Nameless (ch4)

Early release for patrons!

WARNINGS for mental/physical/psychological abuse.

Disclaimer: I do not own RWBY.

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							Chapter 4. A Witch's Mark

There was a lot Blake had to learn about Cinder's mansion within the first week she was forced to live there.

Two more times, knocks came at the door, and she and Weiss were ordered to hide in the basement by the single ring of a bell.

Blake kept true to her promise and never spoke so much as another word during those times. She merely held Weiss and tried to keep her warm for however many hours it took until Cinder came to fetch them.

But aside from those two times of great stress, there weren't many other times of high tension within that first week.

It was all the same routine, day in and day out.

Blake and Weiss would wake together, then hurry to the kitchen for breakfast. Blake was sure to remain taciturn in the witch's presence, only ever speaking the bear minimum of phrases.

It was clear that Cinder didn't like Blake, and very much regretted her choice of "pets".

But there was little Cinder could do by means of fixing things now. Even she could see just how attached her daughter had grown to the Faunus girl in just this brief amount of time; taking the rascal away and disposing of her now would only be counterproductive.

The plan all along had been to find her daughter a companion she could love and cherish, and all of that had already seemed to have fallen perfectly into place.

Cinder knew there were no hopes of changing things now.

So miffed as she might've been, she was stuck with the cat-eared girl living in her presence now. The woman knew she would try to cause trouble at some point or another, but when that time came, Cinder was sure to be ready.

And Blake was determined to catch the witch off-guard.

Whenever she made her move, and whatever it might be, it would all be a matter of timing.

There was one thing she knew above all else about her eventual escape plan.

She knew she'd need to be bigger and stronger than she was now. She'd need to be able to hold her own in a potential fight against Cinder, should it come to that.

And as Blake was now, she knew she wasn't capable in the slightest, and neither was Weiss.

So it became a waiting game of observing Cinder's schedule, committing it to memory, and of watching Weiss and her reactions to the things the witch did.

On the days Cinder ventured outside, Blake noticed she always pulled her cape's hood up over her head before exiting the mansion, rain or shine. Those brief moments when the door was opened were the only times Blake ever caught a breath of fresh, warm air.

Otherwise, it was just a lifetime of inhaling the same awful scent of the cold house, that sharp, bitter taste. She still scrunched her nose up at it every morning when she left Weiss' room, and Blake always retreated back to the bedroom as early as possible every evening.

But she was sure to use her days wisely, especially when the witch wasn't at home.

Of course, the idea of simply slipping out the front door and running for her life had crossed Blake's mind. When she suggested it to Weiss, she put it under a guise and said that they should go outside to take a walk.

But Weiss' answer was instant and panicked.

"N-No! Blake, going outside is forbidden! We can never do such a thing – we may not even think about such a thing, o-or else Mother will-"

And Weiss had collapsed to her knees, leaving Blake to rush to her in an effort to calm her down before the panic took hold.

"Alright. We won't go outside. I'm sorry."

As she held Weiss and rubbed her back slowly, Blake had to swallow down a growl. If Weiss was reacting this way, it meant she'd thought of going outside in the past and had been punished for it.

It meant that Weiss had attempted escape – perhaps she hadn't thought of it that way specifically at the time, and it had merely been a curiosity for the outside world – but the point was that Weiss had tried to get out of here before on her own, and Cinder had reprimanded her for it.

Blake tucked her face into her own shoulder and hissed softly; it seemed that whatever plan of action she wanted to try out, Cinder had already beaten her to dissuading it.

/I'll have to think of something.../

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Blake behaved herself for the next few days, never speaking a word about escape or rebellion or anything of the sort – for Weiss' sake.

Every day it was the very same routine.

After breakfast, the two girls would go into the living area where only on the sunniest of days did a bit of light manage to slip in through the black curtains. Weiss would take her usual spot on one of the cushioned chairs and be silent as she meditated.

If there was a single beam of sunlight to be found, Blake would sit on the floor in its path to soak it in as best she could.

But even so much as a straying finger reaching up toward the curtains to move them aside would set Weiss off into a panic, and she'd beg and plead for Blake not to do it.

So Blake stopped trying, knowing it would only be detrimental to Weiss' health if she were to challenge the rules of this household in any way.

Weiss spent up to five hours a day simply meditating as Cinder expected from her, and Blake was forced to stay put in that horrible-smelling room with her. The first time Blake ventured out simply to roam the hallways and to get away from the stench, she'd found herself in Cinder's shadow.

