I sighed heavily, feeling my boredom slowly becoming stronger as the seconds ticked by. From somewhere inside the house, I could hear the Headmaster moving around in his kitchen. As well as the sounds of food being cooked. It had been this way for the last little while now and, though the smells wafting into the room were admittedly delicious, the prospect of eating was the furthest thing from my mind in that moment. Which was might as well, considering the food wasn't meant for me anyways. Rather, it was for the girl who remained unconscious on the bed in the Headmaster's guest bedroom.
Leaning myself back in the desk chair, I frowned as I looked over to her and crossed my arms. What the Headmaster told me still played heavily in my mind. I had gotten the answers I had been looking for but, in turn, they also only created even more questions. The biggest of which that hadn't been answered at all. Was this girl a threat to us. The Headmaster didn't seem to think so but I still wasn't all that convinced myself. If anything, after learning what I did, I found myself even more uncertain than before.
Could anyone really blame me, though? Aside from the fact that she came from another universe, there was still so much we didn't know about her. As with her powers. The Headmaster seems convinced they are a side effect of being brought into our world but I'm not so sure. While I don't actually believe her scream upon seeing her hand on fire had been fake, I still suspect she lied when she stated that's never happened before. Not to mention that, though killing the former human may not have been intentional, she sure seemed to know what she was doing with that vine last night. Yeah, I'll admit she seemed really surprised by it at first, but that could also have to do with the fact that a rogue vampire intended to kill her.
Then there's her sword. The expression I saw on her face when she looked at it lit on fire was amazement. Almost as if she couldn't believe what she was seeing but was happy about it. Like she was experiencing it for the first time but knew it could do that. Was that too only a side effect of being brought here? I didn't see how. While parallel dimensions were still unknown to us, including the effects of travelling between one another, something like that seemed a little strange to me. Then again, this entire situation was overall just strange. Nothing about it made any sense and yet, at the same time, everything made perfect sense.
These, among many others, are the thoughts that filled my mind as I continued to watch Ashley sleep. Unfortunately, it didn't seem likely I was going to get those answered anytime soon. Not without revealing to Ashley she was in a universe different from her own. That is if she hadn't already figured it out herself by now. Clearly she was hiding something but, much like my reluctance with telling others about her powers, I knew better to say anything until I had more proof. That way I didn't cause any unneeded panic or put anyone in any unneeded danger.
Letting out another sigh, I briefly closed my eyes and hung my head. When I opened them again I simply stared at my lap and frowned even deeper. I didn't like this. There were still too many questions left unanswered. The fact I could do nothing but sit here didn't help matters either. Not that I had much of a choice. The Headmaster insisted I stayed behind and keep an eye on Ashley as he made food for her. I'm not really sure why. It's not like she could go anywhere even if she woke up anytime soon. Well, at least it gave me a chance to think things over.
'Who is this girl really?' I thought to myself. Keeping my head bowed, I tightened the grip on my arms and recalled everything the Headmaster had told me only a short while ago.
~Flashback~
"Another dimension? What do you mean, Ashley is from another dimension?" I asked once I was able to get over my surprise at the answer. Needless to say, out of anything he could have told me, that's the last thing I expected to hear.
"It means just that. Ashley is not from our world." The Headmaster responded, lowering his hand back to his side. I frowned at that, confusion coursing through me as I turned my gaze towards the unconscious girl. Another dimension? But how could that... My eyes widened as realization struck me and I quickly returned my gaze back to the Headmaster.
"Hold on a moment. Headmaster, you're not telling me that..." I trailed off, unable to finish as I stared at him. He nodded, clearly knowing what I was going to ask, and turned his head to look down at the girl himself.
"Yes. The experiment revolving around parallel universes that you and a few others have been working on works. This girl here is the product of what lays on the other side of it."
