Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

"I believe he's watching your brother burn alive from the inside out," Maxwell said cruelly. "Should be about that time, right now." He teleported behind her and kicked her squarely in the back.

* * *

Vlad raised blind eyes to the sound of Atul's voice. He was hallucinating. Then again, it wouldn't be so bad to die hallucinating about being in Atul's embrace. But why did dream-Atul's fingers have to hurt so damn much. He smiled madly and steeled himself against the pain with a dizzy laugh.

[Emora Deen]

Atul frowned. "Vlad," he called. "What can I do? How can I help you?" He felt Vlad's forehead. He knew what Maxwell had been putting in Vlad's system, thanks to Talon's debriefing. But, he had no way of knowing how to fix it. The only solution he could think of was get it out of his system... and the only way to to do that...

Atul drew the dagger from his boot. He stared at the blade in the poor lighting and then turned his gaze on his lover. "You're already in pain," he justified. Atul put the blade to his wrists. He closed his eyes and cut each one. It hurt him, it cut his heart to do it, but he did it for Vlad. He did it to save him.

He knew that even that wasn't going to move fast enough for what they needed. Atul put the blade to Vlad's throat. He choked on bile at the thought of doing it to someone he loved. He couldn't do it. He couldn't. Atul shook his head fiercely, and then roared. He slit Vlad's throat in one swift move and the blood gushed out.

Atul slit his own wrist after that and titled Vlad's head, stretching his mangled neck. He pressed his bleeding wrist to Vlad's mouth forcefully. "Drink."

* * *

Talon shoveled more mineral, moving down the line until he had taken well half the fire over. He had expected some repercussions... but they just seemed to stair at him. Almost....

* * *

Tenele collapsed forward into the snow. She choked on air, wincing as the pain drove daggers through her. She rolled onto her back quickly to watch him, cupping a hand over her chest and side. She moved back away from him, worming across the ground.

"You're lying," she spat. That wasn't true...

But, where were they? Why did Talon tell her to hurry so suddenly? Tenele took her eyes off of Maxwell and set them on the mansion. Her brother was dead?

[Soran Nightblade]

"Sloppy," Maxwell growled at her distraction. He loomed toward her for a stike to her chest, but instead he went still, like he was listening to a faraway voice. "The fire," he snarled, and teleported to the basement.

Except it didn't work. He opened his eyes and was still in the courtyard with Tenele. The reservoir of power wasn't responding to his call. "How dare you.. How dare you!" he snarled, whirling on Tenele even though he could already feel the cold beginning to seep into his bones. This was never a place for his kind to survive.

* * *

Vlad struggled with the warm wrist against his lips. The taste of blood overwhelmed him with nausea. He could feel himself emptying, and he really didn't know if Atul had done what he was trying to do for himself, or if this was his body letting go. He blinked up and saw just the silhouette of the king's face. Atul, he realized. He was really there. The blood was Atul's. Tears welled in the corners of his eyes. He drank what he was offered, suddenly determined not to die. Atul was with him. He was really with him. He drank what he thought he could, hoping the man would stop him if he went too far.

[Emora Deen]

"How dare you!" Tenele roared back at him as she pushed back to get away from him. "You threatened my child, stole my husband, and tortured him! I hope you freeze. I hope its slow and painful."

* * *

Talon through the last few shovels over the fire until the last blue flame went out. The room went dark. Black as pitch. The workers around him screamed.

* * *

"Drink," Atul urged Vlad quietly. He would draw away when the vampire's wounds were healed and he had enough strength to move. That would leave Atul weary... but not helpless.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad had been in agony for so long that he'd forgotten what normal felt like. In his ordinary state, he'd probably be in severe distress with this level of pain, but after the last few months he'd had, any change was an overwhelming relief. He could feel his fingertips without screaming. His cloudy vision showed him a bit more of Atul. He drew his lips away from the man's wrist, covering the wound with his shaking hand. The room was feeling slightly less miserable now that the fire was out, at least for him.

The reptilians were not so happy. They rushed toward the burning embers and huddled there, savoring the heat in a tight-knit group.

Sho shivered beside Talon. She was afraid, but also unwilling to leave him.

* * *

Maxwell glowered at Tenele, but couldn't do much more. He stumbled in the snow, falling to his hands and knees next to Vlad's table. He began crawling toward the mansion.

[Emora Deen]

Talon looked down at show. He wrapped an arm around her. "If I were human," he muttered, watching them gather around the embers. "I would warm you." He shrugged his shoulders and drew her into his arms, wrapping her up as completely as he could. "But, I make okay insulation." Being so close to the fire for so long, his body had absorbed the heat. He was like a warm blanket around her, and maybe he could hold in her heat long enough for someone to kill Maxwell.

* * *

Tenele grabbed the sword and pushed to her feet. She walked slowly towards Maxwell. The blood leaked from her wound, down the sleeve of her coat, her hand, and dripped down the blade. She dragged it in the snow, walking casually towards his crawling form.

Tenele walked along side him as he crawled.

"I've wanted to kill you since the first time we met," she told him, staring at the mansion. "While this won't be as colorful as I dreamed up... and I think Vlad should have the honor... You threatened my daughter and killed my brother."

Tenele brought the sword down on his hand. "That's for my daughter." She stabbed him in the back three times. "For my brother." Tenele took up the hilt with both hands and raised it above her head, aligned with his neck. "For Vlad." And the sword fell.

[Soran Nightblade]

Sho smiled a little at Talon's efforts to warm her. She burrowed into his shirt and shivered. "Silly Talon. Males cannot keep females warm," she murmured.

