Chapter 8
Class started again on Monday night. Zero looked healthier since the last time she saw him. Yuki was fine, though a little confused as to what Perse and Zero were speaking about, though she ushered Perse along so she didn't miss class.
Lessons were as boring as always, and now Perse brought her laptop with her so she could multitask as the teacher talked. Kaname had no problem with it so neither did the teacher, but Yagari did give her a frown and a shake of the head before returning to his meaningless lesson of the day.
Since Perse was able to get plenty of the paperwork finished within the week she got it, she could space out the rest of it that wasn't urgent. There were still several boxes left, but she got through the most important ones and sent them off.
The recent lessons were boring, but that was standard. Vampires were naturally intelligent and most of the nobles were privately taught. Perse was just trying to keep her grades at a decent level, but since they didn't do proper exams compared to the Day Class, she was doing alright.
Kaname was cold and irritable today, meaning everyone else was on edge and tried to keep away from him to evade his wrath. Unlike Maria who seemed to not notice it, Perse just didn't care that he was moody. Everyone was allowed to have a moody day so she didn't try and antagonize him.
Maria sighed, frowning with her head resting on her arms on the table. "I'm so bored, and so thirsty."
"Why don't you take a blood tablet then?" Takuma asked.
"They're unpleasant." Maria said, suddenly sitting up straight. She looked over to Perse. "A wonderful idea. You can offer your blood!"
Perse laughed coldly, not even looking up from her boring textbook as she turned the page. "Don't be absurd. The drinking of Human blood is prohibited on school grounds."
"But you're not Human, you're a Witch,"
"Like asking a Pureblood for their blood is a taboo, asking a Witch is the same," Perse looked up, eyes glowing a shade two more silver than normal. "My answer will always be no. And if you don't wish to insult me, don't ever even suggest it."
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Rima sat on the classroom table, legs dangling over the edge as she passed a Pocky box to Perse so the Witch could take one. She did, handing it back as Ruka took one from it too.
"What do you plan to wear to the ball?" Rima asked, biting the chocolate end of the pocky stick clean off.
Perse frowned. "What ball?"
"Oh, right. This is your first ball here," Rima said, swinging her legs a little. "Basically, there is a dance once a year so the Day and Night Classes can interact. It's an excuse for Headmaster Cross to state that Vampires and Humans are co existing."
"What kind of ball are we talking?" Perse opened a tab on her laptop, wanting to get an idea for a dress. "Blacktie? Whitetie? Cocktail? What type of dress should I get?"
"Ruka and I were going to the city after class to get dresses," She said. "I want a new one."
"I've literally got no dresses for any event that isn't semi formal or slutty," Perse sighed.
Ruka laughed. "Why am I not surprised?"
"Why haven't we seen you in those dresses?" Hanabusa pouted, slumping next to Perse as he sat down. He had tucked his arm over her shoulder but electricity shot through him, making him remove the arm with a tiny yelp of pain.
"There's not been an occasion for them," She shrugged.
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Class ended early and the three ladies left the school grounds with Hanabusa, Akatsuki, Takuma and Senri.
Hanabusa had his limo on speed dial so all they had to do was get changed out of their uniforms and into something else before leaving. They headed to a large mall after Takuma got permission from Kaname for all of them to leave. The Pureblood had advised that the ladies not go alone, purely because of Perse and the other Crowns situation. Perse didn't argue, agreeing that being safe is better than being sorry.
The boys planned to wear their uniform to the ball so the girls just had to get their dresses.
Hanabusa was leading them to a store, opening the door to let them all in before hooking an arm through Perse's and leading her to the woman who owned the shop.
The shop was in pristine condition, beautifully decorated with long, thin lights on the high ceiling and manikins lining the wall. In one corner was a small door that led to a room half fabric and dresses, and the other fabric and suits. It looked quite high end, even more so than some shops Perse had seen in London.
A woman rushed to the door, her arms wide to hug Mrs Malfoy and give her kisses on each cheek. "Mr Adio, how have you been? I see you've brought friends with you."
"I've been wonderful, Madam LeLon!" Hanabusa smiled. "We've got a ball in a few weeks and one of my friends hasn't even thought of what she was going to wear! This is Perse Greylight, and she needs a dress benefiting royalty!"