If at all possible, after being told that, my eyes widened even more and it felt as though I had stopped breathing. For at least a good moment I must have just stood there, my mouth slightly agape as I continued to stare at the Headmaster. It works? The portal actually... works? Really? How? As interesting of a concept as parallel universes are, I didn't actually have any real high hopes for it. But we actually managed to create an actual gateway into another universe? That's... incredible!
Before I could become too excited over it, I blinked as I turned my head back towards Ashley and closed my mouth. Funny, she didn't look as if she came from another universe, but I can't see why the Headmaster would lie about that. Maybe her world just looks similar to ours? Or could it be one of the side effects the Headmaster mentioned a few moments ago? Although, while it's made me curious, I suppose her appearance isn't what was most important right now. Why she was here and how she got here was.
"Alright, but then what is she doing here? Isn't this a little risky?" I asked, using a hand to motion towards her. Turning to look back at the Headmaster I watched him sigh and grip at his shawl while his other hand adjusted his glasses.
"Yes, it is, but we didn't have much of a choice." He answered and I frowned a little heavier as I lowered my hand. We? Who's we? Before I could ask, though it is likely he could tell what I wanted to say by my expression, the man continued.
"A few days ago, while Kaname and Ichijo were conducting a test on the portal, a Level-E managed to make its way onto school grounds. Somehow it wound up at the Moon Dorms around the exact moment the portal activated for the first time. Either frightened by Kaname, or curious about what laid on the other side, it ran through before either Kaname or Ichijo could stop it." Kaien Cross started to explain, a grave look on his face. My own likely expressed surprise before shifting into understanding as I blinked.
"So they decided to go after it." I stated, already knowing that had to be the answer. Neither Kaname-Sama or Ichijo would risk a rogue vampire terrorizing an unknown world. Who knows what kind of damage it could have done and how many people it could have killed. However, to my surprise, Headmaster Cross shook his head.
"Not quite. Kaname wanted to go but Ichijo convinced him otherwise. With there being a chance that the remote made to activate the portal from the other side wouldn't work, he knew there would be no way to return. If it came down to that, Ichijo preferred that to be himself than Kaname. So he did. He went through the portal alone."
I hummed at that, grimacing slightly as I turned my head to look away for a moment. Yeah, that would have been probably very bad if that had happened. As much as I dislike it when he teases me, I didn't necessarily like the idea of Ichijo not being able to come back either but losing Kaname-Sama? I didn't even want to think what could have resulted from that. A lot of chaos, that's for sure. Attempting to shake that from my head, I returned my gaze back to the Headmaster and crossed my arms.
"But obviously the remote did work, and when Ichijo came back, he had Ashley with him. Right?" I continued for him, finding this part obvious enough. This time the Headmaster nodded, though his frown also deepened.
"Yes. She was the girl the Level-E ended up attacking. Fortunately Ichijo was able to get to her before she was killed but she had sustained quite a bit of injuries. As well as a substantial amount of blood loss. When he returned with her, she was still bleeding pretty badly. To prevent it from attracting the rest of the Night Class, both he and Kaname decided it would be for the best that they brought her to me and I tended to her the best I could." He explained and I blinked. Huh, I actually think I remember that.
Quite a few of us had smelt a great deal of blood a few nights ago but Kaname-Sama had told us to ignore it. He didn't say why but, at the time, I suppose I suspected that a Day Class girl must have snuck out and got themselves hurt. It happens every now and then in their desperation of trying to get sneak peeks of us. Usually the disciplinary committee manages to get to them before anything really happens. Not that there are many of us who'd actually go as far as attack these girls. Though I won't lie, I have been tempted more than once to have a taste whenever I smelt a particularly delicious scent.
That aside, now that I recall, the Headmaster did also tell Akatsuki and I that Ashley had been attacked by a vampire, hadn't he? Though, unlike last night, she apparently did have her memories of that erased. I wonder why I hadn't considered that before hand. Although, even then, I still probably never would have imagined it was her blood a few nights ago. Or that the reason the smell seemed to come out of nowhere was because she came from another universe. I knew the smell couldn't have been Yuki's but Ashley's?
