Mature: Desert Moon

[Emora Deen]

Tenele laughed at him, even as she turned and began scrubbing the symbol away with the broom. "You are so confident in your abilities to rid the world of a demon who has been accepted by Attara?" she asked the man. "Have you forgotten who I am?" When Tenele finished erasing a vital part of the symbol she whirled on the priest, taking the broom handle like a bat and aiming to crack him on the head. She had nothing to fear from a coward that hid behind his blessings, and she damn sure had nothing to fear from his Gods. Priests rarely carried weapons, and this man had meant to kill her husband. "Do you honestly think I'd let you walk out of here after you attempted to kill my husband, and the father of my child?"

[Soran Nightblade]

The priest seemed caught off guard by her behavior. "Child?" he muttered, taking a step away from the threatening broom. "What nonsense is this? The dead have no children. Besides, such a creature would be a curse if it ever existed." He held out his hands. "Look, I'm sure this is a blow for you, but you will heal. When your heart is ready, you can pursue a life with a worthy suitor, and be happy. Do you seriously mean to tell me that monster can do the same?"

[Emora Deen]

"He is not a monster," Tenele seethed to the priest, swinging the broom at him fiercely. "My child is not a curse. You are a curse. Now, go. Run as far and as fast as you can. If I see you again, if I even hear a whisper that you have returned... if you ever come near my family again, you will learn that the person you need to fear the most is me."

[Soran Nightblade]

The priest took another step back, more threatened by the wrath in the woman's eyes than at the broom she was waving at him. There was something in her eyes that said she was serious. She was ready to attack him. Maybe even kill him.

Something was wrong with her. Perhaps the vampire had already poisoned her soul. He crouched down and grabbed a small silver object from the ground. The bright metal was stained with blood. Vlad's body had left it behind when it disappeared. "I'm sorry, but I must be sure," he warned her. "This worked well enough on that beast, but I can't be sure of you until I've seen for myself. Just touch it, prove you are innocent, and I will leave. If you burn, I will not let you leave this dungeon."

[Emora Deen]

"I don't have to prove anything to you," she growled. "Go!" She swung at him again. Tenele knew the man would be dead had she brought a real weapon in with her.

[Soran Nightblade]

The priest narrowed his eyes. "You leave me no choice," he said proudly, diving at her with the pale blade in both hands. He wasn't well trained in handling the knife, but he was surprisingly fast.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's eyes widened when he dove for her. She angled the handle of the broom down and around to deflect his attack, while she took a step back for distance. It was a more clumsy move than she was used to making, but it had the desired effect. She twirled the broom, bringing it back around to whack him.

"Do you think if you kill me the guards will let you walk out of here? I am Ambassador to Ighten, the adopted daughter of the Queen, and a favorite to the King of Hajara. You have signed your death warrant."

She had to get rid of his guy. How much longer could Knight really hold it with Atul and Vlad in the shape they were in. The broom wasn't going to cut it.

[Soran Nightblade]

The man finally seemed to hesitate. "I will be back to ensure you are made right," he swore. With that, he spun on his heel for the stairs. He took them two at a time, desperate to reach the top, but as he did, something cold struck him in the gut. Knight stepped in front of him calmly, his bladed claws standing straight through and out the man's back. His gaze was cool and demeaning as he kicked the man free and let him tumble down the stairs like a limp, screaming ragdoll.

He retracted the blades idly, leaned back against the wall, and waited.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele was walking back to the steps when the body came tumbling down. She jumped out of the way, stumbling into the wall as it landed in a crumpled bleeding heap on the floor. She heard him breathing heavily, but she cared not to check on whether he needed help.

She stepped over him and headed up the steps. He probably viewed what she'd done as unnecessary, and he was probably angry with her. It felt silly now, not letting him down there to kill the priest. But, she'd feared what the man would have done. Obviously... there had been nothing to fear.

Tenele lifted her gaze to the shadowy figure in the stairwell. "Thank you," she told him softly.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Any time," he responded warmly. He looked the other way. "Can you turn the corner first. I'd rather you didn't watch."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele opened her mouth to protest, but clamped it shut. She pressed a kiss to his cheek and stepped passed him. When she rounded a few more steps up, she leaned against the wall with her back to him. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "Sagra ne ero..."

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight crunched forward to his knees, and smiled harshly despite himself. Tenele would have enough protecting to do tonight. It was worth it if he could at least protect her from this. He sucked in a pained, victorious breath, and was gone.

Inside the ruined circle at the base of the stairs, Vlad's body appeared. The vampire lay heavily on his side with his arm trapped awkwardly under his weight. His shoulder was slowly oozing down into the fabric of his shirt. He stared at the empty cell in front of him with glazed eyes, barely breathing while his head tied itself back together.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele turned slowly when she was sure he was gone. She stood in the dark corridor trying to figure out what her next move was. Atul would have appeared back at the top of the staircase where she'd left him, surely frightening Merida to death... and her husband should have appeared back in the dungeon.

Tenele descended the stops, slowing as she came across the body laying half in the dungeon room and half out. He didn't appear to be struggling any more, and the bloody holy weapon lay useless near his hand.

She lifted her gaze and spotted her husband curled on the floor.

"Vlad!" she called to him, stepping over the priests body and running to him. She dropped to her knees near him, trying to draw his body into her lap. "How hurt are you?"

* * *

Atul appeared on his feet, crumpling the moment he did. He nearly rolled forward down the steps, but a hand clutched the back of his shirt and caught him. Merida hauled him backwards, and he fell flat on his back in the bedroom.

She held Tenara in her arms and stared wide-eyed at the king.

[Soran Nightblade]

Tenele's voice filtered into Vlad's ears through twenty layers of imaginary glass. He felt her arms around him, and pushed himself to sit up. He sagged back toward the floor mid-effort, but compromised by propping himself up on his elbow. He rested his forehead against her chest with a sigh. "I'm pretty good, all told," he scoffed breathlessly. "Little nick in my shoulder." It raged like fire down his nerves in his entire arm and the side of his chest.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele was careful to keep her touch from the tender holy wound, but where she could hold him, she held him fiercely. She pressed kisses to the top of his head, swallowing the tightness in her throat.

"You'll be well in no time," she whispered tenderly. "The priest is dealt with. The palace is rid of its enemies. Everything is going to be just fine. I love you. I love you so much. I was so afraid when Merida knocked on our door. I worried I was too late."