Perse jabbed him in the side with a little huff which just made him smile.
"Yeah, I didn't know about the ball until two hours ago," Perse said. "And all of my dresses aren't fit for a ball."
"Hmm," Madam LeLon nodded. "Come. I will get you sorted while my assistants finish up the tailoring for Miss Souen and Toya."
Perse was brought into another room and asked to strip down to her undergarments. She did so without questioning, alreadying knowing how a proper fitting was needed for a dress to fit well.
"Twirl for me, dear, I need to get to know your shape," Madam LeLon asked, swirling her pointer finger in the air to gesture for her to turn. Perse did as she was asked, slowly turning with a slight flush as LeLon said, "Hourglass with hints of pear. Brilliant posture. You have a figure to die for, dear. Have you ever worn stockings?"
"I have," Perse said. "This won't be my first ball but I didn't think to bring any dresses that would fit a ball or dance."
"I will get you sorted, don't worry, dear," She smiled. "What were you thinking for a dress?"
Madam LeLon turned to her assistant, a girl who was a few years older than her with gorgeous curls that would have reached her waist if straight. She scurried away with a smile and came back with three small boxes. Madam LeLon took all three and laid them on a table to the side.
By the end of two hours, Perse was fitted for a dress and would be able to collect it within a few days.
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Perse found the lake that sat between the two dormitories.
A couple hours before the sun was supposed to rise, Perse was floating on the waters of the lake. She wore a black one piece that had a deep V neckline with halter straps, a favourite of hers. Her hair was in two tight dutch braids, keeping it in place as she just floated. She brought a bag and left it at the shore.
Perse needed this. She needed this silent time alone with no duties or things to do, nothing and no one to bother her. She needed this time to get her thoughts in order. The lake was cold but that was expected for this time of year.
She welcomed the almost burning cold, reminding her she was still alive.
There wasn't a moment when she didn't think of her people back home.
While she was a cold bitch who would gladly drop everything and fuck off to Rome or somewhere else warm, she was still a royal and that meant she had duties to fufill.
She was the future ruler of a third of all Witches in England and many small parts of Europe, including the Humans who married into the families and the smaller creatures and animals. There were expectations of her, that was why she had tried to get the most important and urgent paperwork finished quickly.
Moments like this kept her sane.
With a need to rebalance her Magic, the cold waters of the lake centred her mind so she could concentrate on keeping her Magic under her skin and under her control.
Her Magic wasn't becoming undone or becoming dangerous, Magic was always dangerous and hers was even more so. Blood Magic wasn't something a Witch should be proud of having, it was considered a Forbidden Art for a reason since it could control people.
That was what Crown Blackwood and Whitestone wanted.
Control.
They forget that Magic is unpredictable, uncontrollable, and all shades of deadly.
Magic was either the cancer or the cure of a Witch, and most times it was a balance.
To keep that balance was the Order's sole purpose, but it seemed like two sides had an alternative motive and that was unacceptable.
Magic was energy, and some energy could be lightning.
It could be influenced, brought from one thing to another, changed into different forms and stored, but Magic could not be created or destroyed.
Very few could access the full extent of Magic.
Even fewer could control it.
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By the time she found herself and her Magic in unison and balance again, the sun had already begun to rise. Checking her smartwatch, a great investment since it was also waterproof, it was nearly seven in the morning as the spring came and winter left them.
She draped a small scarf coverup around her waist, slipping into a pair of sandals before grabbing her bag and beginning to venture back to the dorms.
Surprisingly, the forest that surrounded the back of the school grounds was quite tame and managed. There were sprawling roots coming out of the ground but they never interfered with any of the small paths. Brush kept to the designated areas that didn't have foot traffic.
The air was warming up as the sun rose, reflecting off leaves and trees as she walked through. Birds were beginning to wake up, tweeting and chirping obnoxiously as they woke and made more noise.
A strangled sound stopped her.
Something softly thudded to the ground.
Perse hooded her eyes, letting Magic into her system as she sought out whatever had thudded as it was alive. Alive usually meant she could get in tune with it, especally if it was an animal or person.
It took a couple seconds of walking to find the source of the wimpering.
A grey fox froze as she approached, going into an attack crouch before it wimpered and took the pressure and weight off of its left back leg.
