Animus

Chapter Seven

-Descent-

The doors to the throne room flew open as a dark haired man with burning crimson depths walked in, followed by a brunette with auburn steaks and tear-filled teal depths. "Father!" Kanamé shouted to his elder, who was sitting on his throne with a pink haired woman beside him, both radiating power and beauty. "Shiori has been taken!"

Akito's gaze narrowed. "What? How?" he asked.

"I don't know." The younger vampire said, stopping before him and kneeling with his wife. "As soon as I sensed a presence, I went to check on her, but I couldn't smell anything unfamiliar about the scent. Before I could get to her room she was gone, and the balcony was left open. But she would not have left without telling us first."

"And she never leaves her balcony open." Vitani sniffed. "She always goes out the front when she hunts…so that she can say goodbye."

Akito grit his teeth. "If she's been taken, it can't be for anything good. We need to find her as soon as possible." He said. "Guard!" he shouted, waiting for them to enter the room. "Gather my grandsons, and send word to the others of Shiori's disappearance. We must find her as soon as possible."

"Yes sir!" they bowed, before rushing from the room.

His gaze moved back to his eldest son. "We will find your daughter Kanamé…nobody goes against the Uchiha and lives."

"I know father, but wouldn't it be…smarter to let Noriaki and I handle this?" he asked. "The boys are still but younglings."

"If you wish for your brother and yourself to be a part of the hunt, that is fine." Akito nodded. "But the boys will never be able to prove themselves capable if we do not give them a chance. Especially considering one of them will become my heir."

Kanamé looked up, his glare something foreign on his usually kind façade. "My daughter missing is not something I consider a task worthy of such a risk father. Perhaps if it were Izayoi who had been taken you would understand my hopes that you would bring for the full force."

"Did I not say you and Noriaki could join in?!" Akito suddenly stood, not one to have his decisions questioned. "Do not think I make this decision lightly Kanamé. I understand your concern for Shiori's safety, but we must also look at the bigger picture here. And I have no doubt that she will be found within the next phase of the moon."

"But father." Kanamé frowned. "I thought…I smelled Kurog-" he stopped when the doors opened once more and Kurogané came in, Sakimori close behind along with most of the Uchiha males.

"What's wrong?" another dark haired man demanded, stopping beside his brother, though he did not bow like the rest of the group. "What's so damned important that my sex time has to be interrupted?"

Akito nearly rolled his eyes. "Shiori has been kidnapped by an unknown enemy." He announced, making Kurogané's eyes widen for a completely different reason than everyone else's. "I need you to go out and find her as soon as possible, before anything bad can befall her." his forest green gaze scanned the group. "Where's Ryousuke?"

Another dark haired vampire sighed. "Who knows." He said, his identical green gaze uncaring. "He goes off for weeks at a time, he could be anywhere."

The pink haired woman beside Akito cleared her throat, deciding to speak for the first time. "Did anyone sense anything different tonight? I doubt someone could just waltz in here with no trouble at all."

"I know who took her." Kurogané stated, a hint of malice to his voice.

They all looked back at him, waiting for him to continue. Though Kanamé was the one to push his brothers aside and glare down at his nephew. "Who?! Who took her?!"

The younger vampire didn't even look phased. "A witch named Viletta." He said. "One that was a part of the group of witches that took me when I was a child."

"How do you know this?" Natsumi asked, rising from her place.

"I recognized her when I saw her snooping around the properties." Kurogané said. "But when I began to follow her she caught on and disappeared."

Natsumi frowned, moving closer to her husband and beginning to whisper into his ear. He nodded a few times, before looking down at her and whispering something back. She nodded as well and Akito faced his sons once more. "We cannot risk anything if it concerns witches." He informed them. "You will all go, along with Kai. Bring Shiori back and take the witch's heads. The one to do so shall receive my favor, and if it be one of my three heirs," he paused with a smirk. "Well that would certainly put you ahead of the others now, wouldn't it."

