Original Stories Fan Fiction ❯ Blood Sister-Revised ❯ Madness ( Chapter 2 )

Scroll II-Madness

 

Rose sat in the top branches of an ancient Oak. It was so quiet she could almost hear the blood flowing through her veins. Soft golden light bathed her. Today was a special day. Today was the day that she received her first Mission as one of Lucas' personal fighters. She looked at this night with anticipation and terror. This mission could be anything. She had maybe a half hour until the vampires stirred from their underground chambers.

She also thought about *her*. It had been nine years and ten months since the dragons had stolen them from Lucas. She wondered what Rina was like now, if she thought about her at all. She'd seen her sister once since their pact- The vampires had come close to the dragons on one of their hunts a few years ago. Rose had gotten away from them (as was her ever-increasing habit) and had seen her double wrestling with one of the dragons.

Rose had watched them a long time. They never saw her. But it made her happy to see that Rina was safe and happy. She hoped that she could make their meeting two months from now. She was startled out of her thoughts with a shout from far below. Rose took a deep breath. -here it goes.- she thought. She followed Tara silently to speak with Lucas.

* * *

Bright laughter filled the air as she flicked mud from her fingers. A sly smile touched her lips as she rose gracefully to her feet. Lean muscles rippled under her skin as she launched herself at the grinning dragon standing a few feet away. Jeremy caught her and turned the force of her attack against her to send her spinning in the opposite direction.

Rina landed and spat out a mouthful of red hair, frowning at what he had done. "Your attack is too straight forward and predictable," he explained. "Try feinting in the opposite direction that you actually mean to come at me." She nodded and settled into a different fighting stance, but before she could move, a new dragon came bursting through the foliage of the surrounding forest.

They abandoned the spar and turned to the scout. Whatever his business, it was important. He wouldn't have left his post unless it was otherwise. White faced and gasping for breath, he stumbled to Jeremy and collapsed to his knees. He clutched at the spreading crimson stain on his chest. Jeremy knelt beside him and removed the young man's hand from his chest, pressing his own to the wound. A quick burst of power seared the wound closed and elicited a howl of pain from the scout. "What is your news?" Jeremy asked softly.

"Grethel," he gasped. "She's found us. Her guards attacked. I was the only one to escape."

Jeremy's gaze flashed to Rina, but she was already moving. Nearly ten years of running from the Dragon King with him had taught her to anticipate his needs. She would see to it that the other dragons were warned and that they scattered before they could be found. He stood, hauling the younger dragon up with him and slipped an arm around his waist. Then, he followed after Rina to find that their temporary camp was already a flurry of activity.

He caught sight of Mia, Setsu, Resu, and Nadari as they moved to flank Rina. Signaling to Resu, he handed over the wounded dragon to his care and left the pair to join Rina and the others. "We have a few injured and unable to fight. They're pairing with stronger dragons and gathering enough supplies to get through a few," Rina informed him. The pairs are leaving by ground and through the trees in different directions. They'll circle a few times to confuse the scents and then get the hell out of the forest. If we get out of this scrape, we'll meet up with them in a few days at the rendezvous point."

Pride crossed his face as he nodded. Despite her youth, she had a keen mind. Every escape they had pulled off had always resulted because of her plans. She was the one to organize the departure and protection of those who were unable to fight themselves and she even went so far as to set up ambushes to surprise their pursuers. His dragons still looked to him to make the big decisions and settle disputes, but she was the one they entrusted their safety to. She was his unofficial second.

"Very good," he said. Then, he glanced at Nadari and asked, "How many were reported?"

Fear flashed through Nadari's blue eyes. "At least a hundred," he said softly. "A hundred of her best trained trackers and fighters. I don't think we can avoid this fight."

Jeremy's feral grin did much to relieve the tension that had been building among them. "Then, we'll meet them and fight. They won't know what hit them."

Setsu and Nadari exchanged a look of their own. Mia rolled her shoulders and grinned, clearly ready for a fight. "Go," Jeremy said. "Get them ready. We don't have much time before they find us and I'd rather we be ready for them when they do."

"Lead us well, prince," Mia growled. And with that, the three of them departed to carry out his orders.

Rina looked enquiringly at Jeremy and he caught her in a fierce hug. Her lips brushed his ear as she whispered, "Our chances?"

"Grethel was my mentor," he breathed. "Any of *her* guards will be well trained and borderline savage by now. We'll be lucky to get out of this with just the two of us. I want you to depart with Resu and the scout."

She pulled away and snarled at him. "No," she said. "I stand with you to the end."

* * *

Rose took a deep breath to slow her furiously beating heart. This felt wrong. When Lucas said she had to kill dragons, all she could think about was the group that took her and Rina. What if the officers she'd killed were one of them? It was too late to turn back. Three officers were dead. The second in command and Grethel remained. The whole place was in a frenzy.

She had managed so far to escape detection. But the guard had quadrupled since the last assassination. Rose didn't like killing. The fear, the guilt, the sickness- it made her head spin. But she had to prove herself to Lucas. She had to be worthy. And Tara wouldn't forgive her if she failed here.

Just beyond her hiding place was the tent where the last officer rested, alone. Five dragons guarded the tent. She had to be careful. Rose was just about to sneak behind the only unprotected corner of the tent when shouts drew three of the guards away. She couldn't believe her luck.

It was too easy to knock them out. All too soon she was creeping silently into the dark tent and holding her silver dagger. She didn't make a sound as she approached the sleeping figure.

*Too loud.* she thought. *My heartbeat is too loud...!* Sure enough, in less than a second the officer had her pinned and her dagger flew from her grasp. His knee dug painfully into her stomach. Rose couldn't breathe. Her arms were pinned above her head.

"Bastard," Rose rasped. She kicked him hard and managed to twist out of his grasp. Still struggling for

breath, she retrieved her dagger and turned back to the dragon. He was too fast. She was hit hard in the chest and she flew against the cot full force. Pain shot through her back.

Rose cursed herself. Ten years and she wasn't worth shit as a fighter. How could she let this guy beat her up like this? She rose slowly. There was no way it was ending here. And time was running short before someone realized what was going on. She rushed him and fought the revulsion at the warm fluid that spilled over her shaking hands.

Outside, Jeremy's fighter's clashed with Grethel's unprepared guards. With the element of surprise and a larger force on their side, they managed to slaughter twenty enemies before they recovered and began to turn the tide of battle against them. Then, the order to retreat came and Jeremy's fighters did so without complaint, dragging their wounded first.

When Grethel's dragons pursued them, they found nothing. Confusion ensued once more and few noticed the new dragons that moved with lightning speed to pick off a few of their numbers before disappearing once more.

Panicked officers, promoted hours ago from the bottom of the ranks, fought to keep order. But chaos was winning fast. The fighters began whispering about ghosts instead of flesh and blood. Things were looking very bad. Then a scout came with news that the second in command had been assassinated while they were fighting Jeremy's forces. Everything went from bad to worse as the news spread.

In the middle of this madness a woman wearing ruby red form-fitting breeches and shirt walked into the melee. The sun shone off her bronze armor and the sword at her side. Her helmet was tucked under her left arm. Soldiers stilled at her icy green glare. The woman tossed back her dark, curly hair and opened her mouth. "Enough!" Her voice, while not particularly loud, pierced through the area. Everyone stopped.

Above them in the trees, even Jeremy's dragons froze. They had heard the rumors about the head of Grethel House, but the reality far outstripped any fantasy. Anyone watched her move could tell she was a seasoned fighter and, more than that, they were mesmerized by the commanding air she seemed to give off. Despite their loyalty to Jeremy and Rina, they felt a growing respect for the Dragon Head as she effectively dealt with the chaos that they had created.

