He ran a hand through his hair and let out an irritated sigh. With a flick of his wrist he dashed his notes to the floor - this would not do. Nothing but perfection would. He stared at the ivory keys with wide eyes for a moment, before pushing himself up from the small leather stool and wandering to the window. The gardens looked exquisite for once, he thought, looking out at the sprawling labyrinth of pathways and hedges. Everything was covered in a thick layer of snow, flakes of which still fell from the dark night sky. There was silence for the longest time, then he turned, hands thrust deep into his trouser pockets, and looked blankly at the woman now lounging on the sofa behind the piano. She was an imposing creature with her cat-like green eyes and chaotic violet hair. A long tendril of smoke curled out from between her painted lips and her gazed followed it as it dissipated.

"I wish you wouldn't do that in here," Shu muttered, eyebrows knitting together. He hadn't even noticed her come in.

The older woman turned her head to look at him, one side of her mouth pulling up into a smirk. She blew the rest of the smoke out from between the open area of her lips and lowered her hand, letting the ash from her cigarette crumble onto the glass table next to the sofa.

"What are you going to do about it, Shu?" she replied, rolling onto her side. She propped her head up on her hand and smiled again. Shu clenched his fists in his pockets. "Stop me?"

"What's the point?" he sighed, walking back to the piano. He stared down at the crumpled notes with a blank face and picked up his glass of whiskey. Slowly, he swirled the amber liquid around, watching as a small maelstrom began to form in the centre. Just as he raised the glass to his lips, he paused and turned his head to the side to look at her. Her presence never failed to put him on edge. "Get out, Cordelia, I need to work."

Shu was unable to concentrate whenever she was in the room with him. It was difficult to ignore her, she seemed to draw attention from whoever surrounded her. He sat back down on the piano stool and set his glass carefully on the lid of the instrument.

"You spend too long cooped up in here," she stated. He heard her moving from the sofa and felt a hand on his shoulder. She leaned forward and her hair tickled the side of his face. "Your Mother works you too hard."

"Get out," he ordered, bluntly. As he moved up to the keys, she leaned forward and grabbed ahold of his fingers, squeezing them painfully together. Shu jerked away from her, hissing.

"Why do you tremble?" she asked. She released her grip on his fingers then, and moved her hands onto his shoulder blades, thumbs digging sharply under his bones. "You are so steady when you play. Are you afraid of me?"

"Why do you keep bothering me? I just want to be left alone."

"You need someone other than your own mind to play with, Shu," she answered, softly. He stiffened and shrugged her hands away from his shoulders. "Plus, you interest me."

He raised a brow and swiveled around on the piano stool to face her. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"Ayato is of no use to me but you - you are far from useless, no matter what Reiji says," she cooed, brushing her hair behind one ear. "You could be the leader of this family and I can help you."

She smiled widely and leaned forward, so close her nose brushed him. Had Shu not been taken completely by surprise, he probably would have pushed her away but instead, he sat, wide-eyed and uncertain, as she gently laid a hand against his cheek. Her smell was so intoxicating that he almost leaned in closer but eventually, when he came to his senses, he pushed her back and stood up shakily, rounding the piano stool to stand in front of her.

"What are you doing?" he asked, sharply.

"Helping you," she replied, smiling. "You can show your brothers that you are the best, not the lazy, useless fool they think you are. I can help you - if you help me in return."

"What could you possibly offer me?"

"Blood" The woman gave him a nasty smirk as she turned her head to the side and stroked her fingers down her throat. "It will help you, it will make you great."

"What?" Shu said, confused. He stepped back from her until the back of his legs collided with the piano stool.

"The Demon Lord's blood runs in my veins - do you know what that means?"

He shook his head. There was something manic about Cordelia that made his heart beat faster and his palms sweat in fear.

"It means power you've never dreamed of," she hissed, narrowing her eyes.

Shu paused, frowning. Her blood was tantalising, certainly, but was it really as powerful as she insinuated? Perhaps, he thought, there had to be some reason that Karlheinz wanted to marry her.

"And what do I-?"

"You'll be mine," she interrupted, coolly. "And you will depose your Father."

Be hers? Shu opened his mouth to speak, but found himself unable to think coherently. What she was proposing was utterly mad - but somehow the suggestion would not leave his mind. Normally, he wouldn't give a second thought to the idea - he could not care less about being the family successor, power didn't interest him. But the way she looked at him, with hunger burning in her eyes and the overwhelming smell of her sweet, poisonous blood - thirst clawed at his throat and suddenly everything she said sounded so very appealing. A strange, soft, seductive voice whispered empty promises in his head.

"Touch me," she demanded, brows knitting together. Shu hesitated, trying to clear his thoughts, trying to block out her influence. Cordelia groaned and pushed him down onto the stool, glaring at him angrily. She leaned over his body, placing her hands on either side of him on the piano, caging him in. Her beauty struck him, in that moment - the way her wild hair sprouted from her scalp to her waist, how vibrant her eyes were. The voice in his mind grew louder. The scent of her blood permeated the air, he could almost taste it. "Or shall I touch you?"

Shu's eyes widened as her fingers moved to the buttons of his shirt, quickly releasing them, one after the other. When she touched the skin of his chest, he let out a quiet moan, unable to contain himself at the feeling of this new sensation. Her fingers smoothed down his sides, forcing his back to arch toward her. The feeling consumed him for one long, languid moment and he almost raised his hands to touch her - but quickly stopped himself.

This was wrong - this was Cordelia. How many years had he watched her torment the other members of his family - it was unthinkable. The man closed his eyes and drove the voice from his head. He stood up suddenly, forcing her backwards and fixed her with hard stare.

"I want nothing to do with you, you pathetic creature," he snapped, turning back to the piano. He snatched up his glass and gazed down at the amber liquid. "Your blood may be powerful but you are nothing but a leech. Get out. Do not speak of this again."

A long minute passed in silence. Eventually, as he raised his glass to sip his drink, he heard her shoes clatter against the wooden floor, then the door slam shut. He closed his eyes, letting out a shaky breath and clenching his fist at his side. A second longer and he would have been overcome with the need to please her, to do her bidding as she wished without question. The stench of her was fading already, but he could still feel the heady effect of it clouding his thoughts. If this was how influential her blood could be, even without tasting a drop of it, he could see why Ayato's mind was fractured. He drained the rest of his glass, wincing as the bitterness hit the back of his throat. The strong liquid burned his any lingering flavour of her out of his system and left him clean.

-0-

The two brothers sat together in silence; Shu with his eyes closed, as if asleep, and Reiji staring out of the window at the street lights as they passed them swiftly in the limousine. Brothers in blood, but not in bond or trust, the pair had always been at odds. The younger pushed his glasses up his nose and sighed deeply.

"So, are you going to explain what is going on?"

Shu opened an eye. "I wasn't planning to."

Reiji pursed his lips, irritated by his older brother's disinterest. "Tell me immediately."

"I thought you would have worked it out by now. Are you getting stupider?"

"Now," Reiji growled, narrowing his eyes.

Shu sighed, sitting up straight. He leaned forward, placing his elbows on his knees. "I never wanted to be head of this family, Reiji."

"You think I don't know that? It doesn't matter, regardless - it's your duty."

"A duty which was forced upon me," he snapped. "And if you want it, you're welcome to it."

Reiji paused, tilting his head to the side as he observed his brother. "What?"

"If you agree to my conditions, you can be the head of the family."

"And what are the conditions?" Reiji asked, surprised. He never expected Shu to take up the mantle as the Heir, but he didn't foresee this development.

"I want the Manor in Bodo and the smaller apartment in New York," Shu answered, looking down at his hands. "I want money enough to keep myself and Yui settled. And lastly - I want the rest of the family to stay the hell away from us."

Reiji raised a brow. "You want to make a life with that girl?"

"I'm planning on marrying her at some point in the future, so it's all above board," he said, lacing his fingers together. "I just need to tell Karlheinz my intentions and we'll leave."

"And what makes you think I would agree to this?"

Shu snorted. "Come off it, Reiji. You've wanted to be the Heir to this family ever since you were born."

Reiji sighed, but his lips quirked slightly into a smile. "I can't say that I expected this, Shu."

"Don't think of it as a gesture of kindness toward you," he said, sharply. "Will you accept the offer?"

"Yes," Reiji replied. "As long as Karlheinz agrees, I will sort the finances and see that our brothers stay away to the best of my ability."

"Thank yo-"

"But know," he interrupted, leaning forward. "That you will no longer be a part of this family when I am the Head. No more privilege or status, not within the demon world. You cannot even use the name of Sakamaki after this."

Shu rolled his eyes, dismissing his brother's derisive tone. "As if I care."

Reiji sat back in his seat, folding his arms over his lap. "Good."

-0-

Christa watched her son as he ran through the garden, a faint smile playing around her lips. Subaru was still small but so full of energy that she was glad that he had his brothers to play with. He deserved happiness and company - it was terrible to be alone. She reached forward and gripped the stem of her wine glass, turning it round and round between her fingers. The cool air of the evening ran through her thick hair and cooled her alabaster skin. These moments of clarity were growing rarer, so she tried to enjoy the time she had before her mind descended once again into chaos.

"Subaru is such a sweet boy."

The woman looked up from her glass to see Cordelia sitting in the chair on the opposite side of the table. She was leaning on her hands, elbows digging into the wrought iron surface, with a callous smile stretching her lips. Christa's face scrunched up in disgust - she could not stand the other woman. She seemed to exist only to inflict suffering on the people around her.

"Cordelia," she greeted, icily. "What do you want?"

The other woman rolled her eyes and tutted. "You can't even pretend to be friendly, can you?"

"I don't see the need," Christa replied, looking back out over the gardens. "I've made my feelings quite clear."

"Beatrix still forces a smile, it's sickening."

"She is afraid of you," she answered, softly.

"And you're not?"

Christa shook her head and glanced back at Cordelia. "I've worse things to be afraid of than a pathetic trollop like you."

