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Cureless Curse

Started by Goldie, September 21, 2009, 09:46:03 PM

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Goldie

(This thread is brought to you in partial requirement for the thread "If the years take away every memory that I have" in the Peaches and Cream Brothel)



Karma.

It always seemed to sneak up and wreak havoc when least expected. After all, no one ever consciously looked for bad things, they always just seemed to happen. Maybe it was because of karma, maybe it was simply because no one can escape the inevitability that is bad luck.

Rayne, however, was unsure into which category her current situation fell. She had tried to live a good, moral, and virtuous life when she had the luxury and had many fond memories of her past. Now, however, she felt as if her good fortune had come to an end. Ever since that night...that fated flight from Serendipity with her two babes nuzzled tightly against her chest...

Should she have stayed? Could she have possibly fought off Aniketos and the magic that transformed his psyche, his very personality? He had...it was frightening to even think about...the way his eyes were crazed and that bracelet...the blood on his hands in the hopes to give her something special. Had it really been over a year since that time? Nearly two? Zawayne and Eolynne were wobbling around the brothel with their newly found legs, muttering words of half-gibberish to anyone who would listen...

Two years....

She couldn't fathom spending another two years with him, the love of her life. It was torture every morning waking in her small bed, half expecting to turn over and feel the warmth of his body pressed against her back; feel his arms encompass her slowly deteriorating body and whispering to her that it was over, that the dream had ended. Most nights she found herself softly crying herself to sleep, consciously keeping her sobs quietly to herself and away from the ears of those around her. She had found a welcoming family here...they had taken her in without question and given her a job that she loved. Living in that house in Arca, taught by Margery, Rayne had learned quickly how to sew and create garments. Of course, she had never really thought that she would be designing for a profession like this...it seemed that most time she was removing fabric rather than adding...but it kept her hands busy. It wasn't demanding, and allowed her illness remain hidden.

Hidden as much as she could....

How much longer could she hide?

With a shuddering sigh, Rayne closed the door to her small room behind her, the two toddlers being coddled by some of the residents which allotted her some alone time. Being a single mother was anything but easy...and the bruise on her chest had grown exponentially. Removing her shirt, she pulled a damp cloth out of the basin by her bedside and ran it along the nape of her neck and down her arms. The cool water felt heavenly against her feverish skin, and she closed her eyes as she leaned against the wall, sinking down onto the edge of the bed. She didn't want to look at her black chest...she already knew that it extended now from her naval up to her collarbone and knew it was useless to try to cease its migration across her pale skin. If she had thought it was difficult to maneuver a year ago, she realized very quickly how much harder it was becoming. She was constantly in a feverish state, covering her flushed cheeks with some cleverly applied powder, while hiding her wilting body behind draped clothing with necks high enough to cover the creeping blackness. It didn't help that she found herself barely able to eat, and her already thin frame was beginning to look skeletal...

"Rayne?"

The voice snapped her out of her light doze and she dove for her shirt, hearing the door knob turning. She needed to hide her chest, no one could see it, no one! She would not admit it...she would not be forced to admit that her time was short...not out loud, not when she had so much to live for. Her children, Gods her children!

She was too slow.

The door swung open and Sarai, one of Rayne's good friends here, stood in the doorway, eyes sweeping up at down Rayne's half-naked form badly covered by the sheets. While it was enough to keep her decent enough in front of another woman, it was not enough to hide the marks of the Emotional separated from her lover....

"Oh my Goddess...Rayne, what happened!?" The door was shut with a loud click as Sarai raced over to the bedside. "Goddess, Rayne...this...this looks bad! We need to get you to see a doctor, or have someone come in and look at you. You shouldn't be walking around, you should be resting! Lie down, I'll find someone to cover dinner for you--"

"Sarai...Sarai stop it, it's nothing." Interjected Rayne, her voice shaking as her friend pulled the sheet out of her hands to reveal her entire, bare chest. Sarai was brushing her long blonde and blue tresses behind her ears as she leaned closer to examine the damage. Her tanned brow was furrowed in concern while her cold fingers traced the blackened section, tongue bit tightly between her teeth.

