Mature: Desert Moon

[Soran Nightblade]

"It is a holding circle. It should restrain him without harming him. However," he looked at her and took the salt, "You need to get him here. And, he is too strong for this type of circle. It may sober him up a bit, but it can't truly hold him if he is determined to escape. With luck, he will be too weak to succeed." He placed the salt at each corner of the pentagram.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele watched him finish the circle. "I have to get him here? But, he's very fast. Far faster than me. He caught me in seconds last night," she whispered. "I guess that means I have to run faster... or hope he is disoriented enough not to catch me in time." Tenele lifted her gaze to him. "Thank you. Thank you for thinking of a way to save him. Hopefully they will get here in time."

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight nodded without a word. He wasn't certain this would work. But Tenele's feelings had to come first. Vlad underestimated her. He underestimated himself. "Don't forget about the ring," he said. "Use it if he loses himself."

[Emora Deen]

Tenele clutched her hand around the ring dangling from the necklace she wore. It burned a hole right through Vlad's skin. Surely that could keep him off. "Okay, I'll use it."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Good. Dismiss me, same as you brought me here," Knight muttered. He felt dizzy and drained. This was a bad idea.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tried to remember the words she said. After everything that had happened, and finding out that Vlad lied to her (albeit to save her), she wasn't sure what the words were. It took her a minute, and then she remembered, "Sagra ne reion."

[Soran Nightblade]

Knight winced and crumpled to the ground. He shuddered in pain, and then flashed out of existence.

Vlad reappeared on the shore where he'd been changed. He made a strangled hissing sound and fell to his knees. Blood No, no why was he back? She was nearby. He could taste her on the wind. This couldn't be happening. He wouldn't, he'd sworn, never again! Blood. BLOOD.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele crept back towards the shore where she'd met with Vlad earlier when he didn't reappear after Knight was gone. She could just make him out through the bushes. Her hands trembled, and she held her hand around the ring tighter. She backed towards the slop leading up to the level ground and called for him.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad trembled, eyes bright and focused like a raptor's. Her voice was a sword jolting through him. NO! He stood, barely able to manage his weight. NONONO.

And he was off, walking unsteadily up the hill toward her. I'm going to kill her. He opened his mouth to warn her away, and nothing came out but an embarrassing hiss. He sounded like a goddamned Newblood.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele heard him coming. Her breath quickened. Her heart thundered in her chest. She heard the crunch of dirt and leaves and she took off running up the hill faster. How was she going to get him in that thing? What if he knew what it was and wouldn't go inside?

Tenele's foot sank between two rocks hidden by a dried banana leaf. She stumbled, smacking hard against the earth. Panic consumed her. She got up, wiggled her ankle and her foot. She tugged hard.

No.

It was stