CHAPTER-21: BEAUTY AND THE BEAST (PART-1)
"Shinobu!" Rido's voice bellowed through the castle. A few seconds later the male Vampire with long, blond hair burst through the heavy wooden door of the dark lord's thrown room.
"Yes, my lord?" Shinobu asked as he made his way over to the pureblood's side.
"I have just received word that my nephew's blood bond with my pet, will be held on Friday night, under the next full moon. We can not let this take place. We must act now, before it is too late." Rido informed his second in command.
"Yes Master. How would you like me to proceed?" Shinobu asked respectfully.
"I want you too take that Beast in my basement and as many of your men as you like, and go the Kuran manor and get me back that boy. Kill anybody who stands in your way." The dark lord ordered.
"As you wish my lord." Shinobu acknowledge, before bowing and leaving to make his preparations.
Shizuka gently smirked as she listened in, from her hiding place behind one of the stone pillars at the far end of the room. "Oh, this is perfect." She thought to her self. "I too will go and face the Kurans, and while Shinobu has them entertained, I will snatch the boy myself and bring him back to Rido. That way I will get all the credit and Shinobu will most likely get executed for his failure, leaving me to take his place as Rido's right hand." She planed before sneaking out of the room to make her own preparations.
Kaname sighed as he sat with his family around their dining table. Glancing next to him he saw that Zero, had once again hardly touched his meal. Looking up his eyes met with Shiki's, who was sat on he other side of Zero. The cousins shared a saddened look, before turning back to their own meals.
It had been three days since Zero had found out that he was a half bread, and the boy had hardly eaten since. Kaname knew he was upset, but had thought that Zero was starting to come round to the idea, after he had told Kaname, that morning, that he would agree to the blood bond. Yet here they where again, another meal time, and another without Zero touching his food.
"Zero, Honey? Are you not feeling well?" Juri asked from across the table, her voice filled with concern. The whole family had noticed that Zero hadn't been eating and they where all worried he would soon become sick.
But the boy didn't reply, he didn't even look up, he was so lost in though. Kaname gently nudged him in an attempt to rouse him. But Zero just continued to stare into space. The family decided to let him be, after all, he had been through a lot, although their worry continued to grow.
As Zero continue to sit quietly, he began to feel a lingering presence at the back of his mind, almost like an alarm bell had gone off inside his skull. It was the same feeling he had gotten back at the 'Desert Moon' Ball. The feeling of dread was like having something cold and sharp being dragged up and down his spine. He body grew colder and his blood felt like it was getting hotter, as if it would burn though his veins. As the familiar feeling of panic set in, tears welled to his amethyst eyes. As a second wave of pain shot to his head he felt his body give way beneath him and he fell to the floor.
The Kaname's eyes widened as he watched Zero collapse at his side. Reaching his arms out at inhuman speed, the Pureblood caught him before he could hit the ground.
Pulling the boy into his arms and lightly cradling his head he attempted to rouse the silverette.
"Zero? Zero, can you hear me?" Kaname called out while Shiki went to fetch some water and Juri kneeled on the floor beside her son.
Placing a steady hand on the silverette's forehead, the mother Vampire, whipped off her red shawl, that she had been wearing that night for dinner, before turned to her son.
"He's friezing." Juri informed as she wrapped the shawl around the boy's shoulders, and then ordering Haruka to fetch some blankets.
Kaname pulled Zero tighter into his arms, trying to keep him warm until his father returned. A moment later, the pureblood felt the boy stare lightly beneath him. Looking down Kaname was met with Zero's dim amethyst eyes looking up at him. He smiled down reassuringly at the boy and was about to tell him everything would be ok, but before he could utter a word, Zero began to speak.
"Their coming." The silverette stated hoarsely and that was all Zero's weak voice aloud before the boy once again went limp.
Zero once again came too, about an hour later. He was lying on the sofa by the huge open fire, in the Kurans main lounge. His body was wrapped in blankets and his head was laying on something warm. Shifting slightly so that his weary eyes could see what he was lying against, a soft smile graced his lips when he saw that it was Kaname's lap his head was resting on.
