Dylan sighed as she threw a few more lazy punches at the practice dummy in the gym. It had been an uneventful week so far but that's how things worked for her. The Guardians watching over the school came early to do the rounds and check the barriers and the surrounding areas for Strigoi. There were no other kids her age there and that meant she was left to her own devices most of the time while her 'parents' were out patrolling. Gunner Marks and Angelina Ross were the closest thing she had to family other than Sebastian Lazar, his wife, and their child Clementine. They'd taken her in when she was still just a baby and they'd raised her themselves. It was an odd way for a Moroi to be raised but most people had quit gossiping about it... Now, they just talked about her choices.

See, most Moroi were almost regal in the way they carried themselves. They practiced the fine arts, they used their magic to make things grow, they were raised to be dainty and let others defend them... Dylan wasn't like that. From an early age she'd been different. She'd been around Moroi and she hadn't liked their nobles or the way they treated Dhampirs like her grandparents on Anna's side. She'd watched Anna and Gunner practice and had been around Sebastian who was one of few who'd been in agreement with learning to use magic offensively... She'd wanted to fight too... So, after much discussion... Anna and Gunner had given in and they'd trained her themselves.

Plus, there was Clem... She was an odd case. She'd been born to a Dhampir mother and a Moroi father which usually resulted in another Dhampir but because of the type of magic that Sebastian used and because of Serena, Clem's mother, being Shadow-Kissed the outcome had been.... a little different. Before Clem there were no known cases of a Spirit User and a Shadow Kissed having an offspring. For one, the Spirit users themselves were very rare and in order to become Shadow Kissed you had to die and be brought back... Something that wasn't easy for either party. Then, there's the fact that Spirit Users tend to slowly lose their minds due to the darkness that creeps up on them whenever they use their abilities and because of their bond, it bleeds onto their Shadow-kissed partner.

Add all that together and Clem got an odd touch of Spirit and Shadow too her.... She's mostly a Dhampir but she has magic... but not your normal magic. She can feel other people's emotions and pain, she can draw that into herself, and she can share her own with others. This takes it's toll though... The ability to use magic is Moroi and Clem, despite her odd ability, isn't Moroi so constitutionally she is fragile. For a long time Clem was sickly, no one could figure out what was going on... Then, a bunch of tests later they figured out she was becoming anemic... severely. They put her on iron and it helped for a while but it wasn't just iron issues... her blood cells were breaking down. To remain healthy Clem has to have regular blood transfusions... Moroi have to feed to stay healthy and use their powers... Clem pays that price too, just a little differently.

Because of her oddity, Clem had been an outcast between both the Moroi and the Dhampir sides. She was a Dhampir who was too weak to fight, a magic user who wasn't Moroi, and because of her father's acceptance of her and her odd Moroi like abilities she was stuck somewhere between being technically a noble and most definitely not because of the strict social hierarchy Moroi had in place. It was a matter that was still under debate because her father was the Prince of his line which made either Clem or Sebastian's little sister Kenzie the next in line for the title... Seb was fighting for it for her, trying to do the one thing that would make Clem's life easier... but the Moroi were stubborn and resisted change in anything, for any reason...

Dylan felt protective over Clem, she'd spent most of their younger years protecting her from bullies and being her only friend. Dylan knew it was starting to wear on her... the jokes and the not belonging... It sometimes even put a strain on their close relationship because Dylan was able to get along with either side, at least in Clem's view. Dylan hoped that this year would be the year Seb would push the issue hard enough for Clem to be accepted as the next Princess... because if it didn't happen she was worried Clem might snap.

Dylan looked up when she heard someone entering the gym and spotted Anna, "Hey Mom..."

Anna smiled warmly, "Warming up?"

"Something like that..."

Anna shook her head, "You forgot what day it is." Dylan arched a brow and Anna answered, "Day before orientation... the teachers show up."

"Clem!" Sebastian taught the Spirit Users in the school, it was a small class but an important job, which meant Clem would be coming with them!

Dylan tugged off the wrappings on her hands and took off out the gym doors to the courtyard just as the cars started pulling in.

Clementine rested her head against the window of their black sedan as they drove through the woods to their final destination of the Academy. The trees blurred that the speed they were moving at and Clementine didn't know hoe she felt about speeding off to the school. The place was bitter-sweet for her, although it was more bitter than sweet most days. The only thing that was good about the place after all was Dylan. Clem had the chance to see her now and again through the summer, since their parents were best friends, but she saw a lot more of her best, well only, friend during the school year.

She pulled her head away from the window when she felt a hand in her hair and turned to look at her mother, who was now running her fingers through her daughter's curly hair, "How are you feeling?" Serena asked her quietly.

Clementine shrugged, "Same as usual..."

Serena sighed and wrapped her arms around her daughter, "I can feel your sorrow, love."

Over the years, due to her and Sebastian's bond, Serena had become very aware of what were her feelings and what were Sebastian's or now Clementine's. Clementine couldn't exactly hide her emotions from either of her parents, not with her dad being able to see her aura and her mother being able to see in her father head. Then there was the fact that her father could see into her own head as well. Ultimately, Clementine didn't exactly keep secrets from her parents, which had started to cause problem with the three of them in the recent years. The younger girl sighed and pushed her mother away before looking back out the window, "I just don't like coming here," she said quietly as they drove through the gates and up the driveway.

When the car stopped, she pushed her door open before any of the guardians could do it for her and straightened her dress. She moved to pass the guardian who had walked over to open the door for them but she didn't get far before he grabbed her shoulder.

"What? No hello?" Clementine turned to look up at the guardian speaking to her, Gunner Marks, the man that was basically an uncle to her. From what she knew about him, he was a guardian that could do no wrong. Finished top of his class, joined the Elites, and now was raising Dylan with the help of his soulmate Anna Ross. Of course, that had come by by the less conventional means when Gunner was turned and went Strigoi... but he was even good at being evil and was one of the most dangerous Strigoi people had seen in years despite only being turned for a few months. This man was everything that people wanted out of a guardian and he was everything she was not... Everything she sometimes wished she could be. She gave him a small smile before she gave him a hug, "Hello Gunner."

