Chapter 9
The date for the dance came quickly and Perse had made up her mind after a little bit of research.
Surprisingly, out of the main girls of the Moon Dormitory, Perse was the only one that knew how to paint nails so that was her task while Ruka did Perse's hair.
"I don't understand how you can do anything with them, Perse," Rima muttered as the Witch slowly painted her nails a deep blue that went well with the black and blue tones of her dress.
Perse drew out a hand, flexing her fingers as the shimmering black nail polish made her inch long nails look brilliant. She smiled as she went back to finish Rima's short nails that barely left the tip of her fingers. "Well, I've had nails on for a couple years now. One of my cousins liked nail stuff and she used to practise on me."
"Hmm," Ruka said, curling Perse's hair. "Keep still or I'll burn you by accident."
"Don't want any burns," Perse agreed. "They're a pain in the ass to heal."
"When are you doing your makeup?" Rima asked. "Ruka and I already did ours."
"I'll do it while my hair sets,"
As time went on, the girls went back to their own dorms to put on their dresses.
Tsar laid on her bed, watching her as she slipped her dress on.
Her dress was a beautiful cool grey, hinted with slight hues of blue as it hugged her form. The skirt dropped to a tea length, stopping around her calves. The neckline was her favourite bit. As the dress was a halter neck that attached the two panels of fabric to the choker type neckline, the dress didn't need sleeves or a high back to accent it. It allowed her lightning scar to show and a little bit of cleavage between the panels.
The bite marks from the fox had faded a lot, turning an even lighter lilac colour that reminded her of jewels more than scar tissue. It was only six large scars, barely a centremete each as there were two sets of canines on the outside of her bicep while a single set sat on the inside.
Perse sat at her desk because it also worked as a vanity table at times, trying to accent her bottom eyelids in a grey-black liner. It would help make the silvery dark grey smokey eye pop. Mascara was applied next with a spell to keep them waterproof, and smudgeproof, and still keep a natural look to them with a glamorous tone.
Her hair was piled into an artistically created messy bun, the purple and grey creating a strange pool of colours and shades as Ruka had intended it to be.
Someone knocked at the door. "Lady Greylight? It is Seiren."
"Come in," Perse said. She was trying to finish up her makeup. Her makeup was simple; a smokey eye that consisted of a light lilac base with a silver highlight but both glittered beautifully.
The lavender haired Vampire opened the door and bowed a couple inches before coming in. Seiren was in a more traditional dress of qipao design in a silvery white with a lavender floral design to highlight her hair. She looked like a cold beauty that took no shit from anyone.
Perse personally hadn't much experience with Seiren as the Vampire tended to be in the background while trailing after Kaname, much like a bodyguard of sorts. From what interactions the two had, both women had no qualms with each other but they weren't at all close.
"Hello Seiren," Perse greeted, tilting her head in a bow as she was sitting down. She was getting better with the Japanese culture and tried to fit in with her mannerisms. "You look nice."
"Thank you," She nodded, bowing again as she held a small grey box forward, a black bow on top. "Lord Kaname wanted me to make sure you received this for today's ball."
"What is it?" Perse hesitantly took the box.
"I do not know," Seiren admitted. "I was told to simply give you it and tell you that Lord Kaname would be happy if you wore it for tonight."
"Hmm."
Perse opened the box, untucking the lid as she saw it. A black tourmaline crystal sat in the box, known for ridding one of negative energy and being a universal cleanser for Witches who wore it. The crystal was smoothed into an arrowhead shape, a silver chain going through the tiny hole drilled into the crystal.
"It's pretty," She said, watching as the crystal caught the light of the single candle flame. She didn't offer it to Seiren, undoing the clasp before properly clasping it when it was around her neck. It sat in the middle of her sternum and rested between the grey fabric of her dress. "When is everyone leaving for the ballroom?"
"Some of the outer members of the Night Class have already left," Seiren said. "Kain, Aido, Ichio and Shiki are waiting for you and the other ladies."
"And Kaname?"
"Lord Kaname went down earlier to make sure everything was prepared and suitable,"
Perse nodded. "Thank you, Seiren. Are you joining us for the dance?"
"For a little bit," She said, a tiny smile on her lips. "I am not one for dancing."
Another knock at the door stopped their conversation.
"Seiren, you may leave us," Kaname said. "Look over the preparations please. The Ball is going to begin soon."
"Of course, Lord Kaname," Seiren bowed, leaving swiftly with the empty box.