After calming her own troops the Head of Grethel House faced the surrounding trees. "Come out, Jeremy!" She called. "Let's chat."

The message rippled through their forces until it reached Jeremy and Rina. They shared a look before they dropped from their hiding place. Nadari, Setsu, and Mia followed suit, landing among a throng of Grethel's soldiers and scattering them in different directions.

Rina's movements were purposefully lithe as she rose and followed after Jeremy, the other three closing around her as she did so. Grethel's forces reluctantly parted for them, the ghost kills still fresh in their minds.

Jeremy stopped at the edge of the forest, surveying his former mentor with guarded eyes. "You called," he said arrogantly.

Grethel studied him a moment before speaking. "I apologize for the hasty actions of my guards." she began. "I did not authorize the initial attack."

Setsu twitched in annoyance. She had seen the damage done to some of their scouts. That kind of damage had been purposeful and painful. Anger rippled through Jeremy's body. "Liar," he hissed. "I saw the bodies and the damage inflicted."

Rina shifted slightly and touched his back. He relaxed a little and stifled a sigh. Turning his head, he met her intent gaze. Great. Rina believed her. "Fine," he bit out, turning back to his former mentor. "Then what *did* happen?"

Grethel sighed. "Your temper is your greatest weakness, I've told you that. The only thing that beats it is your narcissism. The reason behind this has nothing to do with you. Someone is killing off my officers one by one, and no one had caught a glimpse of the culprit."

Jeremy stiffened, but Rina's quiet chuckle took the sting out her words. He turned his head to glare at her, but she looked unrepentant. Rolling his eyes, he grinned and turned back to Grethel. "What did you expect us to think when you killed off my scouts?" he asked lightly. "We've been hunted for the last twenty years for minor offenses committed against my *father*. We reacted as we always have. If we had known that yours were being hunted, then we would have withdrawn and not attacked."

"There was no time for me to send word." She said patiently. "Mostly because you would have killed any messenger I sent. But you will speak to me. The point is- we have both suffered losses today. I have no time to deal with these petty fights. There is a real threat here." She turned to her men and stared them down. "I don't want to hear another word about ghosts or phantoms!" She bellowed. "This murderer is flesh and blood. Find them and bring them to me, alive!"

Jeremy could feel the snarl building in his throat. How was it possible, after thirty years of being on his own, that she could still make him feel like an erring student?

Before he could say or do anything, however, Rina spoke. "We'll agree to a meeting on the promise that we tend to our wounded without fighting. I propose that we exchange one officer for the interval of one hour to each see that we will not kill the other's soldiers."

Grethel nodded slowly. "All right. But I really can't waste too much time on this. A half hour should be sufficient." She gestured to a man to her right. "David, you'll go with them." She fixed Jeremy with her steady, fearless gaze. "He is the last of my officers- see he's respected accordingly."

"Return mine and I'll return your's," he said nonplussed. "Setsu, trade," he ordered with a jerk of his head.

Setsu stepped boldly foward, sniffing at the shapeshifter as she passed and repressing a growl. She stood uncertainly before Grethel, awaiting her next orders.

"It's done." David stepped forward and nodded respectfully to Jeremy. Grethel turned after commanding Setsu to follow.

"I'm taking you to the most recent assasination. I want you to tell me what you see."

Setsu cast an alarmed look over her shoulder at Jeremy and Rina, silently asking for instructions. Jeremy grinned a little and Rina made a "shoo"ing gesture. Setsu turned back to Grethel and hastily caught up to the Dragon Head.

Jeremy studied David for a long moment before he nodded sharply and turned back to the forest. Mia and Nadari quickly fell in step behind him and Rina, sucessfully blocking any possible attack he might have made. Around them, the trees swayed a little as Jeremy's dragons retreated with their leader.

It wasn't long before they reached the tent. "This was where Tenin was murdered minutes ago." Grethel said coldly. "He had five guards stationed here. When I came to retrieve him I found two dead guards and a body. Examine all you like, and tell me your thoughts."

Setsu cast a quick look around the tents, taking in the mess and the blood. There was a trail of crimson leading away that ended a few feet away where evidence suggested that the culprit had wiped the blood off on the officer's blanket.

"Novice," she said after a moments silence. "The kill was clean which suggests that they weren't overly eager to kill and that they've had extensive training. This was probably their first or second assignment."

"So tell me," she said in a tone that clearly said she'd already figured that fact out, "Why would a novice be after myself and my officers?"

Setsu dropped her gaze uncomfortably and shifted from foot to foot. "Honestly," she began. "This stinks of Lucas and his crazy schemes. He has an odd collection of fighters that he trains up and sends out on crazy missions their first time in the field. We've had several run ins with such fighters over the last few years."

"This was not the work of a bloodsucker. The kill wasnt ruthless at all."

Her lips twitched in amusement. "Lucas employs more than vampires. He's smarter than most. He doesn't limit himself to those that are likely to backstab him for the chance to move up a few ranks. A few years ago, we came across a group-" She stopped, realizing what she had been about to give away and audibly shut her mouth.

"A group of what?" Grethel asked pleasantly. Only her piercing gaze betrayed how *very* interested she was in Setsu's answer.

"If you want to know, you'll have to ask Jeremy," Setsu replied just as plesantly. "The point is that Lucas doesn't limit himself to only vampires. This reminds me very much of several run ins we had with a few of his novices. They weren't too interested in drawing out the fights, they killed fast, and they melted into the shadows."

"Did you ever manage to capture any of them alive?"

Puzzlement crossed her features as she answered, "Yes. That's how we knew they were working for Lucas."

"So why hasn't Jeremy solved the problem?" Her voice was like ice. Without really waiting for an answer she walked over to the remains of her officer and examined the wound more closely.

Rage flashed through her and she turned on her heel. Damn the truce to hell, she wasn't going to stand for her leader to be insulted before her and do nothing. It wasn't Jeremy's fault that Lucas's fighters were resistant to their magic and methods of extracting information. It wasn't his fault that Lucas kept moving every time they got too close to him.

She stopped short of the mouth of the tent, all thoughts of insult and anger gone. Confusion and shock replaced everything. Her head swung around and her gaze locked with a very familiar pair of eyes.

Rose's heart jolted painfully in her chest when her eyes met the other dragon's. That moment of hesitation cost her whatever hope of stealth she'd had. Grethel was after her in a second. Rose felt numb. She didn't want to continue. Then it hit her, even as she half-heartedly dodged Grethel's next attack. Lucas knew exactly what he was doing. Anger boiled in her gut and she shoved the cot at Grethel with renewed strength.

Setsu stood and watched the fight, indecisive and torn. Part of her remembered the sassy young girl she had known ten years previously and the other part saw Rina reflected as though in a mirror.

A part of the girl wanted to call 'Time out!' as if it were some child's game. She had to reconsider this. She was supposed to *protect* Rina and her friends! This was wrong! But Grethel was leaving her little choice. The battle was growing fiercer, and she couldn't stay on defensive much longer.

Setsu snarled as Grethel almost caught Rose in the throat with her claws and launched herself at the girl, catching her around the waist. They hit the ground rolled together. Setsu released her, shoving her under the side of the tent.

There wasn't time to think. Rose whispered "I didn't mean it." and fled into the sanctuary of the forest. She had failed her first mission, and she never wanted to go on another one. What game was Lucas playing at? Frustrated tears ran down her face and she wiped at them impatiently before finally collapsing against a rotted stump. She stayed there for a long time.