"What's this?" the witch growled. "The only reason I brought you here was for you to stay by her side. If you don't do that, you're not serving your purpose and you're of no use to me. Neither are your parents..."

With a frustrated, frightened growl of her own, Blake had turned away and fled back to Weiss.

She could see exactly what the witch was doing, keeping Blake at Weiss' side at all times. But not merely so she could act as a companion – there was much more to it than that.

Weiss would constantly dissuade Blake from pondering thoughts of escape. The witch knew Blake wanted out of this mansion, but she also knew Blake wouldn't dare trying, both for fear Cinder would kill her parents, and for fear of leaving Weiss behind.

She had to admit she'd fallen right into the trap for that.

But the Faunus girl still had some tactics and thoughts up her sleeves.

When the witch left the mansion, and Weiss was unmoving in her meditation, Blake would utilize that time to start training herself a bit, building up a bit of muscle – gradual as it may have been.

She would go into the hallways as to not disturb Weiss, and to avoid the rank scent of the living room area.

Blake stuck to the basics of strength-building, going over the exercises she'd seen Adam do many times before in the past.

As a girl just shy of twelve years old, Blake could only do so many push-ups and sit-ups before she grew exhausted, so she would take brief breaks in between sets of them.

She always made sure to finish before Weiss did, however, simply so the other girl wouldn't see her and ask questions.

Blake was also certain to clean her plate at every meal, knowing that food would be essential to building up her strength.

The only reason she accepted and consumed the food served to her – even by a witch – was because she'd seen Cinder bring the groceries home from town with her own two eyes. Even if the rest of the house was cursed by dark magics, the smallest mercy was that the witch didn't feed them poisoned foods as well.

Time seemed to slip by in that mansion.

Every day passed quickly, and before Blake knew it, she'd find herself curled up in bed beside Weiss once again.

The white-haired girl kept her promise to read to Blake every night, teaching her how to sound out words and recognize them.

Ironically, nighttime was Blake's favorite part of each day, because Cinder never came into Weiss' room to disrupt them. Blake loved the quiet room, the pleasant scent in the air, chilly as it might've been, loved the way the moonlight could shine unobstructed through the glass.

And she loved being with Weiss, loved the fact that she could make the best out of such a terrifying situation as kidnap, and at the very least had a friend.

Every night, Blake comprehended a few more words and syllables in the storybooks, and Weiss would praise her. The book would be closed and put away when they were finished, the two girls would whisper goodnights to one another, and then it was simply a matter of getting their minds to relax.

It was easier with one another beside them, restless nights now turned rather calm and comforting.

The way Weiss wrapped her arms around Blake every single night without fail told the Faunus girl a lot of things. For starters, the fact that Weiss needed someone like her – a friend – to keep her sane through all of this. Weiss' mind told her that Cinder's love and affection was all she needed, but perhaps a small portion of her heart still remembered that this place wasn't where she was supposed to be.

That part clung to Blake, asking for help Weiss could never speak the words for aloud, and Blake always returned the embrace, a silent promise she'd do all she could.

And for every night Blake was beside Weiss, she made sure the white-haired girl never crept into the witch's room anymore in the darkness, for any reason.

Even amidst the scariest of nightmares and the harshest of storms, Blake would hold her, hush her, and purr softly, until Weiss could breathe easily again and fall asleep. Her heartbeat would be Blake's lullaby, a persistent drum in her ear, a constant reminder of why she was here and what she was striving for.

But as more days of inaction passed by, Blake grew more and more anxious. She knew Cinder was keeping them both – mainly Weiss – here like this for a reason, so the repetitive days of the same meticulous routine day in and day out seemed to be begging to be shattered.

One day, Cinder was going to break that schedule for one reason or another – it was simply a matter of trying to figure out when and why she'd do it.

. . .

For several weeks, Blake followed the rules of the mansion, as they were presented to her by Weiss.

She'd rush to the basement when the bell rang once, and to the kitchen when it rang twice. She didn't go near any of the windows, save for the one in Weiss' room which she would always press her palm to longingly.

She stayed by Weiss' side at all times whenever they were on Cinder's radar, but as soon as the witch went out, Blake would tiptoe into the hallways to train herself a bit.

Two months passed by in this manner.

It had been two months since Blake had gone missing from her family and loved ones, and she assumed they were starting to give up on her by now.

