Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

"It's not a story," Vlad said carefully, mindful of rousing Talon's temper after the day he'd had. "Verin has already approached her, even in my absence, to encourage her cooperation with him. He's made his interest clear. She is not safe."

[Emora Deen]

Talon blinked at him. "If he's already approached her, if she's in danger, then we should go back. I can manage this hunger," Talon muttered. All this information was making his head spin off. His mother was who? Verin wanted Tenele? He was a vampire? Had he really just had the vampire version of sex with his sisters husband?

Talon went back to the bed to sit down and quell his rage. "He could be there right now. We left her alone."

[Soran Nightblade]

"There was no choice. You need to be isolated, especially from people like Tenele, until the hunger steadies out. I would prefer to be with her as well, but Sinead's castle is the safest she can be, given the circumstances."

[Emora Deen]

Talon exhaled, the rage boiling to the surface. "Okay," he muttered darkly. "She's safe." He told himself that, to cool his anger and his worry.

He leaned back against the headboard, closing his eyes to settle his mind. He concentrated on quiet thoughts, streams and meadows, and maybe the ocean. Things that didn't involve blood and death, which were things he really enjoyed at the moment.

"I'm going to rest," he told Vlad quietly.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad walked to the corner of the room, where a bottle had been provided. It was probably overpriced, but he broke it open and poured himself a glass anyway. "Nightcap?" he asked his new ward.

[Emora Deen]

"No thank you," Talon muttered. "I'm just going to concentrate on not wanting to eat the hotel residents by thinking about grassy meadows." His lips twitched with a smirk.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled and relaxed into one of the high-back chairs in the corner of the room. He kept an eye on Talon that night and on into the morning. The wine was gone when day broke. The next few days had ups and downs. One hour Talon would insist he was ready to return to the castle. The next, he was collapsed on the ground, too hungry to even think. Vlad intervened when absolutely necessary, mostly to keep Talon from getting caught. They also managed to avoid taking any innocents. Each night, he guarded Talon closely, and he only had to pin him to the bed once or twice.

On the fifth day, they were getting some air in the market at the center of town when Vlad stopped and looked at him. "Well, my Blood, it's been five days, so I'll ask again." He met his eyes with a gaze that refused to be lied to. "How do you feel?"

[Emora Deen]

Talon glanced away from where he'd been staring to meet Vlad's gaze. "I'm better. I feel more in control, and I think I'm ready to go back. Their heartbeats call to me, but its not overwhelming. Its tolerable. I'm no where near being as stable in this as you, but I'm closer. A few steps closer than I was a week ago. But, there are many things we'll face when we go back. Sinead for instance, how do you expect we explain this?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"I suggest we check in with Tenele, and then see Queenie first thing. The last time one of her generals was turned, she locked him in a dungeon with a mad scientist, but she certainly didn't abandon him."

[Emora Deen]

Talon frowned. "I'd like see someone try to lock me in a dungeon," he muttered as they turned back towards the palace.

* * *

Tenele was sleeping in the library across one of the over-stuffed leather couches near a window. The table in front of her was littered with elvish translation books. Across her lap lay open the book that Ilthe had given her, and on top of that a piece of parchment with half translated sentences.

The light filtering in through the glass made her warm, but it also roused her. She sat up slowly, running a hand through her silver hair. Tenele closed the book with the translations and set it on the couch before she went about cleaning up the mess she'd made. Afterwords she gathered the elvish book in her arms and headed back towards Vlad's tower.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad didn't feel like bringing Vamp-o-Talon through the front gates, so he teleported them directly to his tower. The room was much like he'd left it, and it showed signs of being lived in. The unmade bedsheets and the hairbrush on the nightstand brought a smile to his face. Tenele had slept in this cold, damp tower, even without him there. The image of her sleeping in his bed brought a surge of affection through him.

"Alright," he said, turning to Talon. The man looked, for all the world, like he'd been out on a few rowdy nights on the town. Their clothes were both disheveled and stained from their activities. Vlad straightened Talon's collar like he was some sort of doting parent. He looked the man up and down and then shook his head. "No. You'll need a bath." Apparently, the dead king didn't regard his own condition as severe enough to require bathing. After all, he was good looking enough to get away with it.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele yawned behind her hand, rising the last few steps before pushing the heavy wooden door to Vlad's room open. She froze when she spotted figures inside, afraid at first that Verin had come to pay her another visit. The moment she registered it was Vlad and Talon she rushed forward, forgetting new vampires were prone to attacking runners.

Tenele's arms were out and she wrapped them around her husband, the book slipping from her fingers by accident.

Talon, for his part, remained very still.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad returned Tenele's embrace by wrapping his arms around her and swinging her up off her feet. When he set her back down, his forehead rested against hers. "I am sorry for leaving you so suddenly." He raised his head slightly to include Talon in his gaze. She'd run, but he'd held it together. "He's ready, but go easy on him. Slow and steady. Be careful with your ring."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele turned towards Talon, leaving Vlad slowly. She approached him, taking cautious steps. Talon stayed very still, appraising her with a furrowed crimson gaze. Her hands reached out slowly, and she slipped her arms under his. Tenele embraced him, drawing herself against Talon. Talon hesitated, holding his arms out to his sides. He took a deep breath, though he had no need of it, and finally returned the gesture.

"I'm sorry for scaring you," Talon whispered down to her.

Tenele nodded, trying to hold back her tears. "I thought you were leaving me too, like mom and dad."

"I'm not leaving you anymore," Talon proclaimed, kissing the top of her head. "We're a family, all three of us. No one is going to leave you, Tenele."

Tenele nodded again, stepping slowly back from him to join her husband. "I'm so glad you're back, you have no idea."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smirked at her. "It is a very cold room to sleep in alone." His smile faded as he realized she might not just mean that romantically. "How have you been?" he asked seriously, finding himself glancing to her leg.