Makoto stood in shock, mouth slightly agape. She'd had dreams of Ren arriving at her bedroom window, but those strange and not unwelcome fantasies always took place at night. And with a dashing pose, full moon above- a stiff breeze billowing Ren's midnight cape. Meanwhile, this crouching, agricultural figure- anxiously cowering in the sunlight, was not exactly the same thing.

What on earth was Ren doing here? Yoshi mentioned that Sae had tried to kill Ren last night, so that explained the unconventional arrival. He likely feared more aggression from Sae, and would be correct in that fear. But there were other guards on patrol in the grounds and plenty of staff going about their business. If anyone spotted Ren at her window, they would be sure to raise an alarm.

Makoto clasped her sheet extra tight to her chest with one hand, and unlatched the window with the other. Ren immediately opened the window and tumbled into Makoto's bedroom. After he was past, Makoto glanced out, seeing no one on the yard nearby- nor hearing any sort of commotion that might indicate a frantic observer running to warn of an intruder. Makoto pushed the window closed with some effort, latched it, and was drawing the curtain closed when she suddenly remembered that she was naked. And that her sheet only covered her front. And Ren was behind her.

The act of drawing the curtain closed transformed into a panicked spin which wrapped Makoto's body in the trail of the sheet. A blazing knife of pain tore through her chest. Her vision whited out. Her legs buckled.

Gentle hands caught her. Firm arms lifted her off her feet. In a dreamy haze, Makoto felt like she was floating through the air, the abrupt pain faded into a fuzzy ache. The warmth of her mattress was welcome. But as Ren's hands gently slid out from underneath her body, refreshingly cool on her skin. Makoto not so much shivered from the touch, but vibrated pleasantly. She'd never felt his hands without their customary black gloves.

A soft coolness settled on her chest. Makoto opened her eyes to find Ren's face close to hers, his expression stern, his eyes intent downward at her chest. In a quiet moment, she watched his eyes dilate strangely, his nostrils flare. Cool fingertips gently explored the wound at her chest, but caused no pain. Briefly, Ren's touch grazed the softer flesh of her breast, loosely concealed under a sheet. Makoto shivered again, a warmth in the deepest parts of her belly.

Makoto's eyes traced the line of Ren's jaw, suddenly filled with the desire to trace that line with her hand. She reached out, her hand suddenly cupping the back edge of Ren's jawbone. Ren turned towards her in surprise, his eyes widening and refocusing on hers, his mouth opening slightly. Ren's gray eyes dilated again, the circular ring of his iris gleamed silver. Makoto's desire to touch Ren's face redoubled, she reached out with her other hand, stroking the other side of Ren's jaw, her head between her palms.

Ren's hand stroked slowly across Makoto's bare collarbone to rest on the right side of her neck. He inhaled deeply through his nose, and he loomed upward and over her- the movement sending a surge of anxious excitement through Makoto's universe. Something was happening here, and it was important, and a bit scary- but she deeply wanted it to-

Ren froze abruptly, his knee just resting on the edge of Makoto's mattress. His head snapped up, gaze fixating on Makoto's bedroom door. Then in a swirl of dry straw from his odd cloak, Ren vanished down and under Makoto's bed. Shocked by the sudden turn of events, Makoto's breath hissed through her teeth, her heart pounding in her chest- though not painfully this time.

Before she could ask what was happening, she heard what Ren must have heard a few seconds before: footsteps in the hall. And..? Meowing?

Knock. Knock. "Lady Niijima?"

The bedroom door opened. A member of the kitchen staff arrived with a tea cart, stacked high with midday treats. On her heels: Dr. Takemi, her almond eyes underlined with deep fatigue lines. She staggered suddenly, grabbing the door-frame, glaring at something down near her feet.

"Damn cat!" snarled Dr. Takemi as a small, black shape darted into the room. Makoto watched it scurry along the wall, pause, glance toward her- bright blue eyes gleaming in the dim light of the bedroom- and then trot towards her until it vanished under Makoto's bedframe.

"I'll chase it out, Lady Niijima," murmured the staff member with the tea tray. She abandoned her work and began to kneel towards Makoto's bedside, with obvious intent to look underneath. But there was something other than a cat under the bed, at the moment.

"Oh! Leave it!" gasped Makoto. "I don't mind the cat. But where did it come from?"

