Title: Raine, Chapter 9: En Guarde

Author: Cassidelia

Rating: PG

Warnings: Darker than before…

Disclaimer: I love 'em, I don't own em. Madame Pierce does. Baird and Jasson are hers, personality of Jai is mine, yadda, yadda, and yadda…You know the spiel.

Dedications/ Thank-yous': As before, to Magixpawn for your consistent reviews. To Jaela- my number one muse. To Reena for her help. And, to Emily and Maxwell- for being my lights in the storm. ( Oh- And to Alex, just because you won't leave me alone about it. LU! *grin*)

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"Answer you?" Sapphire murmured poisonously, her eyes narrowed as much as Raine's. Her hand slipped to her waist, then flashed out, drawing a line across Raine's chest that flushed red after just a few seconds. Raine jumped back almost as soon as the cold metal kissed her skin through the clothing. "How's that for an answer?"

Raine remained silent, trying to tally her wounds without drawing another attack from her sister. Sure, she could fight her sister off. There was only one slight disadvantage on her end. Sapphire had magic. Not strong magic, but magic all the same; and that was a liability to Raine. While one hand drifted to her sword, the other slipped into her pocket. She fingered two small vials. A grim smile crossed her face. This would be a night to remember, all right.

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Jasson glanced down either direction at the crossroads of one of the many hallways in the Nobles' wing; taking a brief moment to breathe. Gasping, he tried to remember. Was the Starbrook clan's rooms down the east or west corridor? The painting, his mind said. Remember the paintings…they give clues. He looked up and to the east. A large landscape- a meadow with a brook running through it, a large lake on one side, a cove shaped like a crown on the other, and several stars in the twilit sky. Nothing registering, he looked to the other; a tall, abstract painting. Then it hit him. Stars. Brook. Starbrook!

Cursing himself for not comprehending before, he dashed down the hallway, trying to be quick as well as quiet. Twice he almost fell, the third time he stumbled he turned an ankle on an uneven place in the cobbling. "Mithros," he cursed between jolts of white pain. "I'm going to have to see about replacing that." He cleared his throat, shook his head, and as he began to walk again, he heard the sleek tsing of a sword being drawn. Hobbling down the corridor, he stopped just short of a large oak door that stood wide open. He peeked around the corner and stopped the stillborn gasp from escaping his lips. Leaf lay on the floor; his eyes closed and skin a strange bluish tint. Jai swallowed hard, pressing his back against the door. If what he was about to do worked, he'd be called heroic. If it didn't work, even just barely as he had planned; he'd be called an idiot, and shame the royal family.

Wincing as his ankle throbbed, he slid into the dense shadows next to the door. The sun was long past setting; in fact, it was nearly time for it to rise on a new day. His breath came short as he spotted two figures standing in the middle of the room; swords drawn and glinting in the brightly lit room. For all the light and the quality of it, one would think that it came from the sun itself rather than the several dozen thick white pillar candles placed around the walls.

Raine was standing silently with her sword drawn. Sapphire's lips were moving, but he couldn't hear what she was saying. Silently, he crept closer, careful to stay in the shadows.

"…you'll never see them again," Sapphire was saying. "And then you'll be gone, and Mother and Father will realize their mistake." Her words didn't seem to make a mark on Raine at all. "And your prince…" Raine's head jerked up, and she stared at Sapphire. "Yes, your precious little prince…" Sapphire drawled, watching Raine's reaction closely. "He'll have to go as well."

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Like an owl nabbing its' prey, Raine struck; her sword flashing in the air. With a grinding clang Sapphire blocked the blow, her eyes flashing in triumph. "I seem to have hit a nerve," she cooed; her voice dripping with disdain and malice.

"You will never," Raine drew back and struck again instantaneously. Sapphire blocked it again. "Ever," she whipped the metal around and made a small gash on her siblings' upper arm. Sapphire was slowing down, but the heat of anger didn't lessen any in Raine's attack. "Ever hurt him! I won't let you!"

Sapphire blocked the next one, grunting a little as she heaved her sister away. "You won't let me? Hmm…In that case," she made the attack this time. It was rather weak, but the words stung more than the blow. "I'll make you watch as I kill him." She disarmed Raine in one swift move.

Raine swallowed hard and backed away as her sword landed clattering in the far corner. She started to back away, towards what she hoped was the door. Sapphire advanced on her, her blade making blows with each word of the next sentence. "As I torture him. Slowly, ever slowly. I'll draw it out just so you can hear him screaming."

Dropping to her knees, Raine looked up defiantly; even though blood poured from her arms and her chest, she maintained a steady gaze. Her face was as stone; her chin didn't tremble, and her eyes were almost dead. Just almost; they showed the faintest hint of emotion- pure hatred. "There was never a more vile human being on the face of this earth than you." Dropping what was left of her façade, she looked down at the floor, her hand reaching into her pocket. She pulled one of the two vials out of it, uncorking it with a quick flick of her thumb.

The blonde placed the tip of her sword under Raine's chin; the sharp point forcing her head upwards. "Thank you for that observation, I'll take it as a compliment; but be that as it may, no one cares enough for you to trace this."

"That's where you're wrong," Jai said, choosing that moment to slip from the shadows. Sapphire spun and Raine downed the contents of the vial.

She smiled, and laughed for a second, causing Sapphire to spin back to her, placing her sword back at her sister's throat. "That's what you think," she growled, moving the hand that held the sword slightly to the right.

"No!" Jasson yelled, jumping forward as Sapphire's wrist flicked to slit Raine's throat. It was too late, however, because as she did so, her quarry's eyes rolled back in her head and she fell backwards in heap. "No…"Jai repeated, gripping Sapphires wrists. With his gift, he bound her; placing the girl in a protective circle that would keep anything from entering or exiting it.

He knelt at her side, brushing the hair away from her face. "Raine…Raine, wake up." Her chest didn't move. "Raine! Come on, Raine, don't do this to me…"

"Jasson," a deep voice commanded. "Move away." A tall, brown-headed man knelt beside him. "Your Highness, really. I need you to move," Duke Baird repeated quietly. Jai nodded quietly and moved back, his eyes not straying from Raine's face. Baird placed his hands on Raine's shoulders, his deep emerald green flaring up.

Jai got to his feet and took a step or three away. After a few moments more she still didn't show any movement. Duke Baird sighed and stood up slowly; his bones creaking as he did so. Never before had he seemed so old. He turned to the prince, his eyes solemn.

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A/N: I know, I know… You hate me.

TBC soon, I promise…