Since Dakota's death, Jade had been momma hen. An oblivious over protective mother hen at that. She was so busy around the house that the tv, and the news on it, became background noise for whatever she was doing. She heard 'Ravenlock' and 'Steele', but often thought it had to be about Dakota. The tv was quickly flickered off after that.

The day started like any other over the last four months. She willed herself up and lived for her children. She took Claira off to school, then came home and took care of Shilah. Around three o'clock, she went back to fetch Claira. When Claira wasn't at the spot she usually was, Jade's motherly senses coiled up in a tight wad in the center of her chest. She rolled down the window of the black SUV's passenger side and listened. She heard shouts and screams coming from the side of the middle school near the playground. One scream stood out. Claira's.

Her door was flung open and she dashed out. Parents looked at her, seemingly with no remorse. As she appeared around the corner, she was met with the sight of her own daughter being held down. Older kids were taking their shot at kicking and punching the small girl as the younger children held her down. They all looked up at Jade with a gasp.

"I told you the vampire b*tch would come!"
"Run, it's a Ravenlock!"
"She's crazy like him!"
"Mommy told me the whore was crazy!"
"Let's get outta here!"

"Claira!" Jade screamed as the kids started to run off. "What have they done to you!?"

"Mommy!" The girl sobbed while bolting up and clinging to her mother, black locks matted down in dirt and tears. One pigtail hung loose, the pink ribbon still lying on the ground where she had been. "They all ganged up on me! They hate me! Why do they hate me?!"

Jade swooped up her daughter, so mad she could spit. Her crimson lips curled around her teeth, "They won't do this to you any more."

Her child sobbed into her shoulder, and she was seeing red. Many shades of red. No one did this to her child, especially in a place that was supposed to be a haven. The two came around the building, Jade expecting the children and the parents already gone. But they were there all waiting in front of their perspective cars.

"What is wrong with your children?!" She shrieked, "Do you know what they did to my child? I swear on my life, they will be punished!"

"Did you hear that?! She's going to hurt our kids!"
"She's nuts just like him, bet she killed her own husband!"

"What? Your kids have beaten my daughter!" She screamed back at the crowd.

"Look, she left her baby in the car alone! Someone should take him from her. She's a no good two-bit whore. Everyone knows!"

"Don't you dare take my Shilah! I was protecting my child!"

"How much you cost since Dakota died? Bet you're fooling around!"
"She's a Ravenlock, we all know how they are."

"What is wrong with you people?" Another shriek came out, half muffled by a sob choking her.

"What is wrong with you Ravenlocks? Get out of RhyDin!"

Her mouth hung open as she pushed her way through the parents to her SUV. She set Claira inside the car, kissing her ontop of the head. Inside in his carseat, Shilah wailed. She shushed him and plugged his binky into his mouth before shutting Claira's door.

She looked to the crowd around her, "You all will be hearing from my lawyer. You should be ashamed of your actions and the actions of your children. I have done nothing to you. I thought of you as friends."

"Good luck finding one, Ravenlock!"
"You all have done enough here!"

She let out a loud 'hmpft' and kicked into her SUV, quickly speeding out of the parking lot. Suddenly, the dramatic shift in the looks she had started getting from the parents at the school made sense. Why now? What had they done? She did not know. Ravenlock? Crazy?

Claira sobbed again, "They hate us! They hate us! They hate us all!"

"Baby, why did they do this to you?" She glanced to her child.

"The bigger kids were talking about wanting to beat up all the Ravenlocks!" She sniffled, "Then I said I was proud to be a Ravenlock. We were good." Sniffle, "They all started to scream at me, saying all these mean things! They said all Ravenlocks need to go before they turned out bad!"

"Slow down, sweetie," She patted her daughter as she broke out in another sob, "Turned out bad? Why are we bad? We aren't."

"Their mommies and daddies told them we were! Their mommies and daddies hate us too! They told them to hurt me!" Claira cried out.

"Hurt you?! Why would any parent say that to their child?!" Jade shouted, "They are all going to hear from our lawyer!"

"They said Uncle BriBri was evil..." Claira whispered, "Said we were gunna do evil too..."

"Brian!?" Jade exclaimed, "He is nothing but good, you hear me? He loves you, and us, and everyone. He's not evil. Now let me call, Rhy."

She punched in the numbers in a blind rage as she drove. Finally, with Claira crying in the background, Rhy picked up, "Jade?"