Tightening my grip on my arms I looked back down at her. She looked pretty healthy now. Though I suppose she would considering it has been a few days since she came here. Whatever injuries the Headmaster mentioned she had seemed to have already healed up. Including the bite marks left by the former human. Although, then again, I didn't take the best of look at that and she did still have a thin line on her face from where she had been cut. Still, she seemed pretty healthy so why was she still here? It's obvious she wants to go home so why won't the Headmaster simply let her?
"If she's already recovered, why not send her home then? It seems obvious she doesn't want to be here. She's already tried to run away once, who's to say she won't try again?" I decided to ask. Upon hearing the Headmaster sigh again I looked away from Ashley to see him looking down at her remorsefully.
"I would like to but, unfortunately, we are unable to do that. When Ichijo returned through the portal something went wrong with it. It won't reopen so it will need to be fixed before Ashley can be sent home." He explained and I grimaced again. Ah, right. I think I heard something like that be mentioned, though I hadn't paid a whole lot of attention at the time. After all, I hadn't fully expected the portal to work in the first place.
"Do you think it's safe to keep her here in the meantime? What about those powers she has? If someone were to see them it could put the school at risk, couldn't it?" I decided to ask, unable to wait any longer. This was the one thing that has been bothering me the most since I saw Ashley use her powers. So I was more than eager to get an answer for it. Unfortunately, the answer wasn't what I was hoping for.
"I don't think you need to worry about that, Aido-Kun. She's already been here a few days and seems to be keeping to herself. The only time her powers seem to be an issue is when she thinks she's alone or when someone upsets her enough." He said, lifting his head to look pointedly at me. I tensed a bit under the stare and turned my head away sheepishly. Right, I suppose I did overdo it a little back then. But that still doesn't really answer my question. In fact, doesn't it only enforce it? What if someone else upsets her just as much as I did?
"Don't worry, if something happens, I will deal with it when the time comes. Besides, there isn't anywhere else Ashley can go. I can't hand her over to the Hunter's Association and she'll need to stay close for when the portal is fixed. As for her running away, yes, that may be an issue, but I don't think she'd get very far with that either." He continued, clearly having guessed what I had been thinking. Feeling my body relax slightly I blinked as something else came to mind and I turned my head back to him.
"So does that mean the portal really does open up in Canada, then?" I asked, tilting my head a bit as I side eyed the girl. I mean, that would be one strange thing to lie about, and I suppose she did have the accent, but it just seemed strange. Then again, everything about this so far sounded downright strange.
"According to Ichijo it did, yes." The Headmaster answered with a small nod, tightening his fingers on his shawl before letting go all together. I hummed thoughtfully and blinked as I continued to watch her.
So not only could the portal take someone to another universe but to the other side of the world it seems. Or, rather, it took; considering I was just told it was broken. Huh, I wonder why it did that. Shouldn't it have opened in a parallel version of our school? Or at least where the school should be? Then again, there is still much we don't know about parallel universes. There could be a number of reasons it sent Ichijo to another version of Canada. Including a completely different layout of Earth. Anything is possible, I guess.
Well, at least that also explains why Ashley refused to tell me what she was doing here. She has no idea. To her, one moment she was still in Canada and by the next she found herself here. I could only imagine just how confusing that must be for her. To suddenly end up across the world without knowing how or why. I doubt any amount of memory erasing, or even amnesia blaming, could really explain that. It would've probably been better to just have someone install fake memories into her until it was time to send her back.
"What about the side effects? You mentioned being afraid something would happen. Were you talking about her powers?" I asked, deciding to change the subject as there was nothing I wanted to add about Ashley being Canadian. Maybe I'll ask Ichijo more about that later, as he was the one that went there, but for now there is other things I wanted to focus on.