"This is more than nothing...Goddess...what the hell happened to you? It looks like you were beaten with a lead pole...Who did this to you?"

"No one, I....I fell down the sta--"

"Damn-it Rayne! Don't pull that shit with me, not now!" Her green eyes flashed angrily and it looked almost as if she were half considering smacking her friend across the face to knock some sense into her. Instead, she just clenched her fist and bit her tongue harder. "This is not a fall down the stairs. I will murder whoever touched you. They'll be out of here in pieces when I'm through with them--"

"Sarai...Sarai please. It wasn't anyone, I promise you."

"Yeah righ--"

"No, I'm telling the truth." She took a shuddering breath, closing her eyes against the pain it caused to expand her lungs. "Sarai....Sarai I'm sick. No no, please don't call a doctor" pleaded Rayne reaching forward to grab her friend's arm as she tried to exit the room and call one of the bouncers. "Please, just...just don't tell anyone."

The blonde woman folded her arms across her chest, "You'd better stop lying and tell me what the hell's going on, otherwise I'm not listening to a drop that comes out of your mouth." She was livid, Rayne could tell even without reaching out with her magic. She couldn't really blame her...Emotionals were rare even from her hometown, and she had never once ran into another in her twenty years. Would she even understand once she told her?

"Ok..ok, just...just listen ok?" She didn't want to tell her, but she had to make her understand. Calling a doctor would do nothing. Reaching over, she grabbed her shirt and slipped it back over her head, the bruise now hidden beneath a blue fabric that brought out the blue in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she began.

She started from the beginning, telling her friend how Nakaris had cursed her so many years ago which led her and her brother to begin seeking out some sort of cure. It had nearly been too late when they had stumbled across Aniketos. Gods, how lucky had they been? He had been able to recognize his brother's magic the moment he tried to heal her...he knew exactly what had happened and how to fix it. They had asked so much of him...asked him to contact the brother whoes sole intent was to kill him in order to release the other half of the j'aari...and he had done so, without second thought for his own safety...

And then...Tai's death. Reliving it was as painful as when it had first happened. Especially now that she was nowhere near his grave, and hadn't been to visit him since she had left. It would be too easy for Ani to find them if she went back to honor her brother.

She continued her story, grateful that Sarai refrained from speaking as she spoke. It was difficult...no one knew exactly what happened as she hadn't told anyone about her past. Her marriage to the man who saved her and soon after became the love of her life...the brother who continued to hunt them to steal back the other half of the magic...

The day that Aniketos fell.

Fell...it was an appropriate term for what occurred. He succumbed to the inevitable, but she had deluded herself into believing that day would never come, especially after the birth of their children. Their two, beautiful children. Gods, would he even remember them? Would the j'aari corrupt him so much that he would forget they even existed? It made her heart throb even contemplating that horrible possibility, and pray to whatever God decided to intervene. Gods, please someone help the future change into something better than she was seeing....

She spoke about her magic, the abilities of an Emotional, and all the joys and sorrows that entailed. After their wedding night, when her magic connected them together, she had never felt so much bliss than when she felt him so strongly in her mind...and seeing his face when he realized that he, too, could feel her. She had given him her whole heart, and now that heart was being crushed every minute that they remained apart. The illness that was slowly killing her could only be healed by seeing him again. And even then, if he were to leave she would once again be plagued by the illness. For that reason, Sarai's desire to fetch a doctor was silly...they would look at her, prescribe something, and then be puzzled when nothing happened. The most they could do was give her something for the pain in the hopes that her last moments were as comfortable as possible. It would keep getting worse until it finally consumed her.

Sarai whistled, coming to sit next to Rayne and stared at the floor for a few moments before releasing a held breath.

"Damn...that sucks." She muttered, running her hand through her long hair, "You really know how to have a shitty life don't you? Goddess...why don't we go and find this Aniketos guy, if it'll make you better?"

