Rainbow's Stand

Chapter 8 - How Does She Do It?

"Welcome back Gravia."

The fire is low by the time Gravia cracks her eyes open and sits up on the dirt floor. I'm slowly feeding the flames, watching the embers swallow the logs and twigs.

Fox is curled up next to me, seemingly asleep. Although, the minute Gravia sits up, his eyes blink open and snap towards the women. Baring his teeth, snarling and narrowing his eyes.

"Rainbow." Gravia drawls. "How pleasant of a reunion."

"Can't say the same." I can't meet her eyes.

Something stirred deep within her stomach, like a shadowy snake curling and coiling deep within her. Queen snorts behind her, breathing out a steady stream of air.

"You didn't tie me up."

"I didn't."

"You're an idiot for that." Gravia hisses.

She stands up, and I have to force her head to look up at her. Gravia doesn't move.

I chuckle. "I thought you were leaving?"

Gravia is quiet.

"You can't leave without me. Or... you can't leave without your friends."

"Hunter and Trevor are not my friends," Gravia snaps off, "those two mean nothing but a stepping stone to me."

"Then walk away."

Gravia doesn't.

"Sit down then." I gesture to the area across the fire.

After a pause, Gravia does sit down. Her boots scraping against the dirt. Her cold eyes gazing into mine, the only spark of light within the eyes was that of the dying fire.

"What do you want to talk about." Gravia mutters.

I could barely hear her over the low snaps of the fire. But instead, I shrug.

"I don't have time to just talk, I have questions that you have the answers for. Lets stop beating around this ever burning bush."

The fire reflected in Gravias eyes dim.

"You don't really think you can get an answer out of me."

"Evaline can't save you now."

Fox's ears perk up at this, and she shuffles closer to me at the sound of that. Gracias eyes darken, a stormy cloud passing over a new moon.

"I see. You killed her?"

"What?"

"You killed Lady Jane... have you?"

I sputter. "What? No— Jesus what? I'm not a psychopath— do you really think I would just kill her?"

Gravia remains cold.

"Look—"

"Let me see her. Let me see that bi—"

"Hey! No need to swear." I slowly push myself up off the ground and Fox jumps up and trots in between me and Gravia. "I stuffed her in this tent here."

Gravia picks herself up and walks after me, Fox keeping firmly between me and that wrench.

I pull back the tent flap and nearly fall over.

I had just tied up and stuffed Lady Jane in a tent, confident that I would hear her when she woke up. But all that's left in the tent are a few pieces of rope, placed in a specific way to resemble a crude crown on the floor.

Whipping around, the fire in my eyes growing as I take a step towards Gravia. I nearly walk into Fox, who squeaks.

"Lady Jane is loose, and most likely on her way towards Evaline right as we speak." I say in a low voice. "She will tell of what happened tonight, and the way you treated her— any hope of repairing bonds with that bridge is burned."

Gravia narrows her eyes.

"But—" I continue on, "come with me. Answer my questions and I can grant you— you and your 'friends'— the protection of the Krewdom."

"How do I know you won't go back on your word?"

"Don't get me wrong, you will most definitely be tried for your crimes if kidnapping and attempted kidnapping," I continue on, "but you will be safe. If you help me your sentence will be lighter."

"I don't need your protection. We don't need your protection." Gravia growls.

"Do you really think you can beat magic? How long have you been running?"

I hold out my hand towards Gravia, an offering. The warm glow of the fire dancing across the surface of the clearing and illuminating everything.

"How long can you keep running for?"

Gravia doesn't take my hand, but sighs and crosses her arms.

"I loved him... you know."

A beat.

"My... my father?"

"I really did love him... and we go crazy lengths for love." Gravia looks around, at the shabby campsite and the dirt floors with no floors or AC or fresh water. "We go even crazier lengths for revenge."

"I'm sorry he didn't love you."

"You're charming. I can see her in you..."

"She loved him." I whisper. "If that's anything."

Gravia is quiet. She doesn't say thing, but just looks at the extended hand in between the two of us.

"What do you want to know?"

She doesn't take my hand in the end, maybe it was the last piece of pride she could afford before she let everything go.

"Who's Evaline."

"To be truthfully honest, I'm not sure." Gravia shrugs. "Someone powerful. You though Lady Jane was the top of the food chain? Evaline created the food chain."

"What about Draco?"

"I doubt he knows about her. Lady Janes connection between her and Evaline is weak at best, non-existent at the worst."

"How do you know Lady Jane? And by extent, Evaline?"

"I—" Gravia coughs awkwardly. "You won't like the story."

"I know."

Another pause. And owl cries out in the distance.

"I wanted to kill your parents."

I draw in a deep breath, one that fills my head and makes me dizzy and wants to throw me off my axis into the space.

"But someone beat me to it."

"Lady Jane?"

"No... Evaline. But she contacted me though Lady Jane. Said she admired me practice and skill, and that if I could prove myself... I could join her."

"You've been—" Rainbow pauses. "You've been working under her the whole time."

"Not really. Operated as my own entity, but whatever I do I need to report to her in hopes of earning her trust and respect to join her in her... plan."

Rainbow sits back down by the fire.

"What's the plan."

"Something... big. Wants to overthrow the throne."

"That's not gonna happen." I look over at Queen. "That's not gonna happen."

Another pause. Nothing happens, but the crunching of leaves and branches as Gravia sits down next to me.

"You're gonna be asked more questions when we get back to the Krewdom." I say.

"I know."

"Trevor and Hunter are in the other tent. They got knocked out by Lady Jane."

"I see."

"Their wounds are bandaged and they'll be okay."

A quiet pause.

"Thank you."

Gravia doesn't say a word for the rest of the night, I watch as the fire slowly goes out in her eyes, the smoke twisting up into the night sky before being pushed away by the breeze.