He smiled down at her, returning the hug, "Hello Clementine. Let me grab your things out," he said before walking around the back of the car as Clementine's parents got out. With ease, he grabbed the majority of their things in his two hands and pulled them out... Then there was Clem who had basically struggled carrying her own bag alone... she sighed, her mood decreasing slightly as she felt a little more useless as the Dhampir she was supposed to her. The academy liked to make her feel useless though. She was still forced to take combat classes despite her always being at the bottom of the class every year. The Dhampirs liked to mock her for that, it didn't help that Dylan, a moroi who should be weaker than her, was excelling in Dhampir classes. It wasn't her fault though, she spent a lot of her younger years in and out of the infirmary as people poked and prodded her. There was a full year of school when the teachers had to come and give her a solo lecture because no one wanted to risk getting her out of bed. She wouldn't lie though, that had been her favourite time at the academy due to the fact that she wasn't around all the students. There were less emotions that were thrown at her, it was a shame when they found out about giving her blood transfusions at the end of the year. That all being said, Clementine was behind... To far behind that there wasn't a chance of her catching up with the naturally enhanced students that she was supposed to be or Dylan who had been basically taught by the two best people in the business for her entire life. She sighed which caused Gunner to turn and look at her, "Dylan was off to the gym this morning, I think. Although, I believe Ross went to go get her... she'll probably make her way here," He told her before he turned to greet her parents and take them to their room.

Clementine sighed and rubbed her hand over her arm slightly before she walked over to the near by bench. She took a seat on the bench and took a small brown journal out of her pocket along with a gold pen. She wrote often, it helped her escape her own head a little, cleared her thoughts. Not to mention, it helped Pass the time as she waited for Dylan.

Ried wasn't happy, his skin was crawling with the sensations of so much magic on his skin... Magic that was fueled by blood and not by nature. It was self contained in creatures that once upon a time he'd have thought were just myths and fairy tales, and it was wrong. Magic was in all living things, vampires absorbed it.... stole it from the beings they fed on. Of course, that isn't what they were taught. Vampires were taught that their magic was always inside them and was simply awakened by the blood. It didn't matter to Ried, either way they needed blood to sustain it. He kicked the stand to his motorcycle into place and tugged his helmet off his head, grey green eyes scanning the area around him with something akin to distaste.

It wasn't his choice to be here, the Council had sent him. He was the right age, in the right physical condition, and he was new to his Grandmother's Coven... Still proving himself. He clicked his tongue behind his teeth and raked his fingers through the brown hair that had been pressed down by the helmet... making it messy, before shrugging his leather jacket tighter around his shoulders and pulling up the hood. The weather here was cold and grey... It made it less likely for the Vampire's pale skin to burn as easy. He flashed his ID at the Guard then flipped his arm over and revealed the tattoo on his wrist that marked him for what he was... a Witch... or Warlock if you preferred.

The Dhampir guard gave him a nod and Ried remounted his bike and rode it through the gates before parking once more and eyeing the school looming up ahead of him where several vehicles were now parked unloading students. Dhampirs weren't as bad as Vampires.... or Moroi.... he was supposed to call them Moroi here... but they protected the va-Moroi almost blindly. It irritated Ried to think of anyone throwing their lives away for a species that thought themselves superior just because they were told it was right... what they were born for. True, things had gotten better with the new Queen but such traditions were hard to let go of especially in such long lived beings.

Ried was walking through the courtyard, headed towards the main building to 'sign in' when he FELT her... the one he'd been sent for or at least one of the reasons he'd been sent. He froze midstep and turned his gaze towards her. She was absorbed in her drawing, hadn't even noticed him... or if she had she was ignoring his presence. Ried shoved his hands in his pockets, tilted his head to the side and took her in. She was frail for a Dhampir but then... He'd been expecting that from the report. "Clementine?"

Not his voice, someone else was approaching, another female with her hair in a messy pony-tail dressed in training gear. He could tell without even seeing the fangs what she was, though she looked sturdier than most Moroi. He'd no interest in meeting her, so.... he walked off. He'd meet the girl... Clementine, on his own later. He'd have more time to analyze the strangeness of her magic then....

~*~

"Clementine?"

Dylan knew that slouched posture, it didn't take a genius to see that Clem wasn't happy to be here... no one would miss it, especially not her best friend. Dylan trotted over and paused at the bench as she noticed the tall male walking away but brushed it off in favor of the one she'd been so eager earlier to see.

"You know, if you keep frowning like that you're going to get early wrinkles." She plopped herself down next to the girl and kissed her cheek obnoxiously, using her hand to catch the girl by the opposing cheek and pull her into it with a loud, "MWAH!"

She hoped her good mood would rub off on Clem and she'd feel a little better, "You know I hate seeing you like this. Aren't you a LITTLE happy to see me again after MONTHS?" She rested her chin on Clem's shoulder and looked down at the drawing, "Whatcha dooooin'?"

She was purposefully being annoying, any mood other than sad was better for Clem. When she was sad or angry bad things tended to happen.... plus Dylan hated to see her like that.

Clementine looked up at the sound of her name and looked around. She caught the sight of a retreating male but thought nothing of it. He was probably just running away from the freak. Turning her head again, she saw Dylan. A slight smile graced her lips as her friend moved to sit next to her and kissed her cheek. She shook her head slightly, "You're gross," Despite the comment, it was clear that Clem didn't really mind it all too much.

She tapped her pen against the paper quietly and nodded her head, "Of course I'm a little happy to see you. It's just... everything else that I'm not so happy to see," She rested her own head against Dylan's and closed her book, "Nothing really... Just passing time till you got here..."

Biting her lip, she turned to look at her friend before she stuffed her book back into her bag, "My father said that they've brought in someone to examine me and figure out what I am... He thinks it's just so great... But he doesn't think about how people are going to react when then find out that 'Clemenstien' has someone doing experiments on her. The blood transfusions are bad enough."

