Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

Tenele was waltzing down the hall, periodically twirling and dancing. She hummed a little tune, playfully taking her time in getting back to her room.

At the moment she grew closer to the tower steps Vlad's scream rumbled through the hall. It sent a cold chill through her, waking up her wine-deafened nerves. Her heart stopped, because she couldn't think of a single reason Vlad would scream like that...

She gathered the layers of her dress in her hands and hauled them up so she could run, and when she finally found her husband she fell down to her knees beside him. "Vlad? Vlad, what's wrong?" she asked quickly, trying to roll him over. "What happened?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's mind was reeling with nightmares, eyes open or closed, it didn't seem to matter. He heard her familiar voice next to him, and almost didn't trust her. His red eyes shot up to her, wide and tense. "He's here. It's not safe." He grabbed Tenele's hand protectively, though he could barely seem to move. He pushed himself up to sit against the wall, unsuccessful until the third try as his frantic muscles responded sporadically. He listened hard to the air around them for any sign that Verin was following after him. "If I give the signal, you summon him, no questions, okay?" he said to her, his voice only half obeying him.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele sat next to him against the wall, giving him a quick obedient nod. Her heart beat wildly in her chest, fear coursing through her nerves. She shifted closer to Vlad, pulling the hand she held into her lap so that she could almost worm her way behind his shoulder.

They set there for several minutes, the only sound she heard was the sound of her heart beating in her ears. Nothing happened. After five minutes had passed Tenele rested her head against Vlad's shoulder. "Do you think he's gone?" she croaked.

It seemed odd, the two of them sitting on the floor with their back against the wall, like two frightened children. But, at the moment Tenele was torn between feeling very safe since Vlad was there, and very terrified.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Let's find out," Vlad whispered shallowly. He rose slowly to his feet to avoid showing how unsteady his nerves were. He reached down to Tenele and pulled her in protectively close to him. "He will not touch you. He will never, ever touch you," he swore, his voice coming back with a full-throated growl. They ascended the steps together, Vlad's grip on her protective but not rough, until they reached the top. The vampire threw the door wide and studied the empty room alertly. He could feel the lingering smell of Verin's presence, but it was old. "He is gone," Vlad muttered.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele let out the breath she'd been holding in a long winded sigh. The rush of relief sent a wave of dizziness through her slight intoxicated mind. She didn't feel brave enough to leave Vlad's side to sit down, so she just wrapped her arms around his waist and hugged his side to her.

"Did he attack you?" Tenele asked him softly, her eyes flickering around the room as if she expected the God to be hiding in the dark crevices between furniture. "Are you hurt?"

[Soran Nightblade]

"Only my pride," Vlad muttered. "I'm not accustomed to running away."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded, she removed her arms from around his waist and wrapped them about his neck, hugging him tighter to her. "I am glad you are safe," she murmured against the cool skin of his neck where she burrowed. "When I heard you call my name... I feared you were hurt. I've never heard you say my name like that."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Verin is obsessed with you," Vlad said sourly. "He gave me a look inside his head, and it wasn't pretty."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's body stiffened in his arms, and she clutched him tighter. His words turned her stomach in knots. For a whole minute she stood in Vlad's arms not saying a word, she just listened to the sound of the fire.

"I'm sorry," she told her husband, sorrow bending the words. "I'm sorry for all of this. He's going to keep coming, isn't it? He's not going to leave us alone."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad scooped her up into his arms and kissed her lovingly. "No. It's not going to keep coming. We're going to beat him, remember?" He carried her to the fireside, because somehow it seemed more comforting than the bed that night. Sitting down on the large chair where Verin had perched minutes before, he settled her in against him. "This is our place. Not his. Never his," he said, his lips brushing her warm hair.

"I'm going to spend my life with you. I'm going to make you as happy as I can, and I'll always protect you," he whispered into her bangs.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes, listening to the warm comforting sound of his voice. Each word eased back the tension and fear she felt. Quiet tears rolled down her soft cheeks to drip on her dress. She wanted to answer him, but she couldn't and her voice would surely betray her. So instead she nodded against him.

Tenele settled in more against him, resting quietly there by the fire. It was well passed midnight and she was exhausted. But, sleep seemed beyond a good idea to her. So she fought exhaustion, blinking her eyes open periodically to stay awake.

"I had plans for a fun night," Tenele choked out in a broken chuckle. "I even tormented Talon with details..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Holding Tenele seemed to take away all the horror Vlad had been overcome with earlier. His greatest fear had been not being able to reach her, but now that she was safely in his grasp, he felt calmer and surer. Her tale of torturing Talon made him chuckle. "At least some good came of tonight," he smirked. "But we really shouldn't. I have work in the morning."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele nodded. "And I'm tired," she admitted softly. She was too tired to ask what sort of work Vlad had in the morning. "Can we sleep now?" she murmured, nuzzling her face close to his neck. "Can we make a pallet by the fire?" Tenele wanted to stay near its warmth, and near its light.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad smiled at her, pushing back the urge to explain more about what he'd been up to that night. It would be happier news to her if he waited until she'd rested, though he still leaned on it like it was a life jacket in his own mind. "Of course," he said, summoning the vast majority of the bed to sit in front of the hearth. "Let's rest."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele climbed down from his lap and onto the pallet. She didn't bother changing out of her dress, and simply just stripped her shoes off and tossed them across the room. She dragged the blankets over her, sitting closer to the fire and leaving a space for Vlad.

When he was settled down next to her she snuggled in against him. "I love you," she whispered to him wearily, clutching the fabric of his shirt tighter. "I want to stay with you forever."