Title: Raine, Chapter 8: Requiem

Author: Cassidelia

Date: June 7, 2002

Feedback: ALWAYS WELCOME!

Rating: PG

Disclaimer: Lessee…. The only people in this chapter who aren't mine are Jasson and Jon- Jon makes a brief appearance, and Jasson…well, duh. His personality is mine; the actual character belongs to Madame Pierce herself. Everyone else? Mine. The place? Nope- it's hers. But the Starbrook clan? Oooooh yeah, they're mine. I don't think Tammy'd want 'em.

Dedication: To Magixpawn- I always look forward to your reviews! Thank you! To Reeni- for your *clears throat* 'beta' work *grin*. To Jaela- My #1 muse. And last, but most definitely not least, to Maxwell and Emily- Maxwell, for although he's not a TP fan, he encourages my writing; and Emily- for FINALLY getting hooked, and, like Maxwell, supporting me both realistically and nicely (no small feat).

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Jasson blinked stupidly for a few moments, as the room around him erupted in screams. Raine gripped his arm tightly, almost cutting off the circulation. "That's not…" he trailed off.

Raine nodded slowly, the color draining from her face leaving it porcelain white. "I-I think it is," she responded quietly. Quickly, almost faster than Jai could have imagined in her shocked state, Raine leapt up from her seat and ran to the bloody figure lying heaped in the middle of the room. A kind of shocked hush fell over the crowd as she gently gripped the crimson wool, and turned the girl over. A strangled sob ripped through her throat, her eyes burned, and she felt the salty drops begin streaming down her face. "No…" she whispered, not caring that her white dress was turning almost black with blood. She shook her head violently. "No!"

Jai came up behind her, holding back tears. He placed a hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "Come on, Raine," he whispered after a few moments. "Let her go."

"No," Raine sobbed. "No, I can't. I won't. This can't be real… It just can't be happening!" She murmured hysterically, her words echoing around the now silent room. Biting her lip, she sat staring at her friend, silent tears streaming down her face.

Murmurs traveled through the crowd, and Jai was suddenly aware of someone standing behind him. He glanced back, his father nodded at him, gesturing at the girl, whose muted sobs wracked her frame. Jai knelt down beside her, pulling her to him and hugging her, trying not to look into the open, unseeing eyes of Paige; who lay covered in her own blood, gazing into the space near the ceiling.

He stood, pulling Raine up with him. Turning his back to Paige, he blinked his own burning eyes. He wouldn't cry just yet. He'd wait until he was back in his own quarters. "Shh…It's okay, Raine."

"No, no it isn't," came the strangled whisper. She pulled away a little, looking up accusingly at him through red, tear-filled eyes. "Don't you understand, Jai? It's not okay. It will never be okay," struggling a little; she freed herself of his grasp and backed away a few steps, trying to ignore all the stunned looks around her. "As long as I'm here, it will never be okay again." She fell over the hem of her gown, landing on her hands and was up again like lightning, fleeing the room.

"Raine!" Jai shouted desperately. The crowds parted, revealing a clear path to the door. "Father?" He asked, his voice trembling a bit, his mind screaming for him to run after her.

"Go, Jasson. I will see to your friend," Jon murmured, and Jai was off like a shot, seeing small spots of red on the marble and granite floor, obviously dripping off Raine's dress.

Twisting and turning through a labyrinth of corridors, some of which he hadn't known existed, he began to lose hope of ever finding her. The spots were becoming harder and harder to find, practically impossible in the dimly lit hallways. Tiring of it, he raised his hand, a small ball of blue fire- his gift, lighting the corridor enough to see comfortably.

"That's better," he murmured to himself, following the trail down another little-used hall. He glanced up, seeing a dark figure sitting on one of the oversized windowsills. Clenching his fist, extinguishing the light, he approached quietly. The girl- he was certain it was Raine was sitting, head braced against the wall, staring up into the starry sky. Tears still ran down her face, but no longer did her shoulders shake from withheld sobs, now she simply sat, stared, and cried.

"It's my fault, you know," she whispered. He didn't ask how she had known he was there, but stepped a few feet closer. He opened his mouth to respond, but she cut him off. "It's all my fault. If I hadn't come here, and gotten to know you both, I would never have endangered her. I would never have endangered you. I don't know how, and I don't know when, but somehow, Sapphire found out that I was here. She's killed Paige, it's only logical that she'll go after you next."

"Raine-"

"Enough, Jasson!" She snapped, her tone offering no room for argument. "I can't do it. I won't do it. I'm leaving. I have to."

"No!" Jai objected adamantly. "You're not going anywhere! You can't!"

"I can. And I will," she said icily, bowing her head. "I won't have both of your deaths on my conscience," she swallowed hard. "It's hard enough to have killed one of the people I love, I couldn't bear it if they got you as well."

Jai placed a tentative hand on her shoulder. "I could protect you. I am a prince after all."

"You think you can be everywhere? You think that your bloodline will be enough to keep the Starbrook clan at bay?" She molded her face into a glare, and stared at him. Although the facial expression was stern, the eyes spoke of something else. Of pain, and heartbreak, and fear. "You cannot protect me. I have to do the right thing for once, I won't let someone else get pulled into this."

"Someone else?" Jai whispered.

"Leaf," she answered quietly. "It's my fault that he's in her clutches."

"No, it isn't," a new voice said from the shadows. Jasson's hand went instantly to his sword hilt, while Raine simply looked up. " It was never your fault, Raine." A tall, blonde boy stepped out of the shadows. " Things just happened that you couldn't take care of."