"Rhy! I'm sueing this town! The whole bloody town! The school, the school board, the parents! Everyone, you hear me! They beat my daughter... for her name!"
"Jadey, what are you talking about?"
"They made up some bullsh-- story about Brian, and now they are beating her! They better believe that Jadden Eli Ravenlock Steele is going to be on their f------- a----! This will the last time they screw with me and my family."
"Jade, calm down. There's something you should know."
"Know what? I ain't calming the hell down! Don't you give me that sh--! What if someone beat Daniel, hm?!"
"Have you seen the news lately?"
"Yes... not really... What does that matter! Claira is hurt!"
"I know, and I'm sorry... just calm down. Call me back when you watch the news. Then you'll understand." Click.

For once, Rhy had hung up on her. For the second time, her mouth hung open while pulling into their driveway. Claira quickly undid herself and ran into the house after Jade shut off the SUV, still crying.

"Claira! Wait, baby!" But she was already gone. With a huff, Jade went around and pulled out Shilah. "What is going on around here, Shi?" He fussed as they went inside the house. Jade set him down into his play pin and clicked on the tv.

"Tonight, RhyDin targets Brian Ravenlock as enemy number one after his murder of an infant."

"What!?"

"Brian Ravenlock, former town favorite and hero, is now the most hated man in RhyDin. They say he has completely gone mad, raising the dead, and even under suspicion of killing and burning down his own sister's, Jewell Ravenlock, home. The Watch advises all to remain out of his path. The Scath sisters, the Judges theirselves, are now on the look out for Brian."

"You have GOT to be kidding me! These are all lies!"

"The Watch warns against meddling with the remaining Ravenlocks until all this has been cleared. This leads the town to beg 'Where is Jenai'? She is Brian Ravenlock's wife, mother to their children, and fellow Scath sister."

"They aren't even married! This is a bullsh-- news story! I want to know who wrote this!"

"There are no updates on Brian, just a word of renewed warning. More on the story at ten. Now onto the weather, Jim?"

Jade clicked off the tv and looked up Brian and Jen's number. She punched in the numbers and listened to it ring. An answering machine picked up.
"Hi, you've reached the Ravenlock compound. How did you get this number anyway? Brian and Jenai are out, meow~" Kerri's voice danced on the machine. It was funny once... not so much now.

"Brian, Jen, this is your sister! Answer the damn phone!" Silence, "Eff it, I'm coming over!" Click.

After a half ring, Rhy picked up the second time Jade called, "You see?"
"Yeah, I see. I don't understand anything."
"You're a target too."
"I understand that. Clearly. I need to see them."
"I don't think that's such a good idea. What if your brother flips out on you like he did Jewell?"
"Rhy, he had nothing to do with that. They are my family."
"I'm your family too, you know."
"Can you please just come over? I need answers."
"Yea, Jay. I'll be over," Sigh. Click.

"Claira Ann," Jade said softly as she came up the stairs. "Claira?"

"In the bath, mommy."

Jade poked her head into the hall bathroom, "Sweetie? Are you okay?"

"Yes, mommy. I just needed a bath. I was dirty," she said, turning her head from her mother.

Jade kneeled down at the tub and set her hand in the water. It was nice and warm. Safe. "How are you?"

"Fine. I'll be fine."

The hand went up and found her daughter's cheek, tilting her head towards her. Already, her skin had began to puff up and bruise. The pit of Jade's stomach fell out, and bile rose.

"Don't look at me, mommy. We're bad."
"They will pay. They will all pay, Claira!"

"Mommy," she whispered, "You will be just as bad as they make us to be."

"Jade! Claira!" Rhy called from downstairs.

"Claira, I promise I will fix this," she set a kiss to her daughter's head.
"What if we can't? What if you can't fix this, mommy?"
"I will."

Jade's crimson lips set into a grimace as she turned and walked out. Down the stairs she went, passing Rhy without much of a word. She kissed Shilah on the head and went for the door.

"Don't get caught up in his world, Jadden."
"He's my brother."
"Doesn't change anything."
"It changes everything."
"You have a family."
"I will fix things."

She made a mad dash out, shaking Rhy's scolds off. Jade drove and drove until she found the compound. Tricky thing it was to find. Good thing with the current ongoings, she guessed. It looked different than before. Wilder. Over grown. Jade frowned. She whipped out of the SUV, after hidding it away from peering eyes.

Jade banged on the door, the one place she knew was their home. If anyone was home. She hoped. Prayed.
"Brian! Jenai! It's Jade! Your sister! You know, that Jade!"