"Umm," said the staff person, slightly surprised to be stopped. "We're not sure. But Mr. Yoshida wants it out."

"Its unsanitary," said Dr. Takemi, looming over Makoto's bed, one hand on a hip. "I just found it sleeping on Ms. Sakamoto!""

"Ann?" said Makoto. "How is she?"

Dr. Takemi frowned. "Improving. No thanks to the damn cat, I'm sure. But improving. And much faster than I expected. Though- not nearly so fast as you."

Dr. Takemi bent forward to examine Makoto's chest wound, her face almost as near as Ren's had been- her fingers, slightly colder, gently probing the same scar tissue. With a grunt, Dr. Takemi straightened. "I can't explain it, but you've managed several months worth of healing in a handful of hours. At this rate, you'll be completely recovered in a day or two."

Well, that was good news. And what Takemi could not explain was likely something to do with Ren: he had used some sort of green light on Ann Sakamoto in Madarame's dungeon- he'd probably done the same to her at some point. He must have saved her life again. Well, saved both hers and Ann's.

"How do you feel? Do you feel any pain?" said Dr. Takemi, still frowning down at her. "You look flushed. Are you feverish?"

"Uh," said Makoto, as Takemi's hand shot out to press against her forehead. "My chest hurts if I move suddenly and-"

"Why are you moving suddenly?" snapped Dr. Takemi.

"Oh! Umm.. A dream, I guess. I woke up and-"

"A dream? A nightmare, perhaps?" Dr. Takemi's griamce lightened. "Well, I suppose that's to be expected after what you've seen lately."

The staff member nudged the tea cart closer to Makoto's bedside. "Shall I serve, Lady Niijima?"

Makoto eyed the piles of pastries with desire. She suddenly realized she was famished, but to accept food now would be to invite service, and that would keep these people inside the room that much longer. She needed them out!

"Oh, no, I'm not hungry just yet. But leave it, will you? Give my thanks to Chef."

Recognizing a polite dismissal, the staff member bowed and left. Dr. Takemi remained, her hand again on one hip. She was giving Makoto an appraising gaze.

"You need to eat," said Dr. Takemi. "The cook was going to send up sugar pastries, but I asked her to send meat. You need to eat flesh to repair flesh. So make sure to eat these meat pies."

Meatpies… and tea? Makoto hoped some of the items were sweets, at least.

"I will, Dr. Takemi, thank you," said Makoto, "But I think I will sleep more first. I'm tired."

Dr. Takemi's grimace lightened slightly. "I would imagine so, but eat at least two meat pies before going back to sleep, yes? You need it."

"Okay, yes. I will. I promise."

With a satisfied nod but a doubting sort of grunt, Dr. Takemi finally turned and left the room, closing the door behind her. Makoto let out a sight of relief and there was a brief silence as Dr. Takemi's footsteps retreated down the hallway.

"Are you managing?" came Ren's muffled voice from under the bed.

"Well, I just-" said Makoto, but another answering voice cut her off- also from under the bed.

"Touch and go," said the high pitched voice, "Touch and go- I've never had legs before, but having four seems easier than two-"

"Not you," said Ren, "are you managing with the healing!?"

"Oh! Well! I saved Lady Ann! The physician said her kidney was torn and it was a miracle she was still alive, but not for long. But then I arrived! After a few hours of diarama, she was much better. A few more sessions, and I think she will be up and walking."

"Okay, and Mako- Lady Niijima?'

"Haven't you seen for yourself? You're under her bed!"

"Morgana, just tell me."

Makoto was initially confused by the second voice, but now she knew it was Morgana, that strange symbiotic creature in Ren's left hand. And it was quite odd to be laying naked as two male voices discussed her from under her own bed. And even stranger that Ren was under there… talking to his own hand?

"Come out here if you are going to about me!" said Makoto, who then remembered she was still mostly naked under her sheet. She should at least put something on!

"Actually, wait! Just a moment. I need to put some clothes on."

"Do you?" said Morgana.

"Shut up," said Ren, (to Morgana presumably). "Go ahead, Makoto. We can't see out from under here."

Makoto blushed and suddenly felt a little childish. Should nudity still be a concern between them? They'd been through so much together already… but, well, she hadn't minded being naked around Ren just a little earlier- but now everything felt different and Morgana was here, or awake, or whatever he was. So, yes! She didn't want to be seen naked!