It was silent as Perse returned to finish doing her lipstick, lining her lips in a plum tone that made her smile pop.
Kaname spoke up after watching her apply the lipstick, "This may be an obscure request that I have," He said.
"I've heard of some obscure requests in my life, I doubt this will top the first fifty," She laughed, placing her makeup stuff away easily.
"Headmaster Cross had mentioned that Yuki had not gotten a dress for the dance," He said. "I was wondering if you could bring it to her? She will be getting ready still with her dorm mate. I doubt Yuki will wear anything besides her uniform otherwise."
Perse nodded, standing up and getting her heels before sitting down again. "Can't let that happen. We might be fashionably late though."
She tried to strap her heels on, having to bend awkwardly forward to try.
"May I?" Kaname asked, gesturing to the heels and kneeling when she nodded.
Perse allowed him to help her put her shoes on, feeling a little bit like Cinderella as he slipped the strappy platform heels on and wrapped the large ribbons of fabric around her ankles.
She could have done this herself, with Magic or not, and he knew it. He didn't have to help her but he chose to. A bit of humility was a rare and wonderful thing to see in royalty, putting subjects before themselves.
He created two equal knots, one on each ankle before helping Perse to stand and test them out.
"Do not be too fashionably late," He said, placing a hand on the crook of her elbow. "The Night Class still needs to maintain the facade. But I do have to say that the necklace looks lovely on you."
Perse grinned knowingly, a tone of royal arrogance on her lips. "I know."
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Persephone walked like the royal she was, never letting her feet hesitate or waver in her steps as she strutted down the halls of the Sun Dorms with confidence. The shawl around her was the sheerest silver white that any of the Humans had seen, almost looking like actual light and sometimes like a slight fog that stayed near her. Her movements moved the two long ribbons of material tucked under her elbows looked like wings fluttering behind her.
She held a box in her hands as she stopped abruptly at a door, stopping the clicking of her heels as she knocked.
"Hello?" Yuki's roommate opened the door. "Can I help you?"
"Is Yuki in?"
"Yes,"
"Is she wearing her uniform instead of a dress?"
Sayori sighed. "She is."
"May I come in? I have a dress for her to wear,"
"Perse?" Yuki came to the door in her uniform, her eyebrows furrowing. "What are you doing here? You're not supposed to be in the Sun Dorms."
"I have a dress for you to wear," Perse smiled. "Cursitoty of Kaname. He chose it for you."
"I don't need a dress,"
"If I have to wear a dress to this, so do you," Perse said, placing the box on Yuki's bed. "Change and let me do your makeup."
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"This is boring," Perse said within the first half hour of the ball.
Hanabusa wrinkled his nose. "Why don't you dance then?"
"Because these songs are boring too?" Perse looked into her drink, frowning. "Unless its gonna be the Quickstep, I'm not really interested in dancing."
"Quickstep you say," Hanabusa grinned, suddenly holding a hand out and bowing an inch. "May I have this dance, Princess Greylight?"
"You know the Quickstep?"
"I am of the Aido family, I know all of the dances," He stated. "What do you say to a dance?"
Perse smiled, passing her clutch and shawl to Takuma when he gestured that he'd take them, before placing her hand in Hanabusa's. "Fine."
"Everyone!" Hanabusa shouted happily. "If you would all evacuate the dance floor, Persephone and I would like to do the Quickstep to the song Umbrella!"
"I did not agree to this!" Perse whispered.
Hanabusa sent her a smirk. "You agreed to a dance. This is a dance."
"With an audience!"
"Oh, come on," He grinned. "I bet you've done a lot worse than dance in front of a group."
"You better be good at Quickstep, otherwise I'm gonna kill you," Perse said, shaking her nerves off quickly as the music started.
"I'm brilliant."
They started to sway to one side and the other, letting them get into the groove of the music before Hanabusa led them into the dance. Perse took a step back with her right foot, then her left and again her right, and suddenly they were twisting and swaying as they both gathered momentum.
The music accelerated quickly, letting them get into the sway and beat of it as they moved around the ballroom with natural ease and grace. As they got used to each other, their moves were as smooth as silk as they leaned this way and that. Even with Perse in high heels, she danced like she was barefooted, uninhabited by anything but the fun of the dance and the energy it gave her.
"Doing well, Aido," She smiled, her dress swaying around her like tainted moonlight as they went around the ballroom in unison.
"As are you, Princess," He laughed when she rolled her eyes, neither of them faltering.