"Ah, yes." The former hunter said and loosely crossed his own arms. "While I can't be absolutely sure when it comes to the powers she possesses, I do believe they are an effect of being brought to our world. From what you've told me it doesn't seem she was aware of them until recently." He continued and I returned my full attention towards him. Hmm, well, I suppose he has a point in thinking that but I still wasn't so convinced myself. As surprised as she may have looked upon witnessing her own powers, I still got the sense it wasn't the first time she's seen them.
"Is there any other side effects we should be on the look out for?" I asked, deciding not to voice my concerns. At least not yet. I'll wait until I have more evidence on the matter before doing that. Besides, even though I doubt it, I could be wrong about this. Towards my question, I watched as the Headmaster's frowned deepened and he looked somewhat troubled again.
"There is one other thing I've been made aware of, and it's one of the reasons I'd like to keep a close eye on her." He answered secretively, which caused my own frown to deepen. I thought he was telling me all this so I wouldn't have to find out on my own later. Even if it isn't something he's sure about, why not just tell me?
"Does it have anything to do with how you believe she might know about vampires?" I asked, unable to keep myself from prodding. Besides, this was another thing I wanted to know more about.
If Ashley had her memories of being attacked erased how would she know? Did her world have vampires of their own? Or did something happen during her time here that gave it away? Maybe she said something about what happened the other night? Then again, if that were the case, I think the Headmaster would have just said so and there would have been damage control. I know I should have probably went after her to erase her memories regardless but, after seeing what she could do, I really thought keeping hidden was the smartest thing for me to do at the time.
"That is part of it, yes, but right now I only suspect she might know. Though the fact you told me she killed a former human increases that suspicion." The man admitted but hung his head to avoid answering me further. Or maybe it was to simply think things over. After a moment he sighed and lifted his head but didn't look at me as he allowed his arms to drop back at his sides.
"I apologize if this isn't everything you wanted to hear, Aido-Kun, but for now that's all I can tell you. I understand your concerns about the risks this girl may pose to the school, but please try not to force any more answers. I am keeping a close eye on her and, if it helps you feel any better, it was also Kaname's idea that we keep her so close." He confessed sombrely and I let out a small sigh as I hung my head. Well, if Kaname-Sama was behind all this too, I suppose I could trust what they were doing. It didn't stop me from wanting to know more, though. At least everything was starting to make a bit more sense, even if it was still confusing.
"Alright, I understand. I still don't really trust this girl but I trust Kaname-Sama knows what he's doing." I responded and lifted my head back up. A thin smile appeared on the former hunter's face as he met my gaze but it quickly fell into a more sober look as he turned his attention back to Ashley.
"By the way, Aido-Kun, I think it would be for the best if you didn't tell anyone else about her powers. Not even Kaname. If something like that got out, even if it were just among vampires, it could put us, Ashley and her entire dimension in danger. Let me take care of that information for now and, if needed be, I will inform Kaname myself. Alright?" He asked, though I knew it wasn't so much of a question than it was a request. One I could understand considering, despite how suspicious I still found this girl, I wasn't eager to start unneeded panic or worry before we learned more about her.
I did feel a little guilty over deliberately hiding the truth from Kaname-Sama. Especially considering I now know he knew the truth behind where Ashley came from, but the Headmaster is right. Telling him too soon would only give him unneeded stress. As awesome of a pureblood ruler as he is I wouldn't want to bother him with something unless I knew it was a for sure threat. Especially if the Headmaster claims he has things handled.
As for not telling anyone, on the other hand, it was a little too late; considering I had already told Akatsuki. Even if that had been more of a slip of the tongue. I don't think I had to worry about him telling anyone else though, but he may end up asking for more information later. If he even remembers I mentioned Ashley having powers in the first place, that is. He was pretty mad at me back there.
"That may be a little too late for Akatsuki, but I understand your concerns, Headmaster. I'll keep that to myself and make sure he does as well." I told him, which earned me another one of his kind smiles. Honestly, it kind of disturbed me more than anything and I shifted slightly as I moved my gaze away from him.
"So," I started, wanting to change yet continue the conversation. Anything to get over this slight awkwardness. "How many of us know the truth about Ashley anyways?"