She eased herself off the bed, a tangibly awkward silence in the room as she went to her armoire, grabbed the thickest and most modest of nightgowns, and gingerly eased it over her head. Makoto was relieved to hear that Ann Sakamoto was on the road to recovery, but how had Morgana been a part of that? She'd seen some… magical powers emit from Ren's left hand before, including a green glow- presumably that latter power was what Morgana had used to help Ann. But Ren hadn't been in the house, had he? Had he been hiding somewhere else near Ann, using Morgana on her, and then just recently came back up to her own room?

"Okay. You can come out," said Makoto.

Ren emerged from under one side of the bed, his rice-straw cloak rustling slightly- not a graceful maneuver. He stood, gave Makoto a brief sheepish glance, then worked to untie the cloak from his neck. Meanwhile, the black cat emerged from the other side of the bed, then hopped atop it. It sat on the mattress, gazing at Makoto with brilliant blue eyes.

"You look better," said the cat.

Makoto's heart jumped, causing a sting of pain through her chest. The cat was talking! The cat was talking with Morgana's voice!

"Ren, what is that?!" gasped Makoto.

"That's Morgana. I transfered him into a cat's body," said Ren.

"Obviously," said Morgana the cat.

The question of: 'you can do that?' Arose in Makoto's mind, but she suppressed it. It was already done, so that question was somewhat useless. But this revelation did reveal how Ann was receiving Morgana's aid- he was the black cat that the staff was complaining about. He was sneaking into rooms to cast spells or whatever. And Morgana's intellect was apparently enough to frustrate all attempts to exile him from the home- that and a cat's natural agility.

Makoto looked at Ren, hugging her arms to herself, feeling awkward even in her thickest nightgown. She wasn't used to having people in her room, staring at her. It felt strange- and doubly strange that one of the 'people' was a magical cat.

"What happened last night?" said Makoto. "I don't remember much… after- the gunshot."

Ren frowned and became pensive. "The guard captain, Akechi, was… unsettled by your wound. He seemed eager for your survival, though I doubt it was for your benefit."

Makoto made some quick political calculations in her mind. "Akechi only works toward his own benefit. He probably didn't want the blood of a Niijima on his hands- or perhaps his father's hands by proxy."

Ren looked at her blankly.

"Akechi's father is a powerful man on the city council," explained Makoto. "And from what I gather from the city papers: I'm somewhat popular lately. Killing me would probably be very unpopular."

Ren lifted his eyebrows in a sort of 'if you say so' kind of look: "Then- Mr. Yoshida and that reporter woman brought the carriage around and Ryuji drove us back here. But your sister was home… she took exception to my presence in the house."

"She shot him! Twice!" blurted Morgana. "Big bullets, too. Hard to heal! I had to-"

Ren shot Morgana a irritated glance. "I was fine. And Mr. Yoshida was able to negotiate my safe passage off the estate. Though your sister promised to kill me if she saw me again."

Damnit, Sae!

Ren continued: "But we feared your wounds would take you in the night. As would Ann's. So I tried to get back in last night, but your night guards are… very good. In the end, I had to put Morgana in a cat's body so he could get close to you both and use his magic."

"It was easy!" said Morgana. "The kitchen staff leave a door cracked with a rock."

Makoto was aware of that- the kitchen ovens were contained in a rather small, bricked room to minimize fire danger to the rest of the house. That made the oven room its own sort of brick oven, so the bakers habitually cracked a door to keep the heat somewhat bearable. It wasn't likely an intruder would make it that far without being seen, but a cat obviously could.

"And you used persona magic on Ann," said Makoto, "and on me?"

"Yep!" said Morgana, "Though I didn't need to do much for you. Your own symbiote was doing the work. I just gave him a little extra energy."

"What do you mean? My own symbiote?"

"Your heart was badly damaged," said Morgana, "I couldn't save you from the outside. So I told Ren to put the old symbiote in you. And it worked! I woke him up and he went right to work!"

"He?" said Makoto, unconsciously clutching at her heart, the scar tissue rough under her palm. The image the beak-nosed man passed before her mind's eye. The man in her dreams. Igor.

