Aryan had to stiffle another yawn as he stretched. No wonder he felt so lousy. Two and a half hours asleep on a desk was not good. He rubbed at the side of his face where the paper had stuck to it, turning his head away from Helen as a scent entered the premesis. It was his cousin. Well, one of his cousins. Keir, to be exact.
Aryan looked up at him tiredly. "And what brings you here, Cousin? You're not here for a rematch, are you? I'm afraid I'm not in the best state of mind for that."
Keir snorted indecently, causing a few of the other students around to glance at them. He ignored them, sitting down in the chair that Yuki had previously occupied. "Actually, no. Got this, figured you would want to see it first. Our cousins seem to have dug up something interesting, and not in a good way."
Aryan frowned, taking the envelope that Keir handed to him. It was not addressed to anyone, simply to Cross, but it was undoubtedly Alden Kuragari's handwriting. Aryan should know, he was in contact with his cousin the most. He slid the envelope into his bag. Better such things were done in private.
Keir's ice blue eyes held Aryan's purple ones. "Just a warning, you're not going to like it."
Aryan sighed through his nose, looking more tired than ever. "Of late, I have liked little of Alden's news. I am not surprised to find this will be no better."
Her music practice finished, Leora stowed her violin, a gift from her father since Zero had inherited their motherâs Stradivarius, stretching her arms over her head and lacing her fingers together, rocking back a bit on her heels until she bent to touch her toes. She loved playing, she really did, but it was maybe time for something a little more active. At least after she retrieved those books for her brotherâs history essay. Flitting upstairs to the library, she could tell by scent that Keir, Ary, and Helen were already inside.
She let the tiniest of smiles tilt her lips as she sauntered inside, since they were her family and she was allowed to be a little more expressive around them, and she entered just in time to hear the tail end of the conversation. Sitting herself on one of the desks (rather than in the chair, Leo crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms. âNews from the superspy in the family, hm?â she inquired, raising a brow slightly. Her tone was not as flat as Helâs, but it was certainly unreadable, beyond carrying that same vague touch of coyness that everything she did naturally seemed to have. âWho wants to kill us this time, I wonder?â She rolled her eyes a bit, not really expecting an answer.
âWould you like the list of current contracts on your life alphabetically by last name of contractor or chronologically by date put out on the market?â Helen replied, not even glancing up from what she was reading.
Leoâs smile grew, though she didnât quite show teeth. âWhy am I not surprised you would know that, Lena?â she asked with a minute shake of her head. Then, an idea came to her, and she flashed a brief look at Keir, the nature of her expression morphing into something considerably more edged than it had been before. One might wonder where the wickedness of the smile came fromâneither of her parents was known to possess such an expression. âWhose list is longer, mine or Keirâs?â
Helen tabulated it for a second, at last looking up and glancing between the three of them. âThat depends. The number of straightforward assassination orders is higher for Keir, as far as my data goes. But, if the kidnapping contracts are added, yours grows significantly longer.â It was not unknown to the vampiric community that Leora had inherited the Aegis Effect from her mother, and Ava was too well-protected, with someone like Vincent Kuragari practically glued to her side for a century. Those who wanted to obtain it would have better luck with the daughter⊠or so they thought, anyway. Hel thought they were all stupid for even thinking it.
Leo sighed theatrically. âTied again.â
Keir snorted. "How the hell do you call that a tie? I have more killing orders, I totally win. And yes, the Super Spy has contacted us."
Aryan could only roll his eyes. Leora and Keir and their contest had gotten so old to them all by now...
The von Nacht's eyes lit up suddenly, a glint in them that belied his Alistair blood. One would know, it was the same look Keir wore on a daily basis. "You know, we could figure out who was better once and for all..."
Keir looked boredly at his cousin. "Oh? And what exactly do you propose? We've done everything we could possibly think of, even Rock-Paper-Scissors."