"You can't!" pleaded Rayne, burying her head in her hands, brown hair falling over her face as tears threatened to spill. She wanted to find him more than she could ever express in words, but that wouldn't be good for either of them would it? If he was still bent on hurting the children? "I...I don't even know where he is...he could be anywhere...with anyone..." That hurt more than thinking he was off hurting others, imagining him with someone else because he no longer remembered his family...

"You're stupid aren't you? If this jerk-off doesn't come back you're going to die, Rayne. This isn't some joke--" She broke off her sentence with a glance at Rayne. "Goddess.... you're planning on dying aren't you?" Sarai stood and gripped her friend's shoulders roughly, apparently ignoring the fact that the bruise covered half of her body.

"Like hell I'll let that happen! You dumb...idiotic...moron..." She growled in exasperation, unable to form the words to express her vexation.

"It's not like I want to die..." Rayne murmured her words almost lost in the veil of her hair.

"Then let's go find him!"

"No."

Sarai's arms flew up into the air exclaiming in frustration.

"If he tried to hurt them...I would rather die than put Zawayne and Eolynne with him if he is still possessed...he might hurt them. Sarai, I can't let anything happen to my children."

Sarai sighed heavily and sat back on the bed, clearly unable to come up with anything to counter Rayne's argument. The silence seemed to drag on forever, but Rayne could not bring herself to break it. She had just revealed the darkest secret she had. It exhausted her both physically and mentally to relive it.

"Well, that leaves one option doesn't it?" Rayne looked up at her friend, puzzled by her new proclamation. Sarai looked at her and winked. "We'll just have to find a cure."

Rayne's mouth dropped, working silently but unable to form any words. As far as she knew there wasn't a cure for it. Wouldn't Ani have found it if there were? He had been fighting with it for years he knew better than anyone what would happen. Wouldn't that have been his number one priority?

"Don't look at me like I'm crazy." Demanded Sarai, arms cross across her chest, "Have you even looked? Didn't think so. I tell you what, I'll go out and check around. There's got to be someone who knows magical remedies or something...or curses...it sounds to me more like he's been cursed or something...like a...dunno...just curse-like." She paused, biting her tongue in concentration, eyes gazing at the ceiling as she mused, most-likely going through all of her contacts in her head. Rayne didn't know how anyone could possibly know someone off the top of their head that specialized in magical possession like the j'aari. She herself had never heard of it before Ani and Nakaris.

"Well, I'm off." She stood quickly and was at the door before Rayne knew what was happening. "I have some stuff to look into. In the mean-time you should get some rest. I'll have one of the girls look after Eolynne and Zawayne, you know they're a huge hit with everyone. You produce adorable babies." Rayne opened her mouth to ask what she was doing and raised her hand in protest.

"Ah-ah!" Sarai proclaimed, wagging her finger at Rayne, "Get some sleep. I'll be back!"

With that, she was out the door and it closed with a crack, leaving Rayne alone in her small room, gazing at the door completely perplexed. She wanted to go after her, but that would just end in her being dragged back here and forced into bed. She had left so quickly that it was almost as if she had come up with an idea or something...what could she possibly be planning? Were any of her customers voodoo masters? Well versed in the occult? It seemed unlikely...but then, she made a point not to ask about her night-time patrons. It seemed...awkward...

With a sigh, she leaned against the wall again, bringing her legs up onto her bed and pulling them to her chest, resting her head against her knees. She had thought that talking about everything would make it worse, that she would suddenly become more fearful for the future that would lead towards her death, but she felt oddly...calm about the whole thing. Sarai had managed to make things better. Maybe it was simply knowing that she had someone on whom she could rely...like a huge weight had been lifted off of her chest...

Maybe this meant that things would be better...maybe...

She could only hope.
 
********
The days and weeks past by in a blur. Although, not really any differently than the previous years. It was getting easier to handle the children now that they were old enough to handle some real food, and the majority of the house loved them and fought for chances to watch the two toddlers. It gave Rayne some much needed rest, even if in the long run it wouldn't matter.

