I Do Not Own Vampire Knight! (Shit!)

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Chapter Eighteen

The Light And The Darkness

Miki leaned over the pureblood King, her face a mask of concentration as she ran her hands down his side, ensuring that the bandages held. He lay, still like death, his skin pale beneath the darkness of his natural color, his dark hair a splash of color against the white sheets. His breathing was shallow, his chest barely moving as it had for the last two days. The wound was still bleeding sluggishly, wetting the bandages around his torso, his healing valiantly fighting against the foreign substance that had been introduced to his system. Zero lay next to him, just as motionless, dressed in a lightweight robe of white, his chest rising and falling gingerly, in perfect tandem with the King's. The loss of color was more prominent with him, having already been pale and he seemed translucent in the dim light of the room, though there were no visible wounds anywhere. It seemed that he'd sunk deep into his subconscious to protect himself from the pain that afflicted both through the bond. She huffed, a little impatiently, willing him to open his eyes. He was carrying the royal heirs, he couldn't afford to succumb to unconsciousness. Though she understood that his mate had taken grievous blow, there were things more important.

They'd had visitors off and on for the two days that they'd been under, the atmosphere somber with each one.

It was illogical but she felt as if he were a part of her family already. He'd been prickly, sure. But his open honesty in a world were brutal betrayal was the norm, he was a breath of fresh air. And he loved his mate, the pure emotion streaming out of him like a live broadcast. And it was obvious that his mate returned the regard. It seeped into the room even though the pureblood was unconscious, filling the room with a humid, torrid anger as she studied both of them. The King lay next to his mate, intimidating even in his forced repose, his aura dangerous. They lay side by side, their fingers intertwined, their connection clear.

She reached towards Zero, intending to brush the silver hair from his face, as she willed him to wake. She gasped as fingers clamped down over her wrist. Her eyes flew to the dark pureblood, surprised to see that his eyes were open although hazy with pain. His eyes glittered black with a ferocious anger.

"Who are you?" He questioned softly, his hold causing the bones in her wrist to grate against the other. "If you lay a hand on him I will end you."

"Will you?" She mused, letting her eyes flick over his prone body with apparent amusement. "And how will you do so when you can hardly move?" She barely repressed a shudder as the King glared at her. "Be at ease your grace. I am his physician, Seiren asked me to take care of him. He is safe with me, as are your children. Now you need to rest so that he can."

Kaname's eyes softened infinitesimally as he studied her in silence. She felt like a bug under a microscope. When he spoke again, the threat was clear in his soft voice. "He is my light. There is no place you would be able to hide if you let my light go out."

She immediately understood, the look in his eyes was so fierce. She'd feel the same about her family. So when she answered it was without her usual sarcasm. "I will take care of him and your children. Sleep now."

There was no answer as the lids lowered over his dark eyes as he finally relaxed, his hand falling from her wrist. She watched as his fingers tangled with Zero's, a tight link. She could not believe that the King's fingers were strong enough to hold on so. But the killing resolve that had filled his eyes….. She shuddered, wondering how an angel like Zero ended up with a demon like him.

"My light," The King murmured, taking a deep breath.. His voice was soft as if he didn't want to wake his sleeping mate.

"Amaya."

"I love you."

She watched in amazement when Zero twitched, his eyelids fluttering for several quick moments. And then they opened, as if the pureblood King had willed him out of the sympathetic unconscious state. He blinked five times, slowly, languorous, then he began to look where his horizontal eyesight would allow, a sense of panic starting to pervade the room. His head turned almost immediately, his King his only concern.

Standing on the side where the King lay, she caught every emotion that decorated his face. Curious confusion. Then….Realization. His eyes looked terrible, the anger made them so bright. He turned over slowly, a grimace pulling at his attractive features. His eyes fell on her, causing her to flinch at the question in them.

"He is healing slowly," She explained hastily, inexplicably frightened by his aggressive demeanor. " He needs to feed."

"What happened?" Zero's voice was resolute, even suffering, his thoughts were for his mate only.

"They seemed intent on capturing you. It seems that the King had other ideas. He was wounded in his attempt to thwart them. The wound is healing very, very slowly and he is still losing blood."

"And after? Kaname?" Zero's voice was hesitant, his hand touching the bandages lightly before he turned those fierce eyes back to her. "When will he wake up?"

She lowered her eyes before such black pain. It radiated from him like a negative miasmas. "That is hard to say. I've never encountered the substance used. It is antediluvian. No studies have been made of it. All we can do is wait."

Not the answer that he wanted to hear. His eyes flashed red for the instant they stayed on her. Then they were back on his mate. "He killed some of them didn't he? I want the dust they left behind."

"There was no dust. They did not disintegrate like the rest of us would upon death. Seiren ordered that they be held in a secret facility. To get to them you will have to get through her."

"Oh."

He turned his full attention onto his mate, signaling his unconcern for that idea. "She is trustworthy." His voice sounded hallow, as if he'd checked out in the middle of their conversation. His attention was focused on his mate. "Only immediate family is allowed into the room until my King wakes.."

That didn't surprise her in the least.

"And then I want them away from here. There is a secured facility that only Seiren knows about besides Kaname and I. I want them kept there for the foreseeable future."