"Hay. How are you feeling, sleeping beauty?" Kaname joked softly looking down at the newly awakened Zero.
The silverette just shrugged his shoulders slightly as a reply, before he sat up so Kaname could help him drink some water. Closing his eyes again as he relaxed against the back of the sofa, Zero began to fall back to sleep. But as soon as his eyes closed that feeling of dread hit him again and he was once again reminded of the ever growing presence on its way towards him.
"Kaname" Zero cried as his eyes flew open again. The brunette turn to face him, his eyes filled with concern at hearing the panic in Zero's voice.
"Zero, what's wrong?" Kaname questioned, but his own eyes began to widen when he too felt the presence that was coming for them. Grabbing Zero in his arms and carrying him from the room, intent on finding his family. Rushing into the hall he almost ran into a very scared looking Yuki.
"Kaname, I was coming to warn you. Some of Rido's men are coming towards us. Father say's they might be coming for Zero. Mother has sent word to the hunter association and they are on their way, but I fear they will not arrive in time." Yuki exclaimed.
"Calm down, Yuki. Everything will be fine." Kaname tried to reassure his sister. "We need to get you and Zero somewhere safe, so that I can go and help deal with those intruders." The older pureblood explained.
Yuki nodded in understanding, before turning and led her sibling towards the study, where the rest of their family was gathered. Pushing open the door Kaname rushed to his fathers side and looked out of the window to asses the situation.
"How many?" Kaname asked looking out at Rido's gathering minions, stood outside their front gate.
"Not sure. Probably fifty, at the least." Haruka answered in a dyer tone. Kaname nodded at the answer before stepping back and kneeling in front of Yuki.
"Yuki. I need you to look after Zero, for me." The brunette requested as he put the boy down, next to her.
"Don't worry, Kaname. I will take good care of him." Yuki replied although she looked a little apprehensive.
"I know you will, Yuki. I trust you." The elder sibling reassured with a warm smile.
Yuki returned the gesture, before turning to her mother and following the Vampiress out of the study, hand in hand with Zero.
Kaname turned back towards his father, Shiki, and Kain, who where discussing a battle plan and preparing their weapons. Haruka was armed with a large war sword, with an extensively decorated gold hilt. While Shiki was placing a handful of silver throwing knives into his belt and Kain was tossing his Katana up into the air and skilfully catching it without cutting himself.. Kaname walked to the desk and unlocked one of the top draws, before bulling out a wooden box. Inside where the purebloods, trusty, old silver daggers.
"So what's the plan?" Shiki asked as he watched Kaname place the daggers into his belt.
"We head out there. Ask them to surrender, and if they don't, we shred them into tiny pieces and use them as fertiliser for the flower beds." Kaname stated firmly.
"Sounds like a plan." Shiki replied as Juri re-entered the room.
"Yuki and Zero are safely hidden in the basement. I got them to bolt the door from the inside and not to open it to anybody other than one of us." Juri informed as she walked to the corner cabinet and pulled out a large wooden case. Inside contained Juri's personally designed weapon, a silver bow and arrow.
The group walked downstairs and out towards the front door. Opening it they where met with a small army of Rido's minions waiting for them. At the front Shinobu stood proudly, wielding his sword back and forth threw the air so that it shun in the moon light. At his side the Hybrid stood slumped against a tree in his pre-transformation form.
"Well, about time. I was just about to knock." Shinobu sneered at the group. "Now if you would just hand over the boy, I will let you all get back to your nightly activities, and leave you in peace." the bond vampire continued.
"We will never hand Zero over to you." Kaname's voice broke threw the air. "Now I will grant you one chance to surrender" The brunette continued.
"I don't think so" Shinobu replied with a sadistic smile on his face.
"Then prepare to die" Kaname bellowed and the two lunged forward with their weapons drawn.
TBC…..
Hi everyone.
I am so, so, so, sooooooooo, so sorry it took me so long to post this. I have been suffering from writers block and didn't want to just write a load of shit. But don't worry I have once again found my muse and my writing should once again be back on track.
Thanks for reading and please REVIEW. I just love reading your comments and they make me think that writing all this is worth while.
Until next time .XD.