Kurogané glanced to his cousin. "Well we know it definitely won't be Ryousuke. He's not even here."

Sakimori nodded as they all turned to leave. "Though…it'll probably be you cousin." He sighed.

"Yeah, well we'll see how it all plays out." He replied, for once not making a verbal jab at his elder.

"It'll be the first witch I've ever seen." He said softly. "I wonder how you take a witch's head. Rip it off? Cut it?"

Noriaki went past them, glancing down at his son. "You slit her throat and rip it off with your claws. I'll make sure this…Viletta, suffers for taking little Shiori." He informed them.

"Viletta is mine." Kurogané growled a bit possessively. "I want to be the one to kill her."

"We'll see then." Noriaki smirked. "Survival of the fittest youngling. The fastest predator gets the prize."

He returned his uncle's smirk. "Then try to keep up, old man." He said, before bolting off.

The elder vampire blinked, before his jade depths narrowed. "Little brat." He seethed, taking off after him, along with the rest of the royal vampire males.

"She looks like she's dying." Viletta frowned, casing the massive cage where their vampire prisoner now remained motionless as black chains circled her wrists and held her up, though she was on her knees with her arms raised and her head dropped forward. The faintest sound of her haggard breathing could be heard, and it was obvious she was starving and beginning to weaken from lack of blood. "I thought you said she was eating." The dark haired woman glared over at the man with her.

"Well she's not." Shusui pouted. "No matter what I do, no matter what kind of blood I bring in, she doesn't even lick it." he looked at her. "We have to do something soon, before she does die. We need her."

Viletta focused back on Shiori once more before snapping her fingers. The chains disappeared and the brunette fell forward, landing on her face and front, though she didn't move or even make a sound other than that of her barely conscious breathing. "She can't die Shusui. The spell has to be performed when the moon is half dark. That's in twelve days! At this rate, she won't last."

He glared at her. "Then make her drink." He ordered. "I don't care how it's done, but it better be done tonight."

"You're the one that insisted on watching her!" Viletta snapped back. "So why don't you do it!"

"Because I already tried!" he said. "Now do it, or do I have to go ask Ming to get the job done?" he asked, his gaze narrowing.

Her gaze narrowed further, if possible. "Fine. You useless little girl. I will go find some way to get blood into her." she said, before whirling around and storming out of the room.

When she was gone Shusui lowered to the ground in an attempt to get a look at Shiori's face. "Shiori, my sweet, why won't you eat?" he asked. "Why are you killing yourself?"

"I refuse…" she wheezed, though he couldn't see her eyes, since her hair was in her face. "To let you use me."

"But Shiori, when we sacrifice you, it's not going to be this painful. You won't even feel a thing." The brunette reasoned.

It looked as if she was attempting to shake her head. "I don't…" she trembled slightly. "I don't…I won't…you will not use me…" she coughed then, her body wracking from pain at her starvation. "I'll die…b-before this twelve days is up."

He sighed, pulling out his knife and slicing the back of his hand. "Shiori, just drink." He said, sliding his hand forward and offering it to her.

He could see her body stiffen from the scent, but like usual she didn't move. "…No…" She moved slightly, her hair falling in a way where he could now see her red and slightly dilated eyes.

"You know you want to." Shusui said, slipping his hand into the cage and closer to her.

"I don't want to." She hissed hoarsely, though she licked her lips. "You best retract that hand…before I rip it off."

"If you rip it off you'll only cause more of my blood to gush forth." He clenched and unclenched his fist, causing some of the blood to drip on the floor next to her.

She glared at him. "Doesn't mean I'll drink it." she snapped, her hand whipping out and grasping his wrist as she pulled him forward and slammed him against the bars. She looked as if she was barely strong enough to keep herself up on her knees, but it appeared she still had some strength left. "I don't know why you keep bothering to speak with me. If you're just going to kill me in twelve days, so what's the point?"