She huffed before standing, "Speaking of transfusions, I should probably get that dealt with today before everyone gets here... It's always kind of nice to have that little bit of privacy..." She ran a hand through her hair and smirked, "You can go unpack if you want... Since watching blood slowly drip into my body isn't exactly any form of interesting."

Dylan arched a brow and sighed, "Clem, you know that kind of thing is kept under wraps. The school doesn't want to drag any more attention to you than needed, they know you're having a hard time with the other students. From what I understand the guy isn't just here about you... but whatever else he IS here for is being kept hush hush, even by our parents. Though, they did say something about new students... and that they were different."

She frowned, "Though, honestly, with the way this school deals with different I don't know that it's going to end well."

She stood and caught Clem's hand, pulling her to her feet. "I got unpacked earlier. I'll take you there. I need to feed anyway, I've been training so hard I think I've forgotten to for the past.... three days?"

She tucked her hands in the pockets of her jacket, mostly because otherwise she'd be tempted to hold Clem's hand and though it had been fine when they were kids she didn't want to draw any attention to her change in feelings... She'd been keeping it a secret for quite some time and wasn't really sure how to deal with it. Moroi were supposed to create more moroi, to have one who tended to lean towards females... her best friend... it would be frowned on and it would be something more to add towards Clem being pointed out. So, she'd buried it and avoided most shows of physical affection... most of the time. Not even Clem knew, especially not Clem... It scared Dylan that she'd turn away from her to avoid more weirdness in her life. Clem barely coped with the weirdness in it now...

~*~

Ried pulled off his jacket and tossed it over the back of the chair to his room and collapsed onto the single bed. That had been one of his stipulations to this trip... He wasn't going to be stuck in a room with anyone else, he liked his privacy. Honestly, when the Coven had approached him and told him what they'd wanted he'd refused at first. He liked doing things his own way, hadn't joined a Coven for exactly that reason but then the Council had summoned him and had made it clear they could and would strip his ability to use magic if he didn't cooperate. He sighed and shook his head, why they'd sent him instead of one of their own was still a mystery to him. Maybe because he'd fit in better with the Dhampirs because of his runes...

The tattoos running down his spine weren't just tattoos, they were runes. They channeled the body's energy and allowed him to move faster and fight harder. With them he could be on par with a Dhampir for a few minutes or in a few short bursts and he'd made sure to become as lethal a fighter as possible to make those few minutes count. Add to that fact that he could also use magic and you had a formidable weapon against the Strigoi, not as effective as Moroi and Dhampirs working together since his magic drained energy from both around him and inside him and so it was limited, but still effective.

He sat down on the bed and picked up the phone, dialed the number and waited till the answer on the other end of the line came. "Dante, I'm here. I know things have gotten desperate but are you sure you want to do this? Just because they're orphans doesn't mean-"

The answer had him sighing again, "Yeah, right... Bring them by tomorrow, that's when the students show up, but don't say I didn't warn you."

He hung up and ran a hand over his face, introducing three werewolves and a shifter to the school was bound to be a game changer. Ried just hoped the kids could keep what they were a secret until they made friends but that hope was still a tiny one. The other races were desperate, they were dying out and after the last several years the Moroi were thin ranked as well... they needed the protection lended by numbers, they needed to learn to work together because there were things other than Strigoi out there... and from what the Council of Elders had to say, they were all in very real danger.

Clementine looked at Dylan as the girl grabbed her hand and explained her own avoidance of the blood. Clementine shook her head, a small laugh escaping from her, "Well, alright..."

She gathered her things and headed toward the building. She normally would avoid the cafeteria and feeding stations at all costs. Usually they were packed with students and teachers and far too many emotions for her brain to keep track of. When she was stuck in places with that many different emotions it started to hurt her head because suddenly she didn't know how to feel. However, classes hadn't started yet, meaning that she had today to be more or less alone in the feeding station. Not to mention, with less people there were less humans that were being fed on... and well, they sometimes gave her the worst feelings.

When they reached the door, she pushed it open for the both of them and walked in. At the sight of her, one of the nurses jumped up to set up a special spot of her. She supposed that was nice. No matter how busy the place was they always made sure to get Clem in and out of there quickly. They didn't need her making people make a fuss.

Clementine looked over her shoulder at Dylan, "Come sit with me when you're done?" She asked in a soft voice. As much as they made the process for her quick, they could never really make them any shorter than a couple hours, thus the reason she often went to the infirmary. Thus the reason she had an entire class block empty just for that. She wondered if the man was going to be speaking to her then to avoid taking the place of another class.

She went into the room and took a seat on the bed and sighed. This was where the feeders sat while the Moroi fed on them... The thought always made the two hours a little stranger but the place being somewhere that didn't beep with heartbeats or smell of Purell hand sanitizer was worth the weird thoughts. She laid back as the woman with the blood bag on a little metal stand entered. She held her arm out and didn't even flinch as the woman stuck her with a needle a few times trying to find her vein. She sighed, her arm would be bruised there tomorrow... Perfect.

Dylan smiled a little, "Of course... it shouldn't take me long."

~*~

Ried opened his eyes from where he lay on his bed as his phone buzzed. He lifted it and then sat up after reading the notification. Clementine had reported to the Feeding Station. He drew himself to his feet and headed for the door, now was as good a time as any to meet her, especially since her assumption had been correct. For the first few days he'd be assessing her during her transfusions and lunch times. He entered the place shortly after her transfusion had begun and nodded at the nurse there.

"Is there anyone with her?"

"Well, her friend... Dylan Melikova, but she's busy feeding."

Ried nodded and moved towards the curtained area the nurse indicated, at least he'd have a few minutes with the girl undisturbed. It was important that his first impression of her wasn't clouded by someone else's emotions or their opinions. He stuck a hand threw the curtain and waved, letting her know he was coming in before he entered.

"Clementine Abatangelo-Lazar, I am Ried Maddox. I'm here to study you, figure out where the basis of your magic lies... try to help you figure out how it works. I'm not sure how much you've heard of Witches, but generally it's our job to make sure humans don't become aware of your kind or any of the other 'supernaturals' out there. You can make my job easier by cooperating and answering my questions..."