Cordelia's eyes seemed to light up, though her cruel smile did not budge. She spoke sarcastically and laced her hands together in her lap. "Of course you do. It must be so hard to be mad."

The albino winced and looked back at Subaru, trying to concentrate on his happy smile. A strange darkness began to creep into the corner of her vision and spots danced in front of her. She could not let her mind drift, not now-

"Not having control of your own mind is a dreadful thing. It disables you from so many things, doesn't it?" Cordelia trailed off and her foul grin widened. "You're not fit to be a wife, let alone a mother."

Christa rose gracefully, gaze completely fixed. She raised her hand and struck Cordelia swiftly across the cheek. The other woman hissed and jerked up onto her feet. Christa clenched her fists at her sides, fury burning in her chest.

"You hateful bi-"

"Mother?"

The woman paused and turned away from Cordelia to see her son standing close behind. The anger inside her began to fade as she looked into his wide crimson eyes. The little boy was growing fast but he still had an air of innocence about him and it shone through his gaze. He slipped his small hand into hers and gave her a reassuring smile.

"C'mon," he whispered, motioning to the mansion with a nod of his head. "I wanna go inside. Will you read to me?"

Christa smiled back at him. "Of course."

The other woman had disappeared by the time she looked back to the other side of the table, though traces of her still remained. She hated the vile, sweet aroma of Cordelia's blood, it was sickening.

-0-

Subaru raised his hand and shut the shower off, closing his eyes to enjoy the warmth of the steam that clouded around him. The heat eased the pain in his shoulder and he'd been able to wash off the majority of the blood from his wounds. He stepped out of the shower and reached for a towel, which he wrapped tightly around his waist.

It had been a long day and he could feel exhaustion weighing on his shoulders. He leaned against the sink and used his forearm to wipe the stream from the mirror in front of him. His tired, beaten-up reflection stared back at him.

Truly, he had no idea how this would all pan out. It was idealistic and mildly stupid of Shu to think that he could just take off into the sunset with his bride - he doubted she would be happy with being turned into a vampire without her permission, nor could he imagine Ayato giving up on his pursuit. Still, there was little more he could do to help at this stage.

After changing into a fresh set of clothes, Subaru re-entered the living room and was met with the sound of his Mother humming gently drifting in from the kitchen. He paused and a small smile formed on his face. She insisted upon making him his favourite dinner whenever he visited, it was rather sweet. Yui was still slumped across the sofa cushion where he had left her, deathly silent and still. He sat down next to her and now regarded her through curious eyes. Such a tiny, unassuming creature to hold such powerful blood - why hadn't it burst from her body under the pressure of its own intensity? How did she have the influence to turn Ayato mad? To make Shu so attached? Why did her blood burn them all so terribly?

He rested his chin against his hand and leaned slightly further toward her. She had certainly caught his interest in terms of her blood but it was only now, as she was sleeping with her mouth wide open on his mother's sofa, that he really looked at her. Her blonde curls were wispy, light, almost angelic in the way they framed her face. He couldn't imagine any other sort of hair donning her head. Her skin was smooth, though sickly pale from the lack of sunlight. Everything about her was delicate, but he knew she was far from breakable. After all she'd been through, she hadn't crumbled, her mind was still intact. Strange thing.

And I suppose she is fairly attractive, in an innocent sort of way, he thought.

Subaru sighed and got to his feet, unsure of what to do with her. He could hardly just leave her here in the living room, more to keep an eye on her than for her own comfort. He approached her chair and gently moved his arms underneath her knees and behind her back, lifting her easily. It was almost alarming how little she weighed, he felt as if he were cradling a baby bird. As he walked into the spare bedroom at the end of the hall and turned to shut the door behind him with his shoulder, Yui mumbled something undecipherable.

"Yui?" he whispered, pausing his motions and looking down at the body in his arms. The girl did not move or speak again. Subaru raised an eyebrow, slightly startled - he must have imagined it. He moved to the bed and lowered her onto one side, sitting down with the motion to avoid dropping her. The vampire observed her quietly, lacing his fingers together in his lap. A stray thought entered his mind. He stood up quickly and marched from the room, shutting the door to the bedroom behind him. For a moment, he paused in the dark hall and began to run his hands through his wet hair, a deep frown on his face. No, no more. He forced himself to think no further of Yui, but to focus on how tired he felt, how much his limbs ached, how sweet she smelt and how soft she felt when he wrapped his arms around her body.

-0-

Shu looked up at the door to his Father's manor, a grim frown set on his face.

"He's never going to agree to this, you know?" Reiji murmured, moving to stand beside his brother.

"He'll do as I ask," Shu grunted. Despite his outer calmness, he was tense. Deep down, he knew Reiji was right - Karleheinz had never given a damn about his children, why would he start adhering to their wishes now?

"And why would he do that?"

Shu sighed and shoved his hands deep into the pockets of his trousers. "Because if he doesn't, I'm going to tear his head off."

Reiji opened his mouth to speak, but found himself startled by his brother's sudden aggression. His lips quirked into a smile.

"You don't have the gall."

"We'll see," Shu replied, gaze still focused straight ahead.

The door swung open.