"Because I kinda like you." he groaned, rubbing his forehead with his free hand. "You have spunk, not many women I've met are like you."

"I'm a vampire." She clarified. "That's why I want to kill you." she hissed, releasing him before reaching through the bars and wiping the blood on her hand on his face. "There's nothing you can do to make me drink blood." She said, sitting back, though she swayed slightly.

He laughed, wiping at the blood on his face as best he could. "Oh trust me, plenty of women have wanted to kill me in my lifetime. I just mean I like how feisty you are. I think it's a really attractive quality."

"It's about to be a past quality." She grumbled, crossing her arms, though she didn't take her eyes off of him.

"Well it's one worth fighting for." Shusui said. "You never know what could happen in twelve days' time."

She glared at him. "You make no sense. What do you want?"

He sobered instantly. "I want you to fight for your life, not just give up."

"I haven't given up. But I'm not an idiot, I can't beat you. I can't even beat that dark bitch." She spat out. "This is me not giving you what you want. All you have to do is kill me, but if I die before then, your plan won't work." She explained, grabbing her head when she began to get dizzy once more. "Besides, if my chance comes, you bet I'm going to take it."

"If you die we will just get another one of your family members." Shusui told her. "Uchiha are the most powerful, and therefore the best to use for the sacrifice. Though perhaps a relative of the Uchiha…a Sabaku descendent perhaps? One that isn't as strong-willed as you are."

"They will be onto you after this. There's no way they don't know what you're up to by now." She seemed to spark something, before looking off. "Maybe if I could drink from the source…I would be more inclined to feed."

His brow furrowed. "The source?"

She nodded, lifting her hand and touching her fingers to the nape of her neck. "It's where it's the freshest."

"Wouldn't right over the heart be the freshest?" he wondered.

"That causes heart spasms and is not pleasurable for the victim. The blood tastes better at a slow pace." She explained.

He shrugged. "I'll take your word for it." he said. "Just wait while I have a servant fetch you a meal."

"I would much rather have it from you." she said softly, glancing over at him. "After all, you have been tempting me for days."

Shusui smirked. "While I understand that, Shiori my sweet, I don't trust you enough to put myself in such a vulnerable state. I am a king, after all, and must preserve my life to my best ability."

"If I am going to die either way, couldn't you indulge me in this one pleasure?" she arched a curious brow. "It feels even better than sex, when done correctly."

"Well…I don't know…" he said, though he was obviously considering her request.

Shiori looked off, feigning discomfort. "I am hungry. Besides…like you said…a lot can happen in twelve days. Since I probably can't escape…" she trailed off, lifting her hand to her throat and slowly trailing her fingers down her flesh.

His dark brown gaze followed her hand, and he licked his lips. "In that case…I could allow you a drink. Just this one time." He said, beginning to take a step towards the cage. And just as he reached for the bars the door opened and Viletta walked back in, making the brunette pause in his actions.

The dark haired woman stopped in the doorway, assessing the scene. "What are you doing?' she demanded, her green depths landing on Shusui.

"Oh, um, I was going to make another attempt to get Shiori to feed." Shusui cleared his throat, lowering his hand. "Did you discover anything?"

"Were you really going to let her out?" Viletta snapped, walking over to him. "Or even chance going in there? Do you know how manipulative these creatures are?!" she yelled in his face, pointing at Shiori, who only watched the two in slight annoyance. It appeared her chance had passed.

"Of course I do, I'm not an idiot." He huffed. "Now what did you find out?"

She didn't seem so convinced to move on, but turned to face Shiori. "I did think of a way, but I don't like it." she huffed, crossing her arms. "I was thinking maybe we could charm her…hopefully you can do it…if not I don't want to get her, but I guess if we must…"

He sighed. "I can try, but she is the best. It might just be fastest if we have her do it right away."

"Well you're so chummy with the thing, why don't you try? Then she can be under your spell and you can do whatever you want with her." she crossed her arms, rolling her eyes.