"If you are referring to her powers than it is just the two of us plus your cousin. Although if you're asking who all knows she comes from a parallel world, than it is only Kaname, Ichijo, myself and you. That is something else I'd like to request you not tell the others. Even the ones involved with the experiment themselves. If they learn it works they may be eager to enter her world themselves." I heard him answer and I hummed to myself.
So just the four of us, huh? Again, I can understand his reasoning for not wanting others to know but it's not like anyone could misuse that information while the portal is broken anyways. Unless another reason involved Ashley being used for experimental purposes. Which, upon thinking about it, I could actually see happening.
"Anyways, Aido-Kun, I would like you to stay for a little while and keep an eye on her. I need to go do something and we don't know just how deep of a sleeping spell your cousin used. Can you do that?" I heard the Headmaster ask, his voice bringing me out of my thoughts. Blinking, I finally uncrossed my arms and looked back over to him. Only to see that he had begun to make his way over to me. Or, perhaps, it was really to the door that was behind me.
"Huh? I guess so, but Kaname-Sama and the others will probably be wondering why I am taking so long. Shouldn't I really just return to the Moon Dorms?" Before Akatsuki tells Kaname-Sama what he saw me do. Not that I think he would, but I'm sure by now Kaname must know I was at the Headmaster's house.
"Don't worry, I will handle Kaname. And if you do this for me, I won't tell him that you were caught trying to bite Ashley." He told me with a small smile and I tensed slightly. Why did I get the sense he was more blackmailing me rather than trying to do me a favor.
"Alright, I'll stay." I answered with a defeated sigh and lowered my head. Well, blackmail or not, I suppose staying was better than returning to the Moon Dorms only to get bored again.
"Thank you, Aido-Kun." Headmaster Cross chirped gratefully, much to my cringe. Yeah, yeah. It's not like you're giving me much choice. It's either this or Kaname-Sama finds out I tried to break the rules again.
I didn't bother respond this time as, from the corner of my eyes, I watched him walk past me. I hope whatever he had to do was important. Which, knowing what I do of him, could go either way. While no longer the scary vampire hunter he used to be, he isn't exactly an idiot either. That being said, he's apparently done a lot of questionably weird and random things too. Though I would never tell them this, I do sometimes pity Yuki and Kiryu for having to put up with him.
"Oh, and Aido?" I heard him call my name and I lifted my head to turn to look at him. The moment I did I quickly lifted my hand to catch the object he tossed at me. Lowering it to eye level, I saw it was a case of blood tablets.
"If you find yourself getting a craving, take those. I don't want to come back with food to find any marks on her." He told me and I scowled at the lack of trust. Come on, even I'm not that stupid. Did he really think by leaving me alone with her, in his own home no less, I'd... Wait, food?
"Food?" I asked, lowering my hand from my face completely. He was leaving me alone with her so he could make... food? Stopping himself in the doorway, I watched as a sad smile spread across his face and he gave a small nod.
"Yes. I suspect it's been a while since Ashley has eaten anything decent. If at all in the last few days. My cafeteria staff have told me she hasn't come around. I probably should have told her she was free to do so sooner, so that's my own fault. So I'm going to make her something to eat now. I shouldn't be too long, so please just keep an eye on her." He explained, turning his head around to give me another one of his smiles. I simply blinked at that, unsure how to really respond as I then watched as the Headmaster left the room and shut the door behind him.
Once I was alone I continued to simply stand there for a moment, still unsure how to process what just happened. Finally, after what felt like a few minutes had passed, I blinked. Slowly, I first looked down to the blood tablets Headmaster Cross had tossed me before over to the unconscious girl. So the Headmaster thought she was starving herself, huh? Somehow, I can believe that. I did catch her eating wild berries the night she tried to run away, after all. Not that I know why I should even care about that right now, though. I had more important things to think about than the prospect of someone starving themselves. Be it intentional or not.
