Kaname Kuran, head of the Kuran family and a pureblood vampire, sat in the elegantly furnished sitting room of Asato Ichijo, the grandfather of Takuma Ichijo; one of Kaname's friends and classmates.

"I hope you don't mind me taking you away from Cross Academy for the moment, Lord Kaname," Ichio told Kaname as he sat on the blue sofa across the coffee table from Kaname.

"Of course not, Ichio," Kaname answered. "Especially when it concerns one of my classmates."

A knock sounded on the polished mahogany door.

"Enter," Ichio said.

The door swung open and a young maid came in, her blue uniform matching the blue carpets and walls of the sitting room; it was oddly disorienting. She stared at the floor and carried a silver tea tray laden with a blue and white teapot, two matching cups, cream, sugar and assorted confectionaries. She set them out on the coffee table.

When she was finished, she knelt in front of Ichio and bowed her head. "She is ready, Master," the maid said quietly.

"Very well, you may go."

The maid stood and walked over to the door. She held it open while a butler came in clad in a black suit with an unsettling blue shimmer to it, dragging a young girl behind him by the arm.

She wore a nearly transparent pink dress whose thin straps nearly fell off her thin shoulders. She didn't have any shoes and her long, silver hair was tangled about her face. Yet what Kaname found most striking, and a little disconcerting, about the girl was her eyes. They were a beautiful turquoise and were completely emotionless, as if they belonged to a blank slate.

The butler bowed to Ichio and then proceeded to drag the girl over to Kaname.

"For you, Lord Kaname," Ichio said with false sincerity. "You must keep up your strength. Living on blood tablets at that Academy must be difficult."

Kaname smiled politely. "Thank you for your concern, but tea will be just fine."

Ichio pursed his lips in disapproval. "Very well, Lord Kaname," he said, snapping his fingers. The butler bowed again and left the room with the girl.

Ichio leaned back against the sofa and crossed his arms. "As you know, I only allow Takuma to attend that Academy because you're there, Lord Kaname. My only concern is that the finer points of Takuma's education will be lost between the cracks, so to speak. That is why I ask your permission to have Takuma work on a small project for me. If you're willing, of course."

Kaname inclined his head toward Ichio. "Of course. I see no problem." Yet, anyway. Ichio most likely had a scheme against Kaname up his sleeve, but Kaname would let things fold out for now. It was all part of the greater scheme of things.

Ichio smiled a curt smile. "Thank you, Lord Kaname. I will inform Takuma of the arrangements this evening."

Just then, another knock sounded on the door.

Ichio looked mildly irritated. "Enter."

The same butler as before opened the door and walked in. He bowed to Ichio. "Master Ichio, an urgent message has come from the Senate. Several Hunter were seen near the Council building."

Ichio nodded, dismissing the butler and turned back to Kaname. "My apologies, Lord Kaname. It seems I have an urgent matter to attend to."

Kaname stood and grabbed his overcoat from the back of the sofa. "I understand, Ichio. I'll show myself out."

Ichio stood as well, bowing. "Thank you, Lord Kaname."

Kaname walked out the door and down the hall. He smiled to himself as he walked down the staircase to the foyer. He could hear Ichio's raised voice in the study. The hunters had done their job well.

Then strange scent caught Kaname's attention. It was the scent of blood. It seemed to be coming from the direction of the kitchen. Curious, Kaname made a detour and stopped at the door outside the kitchen. The door was open a crack and gave him the perfect view of the goings-on inside.

In front of the large work table next to the fire stood the maid from earlier and the butler. Between them and the table was the girl with the turquoise eyes. Although now she looked a sight worse than earlier.

Her thin dress was ripped in several places and the back of it was torn to shreds, the threads barely holding together. There were several bloody lacerations, as if she had been beaten with a switch, a willowy stick that was very similar to a whip and was just as painful. Her tangled hair was now matted in places with dark, sticky blood. It smelled strange. It wasn't quite the scent of a vampire's blood, or quite that of a human. It was something...in between.