"Fine." He nearly pouted. He turned his gaze to Shiori and began to mutter a few words in a foreign tongue, before waving his hand in an arch. "There, it should be done." He said. "Now, Shiori…why don't we get you something to eat, hm? Won't you eat for me?"

She moved over to the edge, using the bars to help her stand. "Of course." She replied with a small smile. "I can smell yours…mind if I lick it up?" she asked, battering her lashes.

Viletta blinked. "Well…that worked better than I thought."

Shusui's gaze narrowed as he scrutinized her. "Yeah…cause' I suck at charms." He said, before shrugging. "Oh well, a little is better than nothing I suppose." He said, holding his hand out to her so she could eat.

She reached for his wrist but punched him straight in the nose, making him stumble back and yell out in agony. "You think some stupid charm is enough to bend my will?!" she hissed, glaring at him as she backed away from the edge and began to crack her knuckles.

The dark haired witch chuckled, watching her sire as he held his bleeding nose. "My, my…she is feisty."

"I know, it's so fucking hot." Shusui said, holding his nose to try and stop the blood flow. "Send for Ming. She'll be able to get Shiori to eat."

"I'll get Valencia as well. To better heal that." Viletta said, lifting her hand and moving it slightly. Two black orbs appeared and shot off to retrieve the other two witches. "I will go fetch some special herbs to help from the store room." She said, before leaving the two once more.

Once she was gone Shusui began to laugh. "Man Shiori, you are a crafty one." He smiled. "If these were different circumstances, you'd definitely be a candidate for my queen. The first, actually."

"I thought the Witches had a Queen," she mocked with a smirk. "So then wouldn't that make me the Queen's King?"

"Oh come on! Now I have to take this crap from you?" he pouted. "Besides, you're too sexy fine to be a king."

Shiori shook her head as she turned her back to him. "You're the weirdest witch I've ever met."

"Technically, I'm a warlock." Shusui corrected, just as Valencia entered the room.

"Shusui, I hear you got beat up by a girl." She smirked, stopping before him and trying to get a look at his nose. "You should be more careful, you're a delicate creature."

"Oh shut up and heal me woman." The brunette snapped, moving his hand to let her have a better look.

Viletta came back then, a few options and herbs in hand. She set them aside and watched as her sister began to heal Shusui. "He is delicate. He played right into her hands too, just like a man." She chuckled.

They all heard footsteps then, and finally Ming stood in the doorway, appearing annoyed. "What do you want." she seethed, looking at Viletta. "I was busy playing with my toy."

"Nobody cares about your fucking boy-toy Ming." Shusui said as Valencia healed his nose. "Shiori won't eat, and we need you to charm her so that she will. Otherwise she'll die before we can make use of her for the ritual."

"Well maybe Viletta should have picked a better pureblood, one who isn't so apprehensive." The purple haired witch scoffed. "Maybe you should have fucked her while she was immobile and made her unable to want for anything more than your cock. You are a man, it's basically the only tool against women you have."

"Excuse me!" Shiori gasped, her cheeks turning a dark red.

Shusui rolled his eyes. "I'm not one for rape Ming, you know that. Now get the job done so you can finally one-up Viletta."

"Excuse me?" Viletta snapped. "How is that one-uping me?"

"Because this is the one area that Ming is better in then you." the brunette said. "At least if she can prove it."

"It's still not one-upping me." she glared.

Ming huffed and walked forward, stopping in front of the cage. "Don't be jealous Viletta. We can't all be me and the best at everything." She snickered, waving her hand and mumbling an incantation. Her eyes took on a faint glow as locked her gaze on Shiori. "Face me vampire." She ordered, making Shiori stop. She was frozen, before she slowly turned to face the witch.

When her body was facing Ming, Shiori had to use all her will not to look over at her. "I won't be controlled by you." she seethed.