He again let his eyes scan her, she really was frail... almost even more frail than most Moroi though at least now she was regaining color due to the transfusion. Her magic crawled over his skin like a living thing, it wasn't something she'd be doing intentionally.... all of his kind were sensitive to magic. It felt foreign even by his standards... like light and dark clashing, which considering her parentage, made sense.

It had been assumed that the Shadow-Kissed were sterile but apparently, not as sterile as they'd thought. In his lifetime, he'd never heard of another Shadow-Kissed child though there were plenty of people who were in relationships with their Shadow-Kissed Guardian. It was a curiosity... SHE was a curiosity though most didn't see her that way. The Moroi and the Dhampir saw her as an abomination... Of course they would.

He took a seat next to her and ran a hand through his hair, pushing his hood back in the process. "First of all, I'll be having the school change your classes. There is no reason for you to be taking Dhampir classes, you aren't built like a Dhampir and you have magic. You need to be learning how to channel it... but there is also no reason to draw MORE attention to you. Therefore, half your classes will be Dhampir... focused on defense rather than attack and the other half of your classes will be magical... taught by me. The Moroi have never faced your type of magic and no one else can use it. I might be able to figure out how you're tapping into it... and then I can help you learn how to use it."

Of course that would also require him to learn how to use her particular brand of magic... Honestly, he might not be able to BUT if he could at least channel it... figure it out... he could teach HER how to use it.

Clem would notice, if she tried to focus on him, it was like radio silence. She couldn't feel anything from him, it was like the area he was in was completely empty... no one there... No emotions, nothing. This would be because Ried was covered in too many different magical runes, it was like trying to mix water with water... there was just more water... no difference to catch onto... just a mirror reflecting yourself back at you.

~*~

It didn't take Dylan long. She wasn't one to take longer or take more than absolutely necessary. She liked feeding and the sensation that came along with it but she didn't like what it did to those she fed on. Sure, the feeders who were brought here were willing but most of them had needed money to start out with and then had continued only because they were addicted to the bite. Dylan wiped her mouth and sighed before tossing the tissue and heading for Clem's area. She was stopped though by the nurse, "You have to wait... She is having a meeting with the Witch. Once they're finished you may see her."

Dylan tensed, her mouth moving into a frown. "I'm her best friend, we're like family... Does her father know he is seeing her alone?"

The nurse nodded, "Prince Lazar does indeed know... It is important that the Witch meet her alone for now."

She grimaced, Clem didn't like strangers... Clem didn't even really like being around people. Dylan was worried....

Clementine looked up at the sound of the curtains in front of her rustling. Originally, she thought it was Dylan but the hand was most certainly male. Not to mention, Dylan would have just walked in. She looked at the hand, confused, until the rest of the body followed. Realizing that she had no clue who the man was, she covered her inner elbow where the needle was stuck. Of course, he could still see the tube and the bag but something about the action made her feel less vulnerable. And she did feel vulnerable. She had had people she didn't know storm in on her peculiar feeding before, mainly male Moroi, and not one of them had been pleasant. However, this man didn't appear to be Moroi... In fact, he didn't even look like a Dhampir... He looked human.

She kept her eyes on him as he addressed her, slowly pulling her legs into herself. She watched him from behind her light brown locks, still not really sure how she was supposed to feel about this intrusion. She listened as he explained just what it was he intended to do and made no protest when he asked for her cooperation. Although, she hadn't exactly agreed to cooperate either... Because she just continue to stare at him wordlessy. As it always, her magic took her fear and spread it to those in the room. She couldn't stop it, she didn't know how.

The man, Ried, continued on as though nothing were happening. Completely unaffected by her. He was still talking, explaining things, things that made Clementine perk up a little, "No attack classes?" She asked softly.

She wasn't sure if she had ever heard better news. After years of being at the bottom of her class and being told that she was destined to be a 'Blood Whore like her mother', it was over. A small smile of relief crossed her lips. She knew her father had been fighting for her to be taken out of those classes. However, it never seemed to get through to anyone that it wasn't that Clementine wasn't in shape, it was that her body physically couldn't handle it. She was weak and had broken bones a few times just due to falling a little wrong. Now, they had finally listened and Clementine was free of it all.

She leaned back into the pillows a little, her legs moving slightly away from her body as she relaxed slightly. It would be an understatement to say that that news had lifted some of the weight off her shoulders. That was when she was sudden sense of worry. It twisted in her stomach, making her squirm slightly, as though in pain. She took a deep breath, "Dylan, I'm fine... Stop worrying so much," She said loud enough for her friend to hear before she relaxed.

She looked back at Ried and focused on him for a moment. The worrying melted away but nothing took its place. She cocked her head to the side, confused, "Why do... I feel nothing?"

He shook his head, "No, no attack classes. It isn't productive for you, your strength lies in magic..." He eyed the blood bag and the tube running into her arm. "I'm sure you've discovered by now that you have to feed like a Moroi but you don't have the fangs for it or the biology it would take to metabolize it into your system in the way the Moroi do. That's why you need the transfusions... and why you can use magic in the first place." He shook his head, "So even if I found a rune that would allow me to block you from your magic you'd still never be a normal Dhampir, you would still be weaker and you'd still need the transfusions because your blood is breaking down over time."

He rubbed the back of his neck, "AND if you can learn to use your magic correctly it is possible the Moroi might eventually accept you... Especially since the Queen thinks learning to hone your magic could help other Spirit Users and the Shadow Kissed without eliminating their bond."

He was talking far more than he usually did but it was because he was thinking aloud and also because giving her hope was the fastest way to get her to cooperate with his lessons... As she asked him why she could feel nothing he momentarily seemed puzzled as well. He went over the possibilities in his head and settled on the only one that made sense. "My runes... they're probably blocking your abilities." He could explain in more depth but there was no reason to for the time being. Moroi didn't need runes, they channeled magic on their own... their magic was self contained. There was no reason to teach the Moroi, or the Dhampirs, how to do such things... It would be dangerous, make them far too strong and then the Witches would have no way to contain them. Dhampirs would be forced to use their own energy because only Moroi and Witches could tap into nature itself... then there would be quite a few dead Dhampirs.

