It was raining.

Raining so hard, Yui could hardly hear herself think over the hammering of water against wood and stone. She'd been struggling with homework, but found herself staring out into the deluge more than focusing on the essay concerning eighteenth century notable antiques. It was due in a week, but she'd probably be sheparding the triplets through theirs the night before as opposed to polishing her own, so it was best to get it done now.

She was reaching for her music player, considering popping in headphones and drowning out the sound of the storm with some Bach when there was a knocking on the front door. In order to be heard from Yui's room, whoever it was had to go after the carved wood panels like a battering ram. Then again, who could blame them, stuck out in this mess? Yui pushed herself up, fully aware that none of the boys could be bothered to answer; they would just assume that whoever it was would get tired of knocking and go away. Because that had worked so well for them the last time.

Trotting down the main staircase, trailing a hand down the banister, Yui squinted out the grand windows flanking the door, trying to catch a glimpse of whoever had come calling. But the glass might as well have been warped metal for all the good it served to see outside, painted opaque with a rippling flow of water. With little caution – after all, she had a sextet of hormonal, antagonistic vampires at her back – Yui pulled open the door, the mist of shattered raindrops caressing her face like a cool hand.

"Yes?" That, however, was all the more she managed to get out when she caught a full glimpse of who stood on the doorstep.

The woman was a little older than Yui, her hair and lashes darkened to near black by the rain, wreathed in drops that caught the light from the chandelier and made her appear to almost sparkle. A flowing peasant skirt, dark teal embroidered with sparkling silver beads, flowed around long legs, ending over brown riding boots that looked comfortably worn and thoroughly damp. Yui couldn't see much of the loose burgundy blouse she wore, not under the rain-stiffened denim jacket, ending at her hips and accenting strong shoulders. The stranger had a hard jawline, soaring cheekbones, a slightly crooked nose, and lips that were currently pulled in and bloodless. All of that made her look quite intimidating; but it was her eyes that appeared downright lethal, causing Yui's shoulders to instinctively hunch.

At first glance, they were the color of steel, harsh and sharp. They moved over everything beyond Yui with fast, ruthless strokes, taking in her surroundings in a manner that reminded her of a hunter. Not a gleeful sort of stripping, the way the guys often looked at her. No, this woman's eyes moved like bullets, swift and calculating, with just enough wariness to hint at bitter experience. It was only when her gaze returned to Yui that she saw a soft ring of green around the pupil, a plush hint of color that would disappear when her pupils dilated.

"Yui? Yui Komori?" the woman asked in a clipped, brisk tone. Remembering her manners, and the downright ferocious tendencies of her housemates, Yui gestured the newcomer in, noticing the compact leather bag she carried and the strong, swinging gait that took her under the elegant light of the chandelier. She shook back that dense mane of long, dark hair, the small braids running along the top half of her head limp and water-logged. Turning those eyes, granite-hard and piercing like a hawk's, back to Yui, she raised slightly winged brows, waiting for an answer.

"Yes, I'm Yui Komori. Can I help you?" Yui couldn't quite help it – her voice sounded as small as she felt. The stranger easily towered over half a foot taller than her, and looked more like a fighter than anything else, despite the pretty dangling silver stars that sparkled at her ears. She stuck out a hand, and Yui hesitantly took it, noticing the ridge of callouses, the long, almost delicate bones, and the faint knots from old breaks.

"Kit St. Peter. And I'm here to help you."

"I-I'm sorry?" Yui stammered, too shocked by this woman's crazy statement to remember to release her hand. Despite the chilling rain, the coolness of Kit's skin was only superficial; heat was already radiating back to the surface, and Yui could almost feel the pulse of blood pounding underneath her skin, see it blooming in her previously wan face. Oh, God. If one of the boys came down now-

"Well, well. Yui, you little minx. So good of you to go out and bring us something to eat on such a dreary day. Darling little Pancake." Damn. All of the Sakimakis drawled in that tingling, sexual tone that had to be illegal in at least four districts, but only Ayato had that bright, sassy timber. He was also the only one that insisted on still using that annoying nickname. Easily remembering how terrified she'd been during her first encounter with the brothers, Yui scrambled for something to say, something to reassure and defuse Kit's concerns while getting her out of here.