Sarai was in and out of the brothel, barely allotting enough time to even do her job, let alone sit and talk to Rayne about what she was up to. It seemed that every time she asked, her friend skirted the question and suddenly had someplace else she needed to be. Rayne began to wonder if something had happened to make her upset, but ultimately came to the conclusion that when she was ready to talk to her, she would. It seemed that she was out of the brothel more often than in, but no one seemed to know where she went.

As it were, Rayne still had to do her job no matter how run down she was feeling. Not to mention, despite her story and her objections, Sarai had called a doctor who was coming regularly to check vitals and provide some medication for the pain. As much as she hated it, Rayne couldn't deny that it was nice to move around without wincing every two seconds because of the pain. She had point blank denied taking anything else, however. It was pointless to try different forms of healing when she knew it wouldn't work. It was unnecessary and she wouldn't have a part in it.

She found that doing her work took less effort without the pain, and managed to do more in a day than she did before.  It was good, too. It seemed that more and more outfits were getting torn from more than just "normal" everyday wear and tear. Of course...this was a brothel and clothes tended to get ripped off before removed gently....

It made her an invaluable asset to the team. If she couldn't mend it, she'd remake it, and save the peaches time so they could make more money.

Gods, what a screwed up world. She would have felt dreadfully uncomfortable about the whole business if she hadn't gotten to know them on an individual basis. Despite their chosen profession, they were all quite intelligent and caring individuals. Well, most of them anyways. There were always the divas in any group.

Even so, at the end of this particular day she felt drained and ready to slip into her room, watch her children sleep and fade away into restless dreams herself.

She kneeled down beside the bed where Eolynne and Zawayne slept quietly, holding each other's hands tightly as they dozed, chests rising and falling in the same rhythm. She wondered if Ani and Nakaris had ever felt this same bond...even at two years old her children did everything together. She could tell that they had inherited their mother's Emotional abilities, but to what extent she was unsure. Had Aniketos felt this? Did he and Nakaris share their own hopes and dreams before the J'aari tore that all asunder? Looking at her two beautiful children she panicked for a moment. If something had happened to Aniketos and Nakaris in the past two years...the J'aari would be free again and her children....they might....

She needed to make sure.

Kissing them quickly on their brows, she tiptoed back to her small bed, sat on the soft hand-knit quilt and situated the pillow to support her back. Closing her eyes she took a deep breath to strengthen her nerves. She needed to make sure that Aniketos was ok...to make sure he was still alive she meant. But no...she really was just using her children as an excuse to feel him again, to re-open the link for a few moments at least to sense him again...if it ended up leading him here, to the brothel, so be it. She couldn't go another minute...

Blowing out all the air she held in, she focused on her links. It was like wading through a forest of tiny strings. Some were brighter than others, but all were kept tucked tightly behind a hazy fog. The brightest were the two she could sense connected to her slumbering babes. Those she ignored for the time being, pushing them further into the fog in order to keep them from feeling anything their mother might soon experience. She didn't know what to expect...she didn't even know what she wanted to feel.

With another shuddering breath, she reached past the barrier and reached for the one thread that lay dusty and untouched behind all the others. It was faded and forgotten, but not gone...no...never gone. A final thrust and the connection was remade.

Whatever subconsciously she was expecting, the actual feeling was nothing like it.

Immediately she could tell that his emotions flared. He had sensed her reconnection the moment that she had done it. Of course he had, she was stupid to not realize it would have happened. The confusion was quickly followed by a keen awareness which was then replaced with anger. It flared, disorienting her with the amplitude of blood curdling rage. The room spun before her and she had to grip onto the wall to steady herself. Tears flowed freely down her cheeks, the guilt, pain, and sorrow exploding through her in response to feeling him once again. She almost severed the connection moments after the fury, but something kept her in place, the dazzling effect of such strong feelings fading. It was like a small light at the back of the darkness of his emotions....

Gods....

It was hope.

