grail of death and clockwork.

Chapter X

"Jayson?" Dakoda breaths out hot tears streaming down her face as her heart aches as her mind whirls trying to make sense of the situation.

"Dakoda," He simply replies with a hint of a smirk. His hands in his pockets and his demeanor calm and collected.

"But... Mother and father... Everyone assumed you were killed! I fought for years! Told them otherwise, I was sent to the asylum! Because they all thought the trauma of losing my whole family had caused me to lose my mind!" She screams as she stood glaring at her elder sibling with a look of pure hatred. Her hands clasp into fists as rage courses through her, memories of her time in the asylum flashing through her mind causing a tremble to run down her spin at the thoughts of the dirty cell like room which they had locked her in 'for her own safety'. Her face softens and she looks down, her eyes start to water until eventually tears are dripping down her face and into the muddy dirt of the alley ground. The sudden realization of the events of the past few months hitting her like a steam-carriage. Many of her friends, family and acquaintances were now dead, all the others would be fairly much the same had she not stopped her brothers evil doings.

"Why?" she sobs. "Why did you have to kill everyone?"

"Because I had no choice, they would have done to you what they did to her!" He screams back. After glancing at the look of petrified terror upon Dakoda's face his shoulders slouch forward and he sighs. Fiddling with whatever he could to keep his nimble fingers in motion he looks away from her.

"They... It had to be done... I had no choice," He whispers with a trembling voice.

"What in the name of Hell would warrant the murder of six people!" Dakoda hisses in anger.

"Nine," was his almost inaudible reply. Dakoda give him a strange look for a the mumble.

"Nine?" she repeats slowly, taking a cautious step towards him she blinks back another round of tears which threatened to spill "NINE?" she yells, furious. Once again taking up her habit of pacing Dakoda breathes heavily while trying to wrap her head around the new information.

"Who?" she demands quietly as she comes to a stand still just slightly further away from him. After a warey pause and glance in her direction he answers.

"Lady roberts..." Jayson breathes out, "I'm not happy that she had to die, But She caught me at a time which I could not risk being exposed," he whispers

"I... I had a suspicion that the circumstances of Lady Roberts death were strange... but," Dakoda mutters biting her lip. Once again glaring

"Who else?" she asks quietly. Jayson avoids her gaze and keeps his eyes low while his hands fidget with the button holes of his coat.

"WHO ELSE DID YOU KILL!?" Dakoda screams pulling the knife free from her belt and throwing it at a crate beside them in order to relieve some of the anger and tension from in her veins. After calming down slightly she stomps up to the weapon and yanks it free so not to leave it within reach of her brothers grasp.

"Mother and father..." he mutters weakly as though embarrassed.

"What?" Dakoda asks pausing to hear his confirmation, with wide eyes and slim hopes that she did not hear what she thought she had heard. With a slight scowl and eyes narrow Jayson looks up to her.

"I killed our parents, to save you!" he hisses. Running her hands through her hair causing it to take on a disheveled appearance she starts to pace around.

"Our parents... you killed... so... I was right, when I told Inspector Keeland it was murder I was right," she mumbles almost incoherently. With thoughts racing and pieces seemingly clicking into place as all her repressed memories of the night come storming back bursting down the walls she had barricaded in her mind.