion.
Thirdly, to those of you who don't know (hopefully there aren't many) LJ Smith has reappeared, with a site no less: www (dot) ljanesmith (dot) net. She's posting some short stories, as well as news on her upcoming books (Strange Fate included), so check it out! Also, make sure to look out for the reprinted Night World volumes set to hit the shelves this year.
And last but not least, thank you once again to Alanna99 and Siese for your reviews. Your feedback really means a lot to me, and helps with continuing and updating this fic!

Chapter 9

"Hajime!"

Having performed sonkyo, the bow of respect before a sparring match, the two kendoka lunged at each other with the command to begin. The clash of shinai reverberated throughout the dojo, coupled by the cries of the combatants; one male, one female. A strike to the taller figure's wrist was expertly deflected, a strike to the head following in retaliation. The other competitor deftly evaded the descending arc, sidestepping and swinging the bamboo sword across their opponent's midsection.

Another clash of the shinai echoed across the room following a defensive measure, with the two suddenly moving across the length of the tatami mats, swords touching, waiting for an opening to attack. The taller of the two made a move for their opponent's neck, and as they brought up their shinai to block, he quickly pulled back, striking against their stomach instead.

"Dō!" resounded across the hall, accompanying the attack.

The sword made hard contact with the bogu covering the abdomen and chest, causing the individual to land flat on their back with the force of the hit.

There was mild applause from the other students who had been watching, congratulating the victor before dispersing for further individual practice. Removing the helmet, Sean ran a hand through his auburn hair as a very self-satisfied, haughty grin spread across his features. Looking down at his partner, he exhaled softly before offering his hand to hoist them up.

Ignoring the hand, Leyna sat up on her own accord, visibly unperturbed despite the hit she'd sustained, before removing her helmet. Several strands of hair clung to her face, but she ignored them entirely, all of her attention instead on the boy who had just defeated her for the fifth time in a row. She didn't mind too much, on the contrary fighting with someone of greater experience would only serve to advance her own skills. No, it was that cocky smile she couldn't stand, always waiting for her at the end of every match.

"Not bad, you're getting better by the minute" he said, giving her a pat on the back.

Her hard, apathetic expression remained despite his praise; hands stuck to her hips. If she didn't know any better, she'd have assumed he was patronizing her. He quickly surmised that she was not in a favorable mood, and took a step back, raising his arms in a show of some mild defense.

"I'm serious, I wouldn't lie to you" he said with a shaky laugh.

She sighed tiredly, deciding to forgo her aggravation and the thoughts of her own limitations. Seeing her mood change, he was once again by her side, placing a hand around her shoulder as they walked towards their belongings. Pulling out a bottle of water, he swallowed several mouthfuls – evidently parched from the intensity of their previous fights – watching her intently as she wiped her forehead with a towel.

"So" he began, breaking the drawn out silence, "have you given any thought to who you're going to Homecoming with?"

Leyna instantly paused at the unexpected question, before covering up her surprise by replacing her towel for a bottle of water. In all honesty she hadn't even realized Homecoming was coming up, let alone given it or a potential partner any thought. Her mind started processing all this information before stopping to consider the situation she was currently in. Sean had asked her if she was going with anyone. Did that, on some level of social protocol, equate to him indicating an interest in her? Would he ask her to go with him if she answered his question with a truthful 'no'?

Suddenly confused and overwhelmed, she consumed a substantial amount of her water as she began to consider her response. Would she decline him if he asked? She settled on the notion that she wouldn't, as he was a fairly decent guy who had quickly become one of her closest friends.

That's right, she concluded, there was nothing wrong with him and she ought to, for all intensive purposes, be thrilled to go with someone like him; someone she could trust and have a good time with. Someone who'd protect her. She recalled his scuffle with James last week and smiled inwardly. He'd been so protective and considerate, both rare qualities in most modern men.

Realizing she had yet to respond, she put her bottle away. "No" she said simply, facing away from him as she shuffled through her bag for the sake of doing something.

