Chapter 11

Kore received a call from her cousins' guard early Friday morning, a couple of hours after the Key House got back from the main building.

Markus, Richard, Ruel and Kore were all sitting in Iscariot's office, all dressed ready to go to sleep or to lounge around. A pair of shorts and tight tank top, alongside a simple pair of sliders and no bra. Why would she wear one when she was about to go to sleep straight after this? Made no sense for her to change into this, and then have to take it off again when she went to sleep.

Richard and Ruel were the ones who were the most awake out of all of them.

Ruel was smart, having made three cups of tea and a cup of coffee with the help of Richard. Kore nursed the coffee, having been Magically drained since she had to ward two separate rooms within the span of an hour today. Her hair was messily done into a top knot she could undo before bed.

The sun began to rise an hour ago, bringing with it the harsh brightness of the blue skies. As soon as a single ray of sunlight entered the office, she scowled and flicked her hand towards the window, shutting the curtains with Magic.

"Another ten minutes," she stated, her hand over her eyes as she was tired and cranky now. She took a sip of the now cold coffee, not bothering to heat it up again. "I'd love it if they would all hurry up already. I'm exhausted and want to sleep."

"You have put up the wards for the triplets' rooms, haven't you?" Markus asked. "Is that why you are so tired?"

"Yeah, I've put it off for long enough and had it to do it tonight before they came," she whined a little, putting her arms on the table as she leaned down. "I had to cleanse the rooms of Magic from previous occupants and that drained me more than it should have. Cleansing isn't my forte."

"What is your forte?"

"Any type of energy, usually electricity and lightning, or other times Magic. Depends on factors." She sat up, suddenly even more annoyed than before as she clenched her hands and her cup cracked a little. She sighed, rubbing her thumb against the crack and fixing it with ease. "I just want to go to sleep."

Tsar was sprawling on the floor, curling around one of her ankles with his tail tucked close to her skin.

He was getting a little bigger now. As he spent time with her, he started to absorb bits of her Magic, becoming stronger and leaner as he grew to a size between kit and adult. Tsar was the size of a medium-sized house cat, a little on the skinner size but he had muscles over those bones instead of fat.

They finally arrived.

The Sallow triplets had dark brown hair with different coloured hair under it.

Usher had dark blue eyes with a navy undercut and a gelled-back hairstyle. Bereket had dark green eyes with mossy hair and hair swept to the side. Cera's left eye matched Usher's blue, while her right matched Bereket's green. Her own hair was brown on top with a deep turquoise colour.

Cera was the shortest of them all, but only by a couple of inches. Bereket and Usher were mirrored twins. Both had a single mole over an eyebrow while Cera had one on top of each of her eyebrows.

They all looked tired and sleepy, so Kore introduced them to everyone rather quickly before ushering them all to go to bed in their dorms.

Cera would get her own dorm much like Kore, but the boys would share. They wouldn't have to attend class until Monday night so they had time to settle in.

)()()(

It was just Markus' luck that when he needed to speak to Kore, she was in the bath.

"Go away, I'm in the bath,"

"How long do you think you will be?" he sighed. "I have something I might need to inform you of."

"I just got in," She groaned, "Get in here and talk to me then."

"Is that even...appropriate? I wouldn't want to overstep," he said.

"Witches don't really have a sense of modesty, Markus. And I'm completely covered by water and bubbles anyway,"

He saw her instantly when the door opened.

Kore had her hair up in the top knot from earlier, keeping it out of her face and out of the pink milky water. The water was unbelievably high, any sort of movement would have made it split but as Kore sat up, the water didn't dare spill.

He came in, closing the outer door to the hall before coming completely into the bathroom to lean against the counter.

"We have a whole festival dedicated to the dear old Lupercalia, a fertility festival similar to Valentine's day but a little more physical." Kore continued, turning herself towards him as she sat up in the pinky pale water, various petals of pink, purple and red flowers stuck to her shoulders and arms.

The bathroom smelt of roses, a dash of lavender, and various other sweet and spicy-smelling ingredients from the bath.

She leaned over the edge of the bathtub, placing her arms on it as she rested her head on her arms. Her grin showed off perfectly inhuman teeth, considering her heritage. A little too sharp and feral to be human but not enough to cause concern.

The Witch looked quite like a cat which got the cream, canary, and mouse, all in one.

"So what did you think was so important that you needed to interrupt my glorious bath?" Her eyes glowed faintly silver as she activated her gift, a small surprised 'Oh' coming out of her. "You're anxious. Do tell why..."

"While Witches may not have much modesty, Vampires do,"

She giggled, letting the sound turn into a laugh as she looked at him like he was a strange creature in front of her. It turned from a simple light-hearted laugh to more of a chuckle now.