Back in the tent, Setsu glanced up at Grethel and leapt to her feet, swiftly backing away from the enraged Dragon Head. There was no way in hell she was going to be able to talk her way out of this one. She crouched and bared her teeth in a silent snarl, her muscles tensing in preparation to spring.

"What the hell was that?" Grethel asked in a low voice. "I should kill you for that."

She didn't answer. She couldn't, not without giving too much away. Rina was far too precious to them to give away to save her skin. Instead, she said, "The half hour is almost done."

The General growled in frustration and kicked her helmet as hard as she could out of the tent. "Keep your cursed secrets!" she snapped. "I *will* find that girl. And I find it highly suspicious that she happens to be the double of the girl with Jeremy earlier."

Setsu saw red. She snarled in frustration. "Rina is *not*-" she began and, with difficultly, swallowed her words. She straightened and motioned to the tent entrance with a sick grimace. "I cannot tell you anything," she said shortly. "Rina and Jeremy are the ones that you will have to ask if you want to know about that girl."

"That's actually the smartest thing I've heard you say." Her tone was dangerous. Grethel stepped briskly from the tent and dusted off her helmet. "We'll be exchanging officers a little earlier than planned. You're coming with me."

Resisting the desire to claw the woman's back, she followed after her. A quick flicker of her magic alerted Rina that something had changed and a corresponding double flicker of Rina's magic told her that the warning was understood. She and Jeremy would meet them at the forest mouth under heavier guard than last time.

By the time they arrived It seemed that Grethel had calmed down. She even smiled at Jeremy. "Here's your officer, as promised. Though I'm afraid she wasn't very useful." She then pulled her now dusty hair back and shook it out. "Forgive my appearance, but your officer let the attacker get away."

Confusion crossed Jeremy's face and he turned a piercing look on Setsu, who flushed and dropped her gaze. He turned his head to David and nodded. The shapeshifter left the presence of his dragon guards and took his place beside Grethel.

"Come," Jeremy ordered and Setsu slinked over to him. He jerked his head to his left and she took her place. Mia and Nadari stepped closer to her and hovered, eyeing Grethel's soldiers mistrustfully. Jeremy turned to the other dragon guards and dismissed them with a casual gesture.

When he was sure that they were gone, he asked, "What happened?"

"When this girl was... *distracted* the murderer came up behind me. We fought, and your officer stood there like an idiot. When I was finally wearing the murderer down, she stepped in- only to *help the girl escape*." Grethel glared daggers at Setsu. "Another moment and I would have had her. Do you have any idea how much trouble this has caused me?!"

Jeremy growled and turned a glare on Setsu. "Explain," he ordered, "and it had better be damn good."

Setsu looked at her feet. Her bronze wings hugged her shoulders as she answered, "It was Rose."

Four startled gazes locked onto her and she fidgeted uncomfortably. "You're sure?" Jeremy asked, cutting across Rina's exclamation.

Her head jerked up as she turned a hard glare on her commander. "She and Rina are *twins*. They were hard to tell apart when they were six. Of *course* I'm sure. I reacted, I didn't think about my actions, and I would do it again," she said defensively.

"That girl was remarkably similar to this one." Grethel cut in. "Now why don't you explain this 'twin' business to me. Why is that girl after me?"

Jeremy stared at Setsu a moment longer before he shook his head and said, "You lot are dismissed. Rina and I can handle things from here. Go!" he added when they glared defiantly at him. At his sharp tone, they reluctantly left.

To Grethel, he said, "Ten years ago, we ran across a large group of vampires travelling with two children, twins as it turned out. After driving the vampires off, we offered to let the children come with us on the understanding that they could leave us at any time they wished. For two months they both travelled with us. Then, the older girl, Rose, left. We assumed that she had returned to Lucas."

Rina looked conflicted, her gaze traveling between Jeremy and the forest where Setsu had disappeared. "She did go back to Lucas," she confirmed. "I haven't seen her for almost ten years." Turning back to Grethel she fiercely added, "If she was the one that killed your officers, then she was *tricked* into it."

Grethel made a frustrated sound and rubbed her temples. "So it's very likely she's under Lucas' influence. Regardless, I can't ignore the fact that she's killed five of the best soldiers in House Grethel." Small details occurred to her- the fact that the girl (Rose?) hadn't fought her, the fact that all the kills looked hesitant. This was giving her a damn headache.

Jeremy's arms shot out to catch Rina as she stumbled into him, her face pale and drawn. He held her close to him and turned his gaze back to his former mentor. "So don't forget it, but know that we'll be looking into the matter as well. There is, I believe, another matter that you wished to discuss with me. What was it?" he asked pointedly.

Grethel smirked. "Well, it is a lot easier to talk without our soldiers at each other's throats... This war needs to end, Jeremy. It's tearing the country apart."

A blank expression crossed his face. "What?" he asked.

The Head stared at him dumbfounded. "Are you really that oblivious?!"

"I was banished twenty years ago. I didn't pay attention to news of a homeland that I had no ties to anymore," he said defensively.

"Regardless, it's common knowledge in the other kingdoms- even the Centaurs know about the Civil War!" Grethel snapped.

He twitched in annoyance. "I haven't been socializing with other countries or keeping up on court gossip. If I had known there was a civil war, I would have returned regardless of my father's decree against me."

She rolled her eyes. "Well, now you're informed. Your father is dead. Your sisters want you killed and every Head is determined to find you to gain their favor."

"Wonderful," he muttered. "Let me guess, you want me to return to Arania and claim the throne, kill my sisters, and put an end to the war."

"Yes." she said matter-of-factly. "If you ever had any love for your country, that's exactly what you'd do, regardless of what *I* want."

He considered, briefly, of refusing, but then he thought of those that had chosen to follow him into exile and those that had been forced into exile. Repressing a sigh, he looked away and said, "I've never loved that country or its ruling court, whatever my heritage. It was the people that drew me and ultimately betrayed me. I'll return."

"You're serious?" Grethal couldn't hide the shock in her expression. "Just like that?"

Jeremy chuckled. "I *have* grown up a lot in the last twenty years. Did you expect that you have to drag me back kicking and screaming?"

"Well... yes." She said bluntly.

Rina, still leaning against Jeremy, smiled wryly and looked up at him. "This coming from the guy that refuses to fish 'because it's cold,'" she said, a teasing lilt touching her voice.

Jeremy winced and looked away. "That was one time," he retorted, "and no one else would join *you* in the dead of winter in a *snowstorm*." Glancing at her, he studied her for a moment before adding, "You're alright?"

She hesitated. "I'm better," she amended.

He smiled and released her, looking back to his former mentor. "I could be immature if you'd like and hide."

Grethel glared. "Not if you'd like to keep your limbs."

Rina's laugh cut across whatever retort he almost shot back and he couldn't help grinning in response. "Yes, well," he said, "As we both have wounded and...other...matters to attend to, why don't we meet back here in the morning and we'll discuss exactly how we're going to travel back without alerting my sisters that you've found me."

Grethel nodded. "Fine. I have a few messes to clean up." Without waiting for an answer she turned on her heel and left them.

Jeremy glanced at Rina and took note of how she was swaying unsteadily. He swept her off her feet and into his arms, ignoring her protests as he walked briskly back to their makeshift camp. Suddenly, he could feel the weight of the burden he had accepted and everything seemed to press in on him from all sides. There was so much to do and so very little time to prepare for it all.

