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.