Aryan's eyes sparkled. "You've never seen who's better at mind games, right? And you're both skilled in espionage. Not as good as your truly, of course, but still...why not compete over that?"
Keir perked up a bit, clearly interested. "Okay, say we do this. How would we know when someone wins? The number of people we can screw over?"
âWell, then thereâs a separate category for most kidnapping orders, and I win that one,â Leora replied, but she sat up a little straighter at this proposal of Aryanâs, pushing off her hands and bringing them around to grip the edge of the desk where her legs were. Her eyes narrowed just slightly. She was pretty sure she smelled a rat here, and Ary was considerably more experienced in the methods of manipulation than either herself or Keir. He wouldnât have brought this up without a reason.
But then her cousin, big dummy that he was, went ahead and agreed without hearing the terms. She could have smacked herself in the forehead, but she didnât. It was go along or refuse and wind up essentially forfeiting the lifelong rivalry, and there was no way she could do that. Not least because what it would leave was a confused mixture of feelings that would make her more awkward and vulnerable around him than she was willing to be around anyone. She played games because serious was beyond her, and she didnât want to be the only serious one.
Pursing her lips, she appeared to consider it for a moment, then shrugged one shoulder in a careless manner. âAll right, once and for all. Whatâs the challenge, Aryan?â If it was a trap of some kind, she was going to kill him.
If Leora smelled a rat, Helen was looking right at him, and she knew it. That look in his eye meant trouble; sheâd seen it often enough during his childhood. They both orbited Yuki like satellites, after allâsheâd have been remiss if sheâd not learned some things of this nature. Still, she didnât say anything. They were his relatives, after allâit was probably going to be benign, even if she was not likely to understand the point of it.
Aryan's grin only got wider. As he'd suspected, Keir had gone ahead and agreed. Leora was nothing if not head-strong and prideful. She'd never walk away, not knowing it meant forefit. And if secretly he was also playing matchmaker, well...
That was just a bonus. "Well, no, not exactly, Keir. Normal people don't really stand much of a chance. So, in order to see who is truly the best...you have to see who can manipulate the other. In other words, it will be between ourselves. The first rule is that no one, aside from the four of us, will know about it. I can act as referee, to make sure no lines are crossed, of course."
Keir almost scowled. What was his cousin playing at? "Okay..." he said slowly. "What exactly do we have to manipulate the other into doing?"
Aryan paused for a moment. He was enjoying this far too much, really. "One of the best and by far the most successful tricks in espionage is seduction, as I'm sure your father can attest to, Keir. The first one of you to willingly kiss the other will lose. Now, this is seduction. Nothing physical, and nothing beyond mind games. Powers are out, too, and because no one else will know, you cannot enlist the help of anyone else. And just to make it interesting, the challenge will officially start at midnight tonight, and you each have a year."
The man leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a rather pleased grin on his face. "Do you find the terms acceptable?"
Keir was staring wide-eyed at his cousin. He looked over at Leora, masking the turmoil in his head with his usual snarky grin. "Sounds like fun. I'm game. What about you, Leo?"
It was official. Screw Bathasarâs powers or Ricaâs complete mercilessness. Aryan was the most dangerous of all of them, no damn contest. It wasnât as bad as sheâd thought it might beâit was worse. He could have picked literally anything else, and she would have been more confident that sheâd win. Not without a good fight of course, because it was well within the realm of possibility for her cousin to challenge her; he always did. It was why they were thus far tied. But this⊠she was going to lose, she was pretty sure of that much.
Of course, she was a very bad player if sheâd ever let it show on her face. Maybe there was still a chance. She knew how to seduce someone for information; she was Aldenâs sister, too, after all. So, all she had to do was accomplish this before anything got out of hand⊠whatever that meant. Leo tipped her chin up a little, something mischievous dancing in her eyes, her mouth tilted into a smirk to match her cousinâs own. âChallenge accepted. I look forward to your loss, Keir.â Standing smoothly, she tossed all three of them a wave, picking up the books sheâd come for and striding out of the library.
