--The Code of the Samurai

"Blayne!" Anneke raged, "How could you do this? How stupid could you be? You violated the very laws we enforce! I've sent others to their Final Death for this very same action." Her voice rose in volume as she continued, ignoring the others. "Well? What reason could you have to do this? What makes you so different that I shouldn't destroy you where you stand?" She stood there waiting for his reply.

He remained silent, looking a his feet. He was not completely sure why he did it himself, so he certainly couldn't explain it to her. His silence only seemed to enrage her further.

Brendan raised his hand, as if waiting to be called on, for some odd reason. An ebony hand reached out of the shadows and pushed his arm down. He looked over and it was Clive, Anneke's Assamite bodyguard. Clive held a finger to his lips in a shushing gesture.

Anneke must have seen the movement out of the corner of her eye, because she whirled on Brendan. "He's not alone in this, you are also responsible for this." Her eyes flashed over to Alexander, her gaze nailing him to the spot. "And you. As far as I'm concerned you all Sired her."

Brendan grinned. Then his grin turned into a full fledged smile.

"Do you think this is funny?", she asked.

Brendan started to giggle "No...", that was as far as he got.

Brendan was smashed from his feet by a blow he never saw, he skidded across the polished floor and came to a rest against a pillar. She watched for a second to see if Brendan had anything else to add to the conversation, then returned her gaze to Blayne.

"Blayne", He didn't look up. "Blayne." She said sharply. When he didn't respond she nudged his chin up and raised his face. "Look at me." she commanded. She stepped back, and took a breath, just the action of that calming her down, helping her regain her composure. "Do you understand the consequences of what you've done?" she asked almost formally.

"Yes. I understand." He resigned himself to the fact that she would destroy him, and the poor girl he tried to save. Not that dying bothered him, he'd done it once already. He had consigned himself, early on, to the fact that at some point she would kill him. Sacrifice him in some inconsequential little part of the Jyhad. He was cool with that. It's his job to die for her, on her command. But he never thought it would be like this, out of anger or disappointment in him and his duties. That was what bothered him the most, that she would think less of him, that she would think he had failed her. The thought of her being disappointed in him bothered him far worse than the threat of death. "I realized what you would have to do when I Embraced her. But I had to do this. I had to take the chance."

Anneke's expression softened, "My poor Childe. I sometimes think you don't have the heart for this life." She looked over to where Julianna sat brushing the new girls hair, "Blayne, you cannot save everyone. That's not your job."

She returned her gaze to Blayne, "Look at me." she commanded.

He met her eyes. This is it, he thought. She leaned close, as if to kiss him, or maybe bite him. He did his best not to flinch as she drew closer. These would be the last things he would remember, her eyes and the smell of her hair…