I walked away from her, full pink lips set into a gaping hole and her honeycomb eyes wide in disbelief. Darcy Blackwood knew I was a vampire, she easily figured it out when Yuuki hasn't even the slightest idea of what I am and I couldn't stand the idea of being around a girl who hated me just as much as I hated myself for what I had become.
To have grown up in a home who focus on a career in the assassination of level E vampires and to grow up to learn all their faults and cons but then gradually become one, is something I cannot bear. I wear this tattoo to seal away the beast that came with the bite of Shizuka Hio, the pureblood vampire that murdered my mother, father and twin brother.
Yet it seems that it just isn't enough anymore. My body rejects the blood substitute tablets which I have forced down my throat to quench this blood lust that plagues me day and night. I can barely cope around Yuuki anymore without the thirst becoming too great and I am forced to leave.
I know that eventually, I will lose my humanity completely and fall to level E status. But to lose my humanity would be the most soul crushing defeat of all.
I wonder if the old man knew who Darcy Blackwood was. I wonder if he knew that she was aware of vampires, not only that but came from a family of hunters.
Darcy Blackwood was enigma.
She was beautiful, even I could not deny that with her glossy ink black hair that fell down her back in waves and her porcelain skin. Her face was angelically soft and feminine yet her golden feline eyes were guarded and gave no hint of her away. She was a classic English rose, elegant and feminine with a slim curvaceous body that stood taller than Yuuki's petite stature.
And in her uniform she looked downright sinful.
I drifted out of the sun dorm, having ignored my duties as a guardian for so long, I suppose I'd better go help Yuuki restrain those annoying Day Class girls. I walked along the pathways over to the Moon Dorm gates where obsessive teenage girls could often be found gathered hoping to catch a glimpse of the Night Class.
"Get back behind the line!" I could hear Yuuki struggling now, and could barely see her tiny form behind all the raucous fans of the aristocratic vampires of the night class. As I drew closer, I let myself get into my crowd control voice which was particularly cold and terrifying.
"Listen up you brats! Get behind the line before I force you back to your dorms! It's past day class curfew!" I shouted menacingly, which immediately settled the students some and they became more orderly and stood on and behind the yellow lines that were drawn to have some organisation to the disorder that was the Night Classes fan girls.
"Zero! Where have you been?" Yuuki came to stand by my side, looking flushed with a determined hardness in her youthful face.
I didn't bother to answer as the gates to the Moon Dorm swung open revealing the vampires that made up the night class. The girls went mad again, screaming and crying out for their favourite monster.
It disgusted me to think that if these girls knew that the students they admired where beasts disguised as handsome humans, they would still fantasise and adore them.
Yuuki began in earnest to keep the students behind the line that inevitably they would try to cross. "Stay behind the line!"
And here they came, strutting like models with that haughty, disinterested look on their faces. Noses pointing snootily skyward, except for Aidou Hanabusa who vainly signed the day classes' notebooks and pretended to shoot them with his fingers set in the shape of a gun, which made all the girls swoon.
I rolled my eyes, how ridiculous could one person be.
"Yuuki. Thank you for all your hard work." Kaname Kuran with his deep velvet tones made Yuuki blush red and turn to bow respectfully to him.
"It's no problem, Lord Kaname." She gushed. God, it made me feel sick the way she admired him - the devil in an angel's body with his fake smiles and smooth talk. I glared at him, hating the man for all he was and all he is. He locked his russet eyes with mine. I could feel the cold hate beneath them, his eyes told me that he tolerated my association with Yuuki because she wanted it. His glare told me he could just as easily end me.
Then Kaname continued to walk to lesson, the students following him like sheep to slaughter.
I had to speak to the headmaster. I had to understand just what was going on at this school.
Feeling uneasy with my discovery of the vampires that attended the night class and the level D that was part of the disciplinary committee, I refused to put Windrunner back in my dorm room. I had her attached to my back along with my case full of crystal tipped arrows.
I stormed out of the Sun Dorm, painfully biting my lip in agitation. I felt terribly exposed in the uniform, the skirt was short and the wind was rather high so I would have to hold it down to protect my modesty as I walked around to where Yuuki told me the Headmasters residence was - in a building to the side of the Sun Dormitories.