"Hm, really?" he asked with a hint of wonder, before emitting a low chuckle. "Actually, now that I think about it I shouldn't be all that surprised. Not exactly your type of scene, is it?"

"Guess not" she answered dismissively, before turning to face him at long last. "Have you?"

"Hm?" he replied, coming out of his own reverie, before realizing she was referring to his initial query. "Oh, yeah, I'm taking Cass."

She paused for the second time that day, all her thoughts coming to a complete halt. Cassandra… he was taking Cassandra? That was something she truly hadn't expected to hear. Of all the people he could have asked, it had been Cassandra? She tried to come to terms with it, surprised at her own reaction to the news. 'Why not Cass?' she asked herself. They were close, she was a friendly girl, somewhat pretty… so why not her?

She chastised herself for being silly, that this was something she shouldn't be overanalyzing, and that her prior assumption that he'd be asking her was just that, an assumption. So then why was she feeling a little… annoyed? Was that what the emotion bubbling away at the pit of her stomach was? Possibly, but whatever it was, she quickly decided it was unnecessary, and with that she squashed it as she resumed packing things into her sports bag.

"That's… nice…" she said finally, her eyes once again on the task at hand and not on him. She could feel his eyes on her as she shouldered the bag.

"Is something wrong?" he finally asked, ever perceptive.

"No, why would there be?"

He didn't answer her question, opting instead to follow her as she proceeded to the change rooms. She silently wished he would just leave her alone. She didn't like to be pestered, and she needed time alone to figure out for herself what was wrong.

"Leyna, wait" he called, his hand closing over her shoulder.

She didn't turn to face him, hoping that he'd just drop his incessant curiosity and concern. Of course she shouldn't have been expecting that from the likes of him, but her prayer was answered via other means. His mobile had suddenly begun to ring, and she couldn't have hoped for a better time. Releasing her, he began to fumble in his bag as she took the opportunity to disappear.

"Leyna, hold on… this shouldn't take long" he called after her, but she ignored the request, disappearing into another room where she thoughtlessly began to change.

To her surprise, and relief, he had disappeared entirely once she'd finally reemerged.

The drive back home had been quiet. Dimitri, who had for some time now been given the unofficial duty of being both her driver and, she presumed, guardian, had chosen not to disturb her as she sat in the back seat, staring thoughtlessly out the window. His continual glances in the rearview mirror didn't look as if they'd cease any time soon, but, like everything else, she paid little attention to them.

Her mind was elsewhere, attempting to come to terms with… something. She had never been good at dealing with her emotions, and her current situation as a result of that inadequacy was beginning to frustrate her. She hoped the sentiment didn't show, despite the glances of the man in front. She didn't want, nor need, a repeat of Sean's persistent questioning, especially from her brother.

They were nearing her house, she noted absently, recognizing the ever familiar road and houses adorning it. What she hadn't expected to see was a flash of red making its way down the length of the path. She turned her head as the car went passed, identifying the individual almost instantly.

"Stop the car."

Complying with the request, Dimitri parked the vehicle. She quickly stepped out; informing the man she'd walk the rest of the way. As the car drove off, she waited for the girl to approach her.

"Cassandra" she called out to the redhead, snapping her out of her deliberation.

The girl looked surprised to see her, but the sentiment was barely distinguishable from the anxiety and fear dominating her features and demeanor. Something was most definitely amiss, and Leyna was feeling a bout of uncertainty hit her as a result. She alone experienced substantial limitations when trying to deal with her own problems; she didn't want to think of how she'd cope with someone else's. And from the look of things, Cassandra probably needed more support and counsel than she had in herself to give.

"Leyna" she quickly acknowledged, "I was just on my way to see you."

She nodded, gathering as much. She wouldn't have been in the neighborhood otherwise.

"Walk with me?" she offered, to which the girl nodded eagerly. But before she could get a word in, Cass had already begun speaking.