"How dare you displease Lord Kaname!" the butler yelled at the girl, giving her a blow with a wooden spoon that made her head snap sideways with a crack that made Kaname cringe inside. It would make even a well-trained vampire hunter cry out from the pain, yet she said nothing. As if it was normal.

"Thousands of girls would die for the chance that Lord Kaname would drink their blood and yet he refused you!" the maid screeched. She moved to grab one of the girl's hands and Kaname saw a cauldron of boiling water hanging over the fire a split second before the maid plunged the girl's right hand into it, holding it in the boiling water.

The girl didn't cry out, but Kaname saw her bite her lip against the pain as a single tear fell from her turquoise eyes. The butler noticed the tear, slipped his glove off and slapped her bare handed on the cheek, leaving an angry red hand print there.

Kaname couldn't stand any more of this. He stepped into the kitchen. "Both of you are a disgrace to the vampire species," he said.

The maid and the butler's eyes widened in shock.

"L-Lord Kaname, we were only-" the maid stuttered, dropping into a deep bow.

"You were only abusing a defenseless girl for something she didn't do," Kaname told them coldly. The girl hadn't moved. "You may tell Ichio that this girl is mine and she is now under my protection."

"But Lord Kaname-" the butler began, looking up at him. He fell silent when he saw Kaname's eyes. There wasn't a doubt in his mind that the Pureblood wouldn't hesitate to destroy him.

Kaname gently wrapped his arm around the girl's shoulders, turning her toward him and guiding her out the door. As they walked toward the front door, Kaname looked down at her. She was small and thin and she still hadn't said a word.

He stopped her in the foyer and draped his overcoat around her shoulders. It enveloped her and nearly dragged the ground. Kaname knelt down in front of her and buttoned the coat around her. Her eyes were still staring into space.

Kaname stood and opened the door. He gently grabbed the girl's hand and pulled her down the steps toward the car. The driver got out and opened the back door for Kaname. Then a small hand gripped his tightly.

Kaname turned toward the girl in surprise. A pair of big, terrified turquoise eyes stared up at him. She had come back to herself. "What's wrong?" he asked, concerned.

The girl looked at the car and then back at him a few times.

"I promise, no one will hurt you," Kaname reassured her.

She shook her head violently and tried to tug her hand away from Kaname. Kaname sighed and gently grabbed her, resting his hand on her head and using his powers to make her go to sleep. He then picked her up and got in the car, laying her head on his lap.

Kaname looked up at the driver, who had gotten back into the car. "Cross Academy," he said. The driver nodded.

As soon as they arrived at the Academy, Kaname carried the girl up to the Headmaster's office. He didn't bother to knock, he simply opened the door with his powers and walked in.

Kaien Cross, the headmaster and founder of Cross Academy, looked up from his paperwork in surprise. He quickly stood up and walked around the desk as Kaname laid the girl on one of the hideous green sofas in front of the big oak desk. "Dear me, Kaname, you've kidnapped another one!" cried the headmaster.

Kaname pointedly ignored Kaien's comment. "I want her enrolled in the Night Class."

Kaien looked down at the girl on his couch. There was going to be a blood stain on it for sure. He looked back up at Kaname. "All joking aside, Kaname, who is she?"

"I don't know," Kaname answered. "I found her being assaulted by Ichio's household."

"It's not like you to show compassion to complete strangers, Kaname. Why do you want her in the Night Class?" Kaien asked. "Isn't she a human?"

"I'm curious," Kaname told him bluntly, ignoring the second question. "I want her to make friends, preferably with Yuki, so as soon as she's feeling better, I want her to join the Disciplinary Committee."

Kaien nodded. He had a feeling that this girls' joining the Disciplinary Committee wasn't only about making friends. "Alright. I'll have a few weapons ready for her to choose from." He was concerned, but he knew that Kaname knew the risks.

Kaname bent down and picked the girl up off the couch. A small groan came from her. He started to walk out the door.

"Kaname, what's her name?" Kaien asked quickly.

Kaname looked over his shoulder at the headmaster. "Claudia."