* * *

She had decided. Rose would tell Rina what had happened. It wasn't worth losing her sister's trust. She took a deep breath and stood. The trick was not getting killed by Grethel and her minions. The girl took a moment to wipe the tears from her face and headed back towards Jeremy's base.

Rose crept closer to the camp, the fist pangs of fear going through her heart. Doubt gnawed at her mind. What if she didn't want to listen? What if Jeremy wanted her dead? She stopped in her tracks when she heard voices ahead. Curious, she inched closer.

The sound of splashing water was clear through the trees. Just beyond the line of trees that shielded her from sight, two forms knelt side by side. There was a pile of clothes between them and a line of drying laundry not far beyond them.

Rina's bright red hair spilled over her shoulders as she wrung the water out of the shirt she had just finished washing, twisting it a little harder than necessary. When the cloth gave way beneath her fingers, she cursed and flung the now ruined shirt into the river. Jeremy glanced curiously at her flushed face, his keen eyes making out every detail in the soft moonlight. "It bothers you, doesn't it?" he asked, rising and spreading a pair of breeches across the line.

"What?" she asked, rubbing her eyes in a tired manner.

"Rose," he said. "It bothers you that Lucas is using her as an assassin."

She looked at him, all the fear and worry she had been feeling since that afternoon overflowing from within her. "Of *course* it does. I don't believe for one moment that she would have killed those dragons otherwise. She returned to the vampires to better learn how to *protect* me," she sighed. Her gaze was conflicted as she stared across the river and into the darkness of the surrounding forest. "Do you...do you think she's changed very much?"

Jeremy dropped heavily to the ground beside her and leaned back to stare up into the starry sky. "You've changed a lot yourself over the last ten years. Some of that change wasn't, perhaps, for the best, but we helped you work through it and you became a better person for it."

Rina tuned a glare upon him and he smiled. "What I mean is that people will change, for better or for worse. We can't control the changes in people we care about. The best we can do is accept what's happened and move on."

Her eyes dropped to her hands. "Once you're crowned, will you help me search for her?" she asked softly. "I don't want to leave her at Lucas's mercy for longer than I have to. She can hate me for it, but he's evil and twisted. I don't want her to become like that."

Jeremy snorted and looked at her. "You have to ask?" he asked gently. "Of course we'll search for her. At the very least, Setsu and Nadari would skin me alive if I didn't."

Rina grinned and glanced at him. "They were particularly fond of Rose when she travelled with us," she agreed.

Tears burned in her eyes. Rose couldn't believe that they didn't care! That they wanted her back. For a moment she wondered what would have happened if she hadn't returned to Lucas. How would things have been different?

"The initial search will have to be comprised of a small number. We can't let Lucas know we're sniffing around his scent again," Jeremy said musingly. Then, with a frustrated growl, he flopped onto his back and said, "It would be so much easier to look for her if I weren't needed back home. We could have easily sent out a larger number and not attracted a lot of attention. Hell, we could have even searched for her ourselves."

A speculative look crossed his face. "Maybe I could-"

"No," Rina said sternly. "You're not putting off the coronation. The assassination attempts by your sisters are too much of a distraction. They need to be dealt with before we can do anything else."

Indecision tore at her. She could save so much trouble by returning- but what about Tara? What about the power that Lucas had promised her? Slowly she rose to her feet and took a steadying breath. Regardless, she had to explain things.

Their talk turned from her twin to what he remembered of how things had been at court before his banishment. They had just begun laying tentative plans to deal with his sisters when a noise drew their attention and brought their talk to an abrupt halt. "Who's out there?" Jeremy hissed, rising quickly to his feet.

Without taking a second to let herself think, Rose stepped out of the shadows. She stared at her feet fixedly, trying to find words that somehow got stuck in her throat on the way up.

She brushed her hair back from her face with a shaking hand. "I'm sorry, I'm a bit early."

Rina's hands flew to cover her mouth, not quite stifling her gasp. Jeremy stepped between them, a suspicious look crossing his features. "Not that I'm not glad to see you, Rose, but why are you still here? If Grethel knew, she'd kill you," he said.

Still refusing to meet their gaze, Rose fumbled for words. "I- I can't go back. I can't believe that he brainwashed me enough to get me to kill someone I've never met!"

Jeremy didn't try to stop her as she rushed at her twin and caught her up in a fierce hug. He studied the pair for a moment before he silently withdrew to the cover of the trees, allowing them their privacy while he stood watch.

Rina chocked on a sob, but when she broke away she was smiling. "I missed you, too," she said, wiping at her tears with the heel of her palm. Looking around, she realized that Jeremy had disappeared. "Jeremy?" she called and then caught sight of a flicker of movement to her left.

He moved a little into the moonlight, but otherwise allowed them their space. Rina smiled at him and then turned back to Rose. "What do you mean, he brainwashed you?" she asked. If Rose was to return with them, she had to ask, regardless of whether or not she wanted to know the answer.

Rose sighed heavily. "You remember how he was. He hated us and he didn't show it. But he expected us to be grateful. He changed. He started to act kinder to me. I began to believe that he cared. I worked hard to please him, to be strong. And at every opportunity he tried to poison your image in my mind."

“That is a complete turnaround,” Rina murmured. “How successful were his endeavors?”

"He told me that you had killed countless of his kind- though always he referred to them as 'our' to make me feel closer to him." Bitterness made her voice cold. "He would talk about how you had never followed me, and you should have, because 'our' kind were too dangerous. And because I was lonely and I was feeling hopeless, I let myself believe it."

A wryly smile touched her lips as she studied her twin. She could see the years of pain etched into her face just as she could see the loneliness reflected in her eyes. “Actually, I've never killed anything, unless you count fish. I've wounded and I've fought countless enemies, but I've never killed anyone. I leave that sort of thing to Jeremy and the other dragons. It's-” she glanced at Jeremy and grimaced. “I don't have the stomach for it and I've never been forced into a position where I had to kill someone.” She turned her gaze back to Rose and the smile left her. “Whatever you've done, whatever you've been forced to do, it doesn't matter. What does matter is that you're here now. We can move on from here.”

Rose shook her head. "I realized that you weren't a killer a few years ago. I saw you in camp about three years ago. I couldn't approach you because Lucas was waiting."

“Three years…” her voice trailed off and she blushed. “Oh, I was just beginning my training around that time. Whatever you saw was probably the sloppy and imprecise techniques of a novice.” From his place among the trees, Jeremy chuckled and added, “You were worse than me on my first flight and I flew into a cliff.”

The amusement slid from his face as he straightened and strode closer to the pair. He had allowed them a moment to catch up and now he needed some serious answers. “I understand that he brainwashed you,” he said bluntly, “but I need to know what the chances are of him coming after you. How many vampires and other assassins is he going to send to retrieve you? How many do I stand to lose if I allow you to come with us to Arania? I need to know where he is hiding.

“Know, however, that dragons and vampires have been bordering on war for a millennia now. Whatever happens between our races is in no way your fault just because the Vampire Chancellor decides that you're his pet.”

Something occurred to Rina in a flash of insight and she looked at Jeremy, worry creasing her face. “What about Grethel?” she asked before Rose could answer. “Won't she try and kill her?”

Jeremy shrugged uncomfortably. “If it comes down to it, I'm stronger. I can keep her away from you,” he said, nodding to Rose. To Rina, he added, “There's nothing to worry about on that front. She should listen to me.”

Rose was stunned. He would actually protect her, even after how she treated him as a child? Her thanks stuck in her throat. After a moment, she answered, "I'm not sure how many he will send-but he will send them. My first guess would be Cartha and Nevin- they're his bodyguards. If that failed, hed send Tara."

