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 Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:04 am
Sir William pulled two chairs beside James's bed and motioned for her to sit with him. Folding his hands in his lap, he told her, "We will leave shortly after nightfall when it is safe for the other vampires to be out. We will reach the capital by dawn. Jaime," he began, "Are you sure you would not like to remain here with us? Keep your humanity, and start new? You will inherit all of your mother's possessions; this includes her home. It is her blood that has healed you, and I know she would want you safe. What awaits you is the furthest thing from it..."
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:12 am
She snorted in her mind's eye. Start anew with what? "No, there is something I have to see through. Ravenheart must come to peace and Rhodessa must be rebuilt. Don't mistake my physical weakness for cowardice," she seemed determined and foolishly emotionless, but the worry of her growing agitation and rudeness forced her facial features to soften. There was a slight pause. She hesitated.
"Would there be time to visit my mother's home before leaving Argyll?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:20 am
Sir William nodded kindly. "I will see to it personally that you are able to visit her home and pay your respects." He placed his hat upon a table and picked up a sponge, dabbing at James's throat. "He is healing more quickly than I had anticipated. This bodes well for us." Even as he said it, James began to breathe lightly once more, the hyoid bone fusing together. Sir William smiled, placing the sponge back on the table, "I must leave and inform my superiors of the events. I must ask you to remain here for now. Is there anything I can get you to make you more comfortable here?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:35 am
"No, thank you," she forced herself to smile politely and turned back to James the moment he was out of the room. Retaking her seat, she dragged it as close to the bed as it would allow her, folded her legs underneath her and rested her left temple on James' bed. His breathing was barely audible, but it made her relax. He will be fine. And Pierre will be fine, too. Id dad was a witch, would mum have kept his books somehow? Maybe she took notes. Maybe there was something I can do to help them. She thought of Anna's broken body and shuddered, again. It's not real. She'll always be with you. She's not gone. James will recover and we will be on our mission again, as planned. Soon. And then everything will be over. Maybe when Rhodessa is set up and running smoothly, I could live here, attending Mama's little shop. I will buy myself some sheep and horses, and tutor young ones in exchange with help in the orchard. Anna's presence was coursing through her veins and she did not quite feel as alone as she would have otherwise.
"You know," she said after a while to the sleeping or still unconscious James. "You should have left him. You could have spared yourself a lot of pain and effort... But thank you." She pushed her head forward so that it touched his arm and slowly started to dose off. 
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 9:58 am
 
He was in a dark room; he knew he had never been here before and, therefore, this could not be a memory. Music surrounded him, upbeat and sinister. His surroundings brightened and he found himself in a large, lavish hall surrounded by hundreds of people in strange garb and animal masks. Some were holding fine glasses filled with strange colored drinks. White and silver balloons covered the ceiling. It was a party. A man wearing a fox mask and a smart tuxedo that he assumed was the host approached him. He knelt and drew from his pocket an ornate cross, pressing it over James's eye. James screamed in agony as he felt it burn his flesh. The man held a palm in front of James's face - it was a mirror, sewn into his glove. The cross blackened and faded to seem like a subtle tattoo. "You are marked," said the deep voice, "on behalf of the master." A voice in his head told him it would not be visible unless he used his powers - "But what powers," he wondered. "What am I?"
* * *
James woke, his face turned toward a table with a metal basin. He glanced at his reflection. There was the faintest black marking of a cross; already it was fading. He frowned. A small figure in the reflection caught his attention. He turned his head; his neck was stiff, but healed save for a mass of scars.
Jaime was resting her head on the edge of his bed, her hair draped over his arm slightly. His stomach knotted upon realizing the close proximity and he smiled with relief that she was alive. He gently smoothed her hair. "Jaime," he whispered, "Are you awake?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:07 am
"Hmm?" Her eyes were damp and her lips were slightly swollen. She looked up at him. "You're okay," a faint smile played on her lips as she stretched her arms, arching her back to its limit before gathering herself again. "How are you feeling?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:17 am
"Dead," James replied, chuckling bitterly, his hand still gently holding on to the end of a long strand of her hair. He couldn't help but feeling that though he was cursed to immortality, at least the playing field was a little more even. He hated seeing her so miserable. Feeling much braver than he had as a human, he reached out and cupped her face in his hand, gently wiping the tears with his thumb. "No more crying," he told her softly. "Someone so beautiful should never be so sad." No. That's your job. He thought bitterly of Pierre once more and withdrew his hand quickly. He pushed himself off the bed, stumbling slightly for a moment. So this is what being dead feels like... He quickly poured a glass of water from a pitcher and held it out to her. "Here. You should drink something. I doubt you've had anything to drink today. You're still mortal, you know. You have to be careful."
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:33 am
Her eyes met his and she blushed, her skin feeling hot against his hand. She looked away, wanting to say something, but could not place her tongue on it.
"Thank you," she took the glass from him and downed it all in one go, tapping her mouth with the back of her hand when she was done. "You were mortal too, a moment ago, and you weren't at all careful," she sneered, yet there was a playfulness about her that indicated that she was not too serious. Her thoughts drifted to Pierre. I wonder what he's thinking now... He seemed so calm earlier. He killed her. Of all people he could have slaughtered, it had to be her. No, I can't blame him. Sir William said it was not him and he's probably right. Still... What did he mean by 'noble cause'? Was she meant to be a sacrifice?
"Sir William suggested I should stay here," she brought the matter up casually, straightening her dress while stretching out her legs in front of her, pointing her bare toes like that of a dancer's. "All my mother's things are mine now. He said i could start over; anew." She eyed him closely, searching for any hint of approval or approvals. She knew well it was her choice to make, but if she was meant to be some sort of sacrifice for something evil...