She couldn't take anymore. Her heart ached more than it had since that fateful night. With a silent shuddering sob she severed the connection once more, her brain aching with the emptiness it left. A soft cry escaped her lips which she quickly stifled with her palm, leaning forward on her other hand.

She wept.

And it wasn't until she felt a light shake of her shoulders that she realized she had fallen asleep. The quilt was still damp with her tears and she looked around, disoriented for a few moments. Her blue eyes settled on the shadowed frame of Sarai who stood above her holding a candle, the flame guarded by her hand. She gazed at her, confused and about to speak, but her friend's finger pressed against her lips and motioned for her to follow her outside.

Without a word, Rayne stood and exited into the hallway, shutting the door behind her to protect her children from the light and noise.

"Sarai, wha--"

"Shh, listen." She pressed something into Rayne's hand. She could only tell it was a piece of paper which held something solid within its folds. "You don't have much time. You have to go to this address tonight, right now. The key will let you in the back door. I can't say any more. Just go, ok?"

Before Rayne could even ask questions, she could only see the last strands of Sarai's long hair whip around the corner. She was torn. It wasn't like her friend to act so secretively, but then...she wouldn't unless it was absolutely necessary would she? Was this...was this what she had been working on for the past few weeks? Was this something to do with....with everything?

Without realizing what she was doing, she found herself at the backdoor of the brothel, reading the address on the note Sarai had given her. It was about a ten minute walk from the brothel...and it was the middle of the night. But she said that it had to be now...in the cover of night...

One deep breath later and she was out the door. The night was chilly and smelled like freshly turned earth along with the stale smell of horses from the nearby stable. Wind fingered through her brown tresses, encircling her face and cheeks with its gentle breath. It was oddly, peaceful. And yet, at the same time, she felt as if the night could sense her unease and tried to caress her into a sense of safety. Unfortunately, it wasn't working. Her hands were clammy against the piece of paper, the key grasped tightly in her other hand.

It was an old ornamental key, the bronze darkened with age. It curled and twisted in intricate knots at the top and seemed...strange. She couldn't place the feeling, which was odd for someone who lived with other's emotions every day. It was almost as if the key was omitting an aura...a call....she even found herself wandering in the correct direction without consciously thinking about where she was headed. It made her feel even more uneasy and she clamped her hand around the paper, listening to it crinkle in her palm. What would happen once she got there? Wherever "there" was...Sarai had seemed...rushed...and almost fearful. Had something happened? Had she found something that she couldn't share verbally so instead she sent Rayne out on a suicide mission instead?

Even the birds had fallen silent. No creature stirred in the night.

Evil

The word slipped into her brain and she shuddered under its weight. It couldn't possibly be that. Surely the fear of the unknown was making her mind twist in odd ways. She had just felt the most acute anger mere hours before that it must be working on her own insecurities.

But still....she couldn't shake the feeling that something ominous was coming...something...

She jumped as her foot ran into the base of some stairs leading up to an arched doorway. Surprised, she looked around her, beads of sweat appearing on her brow, her breaths coming in short anxious spurts.

"What are you doing, Rayne?" she whispered to herself, gazing up at the door whose archway matched the knotted design on the key. It had led her here. If that was even possible. Like a string connected to her naval she could have tried to turn in a different direction and been unable to do so in the end. Some greater power led her feet and she was frightened.

No.

She was terrified.

What lay behind that door?

She took a step up onto the stairs, pausing to gather her courage before placing her foot on the next. Then the next. It felt like forever before she had made it up those four rises and stood directly before the door. If the key felt like it had some sort of aura, it was nothing compared to the feeling she got from the door. It practically glowed with some sort of otherworldly quality. All she needed to do was insert the key into the decorative bronze key hole...that's all she needed to do.

Trembling, she reached up, her hand so moist at this point that it nearly fell from her fingers, but she managed to keep a firm enough hold. She missed the hole on her first attempt and dropped the paper in order to grasp it with both hands. It seemed silly, really, but she couldn't stop quivering and it took all of her strength to keep it still enough.

That step was finished, now all she needed was to turn it. A little flick of her wrist and the door would be opened.