When she looked, though, it was apparent she needn't have bothered. Kit had slipped her hand from Yui's grasp, shifting slightly to range herself between Yui and the teenaged vampire slinking down the staircase. Was Kit… trying to protect her? Edging over, trying to read the woman's face, Yui felt the blood drain from her head when she caught Kit's expression. It was… brutal.

She eyed Ayato with a predatory malice, the naked hatred in her cold eyes belying the fact that she didn't know any of them. Did she?

"You must be the youngest triplet. Ayato, right? The one conjuring up revolting nicknames and childish pranks to amuse his massively enlarged ego?" Good Lord. It had been some time since Yui had witnessed Ayato's face twist in fury in quite that manner. And it took far less than Kit's carelessly cruel words, spoken in a cutting, caustic tone, to rouse his temper.

"What?!" he hissed vehemently, abandoning his dramatic entrance to leap the last dozen stairs to the entry hall floor, stalking forward, his fangs bared and his eyes lit with fury. Kit stood her ground, however, appearing almost negligent in her regard of the advancing, enraged vampire. Yui had just caught sight of a quick twist of Kit's wrist when another voice rang through the marble hall.

"Who is this?" Kanato had caught the sound of voices, and came to investigate. Before Yui could open her mouth to explain, Kit's lips, slowly regaining a rosy color, twisted.

"Ugh. Kiddy vamps. They're the worst." If she was aiming to insult every one of the exceedingly dangerous men in this house, then Kit was off to a good start. Kanato's pale purple eyes first widened in a patented expression of hurt confusion before darkening in vicious look that made Yui's bones quiver.

"I am the same age as my brothers. Which will make no difference when I gut you and knit a sweater for my Teddy with your intestines." This was quickly getting out of hand, but Kit just smiled, an expression quite similar to ones Yui had seen on the Sakimaki brothers' faces before, simply lacking the glint of exaggerated fangs. Briefly distracted by the appearance of his closest kin, Ayato resumed circling Kit and Yui, all but ignoring her in favor of the smart-mouthed stranger. She wasn't confident that she would be able to stop them from killing Kit if things got any worse. There was really only one person who could-

"Ayato. Kanato. That is no way to treat a guest, even if you do plan on draining her dry." As a unit, all four of their heads tilted up to where Reiji stood, straight as a spike, looking down at the rapidly degrading scene from the second-story walkway. Kit's eyes narrowed, and for the first time since she saw her, Yui watched consideration, a sort of cautious measuring, tint her eyes.

"You the one holding their leashes?" In lieu of agreement, Reiji nudged the corner of his glasses up as he started towards the stairs.

"Someone has to," he murmured. Ayato and Kanato bristled, but fell silent as their brother began to descend the stairs, aiming a killing glance their way to make his point.

"Shu Sakimaki?" His expression didn't change, but Yui saw the way Reiji's eyes flickered at the mistake. If Kit had been hoping for an ally, she'd just made certain that the bespectacled vampire wasn't it.

"No. I am the second son, Reiji." Before he could continue, Kit nodded.

"Ah. So you're the clever, cruel one obsessed with rules." Reiji's brow quirked at the quick, careless summation of his personality, but didn't deny it. Instead, he smoothly diverted.

"It's a pleasure to have you here, madam, but I must ask. Who are you, and what brings you to our door?" Kit tossed her hair back in what could only be described as a regal gesture.

"I was invited" she said coolly, evading Reiji's first question.

"Who would be stupid enough to invite someone like you?" Subaru snarled from the shadows of the staircase, his hair glittering like alabaster and his red eyes simmering with a dislike she earned simply by breathing.

