Sapphire, by lyradaemon

Chapter 2: A Secret

Disclaimer: I don't own anything, I'm just borrowing them temporarily.

Thanks to kestrel1206Lya DarkfuryHeLl HaVe No FuRy LiKe A wOmAn and Erkith for their reviews!

AS A RESULT OF SEVERAL WONDERFUL REVIEWERS, I'VE DECIDED TO CHANGE THIS CHAPTER SLIGHTLY, TO MAKE EVERYONE MORE IN CHARACTER ETC. PLEASE RE-REVIEW!

(It's set before the Daemon/Surreal thing mentioned in 'Daughter'

A horrific scream pierced the night.

Daemon leapt out of bed and ran to the door, creating a small globe of witch-light over his head. He yanked it open and found Surreal there, worry on her face.

"Surreal what-"

"It's Noelle. I think she had another nightmare."

"Should I come?"

"No; she won't trust you at all. Especially considering what you're wearing." She looked at him pointedly.

Daemon glanced down and blushed – actually blushed. "Oh. Sorry." He muttered, hiding his indecency behind the door before calling in a pair of black silk pyjama bottoms. "Let me know what happens."

"I will," she assured him before racing down the hall to Noelle's room.

Daemon closed the door, then went to stand in front of the window. Using Craft he drew back to heavy curtains; the bright moonlight spilled in, bathing everything in a soft white glow. He sighed.

Was she ever going to come? The thought had been spinning inside his head for days now, ever since he had received the news. He desperately needed to know that she would come; that she would be everything he had always dreamed she would be. That everything would be alright. But apart from Tersa's word, he had nothing to go by. And although he loved Tersa dearly, the word of a mad, broken witch wasn't much to go on.

Or was it? He didn't know.

Some time later the door opened quietly and Daemon sensed Surreal's come in. Without turning he asked, "How is she?"

"Scared. She had a nightmare about…what happened to her, and I think it was particularly vivid. I gave her a sleeping brew; she shouldn't have any more dreams for the rest of the night,"

"Good."

Surreal approached him slowly, regarding his beautiful profile; the sculptured bones, the smooth jaw line, the sensuous lips. But something was wrong. "Daemon…are you alright?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"

"It's just that…well, you seem on edge a bit. As if something's happened. And I can sense it in your psychic scent too."

"What?" His head whipped around at that. "No one can sense it though."

"I know that; but I'm not everyone. I don't notice it most of the time since you keep it so well-hidden, but you must have let it slip a bit. I've lived with you long enough Daemon; and I wear the Grey, which is closer to your Jewels than anyone else's."

"Except Lucivar," he said almost inaudibly.

Surreal reached up hesitantly and put a hand on his bare shoulder; it was warm. "Do you want to talk?" She asked gently, not wanting to scare him off.

The look in his eyes terrified her. It was so full of guilt and hurt and pain that she couldn't breathe. Daemon was scared, petrified, furious, hurting, all at once. But he shouldn't be! He's meant to be strong…I need him to be strong…

"Lucivar…" he began before his voice broke. "Lucivar – he's hurt, and it's all my fault."

"It's alright Daemon," she whispered. "You can tell me."

"It's all my fault," he said again, clearly distressed.

"Shh, Daemon. Tell me what's wrong."

"I used my Jewels; I shouldn't have, but I was so angry…And they told me – us – that if we ever used our Jewels, the other would be punished for it. So that bitch sent him to the salt mines…"

"What?" Surreal asked, shocked.

Daemon nodded. "The bitch Queen I was serving told Dorothea that I'd used Craft, and she spoke to Zuultah. And Zuultah put Lucivar in the mines. It's all my fault…"

Surreal pulled glanced up into Daemon's face. His golden eyes were filled with tears, his cheeks were damp and he looked utterly miserable. But still more beautiful than he has a right to be, Surreal sighed to herself. "Daemon, it's not your fault at all. How were you to know that Lucivar would be sent to Pruul for what you did? You didn't do it on purpose; you can't be blamed."

"I killed someone, a man," Daemon whispered, not looking away. "He was hurting a girl; I couldn't let him do it. So I killed him." His voice was emotionless.

"I can understand that. I'm sure Lucivar would have done the same."

"When they told me," Daemon continued, voice barely above a whisper, "I turned cold, I rose to the killing edge. I destroyed the place; the whole court, gone. I killed everyone. They're all gone, dead. I was so angry." Despite the almost guilty words, his voice held no regret, no remorse.

"They can't trace it back to you. They never can."

He sighed heavily. "I know that; it's just as well. If they could, Lucivar would be dead by now." He looked at her, anger and fury at the bitches who had punished his brother seething in his golden gaze. "Surreal…"

Hesitating only a second, Surreal reached out and wrapped her arms around him. His own slipped around her, pulling her close as he rested his cheek on her hair. "It'll be alright, Daemon," she whispered. "Lucivar will be alright." Daemon had hugged her on occasion before, but intimacy – even something as simply as this – was always hard for him. So for him to trust her this much made Surreal's heart ache.

Finally he pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said.

"Don't be. You needed it." She smiled faintly

Daemon nodded wordlessly. :Thank you:

She smiled gently. :Lucivar will be alright. Don't worry about him; if he's as strong as you are, he'll survive.:

:I know. I'm just so scared.:

"Be strong for him, Daemon," she said aloud. "He needs you to still be here when he gets out."

"Don't worry about me, Surreal. I'm not going to do anything stupid," he said with a wry smile.

"I wouldn't count on it," she returned dryly. "Good night, Daemon."

"Good night, Surreal. Thank you."

Surreal hugged him quickly before slipping out the door, closing it softly behind her.

Daemon sighed, sinking on the bed. He lay back, head on the pillows, arms crossed on his chest.

He hadn't meant to do kill them. But then, he hadn't meant to do a lot of things, and they'd still happened. And because of it, his brother was now imprisoned in the salt mines of Pruul; not indefinitely - he remembered being told that before he turned cold - but long enough that they'd both learn a lesson. Long enough for him to be almost dead, but not so long that Daemon would have reason to unleash his fury on all of them. They knew what they were doing.

Closing his eyes against the images of Lucivar, trapped underground, he sent out a thought. :I need you. I need you so much…:

He knew no one would hear it. But he wouldn't lose hope; hope was the only thing keeping him going. Hope was all he had left, now that Lucivar was gone.

I have Surreal. And Tersa. They care for me; I can't abandon them, he thought. No matter how tempting it is.

With a burning, deep longing coursing through every part of him, Daemon fell into an exhausted sleep.

NOW REVIEW! COME ON PEOPLE, I NEED THE ENCOURAGEMENT! )

Right; a few quick points.

I really appreciated the reviews I received from the first posting of this chapter. But, as some of you pointed out, events didn't really fit in with the whole time-scale thing, so I decided to change it – and also because people were acting out of character. It hasn't changed much, but I hope it's marginally better!

I've decided that Surreal and Daemon still have their 'brother/sister' relationship going which hasn't been spoiled by what was mentioned in 'Daughter.'

I know Lucivar going to the mines wasn't mentioned in the books, but I wanted Lucivar to be punished for what Daemon did, and since a lot of those Queens were very evil, I thought sending him to the mines was probably what they'd do.

By the way, if anyone is interested in beta-ing for this fic I'd really appreciate it; while I love doing BJT fic, I sometimes get a little stuck for ideas, or think people are acting OOC. Please let me know in a review, or send me a message.

Lyradaemon x