Hey everyone! I'm back! Did you miss me?
Kaname: I don't think so.
Yuuki: Shh, nii-san, or she might make you do something you don't want to do in her story.
Zero: That I must see… (rubs hands together evilly)
(Author ignores the vampires)
The ending is coming soon! Two chapters from now, actually… ^^ With the last chapter, there'll be a little preview of the sequel to whoever reviews!! YAY!!
Please review, and I'll send you a preview of the next chapter…
Chapter 9: Dark Blood
"Kaname, we'll like to talk to you," Ichijo said abruptly. I sensed my brother's wary feelings, but then they disappeared, and curiosity followed.
"Come in."
I entered first, slowly. Kaname smiled at me, and I smiled back, but Ichijo caught my shoulder.
"She's been captured."
My brother started. "Yunoki-san?"
Ichijo gritted his teeth as if the name hurt him. I turned to him, ready to comfort him with a word, but he didn't look overly upset, just a little too determined for his own good. "Yes."
"By whom?" my brother queried. He played with a pen, and I noticed the stack of papers in front of him. I winced at the height. How does he take this everyday?
"I don't know. All she said was that she was trapped, and it was dark, but they shone lights that made her eyes hurt. There are vampires surrounding her, and she's been tested on. They're taking…" he trailed off, and swallowed. "They're taking her blood."
Kaname stood. "I see." His voice didn't reveal his feelings, but I sensed that he was a little upset, and angry.
Ichijo suddenly crumpled next to me. I gasped, and crouched next to him. "Ichijo-san!"
He groaned, and bent forward, covering his face in his hands. "They're hurting her, Kaname. Please, let me go find her!"
Kaname tilted his head. "There's no need." His voice was a river of calm.
Ichijo's head snapped up, and I saw that his eyes were blood red from anger.
"No need?" he repeated, venom seeping into his voice. "There's no use for her anymore, because you've gotten back your precious sister, haven't you?" He snarled ferociously, and I winced, backing away from him. "You don't care about Ariya anymore, because she's no longer harboring the spirit of Kuran Ariya!" Ichijo stood, and pointed a shaky finger at Kaname. "You… you…"
I shook in anger, fighting the instinct to run over to Ichijo and slap him, hard. Despite what I may feel for him… or rather, what the other Ariya felt for him, he surely didn't dare point his filthy-blooded finger at Kuran Kaname?
Kaname raised a hand, silencing him and calming me.
"There's no need, because I know where she is," my brother stated calmly, with no hint of anger in his voice.
Ichijo's jaw dropped.
"As it happens, I told the chairman that I'll need to see your grandfather for… Kiryuu's 'mess', so on the way back, we can go get her."
Ichijo's eyes widened. "Are… you sure?"
Kaname smiled a lifeless smile. "Despite what you may think, I do not leave my pawns in the mercy of my enemies. I leave them safe and sound."
Ichijo shuddered. "Arigato, Kaname-sama." He bowed his head in respect, and walked out the door. I started to follow when Kaname stopped me.
"Hime-chan."
I stopped, and turned around. "Hai, Nii-san?"
He chuckled. "You don't have to call me that now." He moved forward, and kissed me briefly before taking my hand. "What do you remember before Okaa-san separated us?"
I sighed, and leaned against him. "Not everything." I heard his heartbeat, and his every breath. His scent surrounded me, refreshing my tired senses, and I sighed.
"Ariya." He nuzzled my hair.
"Kaname?"
"Hmm?"
"Can I go with you and meet Ichijo's grandfather?" I kept my voice low, in case someone should be eavesdropping outside, or Seiren was here.
Ah, yes, there she was.
Hiding behind the curtain, I almost didn't sense her for a second. She glowered at me, and I sighed again. I still didn't get why she hated me so much.
"Of course, but you mustn't say a word to him unless he asks something of you directly," my brother surprised me by saying. "And it's also necessary for you to wear a thick coat. It might snow somewhere around his house."
I nodded, eager to do anything he wanted me to do. Even if he asked me to take my own life, I would.
Someone else knocked on the door. I sensed Aido.
"Kaname-sama, I've brought the materials you wanted me to bring."
Kaname looked up. "Bring them in, Aido."
"I'll see you later," I whispered to him, kissing him on the cheek before darting out the door, just as Aido stepped in. "Oh, gomen, Aido-san!"
He had dropped a few of the pens from the big box he was holding when I darted past him. I knelt, and gathered them up, and dropped them back on the pile before moving off.
When I entered my room, I sensed that Ichijo was there with me.
Correction: he was standing beside my door, waiting for me with a desperate look in his eye.
He caught my face, and kissed me, hungrily. Gasping for air, I tried to pull away, but stopped suddenly as something else hit me.
Maybe, if I can learn to accept him, she won't come into my body and cause such a ruckus anymore.
That might work, but then, he might get the wrong idea.
His mouth left mine, and moved over to my neck. I froze. I felt his bared fangs brush my vein, and fought back a moan. A little sound escaped my lips, but that was all. He bit down, hard, and the scent of my blood filled the air. I gasped, and my fingers tightened themselves on his shoulders.
Slow, sucking sounds reached my ears. My hands, amazingly, tightened some more on him, but I realized that I might hurt him, so I let go and balled them into fists. My spine felt like it would snap from the tenseness of my entire body. He, too, was rigid, but I could sense pleasure emanating from him. He drew me nearer, and the sucking sounds lengthened.
As I tried to figure out my confused feelings, he broke off and backed away, shaking himself like he didn't know what he was doing. He shuddered when he saw me, blood-streaked and confused. "Gomen, Ariya-sama," he muttered, before slipping away.
"Wait!" I called, but he didn't reply. With a sigh, I turned, and flopped onto my bed.
I reached up and touched his fang marks, then took up my mirror. They stood out like a sore thumb on my pale skin. Although it didn't hurt, I winced when I saw it because of the amount of blood that stained my Night Class uniform and my skin.
I closed my eyes, and I thought I could feel his mouth, moving so gently against my skin, his ivory fangs brushing against my vein…
My eyes opened.
What is wrong with me?
Oh yeah. Officially, the sequel has been christened 'First Love: Breaking Hearts'. Well, not officially, because I actually want your opinion on that. I might choose the runner-up, 'First Love: White Wings' if you prefer it…
Here's the list of titles I have going on… My friend and I stayed up all night trying to list them:
(Listed from first to last)
-First Love: Breaking Hearts
-First Love: White Wings
-The Blood Healer
-The Awakening
-Second Love
-Heart of Darkness (which may also be the last chapter title)
-Broken
If I didn't choose the title you offered to me, I'm sorry, because I think you may have an idea for that title and I don't want to take it away from you…
Please review and give me your opinions on the titles!