"I would." All eyes whipped to where Shu had suddenly appeared, lounging on the last six steps like a sleepy prince.

"So we have the baby delinquent and the deadbeat musician," Kit murmured under her breath. Although he undoubtedly heard her, Reiji ignored Kit in favor of frowning at his brother.

"Why do we discover these things only after strangers have arrived on our doorstep?" Shu just shrugged, tapping his foot lazily in time with the music moving through the earbud he'd left in. This must be serious, indeed, if he'd taken one of his headphones out to listen.

"That doesn't explain why she's here, or who the hell she is," Kanato protested with a frown, hugging his cycloptic teddy bear to his chest. Yui wondered why they were all keeping their relative distance. When they'd advanced on Yui her first night in the house, the brothers had crowded and prodded, licked and sniffed. Now, however, they were like a pack of wary wolves, eyeing the intruder in their midst with bloody interest, but cautious enough to maintain a safe perimeter. Yui had to admit that Kit did not seem like someone who would take a playful nuzzle on the neck very well.

"I'm here because the choice is either putting up with me and my colleagues for a short time or having a garrison of High Order knights descending on this lovely house like a plague and snatching Yui away once the threat here has been eradicated." That crisp remark was followed by utter silence, the brothers' eyes falling on Kit with bright, terrible weight. Nothing made these vampires quite as dangerous as provoking their territorial instincts. Except Shu, of course, who still had his head tipped back against a step and his eyes closed.

"What are you talking about?" Ayato snapped, surging closer to Yui. Kit shifted between them again, and he was forced to halt his advance, the two locked in a contest of wills. Kit looked away first, back to the two elder brothers on the staircase, but only because Ayato's shoulders had lowered and his head slowly reared back.

"I'm talking about the High Order's ruling in regards to Yui Komori's situation." Frowns abounded, and unnaturally bright eyes narrowed. Instead of responding to their expressions, however, Kit turned and faced Yui. The fierceness drained from her face, leaving reassurance and quiet strength.

"You are very precious, Yui, and your continued survival is both cause for hope and further investigation. Your father's faith is what sent you here, but in light of the events involving Richter and these idiots, your safety has been called into question. I'm here to protect you," she said softly, resting a hand lightly on Yui's shoulder. Once she nodded, Kit turned her eyes back to the brothers and continued.

"And to act as assessor. I will judge whether or not it's wise for Yui Komori to remain in the custody of the Sakimaki brothers. She's too valuable to leave to a bunch of little boys who are careless with their toys. We can't risk one of you snapping her neck because you were roughhousing. Tossing her into a pool when she can't swim and gnawing on her like a dog does his favorite bone is bad enough."

"Your judgment in this matter is completely unnecessary," Reiji protested, his tone millimeters from a snarl. Kit inclined her head in acquiescence, a sharp smile shaping her soft mouth.

"I completely agree. I proposed that we should just have the knights take her and be done with it. But this is a courtesy paid to one of the oldest full-blood vampiric bloodlines in existence. If I deem you all worthy, you can continue your twisted little game as though nothing has changed."

"And if you don't?" Yui whispered. Kit turned, the green slowly overtaking her eyes as she took in Yui's expression.

"Then you'll be leaving. Vampires are dangerous under the best of circumstances, and if these nimrods can't value and protect you, then they damn well don't deserve you."

"Come now, bitch," Laito drawled, having snuck close enough to murmur in Kit's ear and trail his fingers along her cheek, moving her hair back over the shell of her ear to bare her pale neck. "There's no need to-" Laito recoiled with a hiss. What happened next had everyone's eyes going wide. Yui had never seen a mortal move so fast. Kit spun, her skirt belling out around her, and lunged at Laito. Yui couldn't help it – she squeaked. The tall, dark woman fisted her hand in Laito's white shirt, and since they were about the same height, yanked him in until they were nose to nose. Her eyes had gone from mossy soft to a silver hard enough to crack concrete, the light of bloodlust making her irises glimmer. But the most shocking aspect was the small, almost delicate stiletto hovering just against the soft underside of Laito's jaw. After having produced it from seemingly out of nowhere, Kit's blade glinted with sterling intent.