Just so long as they didn't forget her, she knew she'd be okay.

Because one day she'd come home again...

There had been no incidents since Weiss' panic attack in the basement a few weeks prior, and the mansion was filled with an almost dreadful quietness most hours of the day, a pregnant silence that was begging to burst.

Blake and Weiss only ever conversed with one another when Weiss wasn't meditating and when Cinder wasn't around, typically in the evening hours when they'd read together.

Other than that, it was limited to a few "Thank you"s and "Yes, Mother"s, mainly on Weiss' part.

But Blake hadn't forgotten the witch's little threats about her displeasure if Blake didn't start showing her gratitude verbally around here.

Two months of silent glares and small grunts had been long enough, Blake thought this evening as she followed Weiss into the kitchen.

Tonight, she'd do her best to actually try and earn Cinder's favor.

The meal was eaten in remote silence as per usual, with Blake observing every mouthful Weiss took and copying it. When the two girls had finished, they went over to the sink to put their dishes into it.

Weiss walked back to where Cinder was still sitting and gave a smile.

"Thank you very much for supper, Mother! It was delicious."

"Good girl," Cinder purred. She pet Weiss' head as though she were a dog seeking praise, and it made Blake's stomach twist just as strongly as it had the first time she'd seen it.

But she reminded herself that she'd wanted to try and put on her guise today, false pretenses that she'd obey Cinder's every whim like a good puppet.

So she stepped beside Weiss and looked up briefly into those amber eyes.

"Thank you, Mother Cinder," she mumbled.

It had been the first time Blake had used her name in front of her, or ever really spoken a full sentence to the witch. She'd been expecting a surprised glance, perhaps a nod of acknowledgement, or even a pat on the head as well.

But once again, whatever expectations she'd had were far from the reality she received.

Cinder's eyes were suddenly burning with fury as she turned them upon Blake, standing in a rush so swiftly that her chair clattered loudly to the ground, making Blake's ears flatten at the sound.

"What did you just call me?" Cinder growled.

The voice that had just been calm and sickeningly sweet not a moment before was now a low, threatening snarl as she loomed above the girls.

Blake's heart froze in her chest, and she heard the sharp inhale as Weiss stopped breathing, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from Cinder's.

The witch was enraged now, fury dripping from every word, her eyes burning.

"Did I ever permit you of all things to address me as such?" she demanded.

The heels of her shoes clicked menacingly toward Blake, the calm, quiet atmosphere of merely a few seconds ago now thick and suffocating.

On instinct, Blake took a step back, and her eyes flashed sideways to Weiss.

But the other girl was just as petrified, in fact much more so, and Blake could see that the panic was already starting to seize her.

She looked back to Cinder and swallowed.

"I-I-"

"Did I permit you to speak?" Cinder hissed. "When I permit you to speak, then and only then may you speak. Now where did you get the idea in your putrid little head to ever call me 'Mother'? Answer me!"

A rush of hot air suddenly blasted past Blake's face, a dire contrast to the frigid cold that typically filled the mansion. Blake forgot how to speak, how to move, how to do anything other than cower in fear.

Cinder's predatory gaze bore into hers, her voice a scoff now.

"Typical Faunus," she spat the word as though it were a toxic taste on her tongue. "Speaking out of turn, and then being silent when permitted to talk."

Blake held her gaze, still trying to remember how to speak simply so she could give some kind of response.

But she was too late.

She watched as the witch's enraged eyes shifted to a new target for her ire.

"You..." she growled down at Weiss. "Was it you? Did you tell this animal it was alright to call me 'Mother'?"

Blake watched in horror as Cinder advanced on the terrified girl, backing Weiss into the wall until she was trapped.

"Well?" Cinder prompted. "Speak!"

Weiss whimpered, her back hitting the wall as her voice choked out a breath, tears already soaking both sides of her face. She was trying to say something, but no sound was coming out of her throat other than frantic sobs.

Blake forced herself to move. Even though her body felt as though it was covered in tar, she broke past that and rushed to Weiss' side, throwing her arms out to defend the girl in much the same manner Weiss had done for her in the past.

"N-No!" she shrieked. "She- ah-!"

Blake was cut off by a blow to the head, a strike that held nothing back, despite its fragile target. She stumbled to her knees, a discombobulating throb assaulting her sensitive ears.