Jeremy nodded and opened his mouth to ask something else, but a sharp noise drew his attention. His mouth shut with an audible snap as he turned on the spot and threw a fistful of fire in the direction he had heard the noise. Without pausing, he turned back around in the same movement and leapt at Rina, grabbing her around the waist and colliding with Rose. The three of them hit the ground as an inferno erupted above them. Jeremy's wings protected them from the brunt of the attack, but the smell of singed flesh filled their nostrils as the flames ate at his skin.

When the flames ceased, Jeremy was on his feet, scanning the surrounding area for any sign of the attacker. Rina rose to her feet as well, reaching for her dagger as she did so. Pulling it free, she turned to stand at Jeremy's back, effectively cutting off any surprise attacks. She tensed when she saw movement in the trees just beyond her field of vision.

Rose was on her feet an instant after Rina, her dagger drawn and ready. She stood a ways apart from the two, ready to attack anyone who came in the clearing.

“Oh, little brother,” came a mockingly sweet voice. “Come out, come out wherever you are. It's time to play.”

Jeremy's skin was set to crawling at the familiar voice. He could have groaned in frustration. Of all dragons to send, his sisters had to choose her. They'd had too many run-ins in the past for him to not know who it was. She was ruthless and cunning to an extreme. Added to that was her already sick obsession with seeing how many daggers she could stick in him before he died.

A soft giggle filled the air as a figure appeared in a tree some distance away from them. Jeremy snarled at the slight figured female and she giggled again. He tensed for action, but didn't move. There was no way in hell he was leaving Rina or Rose exposed to her. His wings spread a little farther of their own accord, making him wince as the charred flesh on his shoulders stretched with them.

Rose glanced uneasily at her sister. This person's aura was more chaotic than anything she'd felt before. She was glad that she couldn't see the attacker past Jeremy's wings. She edged towards Rina slowly.

Rina glanced worriedly over her shoulder and caught sight of a lean, brown haired young woman with soft features. It was her eyes, however, that made her stomach drop. There was a madness contained within that gaze that made her want to run screaming into the night. "Jeremy," the woman sang, her voice carrying unnaturally on the wind. "It's time to stick you full of my little pretties."

That was all the warning they had before a hail of silver filled the air. Jeremy roared with pain as the daggers hit him, every last one missing his vital organs. He stood resolutely firm between Desera and Rina, feeling blood dripping slowly from his wounds.

Without taking his eyes off her, he gripped one of the daggers and ripped it out of his shoulder, throwing it to the left as he did so. A muffled scream told him he had chosen right. Desera tilted her head to the smile and grinned a sickly smile. "You've not lost your touch, princeling, but how long can you last?"

At her words, more than a dozen figures moved into the clearing. Each was clad in the traditional garb of House Thaine right down to the silver sash tied around their waist. Jeremy stepped back closer to Rina, eyeing each of the newcomers with disdain.

Rina didn't wait for them to make the first move. She leapt towards the first attacker and engaged in a flurry of flashing silver and flowing crimson. Jeremy joined her in the fight a moment later, pulling the daggers from his flesh as he did so and throwing them at the other dragons. One dagger struck an enemy in the throat, but the other three missed and landed, quivering, in trees a fair distance away.

Rose's dagger danced among the throng joyfully. It was refreshing to attack someone that she knew was the enemy, that she could see face-to-face instead of striking from the shadows. She could feel Rina not too far away.

Jeremy gripped Rina's arm and swung her into his arms, out of the way of Desera's strike. The woman grinned at him before she vanished once more. He released Rina and leapt at another dragon, sinking his claws into the male's neck and ripping out his throat. Releasing his prey, he ignored the man as he choked on his own blood and scanned the surrounding area. Five downed shapes littered the scorched ground. Rina and Rose danced with an opponent each not far away and three hovered near him, with the remaining two and Desera watched.

Before he could move to engage the newest threat, however, more dragons joined the fray and pounced on the assassins. In the ensuing confusion, Desera and her two remaining assistants disappeared.

"You're such an idiot." Grethel sighed as she approached him. "Look at you. Just how do you plan to defend yourself in Arania with wounds like that?" Rose's heart thudded painfully in her chest when she heard her. Jeremy said he could handle it, but...

Jeremy stared impassively at Grethel, the adrenaline of the fight still singing in his veins. Time seemed to slow as he assessed his former mentor as he would an enemy. His movements were lithe and quick when he pounced and had her pinned to the ground, his claws digging into her throat.

"I think I'll be just fine," he whispered, tilting his head a little.

Releasing her, he rose and turned to his dragons. They closed around him, eyeing Grethel with mistrust, before they took charge of stopping the bleeding. Resu saw to Rina and Nadari and Setsu hovered close to Rose.

Rose barely noticed the two nearby. She watched Grethel's every movement, waiting for the signal to fight or flee. It seemed that the warrior hadn't noticed her presence yet. Perhaps she didn't recognize her- it had been dark in the tent, and everything happened too fast. Unconsciously she gripped her knife harder.

The Head rose to her feet and shook her head disapprovingly. She glanced up and froze. Rose's heart was in her throat as the woman studied her.

Jeremy glanced between the pair before he looked at Grethel and said, “She's under my protection now. She has agreed to give up Lucas to us.” He was presuming, but he needed to give Grethel a more substantial reason than the ones he had. “Attack her and I'll personally de-wing you.” A general shudder rippled through the dragons present. To lose one's wings was a mark beyond dishonor.

"I want answers. Now." Grethel snapped. The threat didn't seem to faze her much. "What lies did this girl throw at you?"

His movements were slow and dangerous as he turned to face her. Madness glinted in his eyes as he studied her. The desire to kill still coursed strongly through his body and set every nerve on fire. Still, he did not act on it. "There were no lies. I would have thought you, more than anyone else, would remember that I can tell when someone lies to me."

"Jeremy," Rina screamed and her voice shocked him from the killing edge. He turned wild, tired eyes on her. She moved quickly and caught him before he collapsed. Her knees buckled under his weight and she went to the ground with him.

Glaring at the Head, she snapped, “Enough! We can talk things over in the morning. Rose won't hurt us and you aren't getting your claws in her tonight or any other night.” Jeremy's dragons drew closer together, silently backing her words and giving her their strength. They closed around Rose and blocked Grethel's view of her. “We thank you for your assistance tonight, but we can care for Jeremy from here. Return to your camp.”

Grethel's expression darkened. "I will get answers, Jeremy. But for now I will accept that she is under your protection." In seconds, she and her guards vanished.

* * *

When Jeremy next awoke, the first thing he was aware of was a weight on his chest. The next thing that registered was the sharp aches of his wounds. He almost groaned when the memories came rushing back to him. Had he really risen to the killing edge and threatened Grethel? Almost unconsciously, his fingers sought Rina's soft hair. She stirred at his touch, but didn't wake.

Looking around, he took in the hastily erected tent of assorted clothes and blankets. His make shift bed felt like crates pushed together to keep him off the ground. Glancing at his forearm, he took note of the rusty stain that adorned his bandage and the ripped shirt. At least they hadn't tried to undress him. For that much, at least, he was grateful. Twitching his muscles, he assessed how much damage had been done. He felt satisfaction in the knowledge that he had come away from the fight better than the other ambushes.

Added to that was the fact that none of his own soldiers had died. The only thing that complicated matters was how Rose had come back to join them. He heaved a sigh at the thought of the conversation that awaited him with Grethel and then grimaced at the pain that lanced through his shoulders. Rina stirred again and lifted her head from his chest to stare sleepily at him.