They crossed the length of the ballroom with short, sharp kicks and steps, getting to the other side with a hop and leap somewhere between. They matched speed, never getting out of tune as their steps kept up to the 51 beats per minute song.
There were several more turns in the song, including them going across the room along with small stops to show off footwork near the middle and end.
Slowing as they neared the end, they abruptly ended but the song continued, as the dance was finished.
Everyone clapped as they came off of the dance floor, now letting everyone go back to their little box step dances.
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After a few more dances, Perse excused herself and left the ball. She was on a mission towards the old dormitory, knowing that was where Maria and the other was.
Perse didn't let her emotions get the better of her as she stood in the room, Maria on the couch before her.
"Let's get this over with," Perse said sternly. "I don't have time to mess around at the moment. They will notice I'm gone soon."
"Fine," Maria said. "She will be here in a moment."
"What do you intend to do with my blood?"
"Your blood will heal me, make me whole and balanced. You will allow me to have the full potential that was stripped away from me because of my birth," Maria said. "You can probably tell this isn't my body. Maria is just a distant descendant of mine that allowed me the use of her body in exchange of healing her."
Maria pointed to the door, "That is my true body."
Ichiru carried her limp form to the couch as Maria seemed to pass out and her consciousness returned to Shizuka. Shizuka was a beautiful woman with long silver-white hair cascading down her back. She wore a white kimono with a thin ribbon around her waist, a bell attached to it.
"Within our little exchange," Perse said, watching as Ichiru took Maria's body out of the room. "What would I get out of it? You get healed but what do I get?"
"You would have an ally in me,"
Perse felt the lie in those words as clear as the difference between night and day. Shizuka had no intention of going along with her word, and so Perse would do the same.
If this wasn't about an exchange of blood, Perse wouldn't have been as angry as she was now. But since it included her losing some of her blood, Perse had to simmer her anger down and agree.
To any Greylight Heir or Crown, blood was sacred and not something to be freely given.
Perse forced a smile onto her lips, taking a seat down next to Shizuka and unwrapping her watch from her left wrist. Shizuka smiled as she only could, forcing the corners of her eyes up as she was happy with what was happening.
Perse was silent as the fangs sunk into her wrist, not even letting an expression of pain to come.
With each mouthful Shizuka took, Perse watched as her blood entered the Vampire's system and started to take over. The Vampire didn't notice, only relishing in the electric taste of witchy blood.
Perse could see how her blood began to manipulate, spreading throughout Shizuka's body and slowly overtaking the old blood in her. Blood cells started to morph other blood cells, destroying the Vampire's and replacing them with duplicates of Perse's.
"Ah," Shizuka released her wrist, letting her take it back as she stood up and sighed. "It feels so good. This has been the first time I've tried Royal Witch blood. Such a delicacy."
Perse didn't make a sound, only touching the two fang wounds with a frown. She licked her thumb, rubbing it into the wounds to help heal it quicker before watching it scar up and disappear as she put her watch back on. She leaned back on the sofa, one leg crossed over the other. Sipping on a flute of water, she watched Shizuka turn in place as colour returned to her skin before Perse began to manipulate her blood inside the Vampire.
Shizuka froze, her eyebrows furrowing in confusion as she placed one hand on her stomach and another on her throat. "What is happening? Persephone Greylight, you said that your blood would heal me. That it will make me whole!"
"And it will," Perse wrapped her wrist in a bandage, making sure it was clean and tight. "It will make you whole… By taking away the part of you that makes you a Vampire, to heal you. But that, not so sadly, means your death."
"You bitch!" Shizuka tried lunging for her but something stopped her from attacking the Witch.
"You lied to me, Shizuka Hio," Perse tapped a nail against her lip, curling her plum coloured lips into a too sharp smile worthy of a predator.. "You lied to me and thought you could get away with it. I'm gonna take away something very special for myself."
Shizuka looked angry and yet frightened as her muscles tightened in her body and stopped her movements. She could only watch Perse place the flute of water down before standing.
"What are you taking away?"
Perse placed both of her hands onto Shizuka's face, cupping her jaw. "Your Magic, of course. You made me part with something dear of mine, so I'm taking something of yours."
"You have no right!"
"People keep telling me I have no right to do things." Perse laughed. "I'm a Greylight Witch, and the only daughter of a Chimera, and the only Witch with Blood Magic. I have a right to Magic and I have a right to all Blood, including Vampires'. I want a Pureblood's blood to make myself stronger."
"You have been at this school for months!" Shizuka spat. "You could have taken Kaname Kuran's with ease!"