But a red shoe appeared in her blurring vision, and Blake had no choice but to look up into those cruel eyes once more. Cinder loomed over her now, and Blake thought she could see actual flames in her irises.

"You," the witch said. "Don't you dare even think of moving from that spot, you little cur. If you so much as flinch before I'm finished, you know who I'll pay a visit to tonight."

Blake wasn't sure if she remained frozen because of some silent spell Cinder had cast on her, or if it was simply due to the crushing fear coursing through her now. It was clear she was making a threat about Blake's parents once again, though she couldn't say as much in front of Weiss.

But Blake understood all too well.

With the display she was witnessing now, there was no doubt in her mind Cinder would gladly venture out to slit her parents' throats if she so desired.

But that wasn't what had scared Blake the most about the witch's words.

Blake knew she could keep still now, knew that her parents would be safe because she could stay frozen in place.

What scared her was the prospect of what Blake would need to be still for until Cinder had "finished."

There was a moment of drawn-out silence, and Blake didn't dare to so much as blink as the witch bore her gaze down on her. Then, Cinder turned away, directing her full attention back to Weiss.

Blake could only watch, some part of her mind vaguely aware of the fact that Cinder was making her choose between the two most prominent things in Blake's life – making her choose between her parents and her old life, or Weiss and her new promise to her.

But she couldn't afford to dwell on that now, not as she watched Cinder crouch down on one knee so she was face-level with the white-haired girl. Her voice had softened a bit, but it was still taut, and Blake heard the malice dripping from it.

"Now dear," Cinder murmured. "Answer me. Did you tell the animal it was alright to call me 'Mother'?"

Pinned against the wall and confronted with the most traumatizing and horrifying thing she'd ever known, Weiss could barely breathe.

Blake was amazed when the single word tumbled from her pale lips.

"Y...Yes..."

The Faunus girl watched in sheer terror as Cinder reached up a hand, not knowing the full extent of what the witch was capable of.

Something told her she wouldn't kill Weiss – not after all the trouble she'd gone through to obtain her and manipulate her until she was the way Cinder wanted her to be.

But there were many, many things worse than death.

Blake watched as the witch's hand caressed the side of Weiss' face, a falsely-tender touch through her hair.

"Oh, darling," Cinder sighed. "I'm a single mother, don't you know? Only to you. Having a half-beast address me as such is terribly insulting. It's humiliating. I'll simply have to punish you."

Blake's heart was pounding so hard she willed Cinder to hear it and turn her attention away from Weiss for another second.

She could only watch, forced to swallow down a scream of protest and terror as the witch shot out a hand to Weiss' throat and pressed.

Weiss sputtered, her legs caving within seconds as her hands naturally lifted in a vain effort to free herself. But Cinder swatted them away.

"You've disobeyed me," she hissed. "I'll make sure this is the last time you do so."

The hand released Weiss' throat, only to tear at the collar of her dress, revealing the pure white skin down to her collar.

Blake felt nauseous as bile rose up in her throat, but she swallowed it back down simply because she knew Cinder would kill her if she were to stain the floor.

She longed to shut her eyes or look away, but she couldn't.

She needed to see what Cinder was capable of.

The long, red nails of the witch caught Blake's eye as five of them dug into Weiss' shoulder, holding the terrified girl in place. The other five were raised up, and Blake could see a small, golden sheen on the witch's index finger.

The golden embroidery of Weiss' dress resonated for a split second and attained a faint glow as soon as Cinder's fingers did as much.

But before Blake could wonder what it was or what was happening, all else in the world became of little importance.

Weiss screamed – sheer, poignant agony that caused a pang to go through Blake's chest.

She watched as Cinder dragged her index finger over the center of Weiss' chest. It etched – no, burned – a red path behind it, a long, diagonal line that bled, and left steam rising up in its wake.

Cinder went slowly, and Blake knew it was deliberate; she enjoyed Weiss' pain, that much was clear.

When she'd finished making one line, Cinder withdrew her finger, leaving the girl barely-conscious from a mixture of agony, fear, and lack of breath.

But the witch wasn't finished yet.

She started to carve a new line into Weiss' skin shortly afterward.

Weiss screamed again, until her lungs ran out of air, and only strangled sounds tumbled past her lips.

Blake watched as Cinder dragged her finger across the girl's once-perfect skin, until a crimson X had been left behind, directly over Weiss' heart.