"It's not because I'm in the bath, is it?" Kore chuckled, starting to come out of the water just a tad to lean on her arms more.

By some miracle, or curse perhaps, the various shades of warm-coloured petals stuck to her skin. Nothing that she didn't want to be seen was exposed, her chest was barely covered but it wasn't anything that wouldn't have been seen if she was in one of her skimpy bikinis.

Kore flicked her silver eyes between his, watching for any indication.

"No? Alright," She laid back down in the water. "Pass me the pink salt in that jar and tell me what you wanted to say."

He grabbed the jar, opened it and scattered some of the rose and lavender-scented salt crystals in the pinky water. He stared at her face as he did so, only glancing down at her form when he stepped back to lean against the sink.

Markus began, "The Orion has heard of Davina's death. I think they'll send someone to get you. I just want you to be prepared for it."

"Why?" she asked. "Who would they even send?"

"They will send a group of Guardians," he said. "I don't know when or how many."

"Guardians?" she frowned. "I'll be fine."

"I thought it would be best to warn you of that. And of Ruel's problem."

"Excuse me? What's wrong with Ruel?"

"Can't you sense it?" he tilted his head. "It's not much but even as a Vampire myself, I can feel the corrupted Warden in him. Letting him go crazy won't help any of us."

Kore moved in the water, less laying and more sitting up as she wrapped her arms around her legs and brought her knees up. Petals seemed to slide away as she more or less covered herself with her limbs, exposing her shoulder and the whole scar of her back. "Yeah, I'll check him out. Now turn around as I'm about to get out."

He did as asked, closing his eyes too as he faced the mirror. He heard the water ripple and then she got out, wrapping herself in a robe.

"You can turn around," Kore muttered, lifting one of the sleeves to her elbows as she unplugged the bathtub and allowed the water to empty.

When he saw how she wore the silk robe, left under right, he went to stop her.

"Hey! What the fu—"

He glared at her, loosening the short silk robe before taking the right side, tucking it so it went to the other side of her waist before doing the same to the left. He tied the belt tight enough that Kore gasped and gritted her teeth, glaring at him before he let it go loose enough that she could breathe.

"I will repeat. I do not want a corrupted Warden in this school," Markus said and pulled her in by the belt until his chest touched hers, his nostrils flaring as his fangs descended and eyes glowed. All he could smell was the spice of her blood and the rose lavender. "And the right way to wear a yukata is right under the left side."

"But I prefer it left under right," she shoved him back, redoing the robe herself even if she felt his eyes glaring at her and staring her form down as she did so. She stormed into her bedroom without looking back, going to her desk quickly.

He followed her, his lip curling in a half smile, half scowl. "Only the dead wear it that way,"

"Does that mean you do too?" Kore gave him a look.

"As will you if you don't stop tempting me into draining you dry and killing you."

Kore truly laughed, a scoff in the beginning.

This time she grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, bringing him closer so she could look him in the eyes better.

"Try it and see how your blood boils before you can even touch me."

He leaned down a touch more. "Is that a challenge?"

"Take it as you will." She dared to look up the tiniest bit more, leaning her head an inch too much to the side before his control snapped.

He pushed her until she had her back to a wall, a knee between her legs as he used his frame to keep her in place. It didn't scare her as she just grinned at him, electricity coursing on the surface of her skin.

Markus felt the tiny zaps of lightning going through her as her eyes glowed a clearer white silver than normal, turning her eye colour to something that looked like literal lightning going off.

He placed his left hand on her jaw, the other arm on the other side of her head so he could lean forwards to near her ear.

"Don't tempt something you can't handle." His breath was on her ear.

"Asshole," She couldn't help but grin like the Cheshire Cat.

The little show of her licking the corner of her lower lip did it for him. He leaned forward towards her lips, keeping an eye on her own heavy-lidded eyes as he placed a hand over her mouth. Confusion lined her face before surprise appeared when he kissed the back of his hand, indirectly kissing her before she realised.

He leaned back as someone knocked at the door, smirking at her frazzled expression.

"Patience is a virtue, Princess." Markus quickly laid a kiss on her cheek before she recovered. By the time she was, he had stepped away enough that the growing electricity going through her skin was barely touching him.

"You bastard!" she gasped in disbelief and disappointment, pouting a tad along with scowling at him as she followed him to the door. "I'm a fucking Witch! We don't give a shit about virtues and vices, Markus!"

"My blood didn't do as you said it would," he smirked.

"Because you didn't intend to hurt me. If you meant it, you would be in agony." The knock at the door happened again. "Who is it?"

"Ruel with your tea, Kore," His voice sounded through the door. Kore clicked her fingers and the door opened.