I knocked on the door at the front. I could feel myself frowning, and with a sigh forced myself to relax. My lip throbbed as the blood once again returned to it. I could hear movement behind the door when Headmaster Cross opened the door and after catching my rather cold expression, he shot me a sheepish grin.
"Darcy, is anything the matter?" He asked, playing innocent with me. I bit back an angry retort.
"Please let me in, I have much to discuss with you, Headmaster."
The young headmaster held open the door for me to pass through, a curious glint to his hazel eyes. He showed me to his office which was just up the stairs. The room was made up of just the man's badly repaired desk which looked to have been split right down the middle and a few chairs beside it. It overlooked a lake which was just outside the grounds.
The sandy haired Headmaster sat down at his chair behind his desk, his hands clasped under his chin.
"Now," he began, "What would you like to discuss?"
I took a seat opposite him, wanting to get straight to the point.
"Why was I not informed that vampires attend the night classes at Cross Academy?"
" E-excuse me? V-vampires?" He stuttered, laughing nervously. "My dear girl, you must have read too much science fiction in class today."
"Don't feign ignorance with me, Mister Cross. I know who you are and you should very well know who I am." At this the headmaster relaxed, his face turning straight as though his whole crazy father routine was just that, a routine that he settled into to cover his back.
"Very well," He said, "I started Cross Academy to ease humans and vampires into peacefully co-existing, along with Kaname Kuran, the Night Class President who shares my views, and keeps the night class students in line." His glasses caught the light making it impossible for me to see what he hid behind them.
"You mean to tell me that this school is all some experiment to see if humans and vampires can live together without the latter devouring the former?" I bit out, my fists clenched. "When will the experiment end? When a night class student steps out of line and bites someone or worse, when someone dies?"
Kaien Cross adjusted his glasses to look at me with a hard stare.
"Just who are you, Miss Blackwood?"
"I come from a long line of vampire hunters. I came to this academy knowing who you were and believing that I would have some formal training in vampire hunting." I said crossing my arms, and looking out on the darkening grounds through the tall windows that decorated the walls.
"Then you should know that I am retired." I jumped, hands pressing on the desk to look at this man. Retired? Then I came to Japan to study under some fang banging retired crazy man.
"You've got to be kidding me." I sighed, slipping back onto my chair with a defeated look on my face.
"I'm sorry to tell you that your transfer to Cross Academy was a waste, if that's what you came here for."
So after all this, I'm not going to get any closer to being trained to be a vampire hunter. I pressed my eyes shut tight, hoping that this was all just some sordid nightmare and that I'd wake up in London, safe in my bed. But no. I opened my eyes, still in the same room talking over a badly repaired desk to a retired vampire hunter that wasn't going to train me any time soon. I was still here.
"Very well," I muttered, wanting more than anything to leave.
"You may still study here. There are opportunities for someone with your skills at Cross Academy." I looked back up at the headmaster, feeling hopeful.
"And what opportunities might there be?"
The next day I added something else to my uniform. An armband that pictured a red rose design on the front. It was uniform for the disciplinary committee or the guardians of Cross Academy.
I sighed. What on earth was I getting myself into? I was to meet Yuuki and Zero at the Chairman's Office where they would be informed about my joining their committee. I can only imagine how pissed off Zero will be.
I made my way over to the headmaster's residence, Windrunner strapped to my conspicuously. I wondered how I would get away with such a weapon. At least Yuuki and Zero's vampire hunter weapons were easily hidden.
I made my way up the stairs, hearing quiet discussion and the frivolous voice of the headmaster. It seemed he was back to his weird self again. I stood by the door, feeling my pulse quicken as I sensed Zero. I wasn't wrong; he was a vampire without a doubt.
I knocked on the large double doors.
"Come in," came the bi-polar tone of Kaien Cross. I pushed open the doors, seeing both guardians turning back to look at me.
"Ah, Darcy, you're wearing your prefect's arm band. Good." The headmaster nodded, before turning back to his adoptive children. "Darcy shall be putting her skills to good use in the Disciplinary Committee, treat her well." He looked pointedly at Zero before he jumped up to pull all of his prefects into an embrace, one that all of us avoided like the plague.
I moved out of his opened arms. Zero ducked away to stand by the door looking rather irritated and Yuuki smiled sheepishly at her adoptive father who was now blubbering like a child again.
"Why don't my children love me?" He cried with his voice wavering.