Oh. Oh shit. Just what had she gotten herself into this time?
Aryan looked up at him tiredly. "And what brings you here, Cousin? You're not here for a rematch, are you? I'm afraid I'm not in the best state of mind for that."
Keir snorted indecently, causing a few of the other students around to glance at them. He ignored them, sitting down in the chair that Yuki had previously occupied. "Actually, no. Got this, figured you would want to see it first. Our cousins seem to have dug up something interesting, and not in a good way."
Aryan frowned, taking the envelope that Keir handed to him. It was not addressed to anyone, simply to Cross, but it was undoubtedly Alden Kuragari's handwriting. Aryan should know, he was in contact with his cousin the most. He slid the envelope into his bag. Better such things were done in private.
Keir's ice blue eyes held Aryan's purple ones. "Just a warning, you're not going to like it."
Aryan sighed through his nose, looking more tired than ever. "Of late, I have liked little of Alden's news. I am not surprised to find this will be no better."
Her music practice finished, Leora stowed her violin, a gift from her father since Zero had inherited their motherâs Stradivarius, stretching her arms over her head and lacing her fingers together, rocking back a bit on her heels until she bent to touch her toes. She loved playing, she really did, but it was maybe time for something a little more active. At least after she retrieved those books for her brotherâs history essay. Flitting upstairs to the library, she could tell by scent that Keir, Ary, and Helen were already inside.
She let the tiniest of smiles tilt her lips as she sauntered inside, since they were her family and she was allowed to be a little more expressive around them, and she entered just in time to hear the tail end of the conversation. Sitting herself on one of the desks (rather than in the chair, Leo crossed her legs and leaned back on her palms. âNews from the superspy in the family, hm?â she inquired, raising a brow slightly. Her tone was not as flat as Helâs, but it was certainly unreadable, beyond carrying that same vague touch of coyness that everything she did naturally seemed to have. âWho wants to kill us this time, I wonder?â She rolled her eyes a bit, not really expecting an answer.
âWould you like the list of current contracts on your life alphabetically by last name of contractor or chronologically by date put out on the market?â Helen replied, not even glancing up from what she was reading.
Leoâs smile grew, though she didnât quite show teeth. âWhy am I not surprised you would know that, Lena?â she asked with a minute shake of her head. Then, an idea came to her, and she flashed a brief look at Keir, the nature of her expression morphing into something considerably more edged than it had been before. One might wonder where the wickedness of the smile came fromâneither of her parents was known to possess such an expression. âWhose list is longer, mine or Keirâs?â
Helen tabulated it for a second, at last looking up and glancing between the three of them. âThat depends. The number of straightforward assassination orders is higher for Keir, as far as my data goes. But, if the kidnapping contracts are added, yours grows significantly longer.â It was not unknown to the vampiric community that Leora had inherited the Aegis Effect from her mother, and Ava was too well-protected, with someone like Vincent Kuragari practically glued to her side for a century. Those who wanted to obtain it would have better luck with the daughter⊠or so they thought, anyway. Hel thought they were all stupid for even thinking it.
Leo sighed theatrically. âTied again.â
Keir snorted. "How the hell do you call that a tie? I have more killing orders, I totally win. And yes, the Super Spy has contacted us."
Aryan could only roll his eyes. Leora and Keir and their contest had gotten so old to them all by now...
The von Nacht's eyes lit up suddenly, a glint in them that belied his Alistair blood. One would know, it was the same look Keir wore on a daily basis. "You know, we could figure out who was better once and for all..."
Keir looked boredly at his cousin. "Oh? And what exactly do you propose? We've done everything we could possibly think of, even Rock-Paper-Scissors."
Aryan's eyes sparkled. "You've never seen who's better at mind games, right? And you're both skilled in espionage. Not as good as your truly, of course, but still...why not compete over that?"