"You put some creature in me?" Makoto suddenly wanted to sit down. She walked back to her bed and sat on the edge of the mattress. Absently rubbing her wound, the unfamiliar feel of her scar like the flesh of some stranger. "What do I do with it? Can I get it out?"

Makoto looked at Ren, and something in her expression must have worried him. He seemed uneasy, then he looked to Morgana. Makoto turned her gaze to the cat sitting on the bed next to her- the apparent authority regarding her question.

"Probably not," said Morgana, "The symbiote we used was really old. Older than me. And I don't know if it is exactly alive. Or alive in the same way I am, I mean."

"Older?" said Makoto, "Where did you get it, then?"

Morgana looked back up at Ren. Makoto followed the look. Ren's grey eyes had a worried expression, as he said: "I found it in Madarame's desk."

"His desk?" said Makoto. She remembered suddenly the flight from the blood arena in the dungeon, a narrow stair, and then Ren stuffing documents into the front of his body armor. "You took quite a few things from that desk. What were you looking for? What with Ann nearly dead in Ryuji's arms! What was so important that you had to stop and go through a desk?"

Ren averted his gaze. She knew that look, all too well. He was going to dodge the question, or just ignore it until Makoto moved on. How many times were they going to dance this dance? Hadn't they already made an agreement? No more avoiding questions?

Just moments ago, she had yearned for the feel of his skin upon her body- and now he was hiding information, once again. She wanted his touch? But she didn't even have his trust! What had she been thinking?!

A surge of frustration and betrayal roused Makoto to her feet. Her heart twanged in protest, but that only added fuel to her anger. She wanted to glare right into Ren's eyes, though since she was shorter, she had to settle with glaring up into them from close proximity. "No more secrets, Ren. I thought we agreed."

Ren seemed captivated by her look, but he didn't immediately respond. A short silence descended upon the room. Makoto could sense his resistance crumbling. She watched his eyes dance around in a desperate ploy to avoid her gaze. His lips thinned. He was coming to a decision- she recognized the signs by now. All she had to do was keep up the silent pressure and-:

"Oh, just tell her Ren," said Morgana. "You're in love with her, anyway- so the sooner you get it done and-"

Makoto's growing anger evaporated, her chain of thought suddenly disintegrating.

In love? Ren? With her? What?

Ren's face went deadly calm and he stepped around Makoto to snatch for the cat. Morgana took an instinctive bound backwards, hair standing on end, tail puffed up.

"Ack! Wait! Sorry!," yowled Morgana, "I forgot she can hear me! I'm not used to this-!"

But Ren snatched Morgana by the nape of the neck and the strangely conversant feline reverted to its more bestial instincts: it went limp and submissive under Ren's vicegrip. He moved to the bedroom door, opened it a crack, and tossed Morgana into the hallway.

"Check on Ms. Sakamoto," said Ren, before shutting the door with a quiet thud. But he continued to stare at the closed door for a few seconds, as if he wasn't ready to turn around and face Makoto. They were alone again in a silent bedroom.

Finally, he turned, his expression sheepish- more boyish than Makoto had ever seen him. It was the first time he looked young to her, like someone as fresh to adulthood as she was. For a brief moment, Ren's stoic mask had fallen away from him.

"Ah- don't mind him," said Ren, nervously touching his own bangs, "that's the sort of joke Morgana likes to make- but usually he is inside my mind when he says it."

"A joke?" said Makoto, not exactly sure what to make of Morgana's statement. Ren? In love? With her? Love was what made the men in the romance novels do heroic things, and to advance on the object of their love, and- and- do certain things.

But Makoto thought those were more like symptoms of love than the thing itself. But whatever Ren was actually feeling, Morgana mentioning it seemed to have thrown Ren way off balance. Makoto began to doubt it was much a joke at all. And that was… exciting!

"You seem to be taking it seriously," said Makoto. Her heart was fluttering slightly, but there was no pain. Ren in her room. Her in a nightgown. Talking about love. And now she was suddenly remembering all these steamy scenes in her light novels. Was not this exactly how some of those scenes started? An unexpected confession in a private place?

"Is there truth in it?" said Makoto. "This joke?"

"No!" snapped Ren.

Makoto's felt dashed with cold water.

Something must have crossed her face, because Ren's face became alarmed and he took a step towards her.