I felt so awkward when the headmaster was like this, snivelling like a child who'd dropped his ice cream.
"So, Darcy?" I turned to Yuuki, who once again had a bright smile on her pretty face. "You'll be helping us with patrols and everything?"
"I'll be doing exactly what duties a prefect is expected to do, Yuuki. So yes, I'll be helping with the patrols along with other things." I beamed back at her, her constant smile contagious. Zero appeared uninterested, and I wondered if he cared that I knew he was a vampire. Did Yuuki know?
I eyed him suspiciously.
"You should all get going, or you'll be late for class!" The headmaster began pushing us out of the room.
"All right, old man! We're going!" Growled Zero with his eyes wild.
We all left for class, Yuuki chattering quietly to Zero and I. I wasn't really listening, which was rude of me but I was too focused on Zero, who kept rubbing at his neck where his seal was. My eyes narrowed, and he caught my gaze.
"Hey, what's up with you two?" Yuuki had her hands on her hips like she was scolding us and I smiled at her nearly laughing.
"Yuuki, you really are so cute," I patted her head. This girl thought she could tell me off, yet she honestly knew nothing. Her best friend was a vampire, and she was completely oblivious.
"Darcy!" She protested, a blush forming on her cheeks.
I smiled wider, before letting her be and walking off.
"Talk to you later, Yuuki, Zero."
I couldn't be bothered with class now I knew that I wouldn't be training at all in what I actually came for. So I walked off to the gardens on the outskirts of the main building, taking in the scents of blooming flowers and cut grass.
I sat underneath a tree enjoying the sun on my face and the sound of the wind in the branches and leaves. I didn't know how long I'd been lying there, but it was pleasant and I was so relaxed for once.
"What are you playing at, Toy Hunter." I peeked out of my eye to spot Zero who had this uninterested demeanour about him as he leaned against the tree trunk.
"What are you talking about now, Vampire?" I could practically hear his fists clench and his jaw tighten.
"Don't call me that." He growled through gritted teeth.
"Why? Shouldn't I be allowed to call you ask you are?" I replied with mirth, before bringing my hand up to my mouth and using a sharp incisor biting down on my wrist. I knew what I was doing was reckless, but I was enjoying toying with him. The blood began seeping from the puncture wound, crimson like the eyes that haunted my dreams.
Zero gasped out, his fangs lengthening and tattoo turning red in an attempt to hold him back.
I stood up holding out my wrist to him as the blood ran down my arm, staining my white sleeve.
"You are a vampire and it is in your nature to lust after blood." His glowing red eyes narrowed at me and his hand clutched at his throat.
"You idiot," he snarled. I almost pitied Zero, coming from a family of vampire hunters only to become the thing you hunted.
I drew dangerously close, "Go ahead," I whispered.
"What are you, a masochist?" Zero snapped licking his lips as the blood began to drip onto the grass.
"No. Just someone, who wants to quench your obvious thirst - you wouldn't want to hurt Yuuki." At that the vampire became more solemn, his scarlet eyes softened.
"Zero," I nudged my arm forward, watching as he became far too tempted by the thought of real blood. His long masculine fingers gripped my outstretched arm, as he hungrily licked up the trail of blood to the wound. His fangs scraped across the milky underside before he inhaled the intoxicating smell of my blood.
"Do it." I urged before he plunged his fangs into my wrist, lapping and sucking at the wound he had made. It was somehow incredibly erotic and the pain just added to the heat of the moment. I could hear the blood pounding in my ears as he groaned.
Zero's eyes flung open, and he pulled away sharply. Catching himself before he fell too deep into himself and the beast inside took over. His eyes still as red as the blood that was seeping from the bite mark he left.
"That wasn't so bad, now was it?" I gasped, feeling entirely too hot from the penetration of his fangs.
I ripped a piece of fabric from my shirt and bound the wound to stop it from bleeding out.
Zero was breathing deeply, his eyes fading to their original dusky purple as he regained some control over himself.
"You don't have to worry, Zero." He looked at me curiously as I moved to lean on the tree trunk he had taken refuge on.
"What are you talking about?" He mumbled, licking the last of my blood from his lips.
"Whenever you need it, just come and find me." I replied, before pushing away from the tree and hurrying back to my dorm to clean up. I couldn't let anyone see me covered in blood.