Chapter Six

Walking beside Kaname to class, Ayama could feel the eyes and whispers of all. It hovered around her like a mist that wouldn't go away even if she swatted at it. The Day Class girls were staring, yet screaming in desperate attempts to get attention from the beautiful creatures so far from their grasp, yet not far from their fingertips.

The guardians held the black clad girls as usual. The one named Yuuki, Ayama noticed, repeatedly glanced at Kaname. Her small cheeks had the faintest of blushes, and it was no mystery to her how Yuuki felt. Surprisingly, Ayama wasn't jealous. She could tell Yuuki had an honest and kind character, the kind that deserved good things in life. She would have gladly encouraged the relationship if it wasn't for what she was.

A pureblood vampire.

She sighed sadly, the humanness of her past a distant cloud being swept away from her hands. Her old life was fading like the old photographs she had once seen in Iku's, her best friend's, house. The pictures had been of Iku's grandparents in kimonos standing by a river after their wedding. Their faces were truly happy, truly in love, and truly prepared to be together for the rest of their lives.

Glancing up at Kaname's elegant and polished features, Ayama wondered if she could ever feel that way about him, if feelings really could develop. She glanced down at his hand, swinging gracefully at his side and yearned to hold it. She wanted to see what it would feel like to hold his hand.

"Ayama? Is everything alright?" he murmured to her with a voice smoother than silk. It passed over her skin like snakes, brushing her awareness only lightly.

"Mmhhmm." She simply nodded, her eyes stuck to his hand.

There was the smallest of chuckles as he lifted his hand. Examining it, he inquired, "Is there something wrong with my hand?"

Blushing, Ayama smiled and turned away, muttering, "Not at all. They're just very pretty."

Holding his hand up against the light of the fading sun, Kaname replied, "Hhmmm. I don't see it." Startling Ayama, he took her hand and raised it into the light. "But your hands, yes. I see the gentleness, the litheness." Stroking it with the back of his thumb, he lowered their hands together, holding on gingerly.

She waited a second, waiting for a feeling, any feeling that would run through her. But, she realized with a sinking heart, that it felt awkward. As sweet as it all was, Kaname's hands felt large and cold against Ayama's. Her smile wavered, but she kept her eyes straight ahead, staring at the cobblestone path as it led to the main building.

Suddenly, Ichijou appeared on the other side of Kaname. Kaname immediately let go of her hand and switched his attention to Ichijou as he explained important information Ayama had no interest in. There was, in fact, a small part of her that was relieved. She didn't know what holding her true love's hand would feel like, but she definitely knew it wouldn't feel like a motionless brick.

And, as much as she didn't want to think about it, Ayama knew Kaname was a duty to her kind, an honor. The least she could do for her parents, who she knew were in the Moon Dorm's guest suit that minute planning an engagement celebration, was to be with Kaname.

--

Yagari remained at Cross Academy. Ayama knew that he was a vampire hunter, since after her parents had told her, and would have figured he had many assignments to look after. Her parents had told her that he was currently the top hunter for the Hunter's Council, and was known to be the most efficient, effective hunter around.

And, though he hunted her kind, whatever level it was, Ayama wasn't afraid of him. She wasn't even annoyed or aggravated by his presence as her fellow peers appeared to be. His words from not so long ago still stayed with her whenever she thought of him.

"Ayama, I think you need to know, I am on your side."

Her senses, one of her many pureblood abilities Ayama guessed, told her that he hadn't been lying. He was on her side, even though she didn't even understand what that fully meant. She knew there was more to his words than she knew, and probably than he knew. But, there was nothing she could do about it.

Yagari's voice was drowned out as a pair of voices from the far back of the room caught her ears. What had caught her attention was the mere whisper of her name.

"Ayama is so strange. I saw her hugging that servant of hers in the hallway the other day."

"Yeah. She also goes out in the morning a lot. I've seen her walking around the Moon Dorm's grounds."

The first two voices, Ayama noticed, sounded mellow and slow, almost lazy, but then a third voice jumped in with a haughty murmur.

"How could she? Doesn't she realize she belongs to Kaname-sama now? They are engaged, and she's hugging other men?!"

"Calm down, Ruka."

"No! Kaname-sama does not deserve to be treated like this!"

Ayama would have been excited that her hearing was beginning to advance, but the conversation had her spiraling down between sadness and anger. How could they say things they knew nothing about?

"Wait. Did you say she walks around the grounds in the morning?" it was the voice of Ruka, Ayama noticed.

There was a pause with what she assumed to be a nod.

And Ruka said again, "What kind of vampire does that? The sun is our enemy."

"It is like I said, she is strange."

