Over the next week, things went better for her and her friends. The priestesses, which must to her dismay now included Tilla, were faring well with their studies; Circe was finding a specialty as using water as a mirror in spells, Cleo found herself with a gift for controlling actual fire, and Tilla was improving in her music and archery classes. Kaine had become really good friends with Sieg and Eos, sparing with them whenever she had the chance. Eden however was starting to feel strain on herself, since she didn't have anything at all to do with herself.

While the warriors and priestesses were all out, training, she saw a cat sleeping the common room she hadn't seen before, but ignored it as she fell asleep rewatching an episode of her favorite show.

She fell into a vivid, but phantasmic dream. A forest impossibly green with trees impossibly shaped. The cat sleeping near her was walking with her, meowing and huffing at her in annoyance. Eden was starting to share his sentiments until they came to a clearing, where a woman in Native American dress was sitting on a stump.

"Hello Eden. I've been waiting." Eden blinked at her stupidly as the cat walked over and rubbed against the woman's legs. "You too Baghera."

"Me? You've been waiting for me?" Eden was appalled by the strange echo-y nature of her voice as the cat came back to her. "I'm dreaming, aren't I?"

The woman laughed, the sound visibly coming out in colored shapes. "Nothing gets past you. I'm glad I picked you, that the others found you."

"Picked me? Listen here lady, I don't kno-…" Then Eden swore, recognizing the woman. "Nyx."

Smiling and walking over to her, Nyx nodded. "Yes my child."

"I'm not special. I'm ill and I don't like being a Vampyre." The cat seemingly glared at her for being so blunt with the Goddess.

"I know, but it does not change your purpose or how much your friends need you."

Snorting, Eden shook her head. "Especially Kaine."

The Goddess nodded, seriously. "Yes, especially Miss Macabre. Things will be changing soon, and she'll need your gift."

"I don't have a gift."

Nyx shook her head in disagreement, kissing the blue crescent on the pale girl's forehead. "You didn't have a gift. But now, you have the gift to see what many others can't: the infinite web that connects people and places and events together. I also give you a gift of persuasion, though you've always been good at that."

The cat whined at the Goddess and Eden looked at it, remembering Nyx calling him Baghera.

"And a familiar." Nyx touched her Mark again. "But you must go, there is much to do and much for you find out before it all begins." She was pushed away gently, falling in darkness until she fell onto the couch she fell asleep on.

Kaine's face was above hers, smiling. "Rise and shine sleeping beauty."

Eden frowned, pulling her down into a hug. "You… you're such a pain in the ass."

Laughing, she pried her off. "Come on, everyone's waiting on you for dinner. Get your lazy ass up."

Kicking Kaine's rear, Eden frowned at the back of the girl's head. "I have the lazy ass?"

When they got back after dinner, Kaine found a sword on her bed. The silver handle — hilt — was wrapped in leather for grip then a gold vine; crescents were etched onto it, around the emerald at the end. She pulled it out of the sheath; it had her name on it. Kimi came in, frowning at her.

"Who's that from?"

Kaine handed it to her roommate, Kimi dropped it, yelping. "What?" Picking it back up, Kaine looked at the other girl's hand. "It's burnt…"

"It hurts Sissy." Nodding, Kaine set down the sword and started dragging her to the infirmary. There was a gun shot across the hall from Tilla and Eden's room.

Kimi went on without Kaine, so the warrior could investigate, see if anyone else needed a doctor.

There was a hole in the window and a gun in Tilla's hand. Tilla glanced at her. "Oh… lookit, I got a new toy."

"Yeah. When I got back there was a cool sword on my bed…" Kaine held her hand out for the weapon. She took it with ease. "Odd, my sword burnt Kimi's hand when she picked up it."

"Huh… same with Eden and this."

"Oh, shut up, it was nothing." Eden came out of the bathroom with a self-bandaged hand. "How the hell are you holding it?"

Kaine shrugged, looking it over. "It has your name it… mine too."

"Really? Does you have the gem like mine?"

Looking at the bottom of the gun, at the magazine, Kaine saw a yellow gem. "Oh, yeah. Mine's green, imbedded in the hilt…"

Tilla took the gun, turning on the safety. "Who do you think they're from?"

Kaine shook her head, grimacing. "Whoever it is… we should just watch ourselves."

Both Tilla and Eden looked at her strangely as she left, sending a checkup text to Kimi before heading to bed.

Tilla and Kaine showed their weapons to Andus the next day. He didn't have much to say, not being able to touch them, except that they both seemed to be exceptionally well made. The girls exchanged a worried glance and buried them in their closets until further information could be obtained about them.

Things went a little longer without any problems, until Eos joked about Oaths at lunch. Circe smiled, practically laying on Kaine as they smiled at each other.

"I will be of course protecting my darling wife." Kaine kissed Circe's forehead, taking one of her hands. Eos raised an eyebrow at them. "We've been friends forever, I can't abandon her now!"

Giggling, Circe got off as Kaine knelt in front of her priestess.

"I, Kaine Macabre, promise to protect you from all that could harm you. Nothing will ever hurt you, Circe Parable, as long as I live, if you accept my oath."

"I accept your oath, Kaine."

Their Marks glowed and colored mist formed ribbons coming from their foreheads. Kaine's green mist and Circe's blue twisted together. The braid split and half went back into each.

They blinked at each other and Eos groaned, setting his head on the table. "Guys…"

"Miss Macabre? Miss Parable? Will you both please accompany me to my office?" Both turned to grimace at the High Priestess, where she came from so suddenly was unimportant. They kept their heads bowed as they walked behind her, Kaine squeezing Circe's hand in comfort.

Circe sat in the chair across from Anmarie, Kaine standing behind her protectively.

"What were you two thinking? Circe, you know very well that you can't accept an Oath."

"It's my fault, I guess, Priestess." Kaine said, rubbing her own little-Priestess's shoulders. "I assumed that it wouldn't take… the handbook says that a Fledging can't give an Oath…"

Sighing, Anmarie nodded. "It does say that… but in our world, there are many special cases, exceptions to rules like that, Kaine."

"Yeah… I just didn't think I was one."

"You're both on suspension. I want you both confined to your dorm rooms, except classes and training, for the month. And when you are allowed out, Circe does not leave campus without Kaine. Understand, both of you?"

They nodded. Anmarie let Circe go ahead, but lectured Kaine a little longer.

"Do you understand the danger you put yourself in?"

"I didn't think…"

"I know you didn't. Kaine, if she rejects the change, the physic pain you'd go through would cause you to reject the change too. As close as the two of you are, feelings she experiences, you will likely feel too!"

"Like an imprint, right?" Kaine sounded pitiful. "I get it. And I'm sorry. But there is nothing we can do, is there?

"No, you're right. Just, be careful."

"Yeah… Can I go?"

She didn't make it back to her classes.