The cuts were undoubtedly burnt in by whatever forbidden magics the witch had just called forth, and there was still blood dripping down and steam rising up from it.

Cinder leaned forward, licking her lips before lapping up the excess blood.

That was the point when Blake had to look away, dry heaves causing her stomach to flip over.

After what seemed to be an entire hour of torture, Cinder withdrew her hands, letting Weiss' exhausted body slump entirely to the floor. The girl's blue eyes could only crack open a small amount, the garish red mark on her chest now painfully evident.

Cinder rose to her feet, her eyes staying trained on her daughter now far below.

"Let this be a lesson," she said. "You are my daughter. You belong to me. You are mine."

She cast one last glare over her shoulder to Blake, and her eyes were unreadable. The smile was the only indication that she'd thoroughly enjoyed all of this, and she licked her bottom lip to catch a drop of Weiss' blood.

"Now get to bed, the both of you."

With that, Cinder exited the kitchen, her footsteps clicking down the forbidden hallways until they'd vanished soundlessly.

For several minutes, Blake couldn't move, still horrified at everything she'd just witnessed. Weiss was lying crumpled on her side, her chest rising and falling with shallow, rapid motions.

Blake had assumed she'd fallen unconscious from the pain, but a feeble wail a moment later told her otherwise.

"Ahh..." Weiss' voice was broken and breathless. "It... It h-hurts... It's burning..."

Blake couldn't even begin to imagine her pain.

But she knew now there was at least something she could do to help it.

With great effort, she clutched onto the side of the table and stood herself up, though she very nearly collapsed again with how badly her legs were shaking.

Blake dragged herself over to the sink, grabbing a small towel and slumping against the counter both to support her weight and to reach for the faucet. She ran the cloth under cold water before shutting it off, then started stumbling toward Weiss.

The smaller girl hadn't moved since the witch had marked her.

Blake neared her and fell to her knees, slipping one arm beneath Weiss' trembling body and gently – gently – helping her sit up. She had Weiss lean back against the wall, propping her up and wrapping one arm around her shoulders, shoulders that were still raked by meek sobs.

Even now, there was a faint line of steam emitting from the X-shaped mark, and Blake could see that Weiss was drenched in sweat.

She'd felt it for herself, the rush of fiery air Cinder had shot out, but Blake could only imagine how searing and stifling the pain had been for Weiss to experience at such close proximity.

Only now did Blake shed her tears silently, pressing the wet cloth to Weiss' forehead and face, briefly cleaning away the sweat and tears. The Faunus girl passed an arm over her own eyes to clear them, pulling Weiss as close to her as possible.

"Weiss..." she gasped. "I-I'm... so sorry... this is my fault..."

She moved the cloth down Weiss' neck to finally hold it over the horrid mark on her chest. She could feel Weiss' heartbeat thundering just beneath her palm, her chest heaving desperately.

But the at the very least, the cool wetness of the cloth seemed to be blotting out the torrid agony.

Weiss released a sigh in between the sobs, and as the minutes ticked on, Blake could feel her breath coming easier, her pulse finally slowing.

At long last, Weiss' voice reached her ears, rasping and tired, but still audible.

"No..." she murmured. "I was careless. I said... it was alright for you to address her that way. It was my mistake. I deserved this... for thinking so foolishly on my own..."

Blake pulled the girl into her arms as best she could manage while still holding the cloth in place.

"No..." she whispered. "Weiss, that's not right. You didn't deserve this. You didn't deserve any of this. It's my fault for speaking without thinking. I... I did this to you. I'm sorry..."

The hand over the wet cloth squeezed a bit, letting a bit more cold water drip out and onto Weiss' hot skin.

This punishment had been for Blake just as much as it had been for Weiss. Cinder had been intent to show Blake what she was capable of – burning human flesh with nothing more than the simple touch of a finger.

Blake cursed in her mind, every foul word and phrase she'd ever overheard in the alleys at night, all of them directed at Cinder.

What pulled her away from such thoughts was Weiss when she gasped softly.

Blake wrapped her arms more firmly around the girl, letting the wall support them both.

"What's wrong?" she asked. "Does it still hurt? Is it burning you?"

Weiss winced and shook her head, the enervation clear in her eyes.

"N-No..." she sighed. "It's not... on my skin. It's- ah-!"

She cringed without warning, hunching forward, and Blake caught her gently, rubbing her back and stroking her hair. Weiss gasped for a moment, and Blake could feel the hardness of the girl's pulse beneath her palm. It worried her, but not as much as Weiss' next words did.

