Adorned By Her

**Chapter 24 SPITE & ILL-INTENT

CADENCE POV

Boy's A Liar Pt. 2 by PinkPantheress & Ice Spice

After Zephryus' death, the rumors died down as to who killed her, except Willow was the only one who knew and what she would do when she found out would prove to be truly devastating. In the distance, Willow was lurking in the shadows, watching Cadence and Eloise make-out. What a creep, right? She was spying on them, taking snapshots of them kissing as evidence of their prolonged relationship after Zephryus passed away. Cadence and Eloise were in the same secret corner of the school when this had happened. The moniker she uses as a separate alias for the namesake of privacy was Key Bunting, which was to deter the other vampires from unveiling her true identity. Plastered on the headquarter bulletin board was a picture of Cadence and Eloise sprawled on the school's gazebo, drunk, and fingers intertwined. The news was tentative that the two were finally in public appearances about their relationship. The photographs had the name of Key Bunting, another male vampire loyal to the Chancellor. Willow tried to blame him for the outbreak of gossip.

Fortunately, the other fickle rumors regarding the accomplices would die down soon because of Eloise's plan. She would reinforce that Zephryus died due to shock, commiting suicide, because she couldn't handle the pressures of being the master to such a wonderful bloodmate in her first year at the academy. Cadence really was amazing, performing well in all of her tasks and edging closer to success by the minute. I executed a plan to have Willow admit that she was at fault for the disparaging comments of my relationship with Eloise. I would come up to her and slap the shit out of her. Oh and if I got bitten by another vampire, I would still survive, becoming a more robust alchemist.

I walk down the hallway to Willow's class and wait for her to come out after it is finished. She walks out wearing a band tee, vans, and a backwards cap. She is super gay in that outfit, I think to myself humorously. I walk closer and about to slap her when she, seemingly knowing what I was about to do, punches me in the face and I am taken aback. Before I could even slap her and make her admit to the crimes that I knew from mind-reading her, she already had attacked my face, leaving a black eye. She is ruthless, stomping and kicking me down with her girl gang coming from behind her. Blood is dripping down my face as well and I pass out on the floor unconscious. I wake up the next day dazed and confused. I look around and I am in my bed. Eloise caresses my face and has an ice pack to soothe me. "You're okay, my love, rest and we will deal with this tomorrow after you recover," she utters softly into my ear.

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The next day is here and I try the same tactic again this time and Willow did not fight me this time, probably thinking that I was stupid enough to believe that nothing was going on. She was clearly the only human against my relationship with Eloise. Being her other blood servant, she was filled with rage probably most of the time knowing that she wasn't getting the same attention or sexy love bites. I slap the shit out of her multiple times and mind read her: "She'll never find out that it was me who took those photos of them. Key Bunting will take the fall. And she's so stupid, I know that she's different from other humans, being the Rosebud, and being spared by the Chancellor. Chances are, he'll kill her in a few years if not sooner..."

I tell her that I know she did it after I slap her multiple times again and she is now scared that the Chancellor will side with her this time because vampire gossip is a strict rule and regulation at the academy. She's lucky that I held back, me using only a little strength enough to leave red marks on her face. I did that because I wasn't dumb enough to get into trouble with the Vanguard Society. She'll get charged for battery for the one-sided fight with me standing in self-defense. Willow finally gives up and admits to the Chancellor that she's the one who was spreading the rumors. She wouldn't win this battle if I used my clairvoyance on her I thought, gritting my teeth.

Willow rushes to the Chancellor's office, thinking that if she at least came forth to be the culprit, that he would spare her for her inconvenience. Well, that was easy how smart my plan was of negating her confrontation of me head on, I thought. She finally relinquished, stating "I took the photos of these two, and I stalked them to the gazebo behind the school. But please, Chancellor, please forgive me. I was only trying to help." With tears in her eyes, she begs the Chancellor to allow her to stay at Kensington Academy. He yells at her, barking loudly for everyone to hear, "That's absurd! You're guilty of slander and gossip! You know the rules of this academy Willow. Humans gossiping about vampires is misconduct we do not accept here. It is one of the worst forms of indecencies here at this Ivy League academy. Along with the bruises on Cadence's face, that is just cruel. Says the one who slaughters thousands of humans with a fiddle of his thumbs, I think to myself sarcastically. "And she is my Rosebud, thus she may have her fair chance at being a loyal blood servant to her blood master as well. Even that means that they want to pursue sexual relations." He gives me a stern, foreboding, yet accepting look. The Chancellor gave me and Eloise a blessing to pursue each other! Ba humbug that is strange, I think to myself, with a little bit of suspicion. But the suspicions fade away as all I can think about is being together with Eloise again.

Willow's attempts at blackmailing Eloise were somehow avoided and contempt had shown on the Chancellor's face regarding Willow's outrageous derision. I walk away from the Chancellor's office, being there as a witness to the truth. As I walk away, there is a frenzy of wild fanatics packed outside of the dormitory when I arrive. "We ship it!" The opposite reaction was from their fellow classmates. Yet the Houndsmen had different reactions to a vampire and human dating each other. Cerelia swung by saying "You disgust me, human twat," and she spat on the ground next to me, as she usually does. Miles besides her, writes a note, scolding me and saying "You're written up for sexual misconduct with a Vanguard Societal member," as he scowls loudly for everyone to hear.

Vernon and Lux stop by and they talk to each other. Lux says to Vernon, "Don't quote me on it though, I just think they make a cute couple." Vernon smiles genuinely and says "I agree, they are cuter than us. Haha!" He laughs joyfully and punches Lux's shoulder playfully. The others tried to sway the Chancellor's heart to hate the relationship, but he somehow accepted it. Probably because I got on his good side I think to myself blissfully. I'll do more secretarial work for him and organize his binders, I think intuitively. And I'll use my mind reading clairvoyance more often to see if there are any more thing I should know about the upcoming clash between the humans and hybrids against the vampires here at this academy.