Cerulean Palace
Chapter Eight: Don't Mix Business with Pleasure
.x
For the entire of the next day, Rima avoided Shiki.
He sighed as he caught a few strands of blonde hair vanishing around a dark corridor. Perhaps he had been too forward with her the previous night, catching her completely off guard, but –
He won't regret what he did…would he?
Shiki punched the wall of the corridor in a frustrated manner, the crème-toned cement cracking slightly under brute force.
He wasn't used to this uncertain solitude.
.x
Rima lied down under the shade of a tree, arms spread across the grassy surface. The sky had long since faded into an azure blue hue, rays of sunlight striking and basking the ground in warmth.
A drowsy wind flickered by.
It was a picturesque spring morning.
Rima began slathering on SPF 50 sunscreen, evening the thick goop over her skin. She was determined to stay out in the bright sunshine, if it meant not seeing Shiki.
Shiki.
Her heart hammered against her chest, and she gave herself two resonant slaps.
Here she was, under the dark shade of a tree, hiding from the very same person invading her thoughts.
Wasn't this just – perfectly – pathetic? Rima exhaled, capping the bottle of sunscreen and sliding it into her pocket.
She could remember –
The hot, rapid breaths that fanned over her face.
The relentless and searing lips, pressed harshly on top of hers.
And –
She could remember the intense gaze of silver eyes that had her insides burning and her skin tingling, as he continued to kiss her until her breathing was husky and her throat was hoarse.
Rima shut her eyes and let the crimson flush spread across her entire form.
.x
"…Get lost."
She lifted an eyelid, staring at the ominous shadow with displeasure.
"What do you want?" She drawled sardonically.
Zero glowered at her, mauve irises flashing with abhorrence.
"Night Class students are not allowed outside of the Moon Dormitory before the Day Class's curfew," he sneered, fingers tightening around the handle of his firearm. "Get back to where you belong, vampire."
Rima hardened her stare.
"Make me," she taunted him, the contemptuous feeling in her chest growing with every passing second. "Like I give a damn about what you say."
Zero snarled.
He balled his fingers into a fist and punched the bark of the tree, flakes of peeled wood fluttering onto the grass.
Rima wrinkled her nose in distaste.
"Is that the best you can do?"
"……."
The air around them darkened with animosity.
.x
"Oi, you."
Zero swerved his glare from Rima, meeting the slanted silver eyes of Shiki.
"The chairman is looking for you." He pointed lazily at the building in the distance, yawning. "He was screaming something about Maria Kurenai…"
Zero left immediately.
Silence.
……
"Aren't you going back to the dorms?" Shiki furrowed his eyebrows. "…Don't tell me you're going to sleep here…"
"I…I am."
He stared down at her defiantly. "No, you won't."
Rima swiftly ducked her head.
She was going to stay here, with the gentle wind caressing her cheeks, and the dandelion seeds drifting serenely over her shoulders. She was going to stay here until Aido saw it fit to have Shiki in his room once more; she was going to wait, wait, and wait until the looming shadow in front of her disappeared.
And it didn't.
.x
Instead, they were called to a mission, along with Ruka and Aido – to track down and capture a group of rebellious vampires hiding in a labyrinth-like alley.
"Shouldn't be much of a problem," Aido yawned loudly, destroying a rickety brick wall with his heavy footwear. Ruka shrugged nonchalantly and swept her fingernails over the second slab of granite blocking their path.
It shattered instantaneously.
Aido whistled.
"Now...all we have is this, I suppose?" Shiki interrupted, scanning the forked pathway laid out before them.
"Let's split, then."
.x
A bead of sweat trickled down Rima's neck.
Shiki was standing too close to her.
Ruka bid adieu and followed Aido into the left fork, while they treaded warily into the right junction. Silver cobwebs and fissures decorated the narrow walls in a manner that reminded Rima of a horror movie she'd once seen when she was younger – five, perhaps?
Drip, drip, drip.
Tmp. Tmp.
Hiss.
She stopped abruptly in her tracks, sensitive ears pricking up at the sudden noises.
Shiki placed his hand protectively on her left shoulder and stepped in front, peering intensely into the hollow darkness. He could make out the silhouette of a door just a few meters before them, heavily bolted with rusted chains.
He bit his index finger. Blood oozed out of the cut and struck the dull metal viciously, crushing it into dust.
.x
The door swung open, revealing a…sink.
Rima lifted her eyebrows skeptically, running her thumb over the cracked white ceramic. It came in contact with something warm and sticky.
She sniffed the stain tentatively, throat tightening at the scent of fresh blood.
Their target had been here just moments ago.
.x
Aido slammed his fist onto the brick wall, letting out a growl of frustration.
Ruka gritted her teeth.
They had reached yet another dead end.
"What is with this fucking place?!" Aido swore, glaring contemptuously at the sturdy brick wall. He stormed out of the passageway and into another, blaring curses along the way.
They've had enough of this nonsense!
Ruka blasted a colossal string of holes into the domino-like walls, seething with fury. She stomped through the rubble and debris with Aido hot at her heels, towards the glimmer of light at the other end.
They were going to slaughter the rogue vampires for putting them through this agony.
Definitely.
.x
Rima instinctively slapped her hands over her ears when she heard the earsplitting explosion.
Shiki, however, was unaffected.
"It's Ruka," he nodded knowingly, eyes averted to the side of his head. "Let's concentrate on making progress with…this."
"Sure."
Rima took in the smell of the blood, mind registering the scent robotically. Her nose sharpened as she inhaled a few more times.
Left, her mind whispered.
She examined that spot closer, grazing her fingers over the stone wall.
.x
The revolting stench of decomposed corpses filled the new corridor, drifting into their noses.
Ruka twitched.
"Stop playing stupid pranks," she said menacingly, her voice echoing around the room, "We'll find you."
Cough.
She swerved her head to the side, meeting the bloodshot gaze of a brunette vampire, his face scrunched up in discomfort.
"Well…I wasn't expecting you to arrive here this fast – will you please let go of me?"
Aido's eyes scorched with intensity, fingers enclosed tightly over the pale neck. Then –
Splatter.
He threw the dead body aside in disgust.
"That's one down," Ruka remarked, clapping her hands gleefully.
.x
Rima slid her finger into a small fissure on the wall, and flicked the hidden switch. The sink trembled.
And it fell apart.
Shiki kicked away the bits of broken ceramic, stepping into the man-sized cavity that presented itself before them and groaning when he saw three crossroads in front.
He really, really, really detested labyrinths.
.x
Of course, the streak of fresh blood and muddy footprints trailing across the left corridor wasn't exactly subtle.
That made their job much easier.
"Come on," he urged, clasping Rima's hand and pulling her across the passageway. The delectable fragrance of blood was infusing his senses, causing his lips to tingle with anticipation.
He could feel adrenaline pumping through his veins as he sped down the path with inhumane swiftness.
.x
Chapter Eight: Don't Mix Business with Pleasure: End
…And another twist of events. :S Argh. I can't seem to focus on one topic. :X I keep jumping from scenario to scenario.
Ah, well. This is what you get with an author like me. 8D Oh, well.
Sorry if this chapter took longer. Blame the sudden load of homework. Will most prolly be loaded with more hw these days, so try not to expect a quickish update. Apologies!
Please review