"Well- yes!" blurted Ren, "It might be true. A little. Partially. I don't know."

Ren seemed completely frazzled, but his obvious concern was returning some of the heat to Makoto's heart. But this hesitation certainly wasn't in any of her books. No male hero suddenly waffled during their confession of passion. But this wasn't some fantasy, and maybe Ren was as unexperienced as she was in this… topic. That was both comforting and sobering: If neither of them knew, perhaps that was a good sign.

Maybe they could learn together.

Meanwhile, Ren was deep in thought, and he said: "When Morgana is- uh- joined with me, he can see my mind's eye. He can hear my thoughts."

He took a deep breath. "I think he's observed that- that you are often on my mind, Makoto. I think about you. I worry about you. I dre- dream about you. And I can't seem to stop it, even if I want to."

Makoto's breath felt short. Was she actually hearing this? But this is what she's been feeling- about him! She felt warm. Excited. A little anxious.

"Do you want to?" said Makoto, her voice-box not quite working- so it came out as a sort of whisper. "Stop it, I mean?"

Ren took another step toward her. Hesitated. "No."

Makoto wished he would take another step. She was becoming confused. What were they talking about? What were they avoiding, or not avoiding? What was Ren doing- standing over there!? Why wouldn't he just- do something!

"Then why are you trying to stop?" said Makoto.

Ren blinked. "I thought you might want me to stop."

Makoto took a deep breath, suppressing a sudden surge of frustration. What? Did he think he knew her mind?!

"If I want you to stop, trust me: I'll tell you," said Makoto, forcing herself to unwrap her arms from her chest and lower them to her side. Her heart was pounding, but if there was any pain, she didn't feel it. The air of her bedroom felt like an impending storm- energy crackling through heated air.

Ren stared at her a moment, then stepped close, one arm wrapping around her waist, evoking sudden memories of their dance at the ill-fated victory gala. His body pressed against hers, and for once, he wasn't wearing that armor of his. She could feel the taunt firmness of his real muscles, clearly evident through the giving fabric of his clothing and her nightgown. It was the most of his body she'd ever felt.

Ren's other hand caressed the side of her neck. His face moved into hers, his eyes flickering back and forth between hers, perhaps seeking any sign of her reticence. But Makoto had none to offer. She gripped the bicep of his arm and leveraged herself into him, their lips meeting strongly, urgently- a sudden, breathtaking culmination of months of wondering and dreaming and desiring. Everything was soft, and warm, and exhilarating, goosebumps flowing up and down Makoto's arms. Their lips moved against each other, a mesmerizing contact she didn't want to break, though she was breathless. Makoto inhaled desperately through her nose, filling herself with Ren's scent- pleasantly earthy and musky.

She heard him do the same- a long inhale through his nose, as unwilling as her to release the kiss. She felt Ren's body surge against her. He broke their kiss to gasp a breath, even the intake of air hot against Makoto's face. But she pulled his lips back into hers, wanting that sensation again. He obliged, pushing intensely into her lips, and then Makoto felt herself leave the ground as he clasped her to his body. She grabbed onto his torso with arms and legs in surprise, giggling suddnely from the exciting sensation of his strength.

Then she yelped as she felt herself fall backward suddenly, but Ren slowed her fall and her back met the bed gently. And Ren's weight was upon her, between her legs, pressing her to the mattress- her breasts pressed tightly to his chest through her nightgown- under which she wore no undergarments, so the coarse fabric of Ren's linen pants was rough against her groin-

It was a sudden and surprisingly uncomfortable sensation.

Meanwhile, Ren's mouth left hers and descended to the side of her neck, his breath ragged and hot against her skin. His hands tugged at her nightgown, frantically and a bit savagely-

Krrrrrrttttt!

Her nightgown tore down the front, halfway to her belly. Makoto felt the hardness of Ren's teeth against the skin of her neck. Icy fear suddenly shot through Makoto's mind. Her hands suddenly pushed up on Ren's chest in an effort to free herself from his weight. But he was bigger, heavier, and endlessly stronger.

"Ren! Stop!"