Keir perked up a bit, clearly interested. "Okay, say we do this. How would we know when someone wins? The number of people we can screw over?"
âWell, then thereâs a separate category for most kidnapping orders, and I win that one,â Leora replied, but she sat up a little straighter at this proposal of Aryanâs, pushing off her hands and bringing them around to grip the edge of the desk where her legs were. Her eyes narrowed just slightly. She was pretty sure she smelled a rat here, and Ary was considerably more experienced in the methods of manipulation than either herself or Keir. He wouldnât have brought this up without a reason.
But then her cousin, big dummy that he was, went ahead and agreed without hearing the terms. She could have smacked herself in the forehead, but she didnât. It was go along or refuse and wind up essentially forfeiting the lifelong rivalry, and there was no way she could do that. Not least because what it would leave was a confused mixture of feelings that would make her more awkward and vulnerable around him than she was willing to be around anyone. She played games because serious was beyond her, and she didnât want to be the only serious one.
Pursing her lips, she appeared to consider it for a moment, then shrugged one shoulder in a careless manner. âAll right, once and for all. Whatâs the challenge, Aryan?â If it was a trap of some kind, she was going to kill him.
If Leora smelled a rat, Helen was looking right at him, and she knew it. That look in his eye meant trouble; sheâd seen it often enough during his childhood. They both orbited Yuki like satellites, after allâsheâd have been remiss if sheâd not learned some things of this nature. Still, she didnât say anything. They were his relatives, after allâit was probably going to be benign, even if she was not likely to understand the point of it.
Aryan's grin only got wider. As he'd suspected, Keir had gone ahead and agreed. Leora was nothing if not head-strong and prideful. She'd never walk away, not knowing it meant forefit. And if secretly he was also playing matchmaker, well...
That was just a bonus. "Well, no, not exactly, Keir. Normal people don't really stand much of a chance. So, in order to see who is truly the best...you have to see who can manipulate the other. In other words, it will be between ourselves. The first rule is that no one, aside from the four of us, will know about it. I can act as referee, to make sure no lines are crossed, of course."
Keir almost scowled. What was his cousin playing at? "Okay..." he said slowly. "What exactly do we have to manipulate the other into doing?"
Aryan paused for a moment. He was enjoying this far too much, really. "One of the best and by far the most successful tricks in espionage is seduction, as I'm sure your father can attest to, Keir. The first one of you to willingly kiss the other will lose. Now, this is seduction. Nothing physical, and nothing beyond mind games. Powers are out, too, and because no one else will know, you cannot enlist the help of anyone else. And just to make it interesting, the challenge will officially start at midnight tonight, and you each have a year."
The man leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms with a rather pleased grin on his face. "Do you find the terms acceptable?"
Keir was staring wide-eyed at his cousin. He looked over at Leora, masking the turmoil in his head with his usual snarky grin. "Sounds like fun. I'm game. What about you, Leo?"
It was official. Screw Bathasarâs powers or Ricaâs complete mercilessness. Aryan was the most dangerous of all of them, no damn contest. It wasnât as bad as sheâd thought it might beâit was worse. He could have picked literally anything else, and she would have been more confident that sheâd win. Not without a good fight of course, because it was well within the realm of possibility for her cousin to challenge her; he always did. It was why they were thus far tied. But this⊠she was going to lose, she was pretty sure of that much.
Of course, she was a very bad player if sheâd ever let it show on her face. Maybe there was still a chance. She knew how to seduce someone for information; she was Aldenâs sister, too, after all. So, all she had to do was accomplish this before anything got out of hand⊠whatever that meant. Leo tipped her chin up a little, something mischievous dancing in her eyes, her mouth tilted into a smirk to match her cousinâs own. âChallenge accepted. I look forward to your loss, Keir.â Standing smoothly, she tossed all three of them a wave, picking up the books sheâd come for and striding out of the library.
Oh. Oh shit. Just what had she gotten herself into this time?