He glanced at the curtain as Clem addressed Dylan, "You can sense her from a distance then? How far? I need you clear right now, I'm studying how your magic fluctuates naturally, if anyone is too close and is influencing you then the information I'll get will be wrong."

He stood and pushed the curtain back, taking in the girl on the other side... Moroi, but sturdier, the one he'd seen earlier. "I need you to leave."

Dylan frowned, a bit of anger slipping through her. "Excuse me? She's my friend, I'm not leaving her alone with you."

He arched a brow, "I'm here to help her, do you want to hold her back? If not, I suggest you leave."

Dylan stiffened, "How are you going to help her exactly, because frankly she has been poked with enough needles for one lifetime."

He lifted his hands, "I have needles? Do you mind telling me where I'm keeping them, I'm not sure I can recall."

Dylan grimaced, "Smartass."

Clementine's eyebrows knitted together when he mentioned runes. She had never heard of runes. Nor did she have any idea of what they did that would possibly prevent her from feeling anything. However, he didn't seem intent on explaining it to her. Instead, he changed the conversation to her awareness of Dylan. She shrugged, "I don't know... Sometimes I feel people across the campus... if I know them well or if they are feeling something strong enough... the closer they are the more I feel it... or they feel... Negative emotions are more prominent..."

She was hesitant as she spoke, taking long pauses and speaking quietly. She jumped a little when he stood and walked to the curtain. She watched his and Dylan's exchange and pulled her legs into herself. The worry inside her slowly morphed and she felt her hands tightening into fists, "Go Dylan," She said a little sharper than intended but really... she couldn't help it.

Dylan understood the tone... it was her own irritation taking its toll on her friend. She took a breath and pushed it down, being round Clem had taught her to keep her emotions under tight control. It was best not to let this stranger shake that resolve because she wanted to be a calm place, a quiet place for Clem. Someone that could give her some peace when everyone else was crowding her with their emotions. Another breath in and out and the anger ebbed away as did the worry. She tucked her hands into the pockets of her jogging suit and looked at the stranger coldly.

"She is my BEST friend, hurt her and I'll hurt you, just so we're clear."

Ried grinned, "Message received, vampire."

Dylan would have been tempted to bare her fangs just to prove a point but it would do nothing but upset Clem and at this point she'd already reigned in her temper so she let the name calling slide off her like water off glass. "Good... I'll see you later Clem." She walked over, squeezed her friend's hand, letting her affection filter to the surface to act as a balm for some of the negativity she'd passed to Clem earlier. "I'll be in the gym and I'll save you a sandwich from the kitchens."

She headed out and Ried shook his head as he watched her go before returning to Clementine. "Back to what I was saying..." He'd seen her confusion when he'd mentioned runes and sighed as he rolled up his sleeve and showed her the golden flower tattooed on his wrist. "Normally it's placed on the neck of a witch at his or her coming of age but I was a little late getting mine and already had a tattoo there." She'd see the tribal style rose on the side of his neck, mostly hidden by the hood he didn't currently have up. "This is kind of like a rune... It holds the ability to amplify the magic already in a witch but Moroi can't use it because it binds the four elements into one and Moroi can only use one at a time... except for Spirit. There is a little spirit in all four elements, that's why spirit never Declares... proficient in none but has them all. Runes are markings that amplify a certain spell, spells take all four elements to complete, another reason you don't see Moroi witches."

He was giving her lessons already, but at least she'd seemed curious, maybe teaching her wouldn't be the pain in the ass he'd figured it would be. "What I plan on finding out is if your abilities lie in some form of Spirit, if so... you should be able to manipulate certain elements but probably have never done it on purpose... Since your abilities seem emotionally controlled more than spirit usually is it's more than likely that you'll never be able to completely control it but you can learn what causes things. Does it rain when you're sad? Does fire burn higher when you're angry? When you're happy do plants bloom? You'll have to start paying close attention to find out."

He rubbed the back of his neck, here was the part that worried him. "Your parents say that you sometimes see the Ghosts around your mother but they leave you alone, they don't swarm you like they do her... I've also been told that when Spirit affects you the most... Shadows gather. That's a sign of dark magic, like the kind that turn Moroi into Strigoi... Dark magic is Spirit the same way Light is... Two sides of the same coin. Spirit users use up their own light and it creates darkness in them, you seem to be able to manipulate both sides instead of just the one."

He paused, "Does any of this make sense? I'm hoping that if I can help you... we can understand Spirit use better. Maybe help the ones who've used up all their light and lost their minds... I know you've taken you're mothers darkness before but it didn't stay with you. Somehow you dissolved it... unraveled it when she was at her worst."

Clementine smiled at her friend as she took hold of her hand. She could feel a small warmth in her chest, helping push away the other feelings that had been accidentally been pushed on her. She gave Dylan's hand a little squeeze in return, as if to tell her that she got what her friend was sending her. She nodded her head at her friend's parting words, "I'll come find you when I can," She said softly.

Then she was alone again with the man, Ried. Complete radio silence. It was nice and strange all at once. Dylan did her best to make it feel like this but no matter how much she pushed her own emotions down, no one could really stop themselves from feeling things. There was always a little bit of something but Clementine had gotten quite used to ignoring the small probes. If she couldn't do that she was certain she would go crazy. Never truly able to feel what she was really feeling.

She looked up at Ried as he rolled up his sleeve and presented his arm to her. She watched him for a moment before she carefully brought her hand that was not attached to a blood bag and ran her finger over the tattoo, tracing it slightly. She rose her finger off and away when he started to ask about other aspects of her powers. Although, it wasn't just the mood he was asking about it was the elements. Clementine had never seen herself doing any of those things. She just assumed that she was this strange breed of thing that she only had this one thing she could do... But... maybe not. She relaxed back onto the bed a little and gave him a curt nod, "I will... But it's hard to pay attention sometimes."