Ren froze like a statue, immediately. He stopped, but his chest heaved with ragged breath. Makoto's breath was just as ragged. Their bodies heaving from excitement, frustration, and in Makoto's case, fear. Ren pushed himself up to look at her- and Makoto saw his eyes glimmer silvery, and he had a tense, hungry expression which sent an unpleasant shiver down Makoto's suddenly clammy shoulders. It was the look of a cat with a captured mouse- a predator in possession of its prey. Makoto felt another surge of fear- something instinctual and gut-deep.

Whatever Ren saw in her face seemed to alarm him, and he practically sprang off of her and retreated from the bed entirely. He stood back from her bedside, chest still heaving, looking slightly afraid, too- though Makoto wasn't sure of what. She wasn't exactly sure what had scared her, either. She gathered her turned nightgown around herself, and then the sheets of her bed, too. Makoto didn't think Ren would intentionally hurt her, but he was so strong and so- so- suddenly intense! It just hadn't seemed like him! That was it! That was why she'd suddenly been scared.

"Sorry!" said Ren, huskily. He still looked frightened and disappointed, like he'd somehow failed in a way he didn't quite understand. "I wasn't going to bite you!"

And maybe he had, but Makoto wasn't sure how or why, either- just that:

"I know! I- Ren- I'm sorry, too. I just- got a little- scared."

"Sorry," gasped Ren, again. "I didn't mean to-"

Makoto shook her head, silencing him. She began feeling an annoyed disgust with herself. Now that the apparent danger had passed, and seemed nothing more than her own imagination, she wanted to feel the excitement of that kiss again! The sudden thrill of Ren's grasp.

But then again… she looked at Ren's innocent-seeming concern with sudden cynicism and doubt. He was half vampire. Whatever Ren was, he was that. And vampires devoured humans. Consumed them. Bit their necks and drained them dead. They were smart and devious and cruel. That was Ren's heritage, and she shouldn't forget it- must not forget it.

But then again: had he bit her? No. Didn't he stop? Yes. Was that not the human side of him? Or was it even that? Makoto knew what rape was. She'd been warned against it. She'd read about it in the paper. Figuratively: humans would bite. Objectively, a woman would say stop to a human man and they would not stop. Vampires held no monopoly on that particular crime.

So what, then, was the side of Ren she needed to court? Which side did she need to fear? The vampire side? The human side? Or was there sides to him at all? Was there just Ren: an excited, over-charged, and well-meaning young man who was as out of his depth and she was out of hers?

Perhaps she just needed to focus on the latter. Focus on what Ren was, and then, maybe, she would not fear any part of him. Which meant she wanted to know what he thus far had been unwilling to tell her:

"Ren," said Makoto, lowering her tone. "Why did you come to Tock-Yo? No more lies."

"I don't lie," said Ren, blinking. He took on a calmer stance, though he made no move towards Makoto or her bed. But his shoulders took on a certain tenseness that Makoto interpreted as him putting his mental guard up. They were both awakened from their sudden fever of passion. They were looking at each other plainly and seriously.

"I came to hunt a vampire," said Ren. "That's why they let me into the city."

"Fine," said Makoto, pivoting away from that point, "But why are you hunting vampires at all? Why are you hunting your own kind?"

"For the money."

"The money. But your armor is better than anything made in Tock-Yo. Your sword is of some outlandish material. You have a clockwork horse. It sure seems like whatever money you needed was already provided."

Ren didn't say anything and frowned slightly. Makoto thought she might be onto something. She searched through her memories of the few deep conversations she'd had with Ren about his background.

"Your mother," said Makoto, and she was rewarded with a slight jerk of alarm in Ren's expression. Bingo.

"Your mother has money, doesn't she? She's very old, as I recall? Nearly a hundred thousand, or so?"

"Not so old as that."

"But closer to that number than to my age, is she not? I imagine one can amass a great deal of material wealth in such a time. Am I wrong?"

Ren shrugged and looked away.

"What does your mother live in?"

"What?"

"Where does she live, Ren? In a house? A mansion? A cave?"

"Why does that matter?"

"If it doesn't matter, then why won't you tell me? After what we've been through, and what just- almost- happened between us: and you won't tell me where your mother lives."

"…A castle."

"A castle? She lives in a castle?"

"Castle Kurusu. But why does it matter where my mother lives, all of a sudden?!"

"Because she obviously has money, Ren. Lots of it! Having a castle, and all! And she obviously gave quite a bit to you! And now you are here, in human lands, hunting vampires- for money. That's a lie! You can't lie to me, anymore. I thought that was the deal!"