"Fuck. You." The intensity of Kit's measured words had the silence growing until it pressed against skin. By the time Ayato collected himself enough to move to his twin's aid, Kit had released him, tucked her blade out of sight, and returned to where Yui was standing, shell-shocked and stunned. Before she leaned down to pick up her bag, she twisted to face Laito again.

"And your stupid fucking hat." With that, she snagged her bag and straightened, addressing the hall at large.

"My two colleagues will be here in a matter of days. Things got a little messy in Prague, and they stayed behind to mop up. I assume you have somewhere for us to stay in this gargantuan house?" She aimed her question at Reiji, but instead of responding to her, he nodded minimally at Yui. Remembering the bank of rooms across the hall and slightly farther down from hers', she assumed that was Reiji's intentions.

"This way, please, Kit," she bid quietly, leading the way out of the tension-soaked hall. Kit paused, however, near Laito.

"Touch me again, and I'll castrate you and shove you pathetic manhood down your throat until you asphyxiate on it." Flashing a narrow, sphinx-like smile, Kit continued after Yui, who was blushing furiously at the woman's smoothly delivered threat. Together, they passed through the gauntlet of the eldest brothers, Kit remaining defiantly calm despite moving within feet of two of the most pure-bred vampires currently walking the earth. It wasn't until the women's footsteps had disappeared from even their advanced hearing that the brothers finally broke the shocked silence.

"Bitch," Laito managed, having recovered his cocky confidence now that Kit's hostile virulence faded with distance, readjusting his insulted hat and straightening his abused shirt. Thoughtfully, he rubbed the bottom of his chin, where the halo of silver had almost stung.

"Indeed," Reiji murmured, his eyes still trained on the hallway the tall woman had disappeared through.

"She's wearing long silver earrings. Who does that?" Laito muttered, rubbing his still-singed fingertips together. He'd brushed against the delicate silver chains when pulling Kit's damp hair, thick with the scent of rain and skin and herbs, back from the long column of her neck. However, everyone ignored the bitching induced by his wounded pride. Honestly, they were all a little dazed. It had been a very long time, if ever, since any creature besides each other had physically threatened them, with serious intent and weight, and survived. Usually flashing the fangs, manhandling a mortal a little, and tossing out a couple of kill threats was enough to bring any stray easily under command. Not this one, however. Her demeanor was dangerous enough; but there was something else, a kind of aura that felt almost… metallic.

"She smells different," Kanato piped up. "Like steel and smoke."

"That's because she's a hunter," Shu replied with relaxed indifference. However, every other being in the hall stiffened at his proclamation.

"You invited a hunter into our home?" Ayato snarled.

"And not just any hunter, either," Reiji added, his voice heavy with condemnation. "She's a member of the Crimson Quarter, isn't she?" Shu just shrugged again.

"What's the Crimson Quarter?" Kanato asked. Laito, Ayato, and Subaru all looked equally confused. Reiji sighed heavily; infants, all of them.

"It's the High Order's version of a hit squad. They're the most dangerous hunters at the Order's disposal, and are touted to be without equal. If a pack of vampires gets too unruly or careless with their kills, the Order will send in a Crimson Quarter hunter. They usually don't operate in teams of more than three, so they're sending us a full squad of their elites under the guise of a truce."

"Has to be better than a garrison of knights, though, right?" Ayato said hopefully. He didn't need to see his older brother's eyes to know that Reiji was resisting the urge to roll them. Instead, he pinned his magenta gaze on a snoozing Shu, more irritated than he could possibly describe. And his vocabulary was vast.