Then there was mention of what she could see. She cast her gaze downward, clearly just as uncomfortable with it as he was. She began to pick slightly at her fingernails before answering his question, "I've also pushed her to her worst... I've pushed a lot of people there," Her voice came out like a whisper. The mere thought making her relive times where she lost complete control and nearly forced others off the edge. Last year a Dhampir needed to be wrestled to the ground to pull a knife out of his hands when Clementine overwhelmed while in the cafeteria. It wasn't the first time it had happened though.... Clem was just glad that they finally realized how dangerous her not knowing her own ability was for people. Even her mother, who lived with her father's own emotions and darkness had had some breakdowns due to Clem.

With great effort, Clem rose her gaze to look at Ried again, "But I don't really need you to explain that to me..." She thought about it for a second before placed her fingers on his tattoo again, "Does it negate the powers of Moroi? If they were to get one?"

Ried frowned, he knew what she was thinking. That it would be easier to get the tattoo than to manage her abilities but the thing is... they had no idea what would happen if they were to put this mark on a Moroi but the Witches agreed it wouldn't be anything good. To nullify a magical being's magic would be like cutting out a part of them. A Moroi's magic was deeply wound into them, it responded to emotions and their will. If you were to nullify such a thing it might be like amputating part of the soul... It might just empty them out of everything, not just the magic.

"It would be a last resort... Something only used to protect others from danger if there were no other option. We've never used it on Moroi before, there could be... complications."

As she reached out and touched the mark a jolt of electricity pulsed through it and shot up his arm... it was like hitting your funny bone too hard. He could feel the shock all the way into his teeth. It was an odd sensation but it didn't seem to phase her and so he supposed she hadn't felt it at all. It did, however, make him curious as to why she'd be able to affect the mark like that. He'd have to see if the touch of a spirit user did the same before he'd be able to narrow the effect down to just her and analyze it.

"With a Moroi the magic is so much a part of them that to nullify the magic itself may cause irreperable damage. Spirit users use medications sometimes for depression and it dampens their magic, perhaps you could try that. I need you clear headed for a while and your magic is so raw having something to tame it somewhat may help you in classes."

He considered it... Something to dampen moods, level her out. "I'll talk to the nurse about Xanax. It's a relatively common treatment for moodswings and anxiety. It could help."

He stood and ran a hand through messy hair, "Look... I'm not really good at looking after people. It isn't my forte. I'm a hunter, I use my magic to kill things not to teach. This is going to be a work in progress for both of us." He sighed, "It was nice meeting you Clementine."

Those wide eyes of hers seemed to see everything and for some reason they'd had him talking far more than he usually did. He found himself WANTING to help her rather than it just being a chore he was being forced to do. She looked so... vulnerable that he couldn't help feeling like he needed to help protect her. She'd had it rough and maybe he could help smooth the passage through this year for her. Sure, it wasn't his policy to get involved but he was already having to help her anyway... He told himself he was just protecting his student.

"Get some rest..."

~*~

Kayla moved down the halls of the school. Yeah, she was supposed to have waited for that witch guy but he was late and patience wasn't her thing. She tucked her hands into her pockets and ignored the odd looks she was receiving from the students that passed her by. There weren't many here, usually the students didn't show up till tomorrow but Ried had been instructed to get the 'Transfer Students' in early so they could be made comfortable with their surroundings.

She sighed, tilting her head as she focused her hearing and closed her eyes. There didn't seem to be much going on currently, some teachers chatting... Guardians talking about the school's boundary. Noise that sounded like fighting in the gym... but considering what the students here were taught that wasn't really very surprising. She opened her eyes and huffed, wondering where the rest of the transfer students were.

~*~

Dylan stripped from the jacket of her jogging suit revealing a black tank top beneath. She rolled her shoulders and stretched, considering where to start. She'd been tempted to place Ried's face on one of the dummy's and pummel it but she'd gotten her temper under control by now... Plus, jealousy over someone that she cared so much about was an ugly emotion. She wrapped her wrists carefully as she thought back on the way Clem had been watching Ried with wide eyed curiosity... and felt another pang she quickly shoved down and to the back of her mind. It wasn't okay to feel that way about Clem, it wasn't okay for her to fight either as a Moroi but she did said the other part of her conscience.

She scoffed, if Clem ever found out about the real way that Dylan felt... Dylan wasn't sure she could handle her best friend avoiding her or becoming awkward around her. It was why Dylan kept her emotions under a tight leash. If Clem were to stumble on THAT emotion and take it for what it was rather than just the love for her best friend when in truth she was... She bit her lip, HARD.

"Stop thinking about it..." Besides, maybe it was just a phase. She worried about Clem a lot, she'd always been there to help her... always been the one Clem had come to when she needed help... needed to calm down. She'd brushed Clem's hair, cuddled with her in bed to stave off nightmares more than once. She was just confused, she was sure of it. Clem was pretty, sure. Maybe it was all those times the boys had teased her that made Dylan so protective, so indignant and to see her as beautiful.

Dylan sat in the middle of the gym floor with a huff, resting her head against one knee. This was a cruel joke really... Clem wasn't the only one who got made fun of. Dylan was a freak too... She was too strong for a Moroi, too into learning to fight, too disinterested in politics and social events. She didn't really have any Moroi friends, all her friends where Dhampirs... She rubbed the back of her neck, Clem seemed to think that Dylan could fit in where ever she wanted, they'd had small spats about it before... Usually starting with Clem saying something like, "You don't understand, you can do ANYTHING." Sometimes being put on a pedestal wasn't all it was cracked up to be, sometimes it put more distance between Dylan and her bestie than anything.

She flopped onto her back and stared at the ceiling... It wasn't just Clem she was worried would find out. What would her parents think? What would the other students think... Would it cause more trouble for Clem? She laughed at herself, why did any of this matter right now. Ried was just a boy... the first boy that had paid Clem true attention, but still just a boy. What were the odds that she'd actually end up liking this guy? She was being overly dramatic...

She stood and brushed herself off, taking a fighting stance, before she let into the dummy in front of her with a vengence. Moving faster than a dhampir even if her hits weren't as hard. She was a blur as she lost herself to her training... She wouldn't have even heard if someone had entered.