She sat up on the ground where she sat beside him and stretched her protesting muscles. Jeremy watched her for a moment before he asked, “Did I really do what I think I remember doing?”

Raising an eyebrow at him, she smiled and said, “If you remember being attacked, being rescued by yours and Grethel's dragons, attacking her, and then threatening her, yes you do remember correctly. How are your shoulders?”

Jeremy sat up and stretched his arms before him, grimacing at the pain in the movement. “Sore but functioning,” he answered. “Is Mia around?”

Conflicted emotions crossed her face. “She disappeared last night. There's no sign anywhere.”

Glancing at her, he said, “Then she's probably out with the ones that couldn't fight. It's no big deal. I actually prefer her helping to guard them. She's one of my stronger guards.”

“Then perhaps she and Resu traded places sometime last night,” she said thoughtfully. “Well, anyways, you need to eat breakfast and change. Grethel is getting impatient to meet with you.” Jeremy grinned at her and she felt tension lift from her shoulders. Whatever came next, he remained the same and so long as he remained as he was, they had no reason to fear for the future.

After securing a change of clothes and food, Jeremy rewrapped his wounds with fresh bandages and was forced to have salve smeared across his back and wings when he refused the stuff. Once that was done, he ventured from the tent with Rina and six guards. When Resu fell into step beside them, Jeremy motioned for the darker male to come closer.

Resu obliged and, before anything was asked, said, “Mia needed some rest. We swapped duties while the wounded were being looked after. She'll see to it that the noncombatants meet back up with us this morning.” Jeremy nodded and then they traveled in silence to Grethel's camp where they were received with cold courtesy.

Grethel met them at her tent. Inside after a few negotiations there was only Rina, Rose, Jeremy, Grethel, and David.

"So tell me why you are protecting this murderer."

Jeremy stifled a yawn and then raised an eyebrow at his former mentor. ""One: I judge by character rather than deed, Two: She is Rina's twin, Three: She's the key to ridding ourselves of that irritating Vampire Chancellor and whatever his plans are," he said bluntly.

"You, girl." Grethel finally spoke directly to Rose. "How do we know that we can trust you?"

The girl looked dumbfounded. "I-I..."

"Answer me!" Grethel snapped. Rose looked panicked. She stammered helplessly at a loss for words.

Jeremy placed a hand on Rose's shoulder and looked directly at Grethel, his gaze piercing. "Enough," he said softly. "She was used by Lucas and tricked into trusting him when she had no one else. Her sister was used against her and almost remade into a monster. She came to her senses and came to us for help. It's unfortunate that you lost soldiers to her, but it's done."

There was a long silence. Grethel studied Rose intently as if she could dissect her with her eyes. Finally she turned and sat in a chair opposite Jeremy. "If she is not what she seems, it's on your head."

"Thank you," Jeremy said sincerely and removed his hand from Rose's shoulder. He moved to stand next to Rina and said, "Last night, Desera attacked with dragons from House Thaine. We'll have to move quickly if we're to reach Arania before my sisters know I've decided to return."

While plans were being laid, another ambush was taking place. This time, however, the dragon target did not get away from her attackers. She had switched with Resu hours before only to find that the noncombatants had moved on. From there, she had spent several hours tracking them only to lose their scent somewhere near dawn. Though Mia had spent close to six hours looking for them after that, she came up with nothing. As she was getting ready to call it quits and head back to Jeremy, she felt the cool kiss of steel pierce her side before something heavy hit her in the back of the skull. Her vision tunneled and she fainted.

Lucas barely glanced at the unconscious girl that was brought to him. He threw a parchment at the vampires that had brought her in. The one on the left caught it. "See that Grethel receives this as soon as possible, (Rezu). I really hope she doesn't kill you. You have proven useful."

"Put her in the Cage." Lucas said distractedly. "Make sure not to leave anything sharp in there. Dragons are devious." The Vampire Chancellor sat in silence for a long time after she had left. It bothered him that Rose had been captured. She may be a human, but she had proven her prowess several times over in her training. Something wasn't adding up.

He had worked hard to lull her into security, to make her hate her sister and Jeremy. Had all of his work been useless? He needed the girl, cooperative or not. But her blood was useless without the other. Time was running out.

Cartha sighed and kicked the bars. "Shut up, lizard. I'm not too happy about his either." She couldn't believe that Lucas was making her babysit this filth! Why did Nevin always get the good jobs?

Mia hissed at the vampire. Wonderful, she'd been captured by the morons of the night.

Cartha rolled her eyes. "You sound like a wet cat. Smell like one too. Just hope that Grethel accepts the deal, or I'll be only too happy to slit your throat."

She actually laughed at that. "Of all the insults you can come up with, that's the *best* you can do?" she asked, ignoring the comment about Grethel. "A better one to try would be something along the lines of 'You're a bloodsucking parasitic moron of the night that can't see two feet in front of you without exploding into a fireball." She paused and grinned. "Oh, wait. My apologies, I seem to be insulting *you*."

"Watch your tone, bitch." Cartha snapped. "The agreement was to send you back *alive*, not *unharmed*."

Her eyes glittered in the near darkness at that. She propped her chin in the palm of her hand and studied the vampire. "Reeeeally? How interesting. Of course, you'd have to come in here to hurt me. If you stuck anything through the bars, I could take it and use it as a weapon. Care to try?"

"I don't need a weapon to hurt you." the vampire growled. "Or did you not pay attention when they told you how to slaughter us?"

"Hmmmmmm...there are so many interesting ways to kill a vampire. Let's see: There's incineration and ripping apart. Then there's sunlight for the less pure of blood and sunlight to torture the more pure," Mia said, listing things with her free hand. She stopped and grinned at the Cartha. "Care to list your methods of killing *my* kind?"

Her fists clenched. Blood trickled between her fingers. This wasn't the time to lose her patience. Lucas needed this woman to get Rose back. "Would you like to see one of them?" Cartha threatened. "I'd be happy to show you how we've driven so many of our prisoners of war to madness."

Mia stifled a yawn before saying, "Go ahead and try."

Cartha wasted no time in casting the spell. It was designed to send the victim into a nightmarish hell-like world where they would receive no rest, no peace, no mercy. It only lasted about five minutes, but it felt much longer to the recipient. Cartha was particularly good at the technique. She grinned evilly as she waited for it to take effect.

She felt the spell take hold just as she felt it take form. It pulled from her mind the worst memories and created her own personal hell. Instead of screaming, however, Mia began to giggle. Cartha was dumbfounded. The spell had worked, of that she was certain. "What the hell is wrong with you?!"

Mia, now howling with laughter, paused long enough to look in Cartha's direction. "Sanity is, shall we say, a rare commodity in my family," she said, before returning to her fit of laughter.

She was horrified. Cartha had seen many things in her service to Lucas, and most were not pretty. But this woman scared the living shit out of her. Slowly she backed away. They really should have chosen someone else- anyone else. But she couldn't be around this dragon any longer. She heard that madness was catching.

As the spell lifted, Mia shook her hair from her eyes and looked at Cartha, still grinning. "Good attempt, but the images of those spell were poor. That sort of thing only works well if the victim has a deeply ingrained sense of fantasy. Next time," she added, "you might want to add in something with a little pain, just to make it a little more real."

"You're insane," Cartha gasped. "Why the hell would Jeremy trust you at all?"

Mia sighed dramatically as she wiped tears from her eyes. "I wasn't always like this. He trusts me, though, because loyalty runs much deeper than sanity in our race. If he or Rina ordered me to skin you alive, string up you up by your genitals, drink your still warm blood, and gut you while you still breathed before devouring your corpse, I would," she said casually.