She tried to approach it slowly, to not startle it but the creature was on high alert and just hissed at her. It put weight back on its back leg, quickly collasping off of it before Perse got within range of it.
She knew it didn't want to be touch but she still tried to grab it by the scruff of its neck, lifting it off of the ground so it wouldn't hurt itself further. It clawed and stracthed at her arm, hissing and trying to bite her. She shook it one gently.
"I am trying to help you," She said, bringing it up so she could look it in the eyes. It wigglied once more, trying to bite her arm but relented afterwads. "Thank you. Now stay still as I try and heal you."
She sat on a nearby root, large enough that she didn't have to crouch down a lot to sit. Placing the fox on her lap, she felt its sharp claws dig into her thighs but that was expected. It was hurt and it was scared, even if she promised to help heal it.
When she made the fox lay on its stomach on her thighs, it dug its claws in further, making her bleed just a tad. Perse ignored that, coforting it by running her fingers down its spine until she reached near the tail. She held the base of its flank, massaging the area as she infused Magic into its leg before spreading her fingers and going down the whole leg to spread the Magic evenly.
Tension left the fox, stopping the deathgrip it had with its claws in her. It trilled as foxes did, a happy little sound as it kicked its once bad leg back and pounced off of her with ease. It tested it, jumping up before jumping against a tree as it practised and made sure it didn't hurt.
"Better?" She asked, smiling as it trilled and then more or less screamed at her like foxes did. "Ahhhh, right back at you. Go home, little guy. And don't jump out of trees again. Stupid ass fox."
She stood, brushing herself off. She didn't realise the fox jumped at her, biting into the top of her right bicep with a quick scream. It latched on for a second, the pain filling her system as her Magic tried to fight the pain off. The fox jumped off after a few seconds, satisfied with its work as it left several small bloodied indents from where its fangs latched in.
It stood back, watching her insepct the wounds before nodding to itself. It circled around her ankles, brushing up against her before chirping once and walking away.
"Weird ass fox,"
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It took only a few minutes of walking before Perse found herself no longer alone. Quickly healing the bite from the fox, she found that the bite didn't heal completely, leaving tiny light purple scars from where its fangs dug in.
Maria appeared from one of the trees, dressed in a simple lilac dress.
"You healed the fox" She muttered. "I wonder about the length of your abilities to heal."
"No need to wonder. I rarely heal things,"
"I wonder why," Maria frowned with a slight pout. "I'm extremely sick, you see. My immune system makes me as frail as a tiny blossom."
"You can't be that ill if you can pull that stunt on your first day,"
"You see, I didn't come alone," Maria said. "My family descends from an old Pureblood line, though we are not Purebloods anymore. The Hio family. Have you heard of them?"
Perse allowed no emotions onto her face. "I have. A family who has the tendencies to go berserk. Who is this companion of yours?" She looked to the side, sensing a presence too similar and not familiar at the same time. "I hate lurkers. Show yourself."
A young man appeared, he couldn't have been any older than her, with a too familiar face. Pale hair and calm face reminded her of Zero, an exact replica of him in all ways besides for his blood and mannerisms.
"Who are you?" Perse asked.
"Ichiru Kiryu, Lady Greylight," He placed a hand on his chest and bowed only an inch. "You may know my twin, Zero. He attends the Day Class."
"I know of him," She loosely crossed her arms over her chest. "How lucky of you both to be alive."
"Yes… As you said before, you know that the members of the Hio family have a tendency to go berserk. My master is on that line, taken away moments after birth because the other Vampires were scared of her. She's been kept isolated and hidden," Ichiru said. "You know how it feels to not have access to what is yours. She only wants to live but the other Vampires refuse to let her."
She shifted her feet in place. "What does this have to do with me?"
"The reason why the Hio family members go berserk is because they are born with unbalanced Magic," He stated, gesturing vaguely at her. "And you are one of very few that can help her, maybe the only one now."
"What do I get out of it?" Perse crossed her arms. "Magic is valuable, I don't give it out without reason."
"You would have her as an ally. Something you are greatly in need of because of the unsettlement with the Order."
Perse tamed her anger and disgust at his thinking of her needing anyone, sinking the emotions down until they were manageable. "An ally of who? Who is she? You've told me she is a Hio but you haven't told me who she is."