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 10:47 am
James tensed at her words. You were mortal, too... You weren't at all careful. Was that it? Did she really not seem to grasp that he had died for her? That he loved her so deeply, he didn't even need to think for a second about the sacrifice he had made? He frowned to himself. "Sir William suggested I should stay here. All my mother's things are mine now. He said i could start over; anew." Stay? Start over? His hopes rose, but he refused to betray any emotion.
"What is it that you want?" He looked into her eyes then, not bothering to mask that what he wanted was her affection. Slowly, without taking his eyes from hers, he sat in the vacant chair next to her, hands on the arms and waiting.
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:01 am
She sat like that for a while, staring back at him without thinking anything in particular. Finally, she sighed and broke her gaze, resting her chin on the back of her fingers and her elbow in her hip. "I don't know. There's more to it than that, though. Ravenheart must be freed from its turmoil and Rhodessa must be rebuilt and raised and nurtured."
A glint caught her eye. It was the golden thread. She stared at it, tracing it across her wrist with an index finger and slipping it between her skin and the string. She loosened it, slowly, and pulled it over her hand. It rested in her palm for a moment before it started to disintegrate into dust. Rubbing her hands against one another, she closed her eyes and felt the mental bond retreat into nothingness. A lump formed in her throat, but it had to be done.
"What I want is irrelevant and impractical," she met James' eyes once more. "It's about what's best for everyone else."
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:10 am
James sighed and slumped back in the chair. "This isn't your fight," he told her, "He can do this without you. The only requirement is his mortality. It's not right of him to put you through this," he added bitterly. "What you want matters. And I hope you find out what it is - soon." He stood and crossed over to the window, looking outside. It was starting to darken. He placed his hands on the windowsill and hunched forward, head down, brooding. Perhaps she will come to return my feelings if she feels like she has a choice... Grief washed over him. In a few short hours, he had realized the woman he loved would - once again - be for Pierre, lost his life, and been cursed to an eternity of suffering. No more would he eat. No more would he be able to live in the sun. He would be without Jaime, hiding from light forever more. He closed his eyes tight. And here I am worrying about myself when her mother has just been killed... What kind of friend does that make me?
He drew in a deep, ragged breath and stared out at the fading light. They can make Pierre mortal... Perhaps, if I ask, they will kill me.
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:15 am
"I hate you," she said, let it hung for a while, then burst out in short-lived laughter. "No, it still doesn't work, but you should have let me die. Both of you should have..." her voice trailed off. A pained expression sported on her face.
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:25 am
James wasn't prepared; even though she didn't mean it, the "I hate you" still stabbed deep, more painful than any injury. "...but you should have let me die. Both of you should have..." James spun around, his eyes blazing. He didn't care anymore. To hell with Pierre. If he can't make Jaime feel that she matters, then he has no right to be with her. He crossed the distance between them slowly, stopping mere inches from her. Carefully, gently, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. "Don't ever say that," he told her quietly. "I would die every day if it meant that it let you live." He stroked her hair, "Never even think that. I want you to promise me."
He pulled away and knelt in front of her to look up into her eyes, his hands running down her arms to hold hers over his still heart. "Promise."
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 11:52 am
A burning sensation spread from her upper back up, over the back of her neck and into her hair. Her cheeks burned, too, but paled as if all her blood was needed elsewhere. She collapsed onto her knees, not being able to contain it any longer, and hugged him. She quivered as though she was sobbing, but no tears would flow out her eyes. They were dry and her throat threatened to close. She calmed herself, pressing herself closer to him, and took deep breaths.
"No," her voice was but a slight whisper breathed into his neck. "This is my fault. You're all hurting... My mother's dead because of me." At last the tears flowed freely. They came down in showers and felt large as they forced themselves out of her tear-ducts. She had to clear her throat and somehow still her violent trembles before continuing, "It was the same with Rem and her husband. If I had only been stronger, then," she sniveled. "If I had only been stronger this time... If I hadn't screamed and just accepted my fate. My mother would still be alive. You wouldn't have had to sacrifice your mortality. So much pain... I've caused so much pain. I am so sorry." She gave a few more violent jerks before calming. Her breathing slowed gradually. Then, she was still, standing there in his arms with hers wrapped around his neck, warm from emotion.
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Posted: Tue Nov 12, 2013 12:11 pm
James held her as she cried, aware of every point of contact; her breath blew against his neck as she spoke. "Shh," he said softly. "It's not your fault." He wanted to tell her Pierre was to blame, but glancing at the silver door from the corner of his eye, he couldn't bring himself to do it. "Whatever is at the capital is to blame," he decided, "It's changing us. We all knew the risk. It's not your fault," he repeated. He gently pulled her so that she was sitting with him, still holding her close.
He kissed the top of her head gently and smoothed her hair some more. When he felt her shaking subside, he tilted her chin up to face him. "You're too hard on yourself," he told her, "Sometimes there is nothing that can be done; we each control our own fates. I died for you because..." He hesitated, staring at the ceiling. Pierre is going to murder me. "Because I love you," he continued, staring over the top of her head at a shelf. He took a few minutes before looking down. He wiped her tears with the cuff of his sleeve. "I know you don't return the sentiment; I've made my peace with that. But don't think for a second that I did anything but volunteer for that fate. Your mother, too. People love you, Jaime. We'd die for you without hesitation. So, please," he begged once more, "Never think that you should die. Ever." He released her slowly and reached to the table, pouring another glass of water for her. He offered it to her with a slight smile. "I don't know what else to do but give you more water. Pathetic," he shrugged, laughing quietly. He grasped her hand and helped her into the chair, kissing it before letting go and placing the water next to her.
He took his chair and, leaning forward, stared at the floor, unable to find the courage to watch her reaction to his confession of feelings.
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