"I tried calling you but your phone was off. I was wondering if perhaps Sean was with you, seeing as I couldn't get a hold of him either."

Leyna's features tightened slightly at the mention of Sean, despite her better efforts. Dismissively, she answered her question. "We had kendo about twenty minutes ago. He got a call towards the end and disappeared. I couldn't tell you where he went."

"Oh… I see" was the only thing to come out of her mouth, as she once again began to look out at the road.

"Cassandra, is something wrong?" she asked, noticing the anxiety suddenly playing across her uneasy expression.

Despite the fact that she was beginning to leave the realms of personal comfort with the query, her inner conscience more or less demanded it. She would never forgive herself if anything were to happen to her, especially if she were in a position to help her in any way.

"Oh… no, not really" she replied nervously. Leyna however didn't buy it; she could tell the girl way lying.

"Come on Cass, we both know that's not true. What's going on?"

"Look, I don't want to seem rude, but this is nothing you can help me with!" the girl shot back angrily, ceasing her previously tentative steps.

Leyna was stunned by the response; her own strides coming to a halt as a result of the uncharacteristic retort, and the evident fury lacing her tone. She didn't believe she'd been out of line with her questioning, which made the outburst all the more perplexing. It did little to perturb her though, and the redhead was slowly beginning to crumble under her hard, scrutinizing gaze.

"I'm sorry… I shouldn't have snapped. It was uncalled for" she whispered apologetically.

"No, I'm sure there's a valid reason" she offered, creating an opening for her to explain what was going on.

Her prior sentiments of hesitation with having to deal with whatever problem was troubling Cass had all but disintegrated, replaced by a firm resolution to unearth the dark secrets plaguing her mind. She was certain she could offer some form of assistance, even if they only were a few reassuring words. And so she waited, ever so patiently, for a little insight into what had left the girl a nervous, fearful wreck.

"I… I think someone's been following me" she got out after looking behind her shoulders several times.

Leyna raised an eyebrow at the revelation, trying to decide how she'd proceed. "Can you think of any reason why anyone would want to follow you; something along the lines of a persistent admirer at school perhaps?"

Cass was quiet once again, looking away uneasily. Leyna waited for a response she soon realized she wouldn't receive. She wondered whether it was a good idea to push harder, but after observing her demeanor, she decided further persistence would do more harm than good. The girl looked as if she were only just balanced on the edge between rationality and insanity; it wouldn't take much more for her to crack.

"So that's why you were trying to reach Sean, to tell him this?"

Cass nodded, and Leyna finally came to realize just how deep their relationship was, revealed to her with one simple wordless admission. They were so close that she was willing to bestow upon him her deepest and darkest secrets. She should have found the gesture charming; regarded their bond with a sense of admiration… and she did, but that tight twisting coil at the pit of her stomach marred the otherwise genuine sentiments.

Perhaps, she wondered in a meticulous fashion, all of it was spawn of her own insecurities regarding the relationship between Sean and herself. He'd taken on a rather protective role during their time together, one that reminded her considerably of an old acquaintance back at Vegas. It was comforting and, truth be told, made her somewhat happy; to know someone cared for her wellbeing. Her subconscious must have perceived any growing relationship between Sean and the girl before her as a threat. Yes, that had to be it.

She took a moment to sort out her thoughts, telling herself how ridiculous she was being. Courteously, she placed a hand on Cass' shoulder, eager to dispel her own issues as well as to assist with hers, coming to the conclusion that it was a good idea to get her off the streets for the time being.

"Why don't you come inside for a little while, and we can try reaching him again?"

"Really? I wouldn't be imposing?"

"No, of course not" Leyna assured, the sincerity suddenly gleaming in the girl's eyes not lost on her.

"Yes, thank you" she accepted gratefully, proceeding to follow her down the little remaining path before her house, and through the gates.