"Leaf," Raine breathed. "But you were… I thought that…"

Leaf shook his head, smiling in spite of himself. "No, I'm not dead, I haven't run off somewhere. I'm in bondage," he held up his wrist, revealing a thin, seamless silver band. "It won't come off," he sighed, glaring disgustedly at the band. "Not while I'm alive, at least."

"But can't she find you?" Jai demanded harshly.

Leaf raised his eyebrows, amusement showing in his eyes and at the corners of his mouth. "Watch your tone, princeling. You haven't a thing in the world to be jealous of at this point. And yes, she could summon me to her with this, but at the moment she's too busy gloating over this last-" his eyes traveled to Raine. "Conquest," he finished, swallowing his original word.

Raine stood shakily, grabbing the ledge to catch her balance. Once she had it, she stood up straight, and looked Leaf squarely in the eyes. "Is that what she calls this? A conquest?" She spat the last word, eyes filling with a sort of fire. Jai and Leaf exchanged glances; they both knew that look. "Tell me, Leaf! Is that what she called this!"

"Well…well, yes, that's how she phrased it," Leaf stammered, cursing himself for what he had said. " I might be mistaken, though."

"I doubt it," she said shortly. "As I recall, you have an excellent memory." She spun, hatred showing plain as day in her features. "If you'll excuse me, I have a family member that I need to rendezvous with."

Jai grabbed her forearm. "Raine, what do you think you're doing? She'll kill you!"

"Better me than you!" She wrenched out of his hold, glaring for a moment. Then her look softened. "I'm sorry, Jai," she whispered, trying a faltering smile. "But this is something I have to do."

He sighed, staring down at the flagstones. "I know."

She smiled. "Good," leaning over, she kissed him on the cheek. "I'll come back," she promised. "I swear I will."

A hand drifted up to press the spot on his quickly warming cheek as she turned and disappeared into darkness. He looked around, and found that Leaf too, had disappeared. "You had better," he whispered to no one. "You had better."

* * *

Sapphire laughed maliciously as people screamed all around the great hall. This evening just got better and better. Sighing complacently, she slipped out unnoticed, although not before seeing her sister run to the dead wench's side. She knew that Raine would come to find her. Everything was going as she had planned; even Leaf's small 'breach of faith' that he thought she didn't know about. Oh, she knew all right. In fact, she was counting on it.

* * *

Raine stalked down the hall towards her room. If nothing else, she needed out of this blood soaked gown. That brought the memory of Paige back to her. Her crumpled, beaten form just…just lying there- lifeless and staring into oblivion. Tears prickled at her eyes, but she fought them back. She would cry later. After her sister paid. And oh yes, her sister would pay.

Bursting into the room, she changed in record time, exchanging her gown for a pair of light breeches and a shirt. Grabbing her sword and knives she put them in their respective sheaths, and left the quarters, stopping only long enough to stretch for a moment. Her jaw set, eyes steely she headed toward the noble quarters where she knew her sister was staying. Being a maid had its uses, one of which was knowing every back passage in the castle; being able to navigate better than the king himself.

She peered around the corner, and seeing no obstacles, proceeded to the door, which she kicked in. "Knock, knock…" she called. "Sapphire, dear, come out, come out wherever you are."

Sapphire stepped out of the shadows. "My darling, darling older sister. Back from the dead, is it? Or on your way to join them." She brandished a long, wickedly curved sword as though it were a feather in her grasp. Probably bewitched. Raine thought, disgustedly. "Did you come only for chitchat?"

"You know what I came for," Raine growled in reply.

Sapphire mocked thoughtfulness. "No, you know what? I don't know. But what I'm thinking is that you just have a death wish."

"Perhaps some day," Raine retorted, making sure her wrist sheaths were loosened and her sword was at ready. "But not tonight, and not from you. I think it is you, you, Sapphire, who has the death wish. So tell me. Where do you want your ashes scattered? Traitors' hill? Because that's certainly where you belong," she took one step closer. "I would say the sea, but I wouldn't poison innocent creatures with your venom."

"You talk, sister. But you were never this aggressive. Always a pacifist. What has happened to you?" Sapphire asked innocently.

"I woke up," Raine growled. "Apparently you're in a dream."

"Finding you alive? More like a nightmare."

"Then what are you waiting for?" Raine chided, drawing her own sword. "Why all the talk?" As she said it, Leaf rushed up and leaned against the doorway; panic in his hide-eyed, breathless stare.

Sapphire smiled smugly. She pinched the air, and Raine watched as Leaf grappled at his throat, face turning a bluish shade from the effort to breathe. Raine rushed to help, Leaf falling into her arms, now a sort of plum color.

"I…" he choked, reaching up to brush a lock of hair from her eyes. "I'm- so sorry…Raine. You…" he swallowed hard, trying to choke out the words. "You have to survive," he coughed. "Raine-" it came out as a whisper now, color was fading from his face. "Run…Run while you still can." Sapphire snapped her fingers, and Leaf's eyes widened for a moment, then fell closed, his head lolling backwards. Raine bit her tongue in an effort not to scream. Two in one night- there was no way she'd let it be three.

Gently setting Leaf's lifeless form on the tiles, and shutting his eyes with a hand, she turned and stood, squaring her shoulders against the grin she knew would be covering her sister's face. "You think you've one?" she whispered hoarsely. "You think by killing them, somehow you've succeeded?" She stalked forward until she was almost nose to nose with her sister. "Answer me."

Had to be a mistake.

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A/N: I know, I know, you hate me for my cliffy's. What can I say? They just…work so well! Anyway, this is chapter 8, I hope you enjoyed it. I'll try to get chapter 9 done before camp (June 16-23) but I'm not making any promises.

Feedback is always welcome! That's what the review box is there for!

~Cass