"I don't lie to you. Yes, Mother gave me my gear and some money. But it ran out, and I need more. So, I earn more by hunting vampires."

"No omissions, either. If that's the truth, then it's only half of it. Why are you here? You, youngest son of some mighty vampire queen?"

Ren laughed ruefully. "Queen? Mother would like that."

Makoto scowled. Ren's fledgling smile faded. Makoto resumed the interrogation.

"So- why aren't you lounging it up back at Castle Kurusu, doing whatever a vampire prince does? What are you doing in the human lands? Why are you here? Really?"

Ren's frown grew. He looked away from her- the classic Ren move when he didn't want to answer her. Well, she wasn't going to let him go. Not now. And with the sun blazing against the other side of her bedroom drapes, Ren didn't have anywhere to escape to.

"Ren. Tell me. It's not like I'm going to tell anyone else."

Ren looked back. The frown lessened as Makoto stared into his grey eyes. Finally, he sighed.

"My mother believes one of her rivals is active on the human mainland. She sent me to see if I could find information regarding their plans."

So- that's what that was. That was why he was rummaging through Madarame's desk while Ann Sakamoto was bleeding to death in Ryuji's arms. God. What other information was he gathering?

"You're a spy," said Makoto.

Ren looked uncomfortable. "No. I'm not spying on anyone or anything. I didn't even know what I was looking for- I still don't, actually."

"You just said you were sent here to spy on your Mother's rival!"

"No! I didn't even know what their agents were doing or where they were doing it! I'd found nothing at all until Madarame, and that was pure luck! And I still don't know the why of it!"

"Luck!? Ren, you expect me to believe you came here, out of all the human cities, and then found him, out of all the vampires in the world- and it's just luck!?"

"Tock-Yo is the biggest human city in all the human lands! I was bound to come here. And Madarame- well… there are not very many vampire clans, Makoto. So the odds are better than you think that anyone I find would be related to my mother's rivals."

Makoto let out a scoffing huff. Better odds than she'd think? As if he knew what she thought! (Truthfully, she didn't know what she thought. Was she mad at Ren for covering this up the entire time they'd been partners? Or was she excited that he was finally revealing this information? This was the real truth!)

"Well, Mr. Aimless Spy," said Makoto, unwilling to surrender the moral high-ground she'd discovered. "You somehow managed to find something you were sent to find. What is it? Some papers, and this creature you planted into my body? Anything else?"

Ren shook his head, frowning thoughtfully. "I- I'm not entirely sure. The papers are just ledgers of goods and money. I think Madarame was using the Thorn Forest to raise money and move it around- but for what, I have no idea. And I think there was a war persona, but someone found it before I did. But I don't have time to hunt it down. I need to take the documents back home. To Mother. And I need to go now. Today. Tonight."

Makoto felt her breath rush out of her. One moment, she was angry and excited to be getting more information from Ren, and the next moment, he was leaving her!

"Go? Now? Why now?!"

Ren told Makoto about where he had been while she'd been unconscious. He described his re-infiltration of Madarame Manor and his confrontation and escape from the black-leather men.

"Medjed Templars," said Makoto, "Ren, those men were from the Church! If they identify you-"

"They will be looking for me. That's why I need to get out of the city as soon as I can."

Makoto stared at him. "But you came here instead?"

"I- uh- wanted to see you before I left. To tell you I was going to be gone for a while."

Makoto's elation over getting information from Ren was rapidly wilting. "For a while? How long?"

Ren shrugged. "I'm not sure, but long enough that I'm not actively hunted within the walls. More than enough time for me return home and-"

"And what? Get new orders from Mother?"

Ren was silent a moment. "I don't know."

"You don't know. So we were about to do-" Makoto held out her arms to indicate her disheveled bed, her torn nightgown. "This! And you knew you were leaving and you don't know if you will even come back!?"

"I'll come back!" said Ren. "I just don't know exactly when."

"Oh! That's such a distinction!"

"That wasn't even a consideration before we-!"

"Before we kissed? Of course, it wasn't!" said Makoto, "Because you didn't tell me about it!"

"Makoto, I didn't plan any of this! I just came to-" Ren stopped, his head turning suddenly to the east. His body became tense. "Two carriages are coming up the driveway. Heavily loaded. Lots of men."