"Yes you will." Ming spoke with authority, speaking another incantation, one that filled the room with power. One of the potions rose and levitated over to her. She waved her hands and let it pour out into a bubble in front of her before using her magic to spray it onto Shiori. "Listen to my voice. I am the one who commands you pureblood. Face me. Now!"

Shiori grit her teeth, struggling with her body in attempts to stop herself from looking. Unfortunately, her body won, and she looked into the witch's eyes. Seeing this, Ming smirked. "Good. Now you need to feed. So feed."

"No." Shiori hissed, though she couldn't move.

"I said feed!" Ming screamed out the order, causing Shiori to stagger forward.

The brunette shook her head, pain wracking through her body now from the strain resisting was causing her. She really wanted to feed, and not just because the alluring and possessive master was telling her to. She knew it was the spell causing her to think of the witch as such, but it was hard not to want to do as she said. "I won't."

"Shiori, you need to feed." Shusui said, walking up next to Ming. "Now."

"I would rather die." She hissed.

Ming sighed and glanced at Shusui. "Cut yourself. She won't be able to resist the smell of fresh blood."

He pulled out his knife once more. "Seems like I do this all the time." He grumbled, slicing open the back of his newly healed hand.

"Now little vampire." Ming cooed sweetly, gesturing to Shusui as he stepped forward and placed his arm in the cage. "Drink so that you can sustain your life." she commanded, watching Shiori struggle forward.

"No." she barred her fangs, her gaze trained on the blood dripping down his arm. She gripped onto his arm, falling to her knees. "I won't." Shiori practically begged, lowering her head to his wrist, tears beginning to swell in her red depths. She pressed her face against the blood, but pursed her lips together. She would not let this witch control her no matter what.

Viletta walked around the cage, trying to get a better look at her. Her brow furrowed slightly. It shouldn't be possible to resist Ming's charms, even though she hated admitting it. She was the best at the art. Shusui looked down at her, almost pityingly. "Shiori…please drink it." he said, stroking her head with his free hand. "You need it."

She shook her head, too afraid if she opened her mouth she wouldn't be able to control herself. "Shiori, my sweet," Shusui said, tilting her head back a bit to try and get her to open her mouth. "Just lick it."

She gripped onto his arm, digging her claws into his flesh and slamming him against the bars once more. She looked up at him, blood now smeared on her face. "No."

"Drink it!" Ming screamed, now becoming frustrated, though Shiori didn't so much as glance away from Shusui's brown depths.

She could see the brief pain on his face from being forced against the bars again. "Shiori, please." He whispered. "I can't stand seeing you like this."

"I told you." she growled. "I will die first."

Before she could close her mouth from her words he quickly moved so that his finger was between her lips. Using the opportunity that had presented itself, he stabbed the tip of his finger against one of her fangs, blood instantly beginning to spill forth into her mouth. Her eyes widened and her body froze, before the taste on her tongue could not quench the immense thirst. She gripped her arm tighter and pressed her mouth to the cut on his arm as she began to drink from him. She moaned at the taste, having never gone so long without blood before. It was intoxicating and arousing at the same time.

Shusui smiled. "Drink as much as you want."

"I can't believe she resisted a charm." Viletta breathed out, keeping an eye on the vampire to make sure she didn't take too much.

"She didn't resist." Ming scoffed, gesturing to the two. "See, she's drinking."

Viletta rolled her eyes, "Only because Shusui practically shoved the blood in her mouth."

"I agree with Lettie." Valencia said. "She was clearly resisting your charm, and might have been successful if Shusui hadn't done what he did."

"Is it weird that this feels kinda good?" Shusui wondered, his dark gaze focused on the feeding vampiress.

"It's supposed to feel good." Viletta sighed. "It's why vampires are so seductive and dangerous, everything about them feels good."

Ming nodded. "Yeah it does…" she sighed somewhat contently, until she realized they were all looking at her. "What?" she huffed, turning away from them to hide her blush.