"On the contrary, Princess Greylight, I intended the opposite thing of harm," Markus smiled softly. "And it seems it had the correct effect."

Kore fumed, gesturing to the door with a glare that intended to be angry and rageful but wasn't even the least.

"Get the fuck out, Alastair!"

The wards and salt lines in the room forced him out of the room within a split second of her saying it.

He left the doorway with a small incline of the head and a curl of the lips, nodding to Ruel afterwards before leaving for his room.

"Must you tease him, Kore?" Ruel sighed, closing the door with his foot before he placed the tea on the desk. "A provoked Vampire will take it as a challenge, and a challenged Vampire is not a good thing."

"He makes me so fucking angry!" She grabbed a vase of lavender flowers, chucking them at the wall where the previous thing happened. It was satisfying to watch the way the glass splintered and dropped to the ground in a wet mess. A single clap from her and the pieces was brought back together along with the water in it and the flowers.

"Sit down and drink your tea," Ruel said, taking the teapot and pouring the lightly steaming liquid into the two teacups. "And I agree, he is frustrating. He keeps secrets and makes plans that affect us all. But you do the same."

She plopped herself on her bed, crossing her legs as she moved a small circular pillow onto her lap before taking the offered teacup. Ruel took a seat on the bed too, sipping his own cup of tea after putting the tray on the bed for easier access.

"Both schemers and collectors, leaders of a race. Perfect match, I'd think." Ruel said, laughing as she just glared at him from over her teacup. "Don't give me that look, Kore. You've seen him. You could do a lot worse than him, you know."

"I don't like being teased."

"Which one of you started it?"

"He started by saying I shouldn't tempt him into killing me and then I said my blood in him, he got hold of a tiny bit when I was injured once, would boil him alive if he tried to harm me." She sipped her tea, calming down. "He asked if that was a challenge and I said take it as you will. Then I found myself against the wall with him against me."

Ruel hummed. "You both have been dancing around each other for a while."

"Since when?"

"From what you've told me since you came here and interfered with his plans for the Institute."

"It's not like I could help coming here, here or be under the Crown's control until I am of age."

"True." He nodded. "He's not ugly at least."

She grumbled in agreement. "Stupid handsome face."

"You'd be a powerful couple," He said. "A Vampire considered royalty and a royal Witch, no one would oppose you if they didn't absolutely have to. I've seen his type in Guardians. Markus Alastair would be willing to kill for his lover. And you, Kore, you would kill any who would even dare think of hurting what's yours. Tell me I'm wrong."

"Love is a weakness, Ruel." She finished her cup and placed it down on the tray. "I don't want to fall in love with someone weak, or someone who would try and influence me and my decisions about my people."

"Would Markus do that?" She sent him a look. "Right, of course, he would. But just as you would do the same to him. How did this whole argument between you start anyway?"

"I wore my robe left under right instead of left over right, and he decided to fix it himself and I decided to do it my way again." She shrugged. "It's a robe, not a yukata or kimono. And who cares if only the dead wear it like that? I'm a foreigner, I can't be expected to know it."

"That's where the killing you comment came from."

Ruel sighed.

)()()(

"Must you sulk, Kore?" Ruel sighed, an umbrella in his hand as he held it up for both of them. They were walking to the main building for lessons the next night and there was a sudden onslaughter of rain and thunder coming down on the Institute.

"I am not sulking."

"Tell that to the weather."

"Alright, I might be." She pouted with a scowl, linking her arm through his so they could walk a little closer and be under the umbrella a bit better. "I'm still annoyed from this morning."

Ruel snickered each time she glared at Markus. The Vampire was leading the group as they all walked, carrying an umbrella as Richard stood next to him and discussed something. Markus would turn his head every so often, catching her glaring before he sent a smirk and returned to his conversation.

It just soured her mood, making the downpour heavier and a couple of strikes of thunder slash through the sky.

As the triplets arrived at the school, they were introduced to the Prefects and then were sent off to class.

"Why are these classes so much easier?" Bereket asked in the class.

Kore passed an energy drink can over to Ruel so he could open it for her. She had trouble opening them with her long nails but she didn't like using her Magic for such a trivial thing. She nodded her thanks before sipping the neon green liquid.

"Probs because we're not actually learning anything," she said. "Orion and the Chamber help fund schools, wanting Arcanes to get an education. There are other schools with more Arcane members. Most of the people here already have careers after school."

"You four, pay attention for once!" Laurent shouted from the whiteboard. "Kore, don't even think about chucking that book at me!"

She sighed sarcastically, placing the textbook down.

"I was going to test your Warden reflexes," she grinned.

Laurent just gave her a look before turning back to his whiteboard.