"Not really. In fact, I think that woman and her compatriots are far worse than any army." Shu's crystalline eyes flickered open briefly at Reiji's irritated statement.

"I thought it would be easier playing host to three rather than three hundred." Reiji's response to that logic was simple.

"Moron." Sighing through his nose, he looked again up to the doorway where he'd last seen the hunter's straight spine.

"We'll have to be careful about this," he declared to his brothers, the younger ones ringed around the base of the stairs now that Yui and the hunter were gone. "Things could go awry very easily, and we could lose our bride."

"I'll rip them to shreds if they try and take her," Ayato violently promised. Reiji resisted the urge to shake his head, descending into his thoughts as the junior vampires began to bicker. They could likely silence the hunters if their opinion proved unfavorable. But it would cost them. Oh, it would cost the Sakimaki brothers dearly. He'd been right – a garrison of knights would have been far less hassle. But annihilation wasn't the simplest path; much easier to play by the hunters' rules and wait them out. They were too valuable to post on babysitting detail for long, and if the High Order did send replacements, it was highly doubtful they would be of the Crimson Quarter caliber. No doubt proving easier to quietly dispatch and silence this matter for good.

"Regardless," he said with a low voice of command, halting the sniping before it got any louder. "Our guest is to be treated with respect. We will follow the rules and get this over with as quickly as possible. Miss… What is her name, Shu?"

"Christine St. Peter," he provided, not bothering to lift his eyelids. Shaking his head at his brother's complete lack of concern, Reiji continued.

"Miss Christine St. Peter is off limits. Give her and her fellow hunters a wide berth, and we have to use kid gloves with Yui. That is all." Like a general dismissing his troops, Reiji pivoted on his heel and marched up the stairs. As he moved towards his rooms, however, he paused in a dim hallway, the echo of his brothers' discontent still ringing in his ears. That, however, wasn't what was commanding his attention. Pulling off his glasses and slowly polishing the lenses with a snowy handkerchief, Reiji ran his tongue around pointed teeth. No wonder the woman went by a nickname. It was as if her full name had been dipped in holy water, leaving the taste of ash in his mouth upon the speaking of it. Her name marked her as a hunter more thoroughly than her skill or attitude.

She could be a serious threat. Well, he'd dealt with worse before. He might even enjoy this. Breaking a hunter of Christine St. Peters' quality would be quite a thrill. Reiji began calculating if it was worth the risk.

Yui had picked the second room after hers on the opposite side of the hallway because she thought Kit would appreciate the view of the gardens. That, and the furniture was themed in a lovely, soft jewel green that she hoped would appeal. Clicking on the lights, Yui watched as Kit set her bag on a small side table, striding to the windows and whipping open curtains made of dark emerald damask, lined with a filmy layer of fabric the color of mint.

Obviously, her concern had been pointless, as Kit paid zero attention to the fabric in her hands while her gaze swiftly passed over what little landscape was visible outside through the rain. After nodding at her reflection in the window, she prowled the edges of the room, looking for Yui had no idea what. Finally, though, Kit returned to where Yui uncomfortably stood slowly wringing her hands together and undid the clasp holding her bag closed, peeling off the water-hard jacket. Draping it over the back of a chair to dry, Yui could now see the loose, short-sleeved bohemian blouse the color of old blood, bound at her waist by a thick black belt, and a sturdy silver chain that disappeared beneath the gathered neck. She shook her wet hair loose before beginning to rifle through her bag.

"Some digs," Kit offered as she began pulling things out. Trying not to stare at the foot long silver crucifix she'd produced or the broad, scrolled silver cuffs, each bisected by a thin stretch of black leather, on each of Kit's wrists, Yui cleared her throat.

"Yes, it's quite a lovely mansion." Struggling with her concerns, it took Yui a moment to continue. "Umm, Kit?"

"What's up?" she asked as she hung up jeans and shirts in the mirrored cherry wardrobe. This was the only wing of the house with mirrors. They'd been removed by and large from any area the brothers usually occupied.