"It's... inside me..." she whispered. "My heart... e-every time... it hurts..."

Blake whimpered helplessly, knowing there was little she could do to stop that.

All she could think to do was pull Weiss closer still, until they were chest-to-chest. The wetness of the rag seeped into Blake's bandana as well as she held still.

"Just try to rest," she said. "It's over now. I won't... I won't ever do a-anything to make her hurt you again. I promise..."

It all felt so familiar; making promises as she held a trembling, withering Weiss in her arms. It seemed that every time Blake made well to keep a previous promise, she'd make a blunder detrimental enough to hurt Weiss somehow and warrant making another one.

Blake felt wretched, knowing she was entirely responsible for letting this happen to Weiss, despite the other girl's attempts at reassurance.

She didn't let go of Weiss, not until she could feel the girl's heart begin to calm down. The stress this hellish lifestyle put on such a petite girl was disgusting and infuriating; Blake knew it would only take one panic attack too many before Weiss' heart would give out.

It was all too horrible a thought, and Blake didn't ever want to see it happen.

But with the way things were going... she had to recognize how entirely possible such a threat was.

She cried for a long while into Weiss' shoulder, feeling the other girl doing the same. Blake couldn't manage to find the strength to purr, even though she knew it would help soothe the girl in her arms.

Nearly an hour passed by before the tears stopped, and the two girls timidly parted.

Blake let the cloth fall into her lap, her eyes traveling to the red X on Weiss' chest. The fabrics of the white dress around it were tattered and flecked with blood, the mark itself awful to look at.

"Does it still hurt?" she murmured. Blake lightly placed her hand over the mark, both to shield it from view and to feel Weiss' heart.

The white-haired girl shook her head.

"No. Not now... But I feel... I feel it could start again at any second..."

Blake bit her lip and nodded.

It made sense that whatever witchcraft Cinder had used on her could be manipulated by the one who'd cast it.

But when Blake thought on it a moment longer, that didn't seem to make sense.

Weiss' body was already trained to shut down and cause her immense pain if she were to upset Cinder in any manner. This mark had merely been a display of the witch's capabilities, a demonstration of her power-

-and a method of fending off boredom.

She'd done it because she'd wanted to.

Because she could.

That was all there was to it.

And as Blake looked up to the scar across Weiss' left eye, she knew this hadn't been the first time Cinder had marked her.

If her theory was correct, the scar on her eye had been where Cinder had stolen Weiss' memories of her early childhood years with her real family.

The new scar on her chest must've severed some other purpose.

But whatever it was, Blake couldn't be certain. And she didn't want to think about it right now.

Instead, she helped Weiss to her feet, catching her every time she stumbled or tripped. Evening had already turned to twilight by now, and the hallways were darker than usual.

Blake let her vision guide her, and she took Weiss to the bathroom, where the two of them brushed their teeth wearily. Blake dabbed another wet towel onto Weiss' chest for good measure, then guided her back to their bedroom.

The two girls changed clothes, Weiss slipping into another nightgown embroidered with golden lines, while Blake dressed herself into another shirt and pair of pants Cinder had been merciful enough to pick up in town for her.

Blake urged Weiss to come to bed, but the girl shook her head.

"I haven't said goodnight to Mother."

Blake whimpered, begging her not to go.

But she could understand Weiss' fear; she'd upset Cinder enough tonight, and if she broke the routine of wishing her goodnight as well, there was no telling what the witch would do.

Once again, Blake refused to let Weiss go alone, so she followed her down the hallway to Cinder's quarters, waiting in the open doorway as Weiss was permitted entry.

Cinder was sitting on her bed, just as she always was at this time of evening, waiting for Weiss to come to her.

Blake stayed put, watching as the witch smiled as though the events in the kitchen had never transpired at all.

"Come in, dear," Cinder murmured, waving Weiss forward.

Blake forced down a hiss as Weiss advanced into the room where the air was sharp and bitter.

Cinder scooped her up into her lap, hooking a finger on the collar of Weiss' nightgown and tugging it down to reveal the mark.

"I'm so sorry, dear," Cinder whispered. "I was merely giving you a small punishment so you wouldn't act out in the future. Mother's sorry. You understand, don't you?"

Blake felt sick again when Weiss nodded in response.

"Yes, Mother."