Perse laughed. "I said I want blood, not that I need it. And I want yours! Yes, Kaname would have been an easy target but I have grown quite fond of him recently. You, however, lied to me."
"I lied, and?" Shizuka said. "Lies are what we Purebloods live on, why we are better! We can do things you cannot even comprehend!"
"So can I,"
Perse plunged her right hand through Shizuka's chest, getting through the muscle and bone easily until she reached the barely beating heart. She squeezed, feeling blood drip down her arm but never hitting her dress.
Shizuka froze completely, her skin beginning to glow like a glitter ball under the sun before her skin began to crack the longer Perse drew the Vampire's Magic from within and took it for herself.
Perse shoved Shizuka's limp form away, letting the Vampire drop to the ground and shatter into a billion, glittering pieces. PErse knew that when a Pureblood was killed, a fragment of them lived on, and now she had the fragment of Shizuka in her, a bloodthirsty Vampire with a coldness she welcomed.
Her hands were covered in blood but Perse just closed her eyes and concentrated. The Vampire's blood was beginning to be absorbed by her skin, becoming part of her physically and Magically.
"What have you done?" Ichiru sounded disgusted and appalled by what he saw.
Perse just tilted her head. "I never intended for her to die, but it seemed like she was going to betray me. Fitting end, I think."
"You killed her?"
"She would have killed me sooner than be my ally," Perse said. "But she had an amount of affection for you, an amount that felt close to a soft love."
He drew a dagger from his belt. "I'm going to avenge my mistress!"
"Kill me and your mistress will forever be dead and gone," Perse laughed coldly. "She didn't want to curse you with being a Vampire, regardless if it meant you being with her."
"What would you know about what she feels?"
"Blood Witch here!" She rolled her eyes. "I more or less absorbed her and her Magic."
"You said that she is dead!"
"And she is, but when Purebloods die, a fragment of them remains, their Magic, and I absorbed hers," Perse finished. "I'm sorry to you I killed her, I can see what kind of friendship you both had, but I am not sorry that I killed her. She tried to trick me out of my blood for nothing. Because I can tell you hate being controlled just as much as I do, I'm giving you a choice."
Ichiru tucked his dagger away, but his fists were clenched by his side. "What are the choices?"
"You can come over here and take my blood, Shizuka's blood, and have a part of her in you, never enough to turn you but still, and you can leave Cross Academy and just live," Perse offered. "Or take the blood offered and stay at the Academy, attend the Day Class and get to know your brother."
"Is there another choice?" He asked.
"If you have a better option, tell me,"
"You killed Lady Shizuka, you killed my mistress and by Vampire Law, you became my mistress," He took a step forward, quickly coming close to her as his eyes wandered to her face before dropping to the ground. "I could stay and serve you."
"Serving is all you've known, isn't it?" Perse asked, a distasified sound leaving her when Ichiru nodded. "You were forced to become a slave to someone, and I find that rather distasteful and disgusting. I don't want or need a servant or slave."
He looked rather shocked by that, almost becoming panicky.
Perse continued with a raised eyebrow. "A valet is a different matter."
"A royal personal assistant?"
"You'd be allowed to leave whenever you want. But if you want to serve me, that's how I would prefer." Perse nodded once. "A companion and helper rather than a slave or servant. Would that be a better option?"
He nodded stiffly, suddenly dropping to kneel before her. "A much better option, thank you." His voice was hopeful and certain for the first time since this conversation of theirs. "I've only known forced servitude, and it is pleasant to serve with a choice."
Perse crouched down, balancing to lift his chin so he could look her in the eyes. "Do you want her blood for yourself?"
He quickly shook his head. "I rather not have a reminder of my time."
Perse nodded. "I need to have a word with Headmaster Cross later, sort our situation out. But now I have to go back to the ball before I'm noticed."
Ichiru stood up, looking at the bundle of fallen clothes from where Shizuka had been thrown. "May I keep the bell? It's the only reminder I would have."
Perse's eyes softened. "Of course."
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Ichiru would stay the night at the old dormitories so Perse had time to sort out everything. In the meantime she was back at the ball, no blood or matter on her dress or skin. She looked lovely as ever as she stood speaking to a Day Class boy who was trying to flirt.
Kaname had questioned where she went but only came over as soon as he saw her speaking to the boy, an almost possessive instinct coming over him. He had to shake it off. Vampires only became possessive of two things, Beloveds and blood bags, prefering to their loved ones or humans they preyed on.