"You'll find out in time," Ichiru said. "What is your answer to the proposal?"
"What would I need to do?"
"How did you heal the fox?"
"Increased the rate of its blood production and the rate at which the cells multiply," She said. "It's science more than anything. What would happen if I were to help her? How? This works only with small animals, manipulation of Vampires is much trickier."
"The normal way, of course," He smiled softly, almost like he was about to reassure her but it didn't work. "Blood."
Perse hummed. "Do I have a deadline to agree?"
"No, but the sooner the better," He said, bowing once. "Goodbye, Lady Greylight."
He disappeared into the forest, along with Maria.
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As soon as Perse was back in her room and had changed into something comfortable, sweets and a hoodie, Kaname was at her door.
"You were bleeding earlier," He said. "Are you alright?"
"I'm fine," She shrugged. "There was an injured fox and I healed it. It decided to bite me after. No big deal."
"You should be more careful,"
"I was careful. All I did was heal a fox. It was scared."
With a scratching sound at the window, both of them looked towards it. The grey fox blinked at them from the ledge outside the window, a smile curling its lips as it waved its tail.
Perse glared at the little fox, it just smiled back at her and pawed at the glass again.
"That's the fox," She said, flaring her nostils in slight anger. she stepped forward, pointing a finger at it. "You bit me!"
It pawed at the glass again after purring for a second.
"Are you going to let it in?"
"Should I?"
Kaname looked at her and then back at the fox, seeing how they mirrored each other with their tiny little glares. He walked over to the window, opening it to let the fox in. It jumped into the room, circling around Perse's feet as it brushed up against her again. It tried to climb up her leg but couldn't, so it decided to walk away before leaping towards her.
It landed on her shoulder with a happy yelp, snugglig into her neck as she froze and shivered as a cold nose was tucked behind her ear. She took it off her shoulders, holding it at a distance with her hands tucked under its arms. It wiggled with a whine, rubbing its head on her arm with a tiny wimper of sadness.
Perse sighed, tucked the fox closer to her as she cuddled it against her chest. "Better, little guy?" It almost purred as she scratched at its ear. "Bite me again and I'll chuck you out of the window…"
The fox snorted, sneezing before it looked up at her like it knew she was lying.
"Foxes usually do not like humans," Kaname said, watching as Perse scracthed its head. "They tend to stay away."
"This idioit decided to jump out of a tree and hurt itself," She smiled. "I healed its leg but it decided to bite me on the bicep. Which hurt, you little shit!"
The fox just wagged its tail with a yawn.
Kaname reached for the fox, gently petting it as it leaned into his touch with a happy purr.
"Traitor," Perse muttered with a smile. "Right. I've got a couple bits of paperwork to go through and finalise before noon. Can you take this one outside? I doubt having a fox inside the dorms is allowed."
As soon as she said that, the little fox stopped its purring and latched onto Kaname's hand, though not drawing blood.
"I believe the little one has decided he wants to stay," He said, shaking his head an inch at it. "I've seen this before. An animal suddenly latches onto a Vampire after it is helped, though I have not seen this happen to a Witch. We call them Familiars."
"We have them too," Perse looked down at the fox, seeing familiar grey eyes. "We usually have to do a ritual and ask our Magic to select a suitable creature to serve us. I didn't do Familiar summoning ritual, I did a rebalancing one… Which led to me finding the fox and helping them. Shit."
Kaname chuckled as the fox unlatched his jaw, licking the indents before sneezing. "How unlucky. I have a Familiar of my own, but I am able to manipulate his form as I choose."
"If it's true," Perse bit the inside of her cheek before sighing. "Familiars are sacred to us, they're made of our magic usually. I don't… Can I keep him in my dorm? I rather he not be outside without guidance, the other Witches are still pissy about shit."
"Of course. Familiars shouldn't be far away from their masters for long," He said. "I've allowed anyone with a Familiar to have them in their dorms, but not many have them. The older the Vampire, the more likely it is that they have found one compatiable."
"Thank you, Kaname," Perse lifted the fox closer to her head, letting it place his head on her shoulder and it trilled happily. She whispered again. "You bite me and I will chuck you out of the window, Tsar."
She liked that title as a name for this fox. Powerful and meaningful, giving the fox purpose as it would stand next to her for the next few months.