Clementine sunk back a little into the pillows when Ried told her that they would probably not be able to give her the tattoo, without her even asking for it. Too many uncertainties, too many complications. She tried not to let it get her down though because that was a silly thing to possibly effect others over. However, it was a little disappointing that she couldn't take away this power, this curse, permanently. She watched him still as he offered other options, things that wouldn't get rid of her powers but might help with them a little. She nodded her head a little, "My father smokes and drinks to help with that... Apparently not as much as he used to though. He is very against me taking up the habit," She said softly, a small smile pulling at the corner of her lips. The only evidence that it was more of a joke than it was a statement.

At offer of Xanax, she looked at him for a long moment. Her father had been wanting to avoid antidepressants because he didn't want to cut her off entirely from her magic. He told her it felt like you were missing a limb suddenly. So, she had never asked for it, not when others spoke negatively of it. Even her mother had suggested trying without it... Although, they both promised if it ever got really bad they would talk to someone, to give her a break. That was a major discussion topic this summer... She supposed that Ried was the last attempt before they did it. However, medication for anxiety and moodswings had never come up in conversation. She didn't know if any Spirit users had ever been on them which meant she didn't know how they would effect her. It was worth a shot though. She nodded her head, "Alright. I'll mention it to my parents as well..."

As he stood and fixed his hair, speaking of his lack of ability to care for people, a smile spread across her lips, "That's alright... I can teach you," She teased.

She nodded her head to him before she readjusted herself on the pillow, lowering a little onto the bed. She was going to be her for another hour or so alone, might as well take a nap. She rested her head on the pillow and looked at him, "It was nice meeting you as well, Ried," She said softly as he left.

Then she was alone entirely. Slowly, the feelings of other people seeped in but she managed to ignore them. Funny, that she couldn't feel anyone before... Only Dylan and only when she was close... She shrugged the pondering off and curled up, closing her eyes.

---

"You smell different," Marrock said as he walked up behind a girl with long brown hair. He looked down at her and smirked, "You aren't a Moroi, you aren't a Dhampir. Which means you are a 'transfer student'. But you aren't a werewolf, meaning you are the shifter."

He moved his hands behind his back and picked up the pace a little to walk next to her, rather than behind her, "This means that you are terribly interesting, Miss Rae. Lady Lakshme. Mademoiselle Serpent," He glanced at her and grinned, "My apologies, I might have sneaked a peek into our files... I'm amazed they've managed to keep mine together with the paper they've stuffed in there."

He stuffed his hands into his pockets, "My apologies, you haven't the foggiest who I am. Marrock Jean-Louis at your service."

Kayla was taken by surprise at the sudden appearance of the wolf. Usually, she heard others sneaking up on her but not this one. Then again, werewolves were natural hunters; of course it would be difficult to hear them coming. She turned her honey colored hazel eyes his way and arched a finely shaped brow as an amused smile tugged glossed lips.

"Lady Lakshme, if you please," she responded by playing into his teasing. "It has a ring to it."

She eyed him, she'd only known he was a wolf because of her keen sense of smell. He smelled like pine, wet dirt, and vaguely of spices and damp fur. "Marrock? Hmm... exotic. I'm betting your one of the wolves then?"

A hand went to her hip as she took him in, head to toe. "I thought your kind were more... muscley," she teased.

She chuckled at his statemet about their files, "Hnn, I tend to keep a low profile... Either way, I'm hungry. Care to escort me to the cafeteria Jean-Louis?"

~*~

The rest of the day flew by pretty uneventfully. Ried was let know that two of the transfer students had arrived early and it had taken him a while to track them down. He'd found them in the cafeteria and filled them in on their room arrangements. Then, he'd went back to his own room and made notes of the things he'd learned.

Dylan finished with her training, showered, and fell into bed as well since Clem had slept over for a while in the feeding area. She shared a room with Kayla who introduced herself briefly by claiming the bed Dylan usually used and Dylan had to relocate her things to the other side of the room in order to keep the peace. She then picked up her laptop and watched netflix till she fell asleep.

The next day came early, or so it seemed like to Dylan... She'd had nightmares most of the night, if you could call them that. No one knew it but despite her training and being strong for a Moroi, Dylan had nightmares about Strigoi. She was far too young to remember being taken, too young to remember anything about that time of her life... but that didn't stop the things she heard about it from sinking in. Sometimes she dreamed of her father, of Gunner, as a Strigoi murdering Clem... She'd wake up screaming. Other times she dreamed of Clem being Strigoi and telling her they would be accepted if she turned, they'd never be different again... and they'd be strong. What scared Dylan is that sometimes... she didn't refuse and she'd wake up in a cold sweat.

What kind of Guardian was scared of Strigoi, it was the only part of her that reminded her that she was Moroi... and she hated it. She brushed her hair and tied it back before dressing in ripped jeans, sneakers, and a one shouldered white t-shirt. Then ran into Kayla as the girl exited the bathroom, brushing her teeth and already dressed. There was something weird about the girl... She didn't look frail enough to be Moroi but then again neither did Dylan. However, she wasn't sure the girl was a Dhampir either. She brushed it off, what else would be in the school besides Moroi or Dhampirs?

Then, she headed out to see if she could find Clem.

Marrock chuckled a little when she commented on his rather lean physique, "Well, you've yet to see me with my shirt off," He teased, tugging slightly at his leather jacket, "Besides, big brawn almost always leads to little brains and that would hardly be helpful."

He nodded his head when she requested that he escort her to the cafeteria, "Anything for the Lady Lakshme," He said as he held out his elbow for her to hang onto before guiding her to the cafeteria.