The Day Class boy quickly scurried off as soon as Kaname had sent him a dark look, Perse only smiled at that and sipped at her flute of juice.
"Kaname," She nodded in greeting as soon as he was within range.
"May I have this dance, Princess Greylight?" Kaname asked, a calm smile on his lips as he bowed only an inch as he let out a hand.
She grasped his hand with an affirmative nod. "Of course, Lord Kuran. Viennese Waltz?"
"Yes," He led her towards the dance floor, other members of the Night Class partnering up with the Day Class before they all began to dance.
As the two royals danced, it was as smooth as breathing.
Within the floor of different shades of blue, black, red and several other shades of dresses, gowns and suits, they stood out like moonlight did on a dark night, somehow looking like they were meant to stand out and yet no one blinked an eye when they passed without a sound.
"You're stronger," Kaname mentioned. "Magically speaking."
Perse just grinned a smile too sharp to be Human. "You shouldn't have allowed Shizuka Hio to go free."
"How do you know of that?"
"I killed her less than an hour ago," Perse said as if she was speaking of the weather. She felt his hands tighten, bringing her a little too close to him as they danced. "I bet you want an explanation for my actions."
"I do," He stated. "But I would also think you wouldn't have done it without a reason."
"Shizuka Hio thought she could lie to me and get me to give my blood over without consequence," Perse giggled, her laugh sounding more like a muffled shadow coming over her than a tinkling bell. Almost like a warning to any who heard her. "She fed on me, and I took her Magic and killed her for her lies."
"She lied to you and so you killed her?"
"Eh. I killed her because she lied to me to get my blood without giving me anything in exchange," Perse swayed with him when it was needed, continuing the dance with a daring smile worthy of a predator like the one in front of her. "A deal is a deal. Trying to break a deal that dealt with blood was like trying to break one with the devil. Consequences were ensured."
Her dress pooled and swung around them like liquid light, almost like Magic was enhancing them and making them move like physics didn't apply to them. The dress swayed in tune with the beats of their footfalls and heartbeats. With each new turn and twirl, Perse was beginning to become dizzy but she held on as Kaname led.
"Not long now," He reassured her, "There will be a pause so you can center yourself."
Everyone paused soon enough like clockwork, the ladies together in packs of four as they took in breaths while the gentlemen stood two by two. It looked like it was all practised but none of it was.
A touch of Magic helped.
"Doing well, Yuki," Perse said as she caught her breath, taking in the white dress Kaname had chosen for Yuki to wear.
"Thank you," Yuki smiled. "Here we go again."
They were off again, Yuki quickly finding Zero to dance with while Perse returned to Kaname's embrace.
Fluid movements went into the gentlemen dipping the ladies slightly before a few more movements stopp the full on dancing and they twirled around and around and around until they were dizzy and finally allowed them to bow at the end with heavy chests as the physical fitness and coordination needed was vast.
There were very few pairs who weren't exhausted by the end of the dance. The main one was Kaname and Perse. Both of them had been feasting on the Magic and energy around them and each other, gaining a sort of power from it that made exhaustion something they didn't feel.
Kaname led her over to the balcony, grabbing flutes of water and handing her one. They stood out there, away from the rest of the school so they could speak.
"What will happen to Maria?" He asked.
"Without Shizuka, there won't be a way for her to remain healthy," Perse looked down into the water, watching the ripples. "She'll return back to her family."
"Can you not heal her?"
"Why would I? It's genetic and she would need me constantly around or she would deteriorate even quicker." Perse laughed at herself. "I just realised I've just damned myself."
"You consumed her blood?"
She nodded. "I absorbed it through my skin after putting my hand through her chest. Lovely way to go out, truly. But I needed to have all of my blood back. I'll be able to keep Zero from being an E Level a lot easier now."
"I sense that Ichiru Kiryu is still alive,"
Perse turned cold. "He will remain alive. He is mine now. You have Seiren, and I have Ichiru. Fitting, helpers for royals."
"He fits your personality," Kaname sipped at his water. "I suppose you want him in the Night Class with you?"
She inclined her head in agreement.
"I doubt the Council will be happy but they have no say," He nodded. "He will be able to attend to you."
"I wouldn't have it any other way."
The sudden appearance of a little grey fox startled them, letting the tense atmosphere break as they jumped and then laughed. Tsar jumped onto Kaname's chest, forcing the male to hold him for pets for a second before jumping to his mistress' shoulders where he could rub at her skin.