"What?" said Makoto.

Argument forgotten in favor of this new mystery, Makoto hopped out of bed, one hand clasping the torn top of her nightgown. Her heart gave a faint protest sting of pain, but she barely noticed. Makoto quick-footed over to the east-facing windows of her bedroom and peaked past the drapes. Ren was right, two carriages were indeed coming up the drive. White carriages with white-uniformed men on the driver benches, and a particularly gilded man on a white horse out in front.

"Akechi!" said Makoto, shocked at the man's audacity. Showing up at her house, in force, after one of his men shot her in the heart just a few hours ago? What was he up to?

The drapes moved slightly under her grasp. Ren also peeked out, winced against the sunlight, and peeked again. His frown became more dour. "I think the report of my actions this morning finally reached someone of means. They're looking for me and think I might be here."

It was those damn newspaper articles! Where might Niijima's Dog be hiding? Perhaps at the Niijima Estate? It didn't take a genius to make that guess.

This was bad. In a normal world, it would be unthinkable that a fugitive dhampir would find welcome at the home of Vampire Hunter Niijima; but Sae's words were perhaps more correct than Makoto had wanted to consider: thanks to rumor and gossip, Niijima Estate was the first place people would think to find the apparently infamous dhampir.

A commanding female voice called out, muffled through the window: "Stop there! That's close enough!"

That was Sae. Her strident voice was unmistakable. Makoto reached behind the curtain and opened the window slightly- just enough to let her hear what was happening on the driveway and front lawns. The lead horseman, Goro Akechi himself, threw up a closed fist and the carriages behind him came to a rumbling stop.

"Sae!?" called Akechi, "I heard the rumor that you'd returned."

"Rumor travels fast to the City Council, apparently. Yet in knowing that Lady Niijima is returned- you are leading two heavy carriages down my driveway? Goro?"

"You've surely heard the other rumors? About your sister, Makoto?"

"Enlighten me."

"That she is cavorting with a certain dhampir."

"Lies. And my sister is grievously wounded, Goro, so turn your toy soldiers around before this commotion wakes her up."

"Oh, she yet lives, then? I'm glad to hear."

A short silence. "How do you know about it?"

"Rumors travel fast to the City Council, Lady Niijima, as you just said. And speaking of which: By order of the City Council, I'm to search the estate before I can leave, Lady Niijima."

"The hell you will! Search it for what!?"

"For your sister's dhampir, of course! He attacked several members of Medjed this morning. His writ of citizenship is revoked."

One of Sae's mocking laughs cut the sky. "You fools should never have let it in! But there's no dhamphir, here. If there were, I would have killed it already and thrown the corpse at your feet."

"Lady Niijima, you don't understand-"

"Oh, I understand, Goro. I understand perfectly. I understand you're going to turn around and slink back to your father's office and remind him that you need a Two-Thirds-Warrant to search a Founder's estate- which you don't fucking have and he will never fucking get. So get yourself and your little boys off my land!"

"Sae! Listen to-"

"Go look for that dhamphir up your ass! He's more likely to be there than inside my house!"

Makoto and Ren looked at each other with a slightly bemused expression.

"Will he back down?" said Ren. "Isn't your sister defying the state?"

"Not really," said Makoto. "Sae would be within her rights to shoot him if he doesn't have an official warrant. And she will shoot him, too. Once Sae sets her heels, there isn't much that will move her."

Ren remembered that he had faced Sae just this morning, and only the butler's well-timed medical emergency had shaken Makoto's elder sister from her murderous course. "But does Akechi know she will shoot? Lawmen can sometimes overplay their hand."

"He should know," said Makoto, craning her head to get a look at Akechi without making herself visible in the window. "They've worked together before."

After a long silence, Akechi gave a twirling signal with his hand. There was a moment of delay, and then the wagons began turning around.

"Good day to you, Lady Niijima."

"Say hello to daddy for me, Captain Akechi."

Ren and Makoto let out a mutual sigh of relief. For Ren, it was confirmation of his fears: he was identified and compromised. It was not paranoia that had set him on his path of flight. Now, the hounds were retreating, but they had been deterred from his trail by the lion that protected Makoto's house. A lion that would kill him, too, if given half a chance.