Leyna had to suppress a smile as she watched the girl's eyes widen as she took in the manor at the end of the driveway. She couldn't help but see a little of herself in the predictable reaction, which she had also exhibited when she'd first arrived just over a month ago. The thought suddenly had her feeling rather somber, and she began to draw parallels between Cass and who she used to be. But that thought in itself only added to her current dejection, as she began to wonder whether she had indeed begun to change; shifting away from the person she had once been.

She couldn't have changed that much in such little time, could she? But as she searched for an answer, it became clear to her that she wouldn't have been feeling a bout of solemnity if the notion hadn't already existed somewhere within her subconscious. If that were the case, the question then became an issue of whether her 'change' was a positive or a negative, to which she unfortunately had no answer. For the meantime.

"Wow… your house is really something!"

"Hmm?" she wondered absently as her moment of personal analysis was brought to a halt.

"Your house, it's beautiful!" Cass exclaimed once again, looking towards the front garden primped with full roses, an array of orchids, and a white-stone fountain.

"Oh… uh, thank you" she said absently, unable to come up with a better response.

Reaching the front door, Leyna promptly opened and held it for her companion. The telltale signs of uneasiness had returned to her features, however, and Leyna had to openly encourage her to enter the building. She decided to dismiss the peculiar attitude, accepting that some of her earlier anxieties had resurfaced.

"Welcome back, miss" the head butler, an aging man with ever-polite features, greeted as soon as she'd entered. "May I take your jacket?"

"Yes, thank you Gamel" she returned, taking off and handing him the piece of clothing. He took it before his eyes fell on Cass, who'd planted herself in a corner against the wall.

"Shall I have some tea and a light luncheon prepared for you and your guest?" he asked, his attention once again on her.

"Tea would be great. Thank you" she agreed before the older man bowed his head in response, and disappeared down a hallway.

She turned to Cass, who had a look of curious bewilderment in her eyes. "I hope you don't mind staying for a light bite."

"That… should be fine" she said slowly.

"Well, why don't we take a seat and start making that phone call" she prompted, leading her into one of the living rooms.

Cass seemed a little hesitant with sitting down at first, but eventually took a seat on the edge of one of the leather couches. Leyna watched her from the corner of her eye as she dialed Sean's number, but was greeted on the other end by a women's scripted, mechanical voice.

'The number you have dialed is either switched off, or currently unavailable. Please leave a message, or try again later….'

"Anything?" Cass asked, her tone anxious and eager.

"No, his phone's still turned off."

The girl sighed and her shoulders slumped, her expression suddenly exhausted. Leyna was watching her closely once again, trying to decipher everything she'd seen and heard in a bid to discover what had her acting the way she was. She didn't have much to go on, only that she suspected that she was being followed, however incredulous that sounded. Her demeanor and manner told her that she wasn't lying, and that she had a strong belief someone was indeed watching her. But who would want to follow her, and why? Unfortunately, those were the questions that really mattered, and she had no answers whatsoever.

"Ah, there you are!" a voice declared, causing her gaze to shift from the redhead and onto her brother as he entered the room. "How was kend… oh, I didn't know we had company" he said suddenly, his eyes falling on Cass.

"Oh, yes. Alec, this is Cass from school. Cass, this is my brother Alec."

"A pleasure. It's about time I got to meet one of Leyna's friends" he said, tone warm and friendly as he held out his hand for Cass to shake.

The girl merely looked at it for a long time, analyzing it, before looking up into Alec's face. Several emotions Leyna couldn't quite identify flashed in her eyes and across her features, before a light tremor enveloped her being.

"Who is he?" she asked carefully as she looked back at her, ignoring Alec's hand.

"I already told you, he's my brother" she answered, her eyebrow raised and tone hard at the rude reaction and display.

"Are we really that unalike?" Alec asked, retracting his hand as if nothing had happened. "Hmm, maybe you're adopted" he added as an afterthought, crossing his arms and tapping his chin thoughtfully as he looked at her jokingly.