Gods...did she even want to open the door? Did she want to know what lay behind it? Could she handle it? Whatever "it" ended up being....could she turn the key?

She had to. Standing here shivering was not going to solve anything. Nothing behind that door could possibly worse than her future of torment and death.

The key turned. A sharp click announced the key had worked. Before Rayne could even gather herself, the door swung open allowing the soft glow of firelight to flicker out of the crack onto her pallid features, lined by fear. A sweet aroma of lavender and pine drifted out of the open door, the same tingling sensation shooting down her spine, but this time much more prominent. She did not want to enter into the house...she did not want to move forward...

But once again her feet had a mind of their own.

Before she realized what was happening, she heard the door click closed behind her, the lavender and pine engulfing her in a hazy smog. It was much stronger inside than the first whiff on the doorstep. A fire blazed in the fireplace, lighting up the small room. A round table rested in the middle of the room, a wood top supported by the same aged bronze for its legs. Incense burned on the table which explained where the heavy aromas stemmed, mixing with the pine logs that roared in the fire place. It was stifling, and all Rayne wanted to do was lay down on the ground and go to sleep. Everything about the room seemed oddly hypnotic. The flames cast dancing shadows on the walls, but nothing else existed in the room other than that one round table with the incense. Squinting, she realized that there was also a small chest. It was locked with a similar bronze clasp and upon getting closer, the wood itself seemed to glow. Reaching forward she attempted to touch the surface, intrigued by the strange aura.

"I wouldn't touch that if I were you, my dear."

Rayne gave a startled shout, turning around quickly and managing to knock over the incense burner which sent fine dust across the floor. Her heart raced in her chest causing pain to shoot through her ribs from the sudden activity from inside her bosom. She hadn't seen anyone in the room when she had first entered, yet here stood an elderly woman. Her white hair was tied in tight plaits that were twirled around her head and held together by a long silver comb that had some bronze ornaments dangling from its end. Her eyes were a piercing, icy blue that seemed to bore right though Rayne, seeing beneath her clothes, beneath her skin, and into her very soul. She was rooted to the spot, unable to look away from those eyes. Her blood turned cold and she wanted to scream but couldn't find her voice.

"Don't stand gawking, child." She barked, breaking her gaze which allowed Rayne to move once more. Her first movement was simply to tremble, holding her hands tightly before her to hide the quakes as best she could. "Now, I'll have that key back if you would."

Rayne blinked silently, at first confused by the request. Understanding dawned on her and silently she handed over the bronze key that Sarai had given to her what seemed like hours before. The woman scooped the metal out of Rayne's hands and reached up to the comb in her hair. Upon further investigation, Rayne realized that the ornaments were not just pretty bronze dangles, but keys. Dozens of keys hung from the silver comb, and this one filled a small gap that had been where the key had been removed in the first place.

"Your friend said you would be on your way, but you certainly took your good old time about it. How long were you standing on my doorstep...? Too long if you ask me." She bustled about the room, stoking the fire one second, fixing the incense burner the next. This too, caused Rayne to blink uncertainly. She had not see the burner being replaced, and all the dust she had knocked over was nowhere to be seen.

"Now. Why are you here?" Rayne opened her mouth to answer but the woman only paused long enough for her to take a breath, "No no, your explanation will take too long. Pleasantries will have to wait, you didn't give us much time. The sun is rising in less than an hour. Come here." She motioned towards a chair that, once again, had not been there moments before. Silently, Rayne walked forward and took a seat. It had a poof on top of the wooden frame which sank with her slight weight and was really rather comfortable.

"Close your eyes dear."

She obeyed and felt a frigid breeze fall over her, almost as if she had been dunked in a bucket of cold water. She would have jerked at the sudden change in temperature, but found herself glued in place. Her eyes would not open, her limbs would not move. She was completely frozen in place. Panic replaced fear. She felt as if she were suddenly made out of ice, or encased in an ice statue. Nothing was working and breathing became progressively harder. It was as if she were slowly falling into a deep, deep slumber. All she could feel was cold, all she could see was the inside of her eyelids, and all she could smell was the sickeningly sweet scent of lavender.