Releasing a small sigh, I briefly closed my eyes and lowered my head. When I opened them again I took one more look at the box of blood tablets before placing them in my pants pocket. Well, I might as well keep them. At least it would save me from needing a refill anytime soon. Then, straightening my head, I then turned myself around; first looking towards Ashley before directing my gaze towards the desk. Or More specifically the chair. Well, at least I'll have somewhere to sit. So, with that in mind, I walked over towards the desk, sat in the chair and began the long and tedious job of simply watching someone sleep.
~End Flashback~
Upon hearing movement coming from the bed, I blinked out of my thoughts. Lifting my head back up, I turned my full attention back towards Ashley and noticed she had shifted in her sleep. She was still laying on her back but her head was slightly tilted now, almost as if she had snuggled into the pillow. Her right hand had also moved from her side to next to her face; fingers curled as if she were lightly gripping something. Her breathing itself seemed to return to a more natural rhythm and I watched as the blanket covering her rose and lowered in conjunction with her chest.
Hmm, Akatsuki's sleeping spell must finally be starting to wear off then, and she's entered a more normal state of sleep. Which means she could probably wake up anytime now. Or continue sleeping throughout the night. Just as the Headmaster had pointed out, I wasn't sure how deep of a sleep Akatsuki had put her in. So, though it might be wearing off, it could still be anywhere between a few hours to a couple minutes before anything happened. Unless the Headmaster planned on intentionally waking her up once the food was ready, though I doubted it. If anything, as hungry as he may believe she is, he'd probably let her sleep as long as she wanted to. Which means I could probably be here until the break of dawn.
Leaning back in the desk chair, I looked up at the ceiling and sighed again. I really hope all this waiting will be worth it in the end. Because, as suspicious as I still might be of this girl, I didn't necessarily find it fun watching over her sleeping body as the Headmaster cooked food for her. Again, not that I was given much of a choice. It was either do this or have Kaname-Sama find out I almost broke an important rule again. Which I didn't want to happen. It's just, while I had hoped Headmaster Cross would be merciful in not telling him, I hadn't thought it would be through blackmail.
For the next couple minutes or so I stayed like that. Staring up at the ceiling as I listened to Ashley breathe and smelt the food that kept wafting into the room. It really did smell pretty good and I uncrossed my arms to place a hand on my stomach. When was the last time I ate, anyways? Sometime shortly after the sun had set but that was hours ago now. That being said, it has also been a while since I've taken any blood tablets. Not that I've felt a real need for them before, but now?
Blinking slowly, I sat myself a little straighter and lowered my head; tilting it so I was looking at the surface of the desk. Or rather at the case of tablets that I had taken from my pocket and put on it. They were already open and a couple of the pills were laying next to the case. Not because I had been eating them but because I had decided to play with them at some point while I waited for the Headmaster to come back. Looking at them now I could only grimace as I imagined the taste I would experience if I put one of those in my mouth. Like stale, bitter medicine one should only take as a last resort if other things wouldn't work. Human blood, by far, is far more superior and delicious.
With that thought crossing my mind, I removed my hand from my stomach and turned my head to look towards Ashley. She really had smelt pretty good back in the forest. And, though I know it would have gotten me into even more trouble, I wish I had managed to get a taste of her blood. Akatsuki really does have such bad timing. Well, now that he wasn't around to stop me this time, maybe I could give it another try. Although, then again, it's not typically my style to bite girls while they were sleeping. Plus, Headmaster Cross was only a few rooms away. While he may not be a vampire himself, I'm sure he'd be able to tell if I tasted her blood even if I didn't leave an obvious mark.
However, the more I found myself thinking about it, the more appealing the thought became. Especially as I could feel my hunger growing stronger as the smells kept entering the room. Though there were blood tablets laying right next to me they weren't what I'd exactly call appetizing. So I wasn't very eager to start shoving them in my mouth. Besides, if he had really wanted me to take them, then Headmaster Cross should have gotten me a glass of water. As bad as I find them to drink, they are exceedingly worse raw.