Now that did surprise her. She stiffened in surprise. "But your Grace, they will-"

"And their lives are worth more than their sense of worth," Zero commented dryly. His side ached along with his head and his heart. He really wasn't in the place for platitudes.

"Seiren will definitely refuse to leave and her mates with her. Besides them, all of them will transported. By force if need be."

She paused, unsure of how far she could push with him. "But the others will be angry, they'll want to help."

He huffed, a short puff of air. Stopped, his face blank as he considered it. " You're right," he relented finally. "But I only want their safety! That is my responsibility." He said it with so much emphasize that she couldn't miss the stark pain playing out in his words. " Send them in. But in a few hours. I want to be alone with my husband right now."

She inclined her head gracefully.

Zero's hand fluttered over his belly, his anxious eyes on his mate. "Leave us."

It wasn't a question and she moved exiting swiftly. She tried not to look so grave as she stepped forward to intercept the concerned parties. She hoped that the young consort was having as much luck with his mate.

TD

"Kaname?" He kept his voice soft, beguiling, trying to lure his mate back to the surface. He'd climbed gingerly over his mate, taking great care not to hit his side. His own body twinged as he moved, partly from being stationary for so long, partly from the subtle changes he was going through. Partly from Kaname's pain. He ignored all of his discomforts as he snuggled against Kaname's uninjured side. Pressing kisses against warm skin as he tried to coax him back.

Anything to get rid of the terrible empty silence in his head where Kaname should be. The silence was eating away at his soul. Even when the bond was closed between them, he'd been able to feel the warm presence of his mate. There was none of that now. Nothing but an infernal blankness that threatened to drive him crazy. He attempted to sink into it, to reconnect but the eerie emptiness drove him out.

The bond cut off.

He wanted to scream with the pain of it. Wanted to destroy anything and everything in his path. Knowing that his mate and his beast were struggling, albeit without him. He could feel Kaname's will straining towards him and that was visceral, because he was his mate and the bond was being threatened. But that was all. There was no golden connection, or that warm feeling of a spacious mind. His head hurt with the darkness. And his anger grew. It didn't match the calmness he exuded as he attempted to rouse his husband. Some people were going to pay for this gross breech of their safety and privacy. His mind touched briefly on the two babies tucked beneath his heart. Unease radiated from them, as one half of their familial link was closed off. Unconsciously, he sent caressing waves of comfort, drawing him into the center of their own link where they were bathed in light. Slowly, they settled, contentedness taking over much of their anxiety. He tugged at the silver links that bound all of them, wrapping them around he and Kaname to combat the darkness that was slowly eating down their bond. He swiped his wrist across his mate's mouth in temptation.

"You need to feed so you can heal faster." So you can come back to us. He pushed that thought into the darkness, as he concentrated on his children, drawing their light. Isn't this what you fought so hard to protect? The only way that you can protect us is to come back. Come back Kaname. We can't survive without you.

"Kaname?" He echoed the words. His husband didn't respond. He huffed in irritation as there was no response through the dark of the bond. Nothing to indicate that his husband had heard him at all. Just the fucking silence where there should be vibrant life and activity. Don't leave us, he whispered into the blackness, knowing he was hitting below the belt. His husband didn't want to leave them, would sacrifice himself to see them live. He focused on that need, letting it saturate the bond along with the light of their children. We need you to live.

He sat up, eyeing his wrist. How had Miki gotten him to feed before? The answer flashed through his mind in a reel of horror as he remembered the last time that he'd blooded himself for his mate. He'd almost died in that attempt. But that wasn't this time, he reminded himself. He winced as he drew a sharp blade like nail over his skin. The smell of blood spilled into the room and he was gratified to see Kaname move. A slight twist of his body in his direction, but it was still a move. Even though the bond stayed dark in his head. Encouraged, his swiped his wrist over Kaname's mouth again, sighing as sharp canines caught on his skin before sinking in clumsily.

He breathed through the pain of Kaname penetrating him without any of the special effects and laid back at his side, chest heaving, as his mate drank, unconscious and still blind to the world.

Even the electricity of the feeding was missing, lackluster in comparison so that this small victory was dimmed. He groaned softly into the soft darkness of the room, tears wetting the curve of his cheeks.

He didn't feel the hunger eating away just below his skin, the twilight of the bond distracting him from that. He floated aimlessly through the murk, in pain, the silver links of their children wrapped around them.

TD

"See here?"

Seiren leaned over to gaze down into the ruptured remains of one of their attackers. Her face was half covered by a health mask and her eyes were flinty as she stared down into the y-cut. "I believe I do." The ribcage was reinforced with dense bone and muscle, and their bones were much, much denser. Though their hearts appeared just as vulnerable as theirs', if one could get to it.

"It is surprising that the King could penetrate to the death, " the coroner whispered.

"Yes, well our King is strong," she murmured in reply, still studying. "If he couldn't at least do that much, he wouldn't be King. This still doesn't explain why they didn't turn to ash."

She straightened abruptly. "Thank you for the insight. If you find anything new contact me. I will inform the King of this myself."

She didn't stick around to see the confirming nod.

TD

Just wanted to focus on KZ in this chapter,

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Until Next Time….