"Fuck this." Cartha swore. "I'm not staying here. You can be alone with your sadistic imagination." She fled, willing to take Lucas' rebuke over this woman's threats.

That task accomplished, Mia set to work, still occasionally twitching with amusement over how easy it had been. The bars were easy enough to cut through once she partially transformed her hand. Once she was free, she melted the bars seamlessly back together. She walked out of the room whistling a cheerful tune, easily dispatching the guards outside the door. Shaking her head over the absurdity of it all, she melted into the shadows. There was so much fun to be had before she reported back to Jeremy!

* * *

Nevin landed in the midst of the camp, holding the letter high. "Where is Grethel?" he demanded, looking at the stunned dragons surrounding him.

No one responded for a moment. "I have an agreement for her. If you want to see the dragon Mia alive again, I suggest you take me to your General."

The crowd parted and the Head strode up to the vampire. "You have some guts, leech. Show me that paper."

Jeremy followed not far behind, his curiosity having gotten the better of him. Setting eyes upon the vampire, he was immensely glad that Nadari and Setsu had monopolized Rose and Rina the moment they set foot outside of Grethel's tent.

"Chancellor Lucas proposes an exchanging of prisoners. The dragon Mia will be returned to you alive in exchange for the girl Rose." Nevin examined Grethel coldly. "It seems she failed in her mission after all."

Jeremy's lips twitched in amusement before he doubled over and burst out laughing. "Mia...you guys...caught Mia?" he gasped between fits of laughter.

Anger flashed across Nevin's face. "Yes. And the agreement is 'alive'. I'm sure that Lucas will take great pleasure in making her stay with us as *memorable* as possible."

He began laughing even harder at that. "That poor bastard," he gasped.

Those of his dragons that had dared to mingle with Grethel's soldiers while they waited for their leader to return chuckled a little. If it had been any other of their number they would have been worried. Mia was...well...Mia was Mia. Not much could faze her.

Even Grethel smiled. "Believe me, in two days your Chancellor will be begging us to take her back."

"I wouldn't be surprised if she turned the place inside out by the time you returned," Jeremy said grinning. "Return to your Chancellor and tell him he can take his offer and shove it up his ass. Mia will return to us under her own power."

Nevin had a hard time surpressing the fury that consumned him. He hated being mocked- but more that that, he hated Lucas being mocked. "I will return. Pray it's not with the dragon's head."

Jeremy laughed and made a "shooing" motion with his hand. "Go on then. Just try it, I dare you," he chuckled. "Leave before we decide to send you back in peices."

With a final snarl the vampire took off. Grethel watched the direction he'd gone for a moment before speaking. "I've never known Lucas to mess up that bad. When did he get so sloppy that he just grabbed the first dragon he found? Usually he plans this out."

Pinching the bridge of his nose, he sighed. “She wasn't always insane. Before her mate's death, she was fairly stable. It wasn't until after she watched him die at the hands of the demons two years ago that she inherited the full force of her family's trait and she…lost it. We found her the next morning in dragon form curled around her mate's cold body.” He paused and shuddered at the memories. “There was so much blood and gore. We never knew exactly what happened, only that none of his tormentors had escaped.

Looking wearily at Resu, he nodded and the dragon vanished after the vampire. Chances were, he wouldn't be able to follow him back to their lair and bring Mia back, but they had to try. "Lucas wouldn't know the full extent of her madness because I usually assign her to Rina's guard. Rina has a...sort of dampening effect on her that allows her to function almost normally."

Grethel just shook her head. "I just hope that Mia gets out of there all right."

Jeremy cast a wryly smile at the Head. "She'll be fine. The worst she'll come away with is a few wounds that can be treated when she gets back."

* * *

The darkness was thick and confining, but it welcomed her like an old friend. She moved with speed and stealth born of madness, striking and withdrawing like lightning. For all their superior senses, they never saw her coming. Blood covered her body, seeping into her skin and soaking her clothes.

Pausing, she lapped the crimson liquid from her fingers as she surveyed the area surrounding her latest kill. Someone was there, watching her. She could feel their eyes following her and tracking her every movement.

In a flash, a dark blur was rushing at her throat, dagger poised for the kill. This dragon had been too much trouble- Lucas had been crazy for ever trying to keep her confined. The stories about Mia's disintegrating sanity were legendary. It was not going to be easy to take her down.

She vanished before the attack hit. Peering down at him from the ceiling, she studied him. Some of the madness left her as the clarity of battle claimed her.

She chuckled, the sound reverberating around the chamber. "Not so much," she admitted. "Although, the company was impeccable. She really was...quite entertaining."

"You know you haven't been very polite, Mia. Killing your hosts is generally seen as bad form." He shifted the dagger to his left hand and pulled something from a pouch at his waist. "I do hope you're even a little remorseful."

Her eyes latched onto his hand as all her instincts screamed 'danger.' She grinned in anticipation. "About as remorseful as you are over the humans you've killed," she said, tracking his movements.

He laughed. "Point taken." He threw a handful of silver dust on the floor and a mighty wind picked up, strong enough to stir the corpses that littered the ground. The vampire muttered a few words and the wind struck at Mia like blades. The silver particles sliced into her skin, drawing blood and making it drip onto Lucas's head. Dropping from the ceiling, she landed on him. She leaned down and nipped his ear in an almost playful manner before retreating once more.

It was at this moment that Nevin returned. He wasted no time in rushing recklessly at Mia, his embarrassment from earlier still fresh in his mind. "You psycho bitch!" he snarled. "You ruined everything!"

Turning her darkening gaze upon the foolish vampire, she felt anger flash through her. Things had just been getting good! How dare he intrude! She struck at him, sinking her teeth into the nape of his neck and sliding her claws through his ribs.

Nevin's scream become more of a gargle as blood filled his throat and lungs. His body convulsed at the shock of so much blood loss. When his body shuddered and went still, Lucas simply scowled. "Useless."

Releasing the corpse, Mia stared impassively at him for a moment before turning to Lucas and grinning. "Oops," she said, flicking the still wet blood from her talons.

"Thank you for proving my henchman's incompetence." the Vampire Chancellor idly brushed some remaining dust from his sleeve. "Now we can continue. Unless of course, you'd rather just return. There's not much point in trying to restrain you, is there?"

She cocked her head, an odd look entering her eyes. "Why are you after Rina still? It's been nearly ten years since we took her from you. What's the point in trying to snatch away the untouchable unless you have plans for the pair?"

"You're mistaken. Right now my immediate goal is to have Rose released so that she can return to me."

Mia chuckled again, the look fading from her eyes. Her body language shifted slightly, but she never lost the battle readiness that seemed to coil and flow from her very muscles. She moved almost casually towards him, vanishing into the surrounding darkness as she did so. "The day I believe that you only want to use Rose as an assassin is the day I reclaim full sanity and slit Rina's throat," she said softly. “I have tasted Rina's blood. I know they are forbidden offspring. What I can't figure out is why you need elven-, human-born twins."

"As I said, Rose is the immediate goal. Any plans I have for Rina will not matter for some time." He was on defensive mode, ready for anything. "She is, after all, my foster-daughter."

She moved with lethal grace and accuracy, grabbing the wrist with the knife and twisting it with a painful crack as she swept his legs out from under him. The dagger fell to the ground with a quiet thud as she moved with his fall. Pinning both hands above his head and straddling his waist, she smiled sweetly down at him.

"Isn't Jeremy waiting for you?" He asked as neutrally as possible. The madness in her eyes unnerved him more than he would care to admit.