---

The Next Day

---

Clem had woken early and bundled herself up in a scarf and sweater. That was yet another reason that she hated the Academy, it got so bloody cold. Clem was small and frail and her blood evaporated from her veins, she couldn't handle the cold! Well, she could but she most certainly didn't like it. She looked around her room for her boots before grabbing them and sitting on her bed and pulling them on. Her room was a single bedroom which she had been getting for the last few years after she gave one girl continuous nightmares, prevented another girl from sleeping, and a third tormented her. Of course, none but the latter were intentional. However, it was in those three years that the bullying reached an all time high that still sees little decline. With her boots on, her bag draped over her shoulder, and ready to combat the cold early evening weather, she ventured out of her room and into the night.

Clementine liked walking around in the early evening because not many people were out yet. The sun was just starting to set but the last rays lit up the school in a pretty beautiful way. As shitty as the school was, she did have to admit that it could be rather gorgeous. Not to mention, there was a lot to look forward to today... Like no fight classes... beyond defensive that is.

She walked slowly to the back of the school to a pond that she liked to visit. Most people around the campus forgot about it. They preferred to stick around the school rather than venturing out to the ward's edges. Not to mention, there had been a few instances now where a Strigoi had either gotten through the Ward or nearly managed to kill students that wandered to close. Needless to say, everyone was a little wary of the ward. Clementine wasn't as much, she was more scared of and for the Moroi and Dhampirs than she was of the possibility of Strigoi.

Besides, this pond, when the dying sunlight hit it just right, was one of the most beautiful places in the school. She walked to a bench that sat need the water's edge and pulled out a book and paints. She stared at the landscape in front of her and she looked down to the empty page before her as she ran a paint brush along it.

Dylan wasn't the first one to find Clem, instead it was Reid again. Unsurprisingly, it was easy to pick her magic out from the magic of the rest of the Moroi. He'd been running the track when he'd sensed her, up early because he had a lot to do and hadn't been able to sleep. The other transfer students hadn't shown up yet... only two of them were here. That was alright, less for him to focus on so he could place his attention where it was really needed. As he approached he caught Clem with her paints and as he approached she'd find that the background 'noise' of the school, all the emotions, faded away till it was just her.

"Hello, Clementine."

The greeting was somewhat breathy as he'd jogged over and he shoved a hand through his hair, pushing the hood of his jacket back. "You're up early." He went to the pond, knelt, and because the water was clean he splashed a bit on his face to cool down before straightening. He was in a better mood than he'd been in the day before, perhaps it was because there would be less students to look after.

"How are you feeling?"

~*~

Kaylah left the room after tugging on her leather jacket, slipping on some lipgloss, and pulling up her hair. She moved through the halls of the school once more but this time she was cheating. She'd nabbed a locket from her roommate's jewelry box and when she'd run into her earlier she'd used the distraction to pull a few strands of hair. There was no better way of getting to know your new school like doing it in the body of someone who'd been here longer.

She'd raided Dylan's closet and currently wore her pink tanktop and white pull over with a pair of dark jeans and white sneakers. She whistled quietly to herself and as people passed by she finally stopped someone. The person seemed surprised but chatted with her a few moments anyway before walking off. Bored, Kaylah sighed. She should have gotten to know the girl better, maybe read her diary but this wasn't meant to be a lasting thing. Just a brief trip...

She grinned and looked around for Marrock. When she finally found him she chuckled mischievously. "Hello handsome," even the voice was Dylan's. She approached, caught him by his collar, and laid one hell of a kiss on him.

Painting was often a soothing act, an escape for her from her head, a distraction from the voices and emotions. Painting, drawing, writing, and the arts in general were the things that kept her from going insane. Not from the darkness, like her father and mother, as she seemed to be immune but from overexposure to everyone else. Art was a way to channel those emotions or block them out as much as one could. However, she still noticed the sudden silence of everything before he even spoke. She looked over her shoulder at him as he walked around her to the pond. She stared at him for a moment before she acknowledged the question that he had asked, "I'm well," she said softly. No rummaging for the answer, no uncertainty on her feelings. She finally understood the simplicity of the question and why it aggravated people when she couldn't give them an answer when she was young and no one understood what she was. Thankfully, her parents had understood, her father could hear the emotions and voices inside her and they were able to start figuring out ways for her cope with everything. Now, she was seeing a whole new way, a far more successful way that wasn't just pushing it out but eliminating it entire. The unfortunate thing was that it was a person and a person with tattoos she couldn't have.

She watched him as he splashed his face before lowering her gaze back to her painting. She let her brush mark the page as she spoke, "I suppose this isn't too bad a set up... I can be with my own thoughts when you are around... It helps..." She slowly started to paint him into the picturesque painting of the pond, "Maybe... That will help me learn to control it myself..."

~

Marrock was walking down the hall, his hands in his pockets when he was suddenly approached by a girl that he had never even seen before. He was taken off guard for a second when this girl suddenly pressed her lips against his own but after a moment, smirked. He pulled away from the kiss and looked down at her, "You'll have to do better than that, Lady Lakshme," he chuckled, flicking his nose, "You hardly smell like a," he looked her over for a second, "A Moroi."

He released her and the moment he had, a rather tall and intimidating blonde man walked up to them, "Excuse me," he said sharply to Marrock before grabbing the girl's arm and dragging her off.

~

Gunner was confused for a brief moment when he saw Dylan standing with some unknown boy. For starters, his daughter was acting completely out of character. He knew that Dylan had a very different apple of her eye, even though he could tell that she wasn't about to admit it to herself. Meaning, going around and kissing strangers wasn't exactly Dylan's style. But mainly, it was the fact that he had just seen her training.

He walked over to the duo and looked at the boy, "Excuse me," he said before dragging the girl off and out of sight. He stared down at her, "I highly suggest you don't use your abilities on campus, Ms. Lakshme, even more so to become your roommate, Ms. Melikova. You are here to see if your kind can mix with ours, don't prove people right by pretending to be us. It is not just your future that is on the line here."

He stepped back and looked at her for a long moment, "Work with us. Let me be your ally... Because I make a far worse enemy. You'll learn that in your textbooks," he said, a sharp edge to his voice. He really did hate that that was a time in his life that is written in the text books... Luckily, they hadn't used his name, to avoid tarnishing him.

He nodded his head, "I had better be seeing you in class and not two of my daughter," with that he turned and left without another word.