"All done."

Crack

The cold was replaced by the suffocating heat of the small room. Her eyes watered from the change and she felt as if her entire body was now on fire. Her hands gripped the side of the chair to keep from falling over as she looked up at the old woman whose icy eyes were sparkling. In her hand, she held a small vial which held a dark, murky green substance.

"Tsk tsk, this won't do. Your aura use to be gold you know, now it has change to this." Without pause, she threw back the vial and swallowed the disgusting looking liquid. It must have been as gross to taste as it looked as the woman pursed her lips, eyes squinted in repulsion. "Mmm, yes, as I expected. You've been through the mill these past two years, and you've let it dampen your spirit. Hmm...that won't do, won't do at all." She continued to mutter to herself as she made her way to the side of the room where a cupboard stood. Opening the doors, Rayne could hear the clink of glass, but was unable to see past her white head. It was surprising because she was shorter than Rayne by about two or three inches, but she seemed to take up the entire front of the piece of furniture.

"Ahh....let's try this." She bustled back, Rayne noticing that even her dress was made out of what looked like liquid silver. It rivaled the moonbeams themselves. "Here, drink this."

Rayne blinked down at the vial in her hands which held a golden liquid that glittered each time it sloshed against its glass confines.

"What...what is this?" Rayne choked, merely staring at it but making no move to take it from the woman's grip.

"It'll take away that silly sickness you're living with." Replied the woman, shaking the vial under Rayne's nose as if she were trying to entice a dog to eat a new treat. "Really, whoever decided it was good idea to give your kind that ability is barking mad. What human remains in love with the same person for their entire life? It's silly! Positively ridiculous. Now, you came here for my help and I'm giving it. Take it before the sun comes up or you'll lose your chance! It's the only thing I'll do for you so just take it already, I'm tired of your staring. Honestly, it's as if you've never seen something like this before, which is just silly. You of all people should not be surprised by a little bit of magic. Now drink."

Rayne was at a loss for words. What could she possibly say to this woman? She thought that she wanted help getting rid of the sickness? But...yes, it would be great, it was more than she could ever have asked for...but...

There was something more important...

"I...I can't." She murmured, gazing at the floor and away from the vial, "I can't...I still love him...I just...I want to save him, from the magic that possesses him. I don't want to be cured, I want to free him from his curse."

The woman scoffed, obviously unimpressed by the selflessness of her guest. "Stupid. Stupid, stupid, stupid." She muttered under her breath as she went back to the cabinet and replaced the vial. With a snap of her fingers the entire thing disappeared and she returned to the table, gazing at Rayne with those same icy ices. This time, it was even more intense than the first time she had gazed into them. It felt as if she were falling through a waterfall, waiting to crash on the rocks at the bottom.

Then, as quickly as it began, the spell was broken and the woman's demeanor seemed different. She appeared almost worried when she stepped forward towards the wooden box that still remained on the table next to that sweet lavender incense. Her  hands hovered over it for a second as if doubting herself, or trying to think of another option.

"Of course, I knew you'd pick this one. But...an old woman could always hope that you'd do the smart thing. Ah well, to each his own I suppose. But it won't be easy mind you. You've got a rough road ahead of you, girl, and even if you do succeed...which is highly unlikely I must say, but if I can't convince you otherwise...No? No, no, I didn't think so. How unfortunate. Ah well, I guess there's no getting past it then. Come here, child. No, no, don't dawdle. The sun's nearly up and I have so much to tell you about before I set you loose with this stuff." She whipped a key out of her comb and unlocked the box. Inside was a silver dagger. Its blade seemed to flow like her dress; a constantly moving creation of liquid silver. The hilt was pure crystal inscribed with characters Rayne had never seen before in her life. Everything about it screamed otherworldly. This was not a weapon mortal beings could fashion, even a fool could see that.