She dropped her head closer to his and brushed her lips over his, smirking as she did so. "How very right you are," she said, releasing him and vanishing.

Lucas lay there for a moment, stunned. That woman was far too unpredictable. He'd gotten the impression that she'd as soon gut him as kiss him. But it was still unexpected. Shaking his head, the vampire rose to his feet and started making plans. He wouldn't give up on Rose- not yet. There had to be a way to bounce back from this.

* * *

Mia trotted back into camp in dragon form, blood still oozing from the silver dust inflicted wounds. The dragons around her took one look at her eyes and fled her presence. There was no way in hell that they were going to deal with her when she was still unstable. Word spread quickly to Rina that Mia had returned, but no matter where she looked in both camps she couldn't find a trace of the mad dragon except for the rumors.

While Rina tried to hunt her down, Mia was following Grethel's scent. Whatever her state of mind, her first priority was to find Jeremy and every instinct clamored that his mentor would know where he was.

Grethel felt Mia's approach almost instantly. She turned around slowly, moving towards her with the mind set of facing a wild animal. She took in her haggard appearance in a single glance. "Mia, I'm glad to see you're safe."

Mia arched her neck and sidled to the left until the sun was directly behind her. She eyed Grethel's companion with distaste and mistrust. His very smell set her teeth on edge and honed her temper almost to the killing edge. When they moved closer, she danced back, baring her teeth and snarling at him.

David's expression didn't change, but his body shifted ever so slightly into a ready stance. He hated the dragon almost as much as she hated him. Grethel rolled her eyes inwardly. "David, stand down. I will talk to Mia privately." David gave her a 'are you the crazy one' look, but bowed and very slowly retreated into the nearby tent.

Her eyes followed his retreat until he disappeared. She sneezed and her scales rippled uneasily. Flexing her talons, she kneaded the dirt as she returned her attention back to Grethel. No matter the time that had passed, his very presence would keep her battle ready and prepped for an attack that might never come.

"Rina is looking for you." Grethel said levelly. "And Jeremy is at his camp, to the northwest."

Without warning, Mia launched herself after David. Her claws tore easily through the material of the tent. She screamed in rage and tore viciously at whatever she could reach. An iron scent filled the air. Grethel tore after Mia like a streak of lightning. Without pausing to think of the consequences she leapt into the fray, focusing only on prying Mia off of her best soldier.

“Mia!” s sharp, familiar voice split through the confusion.

Even as the scent registered in her nose, Mia swung around and struck out at the figure running towards them. Her claw caught and tore flesh, sending the girl spiraling in the opposite direction. Every fiber in her body froze in horror as she watched Rina execute a roll in mid air and land gracelessly on her feet. There was a hard anger in her gaze as she stared at Mia, clutching her wounded arm to her side.

Blood streamed heedlessly to the ground. “Transform and move back,” she commanded.

She rippled through her transformation as Rina rose stiffly to her feet and limped over to stand beside Grethel, who was kneeling next to the motionless figure on the ground. Rina knelt beside them and raised her free hand over David's prone body. Power flowed from her to bathe him in a soft, golden light. His wounds gently receded until there was little more than small jagged, white scars to mark where Mia's claws had ripped through him.

Rising unsteadily to her feet, she swayed on the spot for a moment as she surveyed the mess Mia had made. “It doesn't replace the blood, so you should probably have him stay out of combat for a day or two. After that, he'll be able to perform his duties as per usual,” she said.

Grethel barely kept herself from gaping openly at the girl. What the hell was that? But now was not the time. She gestured to Rina's wounds. "What about those?"

She steadied herself and blinked rapidly before looking at Grethel. "It doesn't really work that way," she shrugged."I can heal others, but not myself." She gripped her shirt with her free hand and teeth, tearing it into a long strip. With all the skill of an experienced warrior, she tied the makeshift bandage around her arm and knotted it with her teeth and fingers. Wiggling the fingers of her now bandaged hand, she turned a sidelong glance upon Mia.

Her madness had retreated and before them stood a white faced young woman awaiting the punishment of her superiors. Mia said nothing, but it was plain that she was expecting something horrible.

"Rina, please go fetch Jeremy." Grethel said with a deadly calm. "Mia, you will allow me to retrain you."

"There's no need," came Jeremy's rich, deep voice. There was a dark anger reflected in his words. Behind him, it looked like most of his camp had followed.

Grethel nodded at Jeremy briefly. "She's in your hands, then."

Glancing at his former mentor, he asked, "Are there any dead?"

"If not for Rina, there would have been." Grethel replied, gesturing at David. "She was out of control."

For a moment, he studied the shapeshifter carefully and then looked to Rina. She blushed and turned her gaze from his. He let it pass without comment as he nodded and said, "I see. Thank you, Grethel. This will delay our plans a bit for departure, but we'll be ready to leave by early morning."

And with that, he approached Rina and swept her into his arms, once more ignoring her protests. His dragons gave shot Mia nasty looks, but they allowed her to trail after their leader as they left the Head and her soldier behind.

"Rina!" The second Rose saw her twin, she was at her side. "What the hell happened to you?!"

Almost dreamily, she answered, "The hazards of living with dragons are surprising them. They have frightfully sharp claws." Then, she settled into Jeremy's arms and began to breathe deeply.

Jeremy paused and looked at Rose and then at Mia, who trailed a ways behind them. "Mia went on a rampage and almost killed one of Grethel's soldiers. Rina stepped in and made sure there were no deaths, but not before she was caught in the cross claws of Mia's rage. Don't worry, now that she's in human form, she's more...manageable," he said.

Rose glanced at Mia uneasily, but decided to trust Jeremy. "All right. So how did she escape? I know firsthand how tight security is at Lucas' hideout."

Jeremy glanced at Mia and she almost grinned. "I left through the front entrance," she answered, shrugging. "Not many vampires wanted to tangle with me when I was mad."

Rose shook her head. For the vampires to have let her leave so easily... she must be insane. It made her wonder why Jeremy kept her around. She was dangerous. A small part of her wanted to ask how Lucas was, and she squashed the feeling instantly. How could she still be thinking like that? Instead she shoved that desire to the back of her mind and sighed. "What about Rina? Is she okay?"

He shifted her weight, feeling his arms going numb. "She'll live," he answered. "With plenty of rest tonight and enough liquids to replenish the blood she lost, she'll be as good as new tomorrow." He stepped through the make shift tent that had served as his sleeping chambers the previous night, and carefully placed Rina on the crates.

Glancing at Rose, he asked, "Would you stay with her? I have to deal with Mia before I do anything else."

"Sure." Rose replied. "Don't worry about it."

Nodding to her, he exited the tent and stopped dead. Every single one of his dragons stared back at him. They had followed and gathered at the scent of Rina's blood. Suppressing a grin, he called, "Back to work, you lazy bums. Rina is fine. She'll be up and about tomorrow, bossing you around like always." A soft chuckle rippled through their numbers and tension left them as they dispersed.

Among those that lingered were Setsu and Nadari, both wearing identical looks of apprehension and guilt. In an almost offhand sort of manner, Jeremy said, "I'm glad the two of you chose to stick by Rose. I wouldn't have fancied chasing down any vampires that got a hold of her." They visibly brightened and darted past him, into the tent.

Left alone with Mia, his expression shifted to one of severe disappointment. She dropped her gaze and folded her hands behind her back, waiting. "Come along," he said after a long moment's pause and together, they left for the river.

It wasn't until dark that Mia returned, entirely exhausted but pleased. Never again would she have to worry about hurting Rina.