Heaving another small sigh, I lifted a hand and ran my fingers through my hair as I continued to stare at the sleeping girl. Well... maybe if I was very careful, I could find a way to do it without anyone finding out. It really wasn't my style to take blood from a sleeping person but Ashley wouldn't mind, would she? From the rhythm of her heartbeat, it's likely she'll be asleep for at least a good few more minutes. So I'd have time. Besides, the Headmaster suspects she may already know about vampires anyways. So it's not like I'd technically be breaking the rules. Well, at least I wouldn't be exposing the Night Class secret. And didn't a little taste of blood seem more than fair enough for keeping an eye on her for the better part of an hour?
So, after giving it only a little more thought, I pushed myself up from the desk chair and made my way over to the bed. However, in doing so, my feet made light thuds on the carpeted floor as I walked. Not nearly loud enough to wake Ashley up but, as I reached the side of the bed, I looked over my shoulder towards the door and listened. Nothing. Aside from the continuous sounds that were still coming from the kitchen, I couldn't hear anything that indicated Headmaster Cross had heard me move.
Although, even if he had somehow heard me, that didn't mean he'd know what I was going to do. Or at least I sure hoped not. Especially not after he pointedly warned me not to and gave me the blood tablets in the first place. If I was really going to go through with this, I had to be more than just careful. Kaien Cross hadn't once been the most feared vampire hunter in history for nothing, after all.
'Which means the neck is obviously out of the question. As are her wrists and hands.' I thought to myself and, once I was certain he wasn't coming, turned back around to look down at Ashley. Fortunately I had already thought of the perfect spot and, if I managed to do it right, no one would be any the wiser.
So, breaking what little distance there was between myself and the bed, I carefully lowered myself onto one knee. As I did so, I could already feel my heart begin to flutter with excitement and a thin smile spread across my face. Moving my gaze down towards Ashley's hand I carefully reached out and gently grasped it in my own. Her fingers and eyelids alike twitched at my touch but her breathing remained steady as she continued to sleep. Something that only made me smile even wider.
Keeping my gaze on Ashley's hand, I slowly brought it closer to my face. Then, bringing up my other hand, I used it to help steady her's; gently curling all of her fingers except for one. The ring finger. Out of all the places I could choose from, I was confident that a finger would be the last anyone would expect. While a mark would still end up showing, with any luck, it would simply come off as a paper cut. And, since I didn't plan on taking more than just a small taste, I didn't need to worry about smelling like blood either.
Not allowing myself to wait any longer, I opened my mouth wide and allowed my fangs to show. Slowly and carefully, I moved her hand so her palm was facing upwards and guided the finger into my mouth. The entire time I did this I made sure to keep a cautious eye on Ashley. Especially when a small groan left her slightly parted lips. Upon hearing it I paused for a moment; watching her closely for a few seconds but relaxed when she made no other sounds or movements. Feeling confident she would not wake up, I closed my lips around the tip of her finger and pricked it with my left fang.
The moment the blood hit my tongue I couldn't stop myself from groaning in delight. The taste was better than I could have ever imagined. Like nothing I have ever had before. Although, considering she was quite literally 'out of this world,' I suppose that was probably only to be expected. I don't think I'd go as far as to say it was better than Yuki's, but it was warm, rich, decadent and, overall, sweet. By far a hundred times better than what those blood tablets taste like.
Instantly, I instinctively tightened my grip on Ashley's hand and began to suck on her finger; extracting as much blood from it as I could. It took quite a bit of will power not to bite down even deeper. As well as to ignore the urge to move to a place that would offer me more blood. For multiple reasons I knew I couldn't do that. The biggest being that, if I did, then Kaien Cross, as well as Kaname-Sama, would find out about this. As much as I was enjoying the taste of Ashley's blood I was still very much aware of the trouble this would get me into and wanted to avoid that.