Vlad concentrated hard on knitting the skin back together over his neck and wrists. The fact he was even able to do it at all proved that purging his blood had helped some. There was still damage caused by months of internal scarring, but if he lived through this, those things would heal too. Because of Atul. Because he was with him. Because the king knew him, enough to be willing to cut him.

And what of Tenele? His throat was still too mangled to speak yet. He felt Atul's skin heal beneath his fingers, but he didn't want to let go of the man's wrist.

* * *

Maxwell turned his head, blood gurgling in his throat as he stared up at her with a mix of shock and disgust. To die at her hand, without completing his research. He would not. He refused.

Even as the stubborn words wanted to come from his throat, his heart slowed to a stop. He'd lost too much of his lifeblood to the pink-soaked snow beneath him. A low groan rolled from his throat, and his eyes went pale as his life left him.

[Emora Deen]

Talon smirked. He thought of a hundred inappropriate comebacks to that statement and the fact he chose to use none of them meant his time with Vlad hadn't completely corrupted him.

Talon kept waiting for Maxwell to come down and kill him for putting out the fire, but time passed and he didn't come.

"You must have really hit him hard," the vampire muttered.

Talon took up the stone and clenched his fist around it. "Tenele."

Several seconds passed before her voice filtered over the link.

"Talon?" Her voice broke and then he heard her sobbing through the link. "Maxwell said you were dead."

"Maxwell? Are you hurt? Is he with you?"

"He's dead."

* * *

Atul smiled down at Vlad. "I know you need to rest, but we should move quickly encase he finds us. We need to find Tenele before Maxwell does." He looped an arm under Vlad's and attempted to help the vampire to his feet.

* * *

Talon took Sho by the shoulders. "Hurry, start the fire for your people. I will return."

[Soran Nightblade]

Sho nodded, shivering as she stepped out of his embrace. She walked out to the empty fire pit to talk to her kin.

Vlad forced his legs into control under him and balanced against Atul's steady grip. The mention of Tenele made him feel ten times stronger. "Where is she?" he rasped, staring up the unending stairwell. Was she alone with Maxwell? If he'd believed he could teleport without losing consciousness, he would have. Instead, he focused on keeping up with Atul as he led the way up the stairs.

Atul's blood flowed through his veins like a soothing medicine, easing the harsh burn. The tingling sensation made him truly realize that for months, and up until a moment ago, he'd ceased expecting to live beyond this place. All this scheming and surviving, those talks with Talon about rescue; it had all felt like an act. Now it was happening. Now Tenele was just up these stairs.

He finally got to the threshold at the top and staggered across the level floor, into the front doorway.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele stared st the blood dripping from her fingersto the white snow. She pressed a hand to her injured arm and began making a slow trek back to the house. She felt relieved that Talon was alive, but she feared what she would find of them.

All of this mess was her own fault. If she never would have approached Maxwell to begin with... No, if he would have followed Sinead's orders, this would have never happened. Tenele spared a glance back at his body and the red stained snow.

* * *

Atul called for Tenele, and when she didn't answer he grew worried. He pulled the front door opened and exhaled with relief when he saw her ascending the steps. Her gaze lifted and she paused at seeing Vlad, like he were a ghost.

Tenele broke. All these long weeks she'd dreamed of him, while never really believing any of her words, and here he was. She ran to him and threw her arms around hid neck, so overwhelmed with joy that she didn't feel any pain.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad threw his arms around her, toppling backward onto the floor. He'd never been so happy to see anyone in his life. He arched his neck to kiss her hair, her eyes and cheeks. "My wonderful maiden girl," he croaked. He cradled her head against his chest and let the tears blur his healing vision.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele cried into his blood soaked shirt. It hurt for him to hold her, but she didn't care. She didn't want him to let go.

"Tenele," Atul called, dropping down next to her. "You're bleeding. How deep is that? Where's Maxwell?"

Tenele shrugged, not caring. The only thing she wanted was Vlad. "He's in the snow. I killed him."

Talon ran up to them, but stayed quiet. He waited patiently for his greeting, knowing it would come when she was ready.

[Soran Nightblade]

At Tenele's words, the vampire smirked slowly. A low, ragged laugh blew victoriously from his throat. The bastard was dead. His nightmare was dead. Just thinking about Tenele delivering the killing blow sent a thrill up his spine. But she couldn't have made it to him without injuries. He could feel her body tense with pain, and her blood was potent in the air. Vlad leaned sideways, gently rolling her next to him, and pushed up on an elbow to inspect her. His shaky hand traced her cheek, along her shoulder. He ran his fingers along her bloodied arm, judging the severity of her wounds as he went. When he reached her fingertips, his hand slid to her hip and up along her ribs, measuring every inch of her the way a millionaire counted his funds. Except no such millionaire would do this with the slow, almost worshipful reverence that Vlad showed toward his chosen lifemate.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele flinched when his hand touched the bruised flesh of her waist where the rope cobstricted and burned the skin before cracking her ribs. She let him run his hands there despite the hurt, because she wanted his touch. She missed him so much.

Atul tied a cloth tight around her arm to stifle the bleeding until they could examin and patch it.

She stared up at her husband with heavy eyes red eyes. She was here with him. Finally. Everyone was safe.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad didn't want to hurt her, but it was reassuring to know exactly where she was okay and where she wasn't. "You were reckless," he said lovingly. He couldn't help being a little bit pleased that she'd struggled so hard to get to him. All those weeks when he'd felt doomed and alone, he'd never really been alone at all. He knew without asking that she'd never hesitated.

"Is everyone alive?" he asked the crowd wearily. "Talon, your girl?"