"What is she doing here anyway?" It was a low whisper voice of a female.

"I don't know, but I find her presence annoying. I can't believe Kaname-sama would marry someone. She's too quirky, too human, and has such a distasteful upbringing. Who would raise their child like that?"

"Crazy purebloods."

"Why would they do that?"

Then, suddenly, Ichijou sat beside her. Surprised, she glanced at Yagari to find him facing the board, scribbling down notes she would never write. Gazing back at Ichijou, who smiled kindly at her, she offered him a weak smile and mouthed, "Hi."

Lowering his face to her slumped height, he whispered to her, "Ayama-san, don't look so hurt."

Shrugging, she replied, "I think I am more angry than hurt."

She heard the barest of scrapes as the chair next to her was pulled out and occupied. The fiery haired noble, whose name she recalled was Kain Akatsuki, stared at her, emotionless.

"Wakahisa-san, there's no need to be upset." His ember eyes bore into hers, blazing a truth she couldn't deny.

Nodding slowly, she whispered, "I know, but-"

Aidou Hanabusa, who had been sitting in front of her, turned around carefully to face her. Smiling wide and earnestly, he said, "You are unique. Crazy for wanting to watch the sun, but unique all the same."

Ichijou placed a friendly and warm hand on her shoulder. "Don't listen to them, Ayama."

Smiling and feeling comforted, the rest of class proceeded with Ayama surrounded by those who she hardly knew, but felt comforted by. No longer did she bother to listen to the bitter mutterings of those in the back of the room. They were irrelevant as she listened to Ichijou's explanation on what Yagari was teaching.

At the end of class, the vampires began filing out with Kaname in the lead. Ayama held back, unwilling to walk beside him once again. But as she strode towards the door, Yagari called her name.

"Ayama-san, may I have a word?"

Pausing, she watched as Ichijou glanced back at her, then nodded, exiting the room. Placing books she never opened on one of the desks, she turned to Yagari and waited.

He sighed tiredly and leaned against the blackboard, slipping a cigarette out of his shirt pocket. Fumbling for the lighter hidden within his pant's pockets, he began with, "I heard from Chairman Cross yesterday that your room was trashed a couple of days ago. He said there was writing on the wall, but he couldn't remember what it said." Yagari flicked the lighter open and lit his cigarette, his single blue eye staring expectantly at her.

She blinked, recalling the words vaguely. "Uh, well….I believe it said something like, 'Powerful blood; powerful drink. Your blood is ours.'"

Taking a drag, he pursed his lips. "I see. Ayama, do you understand what that means?"

Shaking her head, she replied, "I-well…Not exactly. I actually never got the chance to ask or even think about it. I assumed that the Night Class student that attacked me that night was the one who ransacked my room."

"And you never thought about it again after the attack and then the engagement?"

"I-I guess so."

"Doesn't that seem odd to you?" Yagari began pacing on front of the black board. "The engagement, I mean. Your room is ransacked by the masquerading Night Class student, then you are attacked by him, and then your parents are announcing your engagement to Kuran. Awfully eventful few days, I think." He took a quick drag and flicked the ashes off the tip of his cigarette.

"Yagari-sensei, what did the message mean? I can understand that it involves the fact that I am a pureblood, but…" She could see what he was getting at, what he was trying to put together. Something was odd about it all, especially the part of her parents and the engagement.

Dropping the cigarette and squishing it with the tip of his shoe, he answered, "When one drinks the blood of a pureblood, they obtain great powers. But that is only if they drain them completely. If a vampire was to drain you dry, they would assimilate all of your abilities, even ones you don't even know about."

Moving to sit behind one of the desks, Ayama let the information soak in. "So, the Night Class student wanted my abilities because I'm a pureblood?"

"Yes."

"But why not Kaname?"

He didn't respond at first. After a moment of silence, he responded, "Any number of reasons. They don't like you. You are more susceptible because you haven't fully tapped into and tamed your powers. They think you are weak. They were paid to take you down. They were hungry fools that thought they could kill you."

She shook her head, the words she exchanged with the false student flying through her mind. "No, no. I remember now. He said they were on a mission. They wanted to complete their mission to capture a powerful pureblood."

He frowned. "You didn't tell me that before."

Lowering her eyes, she admitted, "I forgot. With everything happening so fast, it slipped away."

"I think it is safe to suggest then that they were hired. By who, though?" He scratched his head. "Either way, if they had wanted a powerful pureblood they should have gone for Kuran. He is the most powerful one known, and one would have more leverage if they captured him."

