I quietly shut the door behind me before walking over to the pedestal and sighing softly. I slipped the shaw off my shoulders and carefully laid it on the chair. I had to be calm and still of mind when performing, or else it could backfire on me or someone else's fate. I took a few breaths and emptied my mind of all troubles before sitting down on the chair and carefully picking up the ceremonial blade. While I could easily bite myself to empty the small amount I needed to start, it was far easier this other way. Very carefully I shallowly slit my palm with the blade and let the blood drip into the water. I had to let it drip until my palm would heal itself, which this time took a few minutes, but the emptying didn't harm me instead this purged impurities out of my blood so that I could heal regularly again.
As I watched my palm heal and close itself up, I smiled softly to myself. Once it was sealed, it was time to begin the next part of this. I recentered my mind and picked up one of the playing cards without looking at the actual card then placed it in the water before I placed my hands in the no longer clear water. Closing my eyes, I centered myself in my mind, I counted down. 5…4…3…2…1.. And that was when my mind had racing images, almost like memories, but these were not my memories. These were someone else's memories that were twisting and turning into a new image. The future. Who they would become. The destruction that would come from their power. The lives that would be lost. The others who would aid and then turn on us. And who was I seeing? That was the question of the day because, for the life of me, I couldn't see her face, I knew I recognized this girl, but the image was not clear.
Forcing my eyes to open when I couldn't place a name, I came back to the room. I looked down at my hands and pulled the card out of the water. Turning it over, the last image I saw of the girl with the blurred face had replaced where the queen image had been on the card. I sat in the chair and stared at the image. "Just who are you and why are you so important?" I questioned softly just as I heard a knock on the hidden door. "Come," I called out unsure who I would see.
The man who walked in was none other than Eisen. I looked at him and slipped the card into my pocket. "Eisen, what brings you here?" I asked as I straightened up a little.
"I came to check on you. I'm well aware of what the ritual does to you. If you need to feed, please let me be of help." He said, sounding more and more like his father.
"I'll be alright. This time isn't as draining as in past times. Thank you for your offer but I am done here. I should be getting back to the party. Would you escort me back to Takuma or Kaname?" I asked.
He nodded and bowed to me. "Of course my Lady Suki."
I carefully got up and slipped the shaw on before walking over to him to which he led me out of the room and back down the hall to the party. Before we could find Takuma, Kaname found us and took my hand. I said goodbye to Eisen and let Kaname lead me down to the dance floor for possibly one last dance of the night. It certainly satisfied much of the room's gossip in a matter of seconds. The beautiful Misora heir and the handsome Kuran heir dance in sync.
What none of them would know is that this is just how Kaname plays his games. He draws you in and then takes the bite, much like a spider. It was all a game to him and whether I wanted it or not, I was stuck in his game, but I was not the Queen.