"I was wondering… did you really mean what you said downstairs?" Kit paused while tucking another pair of boots on the wardrobe's floor, catching Yui's eyes in the mirror.

"Did I look like I was joking?" she asked, arching a brow as she straightened.

"No, no, I just… What exactly is the High Order? And why do they have an interest in me?" Kit returned to her bag, continuing to unpack as she explained.

"The High Order was initially a group of priests. Some say Knights Templar coming back from the Crusades, others say warrior monks returning from the Orient. Hard to know exactly. Either way, there were two things that set these priests apart from usual men of the cloth; they knew of the existence of vampires, and they had the will and skill to destroy them. The reason humanity is unaware of vampires and not yet extinct is because of our actions. We can't yet eradicate them, but we are gaining ground. I'm surprised you don't already know this." Yui cocked her head, trying to absorb the information and follow Kit's line of logic.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because your father is a member." Terrible silence reigned for a beat.

"But he's a priest," Yui automatically protested. She felt like her head was full of cotton, all pertinent knowledge and understanding simply sucked away in the aftermath of that bombshell. Kit just nodded and continued.

"All members of the Order except those in my sect are ordained. We're too valuable as killers to quibble over priesthood," Kit added with a thin smile. Yui got the feeling, though, that the last thing she felt in regards to that fact was pride.

"Anyway. Your dad had his share of field ops, but he's largely retired to research and archiving now. He sent you here because he thought you would be safe, that it was your destiny. The path God had made for you." Kit didn't quite turn away towards the dresser in time to hide the extravagant roll of her eyes. "He was banking on your heart to keep you safe. And it should have, if those psychopaths downstairs had any sense beyond their lust for the hunt."

"But why does it matter? I mean, I understand my father's concern. But why would the High Order care about me?" Yui was almost distracted enough to miss the long, wickedly sharp dagger Kit slipped into her sock drawer.

"Because you're a half breed. Not the first we've ever seen, but certainly the first of your kind. The implications of your existence are enormous, and there's valuable data still hidden in your blood. It's common knowledge within the community that a bride has never survived awakening, and certainly not with vampiric powers. That makes you very special, and very interesting. We can't afford to risk it all on a bunch of nutballs who can't keep it in their pants." Yui's face flamed, and before she had a chance to stammer a protest, Kit continued. "Metaphorically speaking," she conceded. They shared an awkward smile, woman to woman, before Kit started talking again.

"All that notwithstanding, you're technically Cordelia's heir. And she was one mean, sexy, evil bitch back in the day. That's an awful lot of bad mixed in with your inherent good. If a shit storm's on the horizon, the Order doesn't want to be caught off guard, and we can't trust the Sakimakis to keep us honestly informed. So that's my job. First wave recon. Never a fun gig, but hey," she said nonchalantly with a roll of her shoulders. "I'm a good little soldier.

With that, she withdrew a very ugly, very black pistol, checking the clip and slapping it back into place with the relaxed ease of someone extremely experienced with firearms. Cocking it with an awful, echoing series of clicks, Kit set it down next to the crucifix before meeting Yui's eyes. She didn't say anything, but the hunter didn't have to.

She wasn't just a soldier. Kit was a warrior, battle-hardened inside and out. And if anyone, anyone, could kill a Sakimaki vampire, Kit St. Peter could.

I bet some of you folks are wondering where the heck the next Phoenix chapter is. Well, my life got shoved into a blender and somebody hit frappe. So, in the meantime, while I regain my momentum, here's a little something I was toodling with that I hadn't yet decided whether or not I would post it. I figured, might as well. It starts out pretty obviously Tango, but this one veers a little off course later on.

I didn't particularly like this series, but the boys are so pretty, and so badly deserve a sound ass-kicking. So I dreamt up some hot badasses to do just that.

Hope you like it!

Love, Tango