"But maybe they couldn't because he is too powerful?" she added, thinking it all through. Ayama felt as if her mind was running in circles. None of it was making sense. She was never one for playing chess and thinking strategically for that matter; thus, she felt she couldn't see what was missing.

"Unless…." Yagari muttered, his eye directed at her. "Ayama, your family's history. What do you know about it?"

Confounded as to what that had to do with anything, she replied, "Er, nothing, really. My parent's never mentioned the family history. Come to think of it, I don't even know if I have grandparents."

As she pondered silently about possible grandparents she never met, Yagari muttered softly, almost so where Ayama couldn't hear, "This may be going out on a far fetched limb, but….I need you to ask you parents about your history."

Forcing herself away from the thought of grandparents, she asked, "Why?"

Turning away from her, he replied quickly, "Why would they waste time trying to capture you? You're a simple pureblood, no offense. They would have to be desperate for power if they wanted to capture you." Then shaking his head furiously, his black hair thrashing about his face, he said, frustrated, "It doesn't make sense! Something doesn't fit! I can't put my finger on it, which leads me to think about some far fetched legend." He plopped down behind his desk, a crease between his brows.

Backing towards the door, Ayama could understand. She too felt something was odd. The situation, when she looked at it, seemed simple enough. They wanted her blood for power because she was a pureblood. But then why ransack her room? Why leave a warning message?

It all seemed to make sense, but Ayama's senses were telling her otherwise. No one would simply try to capture a pureblood without a serious reason. Who would go through all the trouble?

"I will ask my parents," she concluded aloud, exiting the classroom and leaving Yagari to chain smoke and continue his own thoughts.

She stood before the double doors of the guest's suite. Her mind was still spinning from her discussion with Yagari. Checking the hallway to see if it was empty, Ayama felt like a criminal, sneaking through the paneled corridors. Taking a deep breath in, she knocked hard against the white doors.

Akemi Wakahisa swung the door open, grinning. "Ayama!" He wrapped his arms around her in a warm hug and guided her into the large suite.

The ceiling was high, cream colored walls stretching up to reach it. A vast expanse of a bed sat in the middle of the room, golden sheets and blankets piled on top of it. Ornately carved oak furniture sat in the corner, forming a small parlor. A single, plain door led to a large, ceramic tiled bathroom Ayama only had a glimpse of.

Her mother sat on one of the stiff couches. "Oh, thank goodness you are here! Now, what color would you prefer the cake to be? All white? Or would you like a white base with red embroidery? Maybe a royal green or blue.." She tapped a pencil against her red bottom lip and jotted something down on a notepad.

"Red embroidery? No, I don't think so." Ayama's father sat next to his wife. "I think I like the sound of lavender. Lavender icing swirling around the cake."

Chiyo's eyes lit up. "Magnificent! Lavender would be perfect!" And she took the pencil's eraser to the notepad.

Ayama stood before them, her feelings mixed and lost. "Mother, father," she said so softly that it made them look at her in surprise. "I want to know about our family's history."

They stared at her then gave each other askance glances. Chiyo Wakahisa rose from her seat and strode to the bed side table, placing the notepad down. Clearing her throat and straightening her light blue pants suit, she offered Ayama an uneasy smile. "Why, dear, would you want to know about our family history all of a sudden?"

Shrugging, she sat across from her father, whose expression was unreadable. His familiar, round face was shadowed, his friendly eyes shady. "I am curious. We do have a family history, right?"

Neither of them responded at first.

But then, her father said, "Ayama, you shouldn't think about little things such as history. You are about to be married. You must mentally prepare yourself for that. Soon, you are going to be running a household, and you will be bearing children, continuing the pureblood line. You must reflect on your duty to Kaname and our kind. This is the highest honor, and I don't think you understand that."

Bearing children. The thought made her stomach turn into knots. But her father was avoiding the question, she could tell. He wasn't even staring her in the eye. "But what about grandparents? Do I even have grandparents?"

Chiyo stepped in. "Long dead, Ayama. They are long dead. Your father and I must continue planning this engagement ball, and this is a hindrance. We love you dear, but stick to your studies and learn what you can before it is time to go." She approached her daughter, grasping her hands and kissing the backs of them lightly. "Go now."

Rising quickly, she marched out of the room, knowing by their tone that they would not answer her questions. But, as the door closed behind her, she paused, pressing her ear gently against it.

Her mother was first to speak. "What made her ask such a question? Where did it come from?"

"Mmm. I have no idea, Chiyo. It is not good, though. We will have to tell her eventually."

"But Akemi!"

"Enough. We couldn't hide the fact that she was a vampire forever, and this is merely another thing that will surface in time."

"The attack, though….."

"Yes. It's surfacing quicker than we want."