Valencia frowned. "Ming…how would you know what it feels like? Have you been bitten by a vampire before?"

"No!" she practically yelled, before hurrying from the room. "Alright! I'm off! Glad your sacrifice is eating!" she waved and was gone.

Viletta's gaze narrowed, but decided to ignore the purple haired woman. "Be careful with her Shusui." She warned, before heading out herself.

"Is she talking about Ming or Shiori?" Shusui wondered.

Valencia shrugged. "Probably both. You do realize if you let her keep sucking down your blood like that you're going to faint."

His eyes widened. "What?" he asked, beginning to feel the effects of such blood loss. He looked down at the brunette before him. "Okay Shiori, that's enough." He said, beginning to pull his arm from her grasp. "If you're still hungry we'll get you some more to eat."

She clamped down harder on his arm, sinking her teeth into his flesh as she glared up at him, not letting him from her grasp. "Shiori, let. Go." Shusui ordered, giving her a hard look. "Before you have to be forced."

Her jaw tightened, pinching his arm painfully. Valencia walked up, her hazel gaze on Shiori. "Don't say you weren't warned." She said, reaching through the bars and pressing her pointer finger against Shiori's forehead. She muttered a few words, before a bright light came from her finger and forced the vampire away with a hiss. "Told you." she shrugged, taking Shusui's arm and healing it.

"You didn't have to be so cruel." Shusui frowned.

"Did you want to pass out?" the green haired woman asked, glancing up at him, making him look off in a slight huff.

"Shiori…do you want someone else to feed on?" he asked, looking back at the vampire.

She hissed at him angrily, turning away from him and sitting so that they could only see her back as she tried to wipe off the red from her face. It was hard not lick it from her fingers because he tasted so good, but she refused to show them weakness. She felt some of her strength return and her body was no longer struggling to stay alive. She could definitely use more, but she didn't want anyone else's taste in her mouth.

He sighed, looking back to his subject. "Thank you Valencia." He said once she was finished.

"You're welcome." She smiled. "If you require anything else, I'll be in the greenhouse." She said, turning and practically skipping from the room.

Shusui walked around the cage and crouched down so that he could see Shiori's face. "I'm sorry." He said softly. "I didn't want to force you, but you gave me no choice."

"I don't care." She sniffed, looking off.

"Please try to understand. I'm not a bad guy." The brunette said. "But I must do whatever it takes to save my people."

"Save your people from what?" Shiori snapped, meeting his gaze with her now blue-green depths. "I didn't do anythingto you! You took me from my home. I'm not a bad vampire. I don't attack people, nor have I ever killed anyone I've fed on! Yet you have kidnapped me, practically tortured me, and plan to kill me from some reason that makes no sense."

His gaze hardened. "You want to know why? Because your family is a bunch of tyrants!" he shouted. "And the same goes for the rest of your kind. You think you rule the night world because you're so strong and powerful, well you're wrong. You claim every witch is bad because of how we use our magic, but there are two different forms of the arts. You lie to us, use us for our gifts, and kill us when you're done with us. Sometimes you even kill us without provocation. We're persecuted, unable to form our own communities and live together in peace." He said, water gathering at the corners of his eyes. "And not only are we hunted by your kind, but the humans as well. My mother was burned at the stake because a vampire revealed her and set her up, all because she refused to give him a spell."

"With all of the vampires wiped off the face of the earth…we will no longer have to live under your oppressive reign."

"I didn't do any of that to you!" she yelled back. "And I've never even met a witch before now! You just take people from their homes and do whatever you want too! Humans hate you because you use them just like we do! It's not my fault you're so frail and squishy and easy to kill!"

"Well, in twelve days, I won't have to worry about my fragility." He said, before turning on his heels and leaving the room.

Shiori couldn't stop herself from crying now. "You're the real monster!" she screamed after him, burying her face in her hands as she cried. She couldn't believe this, and all she could now was hope that her family would be able to find her before it was too late.