She was already a bit unnerved from the ongoings and the lack of a responce. Tense, bewildered, angry, grievenced, saddened - all the shade of jade in her green eyes. Tap tap tap went a booted foot at the doorstep. There were no familiar sounds from within the walls of the compound like the visits before. No thunderous stomps of an oncoming Mithra, no giggles of her nieces, no loving coos of Brian and Jenai to one another. Just silence.

Nervous hands wandered. Touching the stone, rapping at the door once more, and finally finding home in a clasp behind her. A prickle started to dance along her spine, causing the hair at the back of her neck to raise. Jade shook it off and took it from being the cause of the holes in her well worn and faded jeans. She ignored the goosebumps forming on her arms, even though she was wearing a black long sleeved shirt.

She ignored the signs. She chose to be oblivious once more. Merely hoping for the best.

But the voice behind her did not startle her as it should have. Her jade hues grew wide as she turned her head very slowly. The warm familiarity of the voice comforted her nerves. The razzled nerves his watching was a cause of. Jade was at ease like many a time before.

"Brother," she breathed.

Jade turned and dashed off the doorsteps, towards Brian. Through the courtyard and through the gate, she ran to him like a wide eyed doe. They all lied. He could do no wrong in her mind. Lies. RhyDin lied. Because of her small frame to his massive one, there was a small jump up as arms went about his shoulders in a tight embrace.

"Brian," she spoke softly as her chin rested on a broad shoulder, two sets of raven locks mingling together at least for a moment. "They hurt Claira Ann... They hurt my baby. For our name. Dakota is gone... why would they do that?" She could bare not to raise her rambling voice above a whisper, "The news... they must lie. RhyDin is falling apart, and you are at the center... They all must pay." Pause, "What is going on?"

Her body tensed again. Not in fear of what he was going to say, but because she knew he was going to release her from this warm intertwinement. He was the only brother she could call her own, blood or not. Family meant the world to her.

Her green hues searched his electric blues, finding total honesty in his words. She could always find the complete truth in him. His word was his word. Jade's crimson lips parted to speak, but did nothing but quiver. Not scared but faulty realization in a sprung mind.

He had to do it. Everything he has done had to have just reasoning. He was right. RhyDin was wrong. Everyone was wrong. What had they done for her? Nothing. It seeped into her mind slowly but in only the moment. A step off a cliff a gust of wind was already pushing her over.

Another kiss to a flushed cheek, the whisper, "They?will?pay.."

Silence. Thoughts formed. A mind was made. Her arms tightened about her brother.

?They will all pay..?

She stilled her shakey lips by way of a crooked smile. Eyes wide. Still doe like, but more crazed delight. Something snapped inside with his whispers along her ears. Vengence - for Dakota, for Claira, ... for herself. A giggle nearly freed itself.

Swirling jade hues stared into his eyes dead center, "May I help, brother?"

Green eyes watched his song and dance... wide they were. As he continued... wide, wider, widest they went. She was ever so still. Watching. She did not fear her brother, for deep down she couldn't believe she ever would. Maybe she should be. Jade was just... confused. Much strangeness to take in.

Blood spatter? Black, at that? That called for a tiny jump back as she dodged the spray. This was Jade we were talking about after all.

She did not answer his questions, for she knew they were not her questions to answer. At the convulsions of everything around her (including Brian himself), she really picked up the hint. There was something more.

Then...

?I don?t know? You help, like you helped Dakota? Or lack thereof, my dear? Jadden??

It might have struck a cord. Might? Okay, it strummed every cord in her like a five string guitar. So much so that she even missed the laughter in the background. Many emotions played across her face, one after another. But one cord kept vibrating, kept playing. Anger. It caused her face to flush, her brows to furrow, her lips to curl over and expose teeth.

In the instant, she was mad at the source.

"How dare you..." She fought the urge to push an accusing finger at her brother.

To keep from it, she turned her back to him. She mulled his words over for another moment, becoming angry again. Only this time it shifted.

"They did not help him! RhyDin did not help him!" She started to pace ever so slightly, "I could do nothing... But they..."

Jade turned to face Brian, "They killed him!" Finally the accusing finger flew outward and about, "They killed him! They did nothing for him! They gave up on him and laid him in that room to die! I fought tooth and nail for this life... and they killed him!"

This shattered Steele's mind seethed. Her grief changed to rage and hatred.

"They will pay... If you believe I can help or hinder, I will make them pay. I will destroy their lives like they destroyed mine. I will play the victim no longer!" She balled her hands into a fist as she spoke low but pointedly to her brother, "I will be the cause... I will be the source of the plague... I will suffer no longer... They will."