"Take it." She huffed, stepped aside so Rayne could go in. With tentative hands, she reached forward and grasped the hilt. Her entire arm went numb and she gasped, letting the dagger fall back into the box as she massaged her hand to get feeling back into her fingers.

"Huh. Well that won't do. You'll have to get use to holding it if you're ever going to want to use it. Now listen. The magic that is possessing your lover, I don't even know how you can call him a lover after everything...but I digress. The magic is a strong, ancient one and can't be broken by the will of a simple mortal or even an immortal. It cannot be killed by me, I don't have that kind of power, but you can trick it to thinking it's carriers have died. It'll then move on to possess another pair of twins. Can you live with that? Ah, of course you can, silly of me to even ask. You were created a stubborn one." She sighed but continued, barely missing a beat. "In the hilt of this dagger is a potion powerful enough to paralyze twenty men in the middle of battle. You must have him drink all of it, you understand? It will slow his blood and keep him still as a board. No, no, it won't kill him. Stop interrupting with silly questions and listen." Rayne didn't know whether to be offended or amused. She hadn't spoken a single word, yet it seemed this woman could tell what questions were forming in her mind without them ever leaving her lips.

"Now, this is the easy part. It will freeze him for ten minutes and allow you to finish the rest. You must use this dagger and cut out his heart. I told you no questions!!!" She barked, "And don't look at me with those wide mortal eyes. If you do everything correctly he won't die so shush and pay attention. The blade will cut through any substance, no matter how hard, like cutting through freshly churned butter. Once you open his chest and reveal his heart, you must do the same to yourself. I say you will have...at best, ten seconds to do the transfer." She paused and glared at Rayne, "Yes, I said transfer, aren't you paying attention? Your heart is untainted by the possessing magic, and removing his will trick it into thinking his hosts have died. You can't live without a heart can you? Yes, good. You must place your heart into his chest and his into yours. It will complete the bond and he will be freed."

"Will...Will I--"

"I think you already know that answer don't you?" She murmured, icy eyes gazing at Rayne with what appeared to be a mix of pity and exasperation. "The liquid in the hilt will heal his wounds over the course of a few days, but you will not wake after the transfer. You sacrifice will be his life. Are you sure you don't want to take the vial I gave you earlier? No? Didn't think so." With a swift movement, the box clicked closed and the lock turned. She pulled a strand of her white hair from her head and tied the key onto it like a necklace which she then placed over Rayne's head.

"This will help you endure a little longer. At this rate you won't last the years it's going to take him to get his stupid possessed tush over here. Don't take it off, no matter what. It won't break. Our time is done here."

Once again, Rayne felt as if her entire body was turned into ice. Her lungs screamed against the cold but there was nothing she could do.  It was frightful and she felt as if she were suffocating. Each time she tried to fight it, it became worse and worse until her vision faded into unconsciousness.

******

When she woke, it was to the protesting screams of Eolynne and Zawayne. They awoke early on most days and today that stood around their mother's bed, tiny hands pulling at her skirt.

"Muuuuummmy...muuuuuuummmmmy.....up! up up up!"

Sitting up, she rubbed her eyes groggily and gazed down at them fondly, leaning forward to kiss them both lovingly on the tops of their heads. The two red-headed children squealed gleefully and raced to the door, still hand in hand as they waited for the handle to turn so they could embrace the freedom the brothel halls provided. The moment the latch clicked, they were off, running down the hall where Sarai stood gazing uncertainly at Rayne.

She waived Sarai on, watching as she took the two hands of the excited children while turning back into her room. Her hand immediately went to the heavy key that hung around her neck, eyes gazing at the box that rested on the edge of her bed, wood sparkling as much as it had the night before. Her heart beat hard against her chest as everything came flooding back. It hadn't been a dream.

None of it...

But, who had that woman been? She couldn't have been human...and she knew auras...at least knew Rayne's aura...made it into liquid for and could See everything about her simply by tasting it...who was that woman? A Goddess?

Could it be.....?

But...one thing she did know...

In order to save the love of her life, she herself would have to die.

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