That didn't stop me from pouting as the blood from the finger stopped flowing, however. Or for the urge to bite her again to become even stronger. Especially as specks of blood lingered on my tongue. That hadn't lasted nearly as long as I had hoped it would and now I wanted more. It wouldn't hurt if I simply just nicked her again, right? I know I had told myself I wasn't going to have more than just a taste, but that had barely been a taste. A little more shouldn't cause any harm.
Then again, if I took more than I already had, as little as that had been, I knew I risked smelling like blood. Even if it was only on my breath. Besides, before I could fully make up my mind, another groan left Ashley's lips. Only this time it was heavier and she twitched for a second time. I could also hear her heart picking up a little bit of speed so I knew that could only mean one thing. She was finally starting to wake up.
Well, though a little disappointing, I can't say I wasn't relieved. Aside from the fact that it meant I could no longer keep tasting her, I had been wondering just when she'd wake up. Or if I'd even still be here for when she did. And I'm pretty sure the Headmaster would be happy for when he got back too. From the way the sounds in the kitchen had finally died down, I could only imagine he'd be here in the next few minutes.
So, though I was a little reluctant to do so, I opened my mouth back up and pulled Ashley's finger out. Just as I had known there'd be, a small red mark showed clearly where I had bitten her. However, it was small and shallow. While I don't think it would pass as a paper cut, I was confident enough it could at least be mistaken as a sliver. After all, I had found her out in the forest so blaming it on that wouldn't be too unbelievable.
As Ashley groan a third time, I quickly placed her hand back on the pillow before standing myself up. Seemingly right on time, too. For, the second I did, her eyes began to flutter open and her fingers, which had uncurled when I let her go, tightened on their own. Not wanting to be seen just yet I decided to move myself against the wall and continued to watch her. From the looks of things, it didn't seem as though she was very aware where she was just yet. She had begun to shift her head around a bit but her eyes looked hazy, which didn't really surprise me. A vampire's sleeping spell can sometimes be rather disorienting. Or she could have just been naturally more tired than I realized to begin with.
Finally, after maybe another minute of waiting and just watching her, Ashley moved her hand closer to her face. Rubbing one of her eyes she used the other to continue looking around. "Where am I?" She mumbled to herself, her voice slurred with sleep. Unable to help myself, I smirked and let myself be known.
"In a guest bedroom at the Headmaster's house." I answered. A second later she jolted and her eyes widened as she jerked her head in my direction. I simply chuckled in response and met her shocked gaze with an amused one of my own.
Whelp, I am back from my trip. Have been for just over a week now. That's how long it too me to write all this out and edit it. I honestly never intended it to be this long, either. And this was after deleting and rewriting certain things I thought weren't needed. I tried to make it as fluid as possible, and mention things I hadn't thought of until much later chapters or at all. Such as the remote used to activate the portal from the other side, why it could have opened in Canada and what Kaien had whispered to Aido and Kain chapters ago. Which I apologize if it looks thrown in. I only realized I never addressed it as I was writing this chapter. I had considered going back to chapter 21 to add it in there, and actually tried, but it was a failure. Though I did go back to chapter 21 and changed a couple things. Just a paragraph placement and wording.
Anyways, I have no idea when I will get started on chapter 23. Probably not for a little while as I'd like to get other things done. One of which involves editing the previous chapters. As of 2013 my skills have greatly improved and I want to show that. So, while I had intended on that just being being spelling, grammar, fixing missing words and so on, sections have been rewritten or removed all together. Chapters 1-4 have gone through this already. Chapter 1 has the least amount of change while chapter 4 is 2,000 words longer than it used to be.
I've also rewrite the first two chapters of Don't Betray Me, though haven't posted anything yet. Nor will I until I have at least 5 chapters finished. Considering that story has been adopted, I have no plans whatsoever to continue it, I just want to rework the spelling and stuff. And I have an example of the first three paragraphs posted in 'Galore' Anyways, if you have any questions, please let me know. If and when chapter 23 comes out, I won't be adding any more author notes. I just wanted to apologize for the 3 week wait.