Again.

The witch was doing it again, causing Weiss traumatic and now physical pain that left evidence behind on her skin, and then apologizing and acting like this was okay, acting like it was what every other parent in the world did to their child.

It was an awful cycle of abuse and false apology, one that Blake could see clearly, but one Weiss couldn't understand.

Weiss had never known anything else but this, or if she had, she couldn't remember it.

There was so much wrong here, so much more than Blake had initially thought.

It was only made even worse when Cinder leaned down and kissed Weiss' temple.

Blake failed to suppress a growl that time.

She watched as Weiss relaxed in the witch's clutches, her lips curving upward into a small smile. It was the praise and affection she lived to attain, and Cinder was giving it to her now to coax her daughter to forget the unspeakable pain she'd just suffered for Cinder's own pleasure.

For Weiss, she was willing to ignore having her chest burnt open so long as it meant Cinder would cover it up with a kiss.

Maybe the witch hadn't heard Blake growl, or maybe she simply hadn't cared. The wretched woman pulled Weiss into a hug before letting her down onto the floor.

"Goodnight, Mother," Weiss said to her.

"Goodnight, dear."

The second the door had closed behind them, Blake pulled Weiss into her arms and hugged her tightly.

Surprised, Weiss spoke in a curious tone.

"Blake? What's the matter? Mother's forgiven us. It's alright now."

Blake could only grit her teeth and cling tighter.

"Sorry..." she whispered. "But this is all I can do..."

She wanted to wash Cinder's touch away with her own, sweep her deceiving affections away with real ones.

Blake wanted her touch to be the last thing Weiss felt every night before she fell asleep.

She wanted her voice to be the last thing Weiss heard.

She pulled Weiss away from the horrible room, away from the rank stench in the air, until they found themselves surrounded by blue walls, breathing in less toxic air.

Blake closed the door before turning toward the bed, tugging Weiss with her.

But the girl resisted, and Blake turned back.

"We should sleep," she urged the other. "We need to... regain our strength."

But Weiss had wandered over to the bookshelf and extracted a volume.

"Not yet," she said. "Remember? I'd promised to read to you every night."

She crossed the room and paused at the beside table, flicking on the lamp there.

Blake watched her, not realizing a smile was forming on her own lips until it was already there.

Weiss was doing everything within her power to keep her promise to Blake, even when she was clearly so physically enervated and emotionally drained.

It encouraged Blake to strive hard to keep her own promises as well.

/I'll get you out of here. One day. I swear it./

The two girls crawled into bed together, getting comfortable as Weiss opened the book and started to read. Blake followed her finger as it pointed to each word, her ears listening closely as Weiss sounded them out.

Blake tried reading a few sentences for herself, and Weiss would correct her when necessary and encourage her whenever she was successful.

In this manner, the two girls opted not to reflect on the events of the evening, though when Weiss' posture started to sag, the pair of red lines peeked out from the collar of her nightgown.

They stopped reading just halfway through the book, deciding to finish tomorrow, as they were both too exhausted to do so tonight.

The lamp was turned off, and Blake laid down, inviting Weiss into her arms.

Weiss didn't hesitate, all but falling onto the Faunus girl's chest. The heat was gone from her collar, and the natural chill of the mansion took hold of her once again.

Blake drew the blankets up over Weiss' back and shoulders, wrapping her arms around her. But before she could pull her too close, Blake paused, making sure to ask if this was alright.

"Does it hurt?" she wondered. "The mark..."

Relief washed through her when Weiss shook her head, lifting her gaze to meet Blake's.

"No. It's alright now."

"...Okay."

With Weiss' consent given, Blake hugged her close, tucking the girl beneath her chin in a protective manner.

Weiss wished her goodnight, and Blake returned the words.

Within minutes, Weiss was unconscious, the stressful day taking its toll and dragging her under.

Blake stayed awake a while longer, stroking through Weiss' hair, her eyes glaring at the door defiantly.

Once she was certain Weiss was asleep, Blake spoke her promises aloud.

"I'll never do something to make her hurt you again," she whispered. "And one day I'll get you out of here. We'll both make it out. Somehow. I promise..."

Once more, Blake curled herself around the girl and let sleep take her, wary of whatever morning might bring.

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A/N: In case it was unclear, the mansion was never without a curse/barrier to keep Weiss in. The mark isn't the sole thing that keeps her under Cinder's control, but it's a major one now.