Chapter 4

"Like most misery, it started with apparent happiness." ~ The Book Thief

Mercy slowly drove up the mansion. Having a strange foreboding about it. The girl still kept mumbling in her sleep but was still unconscious. "That girl is one heavy sleeper." She mumbled. Her fingers itching for a smoke. Going past the forest trail they arrived at the gates of the mansion. Mercy pressed on the brakes and put the car in park. She rolled down her window and whistled. "Fancy~." She said impressed. She got out of the car and opened the back door and carried the girl back in her arms.

"Please Ayato...kun." The girl mumbled again. "Ayato? Must be the girl's owner. Oh well I hope he didn't mind that I got a little taste." Mercy smiled while licking her lips. Recalling when the girl's blood entered her mouth.

She shook her head and while carrying the girl jumped over the gate and quietly walked to the door. The fountain flushed with crystal clear water as Mercy was slowly walking to the door. Taking her time looking at her surroundings. Once in front of two old oak wooden doors she places the girl on the steps like a little babe. "Well it's been fun sleeping beauty. You're lucky I spared you. The next time we met, let me taste you again." Mercy smiled while caressing the girl's soft cheek. What Mercy didn't know was that the girl was half awake and was hearing every word of what Mercy said. She gave the girl a soft kiss on the cheek and then made her way back home.

(Sakamaki Mansion)

"You're lucky I spared you. The next time we met, let me taste you again." She said. "Who..?" Yui thought, slowly regaining her consciousness. The figure was blurred but it looked like a woman. I felt her touch my cheek and gently caressed it. I didn't have the strength to flinch away... nor did I want to. "It's warm..." I thought, feeling the warmth from her skin transfer to mine. Then she felt a soft feathery touch on her cheek that felt like lips. All too soon the warm was gone along with the woman. Yui slowly opened her eyes to see that she was back at the Sakamaki mansion. She gripped her head in pain. "Dizzy..." she whimpered. She remembered she was running away from Ayato but he caught her and forcefully drank her blood. "Prey has no right to complain." She remembered him saying while he was drunk from her neck. She remembered his fangs piercing her skin. The pain was hot with each gulp he took. Her skin flushed when he moaned in pleasure. She can feel her consciousness slip away but before she passes out. "You belong to me and only me. This will be your punishment for trying to run away." Ayato smirked. He dropped an unconscious Yui against the building then teleported away. And that was all Yui could remember.

She slowly lifted her hand to feel the wounds that the fangs inflicted on her. But to her shock when she touched her neck, the fang marks were gone. "But... how?" Yui asked herself. She wondered if that woman helped her and tried looking for her but the unknown woman was long gone. "Is she another vampire?" Yui thought. She got herself up and let herself into the mansion. Having more questions than answers in her head.

"Kyaa!" Yui shouted. Planting face first to a person's chest. "My,my what a  bothersome servant you are." He said. Yui steady herself and looked at the person she bumped into and gulped. She was so distracted that she wasn't paying attention to where she was going. Of all the vampires in the house she would run into it had to be Reiji. Reiji was the second eldest of the sakamaki brothers. He was tall and lean with plum hair with blonde tips and white snow skin. He wore rectangular glasses with black frames to cover his magenta coloured eyes. His pointed teeth indicate that he's a vampire. From the way he dressed you would think he was a butler. He wore a lavender vest over a white dress shirt with black trousers and a black belt. His mere appearance screamed respect. Reiji looked at her with an irritated look while pushing up his glasses. "I-I'm sorry." Yup apologies. "I don't want to hear your apologies. Explain yourself." He said harshly. She looked at him in confusion. "Explain myself?" She asked. " Yes, explain to me where you were and why just now you arrived home this late?" Reiji explained, getting even more irritated as time goes by. Yui looked down in guilt and fear. She couldn't tell him what Ayato did, it was too embarrassing and she couldn't remember where she was when he left her there. Silence came between the two.

Reiji slowly walked up to Yui with a glare permanently on his face. He forcefully grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him. "You know very well that I do not tolerate disobedience. You will answer when I talk to you. Or are you that desperate to get strict punishment from me?" He smiled sadistically. Yui looked up at him in horror. Reiji smiled even more. "Such a look, even a deplorable woman such as yourself can get me to lose my composure." Reiji chuckled darkly. "I'm really sorry Reiji-san but I don't remember how I got here. I swear!" Yui begged, closing her eyes shut in fear. A moment of silence passed then Reiji let go of her. "Don't let this happen again. Or you will be subjected to strict discipline." He said coldly. Yui still with her eyes closed nodded and ran to the staircase. On top of the staircase Reiji called out. "It would be wise if you hide that hickey from Ayato." He said. Yui stopped in her tracks covering her neck in shock. "Ehhh!?" She said and turned to ask Reiji what he meant, but he was gone.

(4th Ward)

"Took you long enough." Uta said, while Mercy was just entering his shop/ apartment HySy ArtMask Studio. "Sorry Uta-san ." She apologized while taking off her trench coat. Revealing tattoos on her arms and throat. She empty her pockets that consist of her usual. Her cigars, jar of blood, cellphone, and her skull lighter. Placing her treasures on the table she felt Uta right behind her. Ah Uta-san, the mysterious man in Mercy's life. Uta is a tall, lanky man with black hair, styled into an undercut. Various tattoos cover his arms, and a sun tattoo covers his entire left pectoral region. He normally wears a gray tank top underneath a black wrap sweater, along with harem pants and black sandals. He also wears a black necklace with round, white gems hanging from it. He's what you call a goth if you will but he has a kind heart.

Mercy can literally hear her heart beat thump at unusual rates. I'm sure Uta can hear it too. He slowly lifted his arms and caged her to the table. Her breath quickened. His back pressed against her back. Her face is entirely flushed now. His breath waved through her pulsing neck. She shivered. He slowly reached over and grabbed a jar of eyeballs. He brought them up to their faces and asked "Want one?". Mercy let out air she didn't realize she was holding. "No thank you." She chuckled. Uta just shrugged and pulled away from her along with the jar of eyeballs.

Mercy slumped on the table. Feeling fatigue taking over. "So did you enjoy your dessert before you got here?" He asked her while liking a blue eyed eyeball. "My favorite colour." Mercy thought. "I only had a taste and I let her go." Mercy explained while putting her things away. "Oh? Why did you do that?" Uta asked, biting into the eye. She shrugged. "I don't know. She didn't see my face if that is what you are worried about. She was unconscious when I got there." She huffed while scratching her neck.

"Hmmm~" he mumbled, unable to speak with his mouth full. Mercy sighed and made her way upstairs to her room but stopped mid step. "Say... Uta-san?" She asked. Uta looked at her, waiting for her to continue. "Are there any mansions or houses on the outskirts of the 20th Ward?" Mercy asked looking Uta in the eye. Uta stared back. " Not that I know of. Why'd you ask?" Staring at her unblinking. She looked at him duly, disappointed by his answer. " No reason. By the way there is a male body in the trunk of the car if you're hungry. Goodnight." She said and walked the rest of the stairs up to her room.

Uta watched her go up the stairs till he heard a soft click. He sighed, going back to his work desk. "What am I going to do with you?".