The Rosen Vampire Knight Series

Thread of Thorns: Chapter 15

Emma

Monday night's classes were practically vacant. The headmaster was allowing groups over to the small town to shop for tomorrow's Fete. Now I was partially glad that I had gone with Toran and the others.

Speaking of Toran, he got caught yesterday by Zero. My silver haired friend had meant to go run an errand for the headmaster until he walked upon the group of vampires gathering. Toran and those who had been dumb enough to go with him were sitting in detention with Yagari. 

The rest of us sat around in the lounge rooms, enjoying a night of doing nothing.

"Emma, I was wondering if...." Kaito began as we sat together on a love seat. He had one hand in a pocket, as if he was reaching for something.

"Hey, there you two are." Arashi barged in.

I wasn't that mad about Toran's friend suddenly showing up, but Kaito looked a little ticked. He withdrawled his hand from his pocket without taking out whatever he had stored there.

"Hello, Arashi." Kaito mumbled.

Arashi nodded in response, not hearing the frustration in my boyfriend's voice. "I was just wondering if I could hang out around here. Toran and Raki got themselves caught, Violet is sulking, Hana doesn't like being around me, and Koien and Kogeta are somewhere I can't find them."

"Lucky for them." Kaito muttered under his breath, but Arashi didn't hear because I spoke over him.

"Of course you can." I charmed. On the side, I shot Kaito a look that said shut up and play along.

Arashi smiled and sat down on the nearby chair, closest to me. Kaito grumbled.

"Why can't you find Koien?" I asked while we were still on the subject.

"Don't know." He shrugged. "He just up and disappeared. I tried looking in Zero's sappy tower and in all the other lounges, but he wasn't anywhere."

"Did you try the dorms?" I countered.

"Your human friend Risa told me she hadn't seen him there." Arashi replied. "When I went to go find a Perfect who could escort me there, she had just come back from checking for stragglers."

"Okay then..." I sighed while thinking to myself.

"What?" Arashi blinked, seeing that look on my face.

"Do you think there's any chance that Koien was kidnapped as well?" I asked both male vampires.

They stared dumbfounded back at me.

"Well, Koien has been by himself a lot lately..." Arashi finally responded, his voice trailing off at the end.

"And if he's gone missing..." Kaito spoke up.

"Then whoever's doing the kidnappings is targeting this group only." I finished. "First Kogeta, then Byron possibly---who happens to be my cousin's butler. Kogeta gets back......" I paused. "Wait, where's Kogeta?" I looked to Arashi.

"I couldn't find him." He muttered, holding his hands in the scales pose of undecision.

"We need to find Kogeta, then." I said as I stood up. "And I know the perfect person."

The boys stood up directly behind me as I started to march off. I walked down the Cross Academy halls towards another longe. I knew the person I was looking for would be there. He practically had claimed that area as his own. As I rounded the corner, my theory was proven correct. He was there.

"Jarred." I spoke up so he would hear me over the chatter of his nobles. Jarred stopped what he was doing and looked at me. "I need a favor."

Several moments later, Arashi, Kaito, and I were standing in a secluded staircase in the building away from the others. My brother was with us. He had no idea why I had called upon him.

"I need you to find Kogeta." I asked him rather sternly. "And create some kind of illusion to preoccupy his mind with as we go hunt him down."

My brother looked taken back by the request, but he handled the situation smoothly. "Is there any particular reason why you want me to attack him?" he asked curiously. "There aren't going to be any repercussions after this, are there?"

"No." I shook my head. "I'd never do this to get you in trouble. The only one who uses that practice is Kaname."

My brother frowned, then closed his eyes. A minute later, he raised his hands to his temples as he frowned.

"I can't find him." My brother announced as he opened his eyes. "Not on campus, at least." he added afterwards.

"So you're saying he might have gotten away?" Arashi asked timidly.

"What about the others? Hana, Violet, the boys?" I asked overtop of Arashi's words.

"The others of your group are fine." Jarred answered my question first, then turned to Arashi. "It's possible."

Arashi turned his eyes down at this.

"Kogeta, Byron, then Koien." I sighed. "Who's next and where's the connection between them?"

"Other than that their from the same group?" My brother asked. 

I nodded.

"It's simple. Each of them, Kogeta and Koien at least, had powers that effect the mind." Jarred shrugged. "The only ones left in your group who also have this ability are Violet and you Kaito." my brother paused to look at my boyfriend. "If I were you, I'd go to the headmaster with this...."

"We will." I inturrupted him. "After the Fall Fete." I added. "Right now, we need to focus on how we're going to weed the criminal out during the dance. Thank you for helping us."

With that curt goodbye, I turned on my heel. I hated to leave my brother in such a state, but things as it was, it was the best farewell I could give. Kaito and Arashi followed quickly behind, muttering their thanks and goodbyes softly. At the corner, Kaito caught up to me.

"What are you thinking of this time?" He asked calmly.

I stopped, causing him to halt akwardly. Arashi hung back from us. "I'm thinking that whoever's after me is tired of their failed attempts of getting after me. That's why their going after the people I care for, therefore attacking me indirectly."

"I see." Kaito murmured, but said nothing more. He saw that I wasn't finished yet.

"And I hate to admit it, but the only one who can counter this kind of attack is Kaname Kuran." I pouted.

"Who you don't want to ask favors from, because he'll probably expect one back down the road." Kaito finished my thought for me.

"Exactly." I sighed.

"What to do, what to do." Kaito sung humorously, trying to cheer me up.

The corner of my lips went up for a split second, but they quickly returned to a frown.

~"~

A little mid-night dreaming, a little mid-night scheming.