"You…" she got out, unable to think of anything to finish the sentence. Instead, she settled on picking up one of the velvet couch cushions and hurling it at his general direction. He dodged it easily, a small chuckle leaving his lips as he did.

"What… what's going on here?"

The low, harsh question had her attention returning to Cass. Her posture was tense; fists were clenched atop her thighs, and her mouth was a thin hard line as she gazed down at the floor. Something was wrong, and Leyna was at a loss at what that something was.

"What––."

"You're one of them!" the girl screeched, interrupting her as she jumped out of her seat.

"One of them?" Leyna reiterated, confused and at a total loss for what she meant. But what she didn't miss was the hard, cold, hateful glare the girl was suddenly giving her. Perturbed, she stood up slowly, ready to approach her.

"No! Don't touch me! Don't you dare touch me you filthy parasite!" she cried, moving away from her outstretched hand.

"Excuse me?" was the only thing Leyna could manage, her shock overwhelmed by a sudden burst of anger as she processed what she'd just heard. She'd been called a 'filthy parasite'. There was no justification for something like that, no matter how upset the girl was.

Several security personnel had entered the room from two of its doorways, having evidently heard the screams of the deranged girl. They stood where they were for the moment, watching, ready to move and act if the situation called for it. Alec had moved to Leyna's side of the room, quietly watching the spectacle, as well as ensuring that he personally was in a position to defend his sister.

"You!" she pointed a shaky finger at her, and then at Alec, her voice accusing and hysterical. "Both of you! You're nothing but monsters!"

"How dare you!" Leyna seethed angrily, taking a few steps forward. "Seeing as I have no clue what your problem is, I'm willing to dismiss any insults you throw at me. But don't think for a second that I am going to sit by and let you insult my brother!"

But seeing her approach had only resulted in Cass turning around and sprinting for the front door – the desperation in her strides mirroring a defenseless prey running for its life – her departure easily achieved as the guards moved to the side, content with having her leave. Leyna however was too angry and annoyed to just let her outburst slide; she wanted to know what had happened and she wasn't about to wait to find out.

"Cassandra!" she called out, running out the door after her.

She was halfway down the driveway, and despite her calls, she would neither stop nor turn around. By the time Leyna had reached the main gates, the girl had long since disappeared. She looked down both ends of the road, but was met with nothing.

"Miss, is everything alright?" Rolf asked, having followed her out onto the footpath.

"Yeah" she replied softly, her hand making its way onto her forehead, the other on her waist as she took one more look down the road. With a heavy sigh she turned around and went back in, truly at a loss over what had just occurred.

His assignment had been simple; find the girl. That was all his lord had asked of him. He'd searched every city he could think of, made numerous inquires to no avail, but then he'd found something, and all his efforts up to that point had seemed pretty redundant. But who would have thought that she'd be there, of all places? It would have been the most logical conclusion if not for the mitigating circumstances he'd been informed of, which had caused him to overrule it. He'd been far too careless, and had wasted too much time as a result. His lord did not appreciate incompetence, nor did he appreciate having to wait. He only hoped he could appease him with his findings.

He'd been parked outside the large manor for most of the day, out of sight, simply watching and waiting to confirm his information. And then he'd seen her, and after a long tedious month of searching, he finally had what his lord so desperately wanted.

He'd taken a couple of photos upon seeing her, as a matter of proof, before she'd disappeared behind the high white walls. To his surprise, she'd reemerged a little less than ten minutes later. He took the opportunity to take a few more pictures as she looked down the road, her features tinged with confusion and annoyance. He snapped away eagerly. The little thing looked adorable in her disheveled state, and he wouldn't have minded keeping a couple of the photos capturing the moment for himself.

She was shortly joined by a dark haired man dressed in black; the manor's resident guard dog. He'd settled back into his seat, ensuring he was out of sight. Taking a couple more pictures – another gorgeous look of exasperation crossing her features – he put his camera away as they both turned and disappeared. Taking out his cell, he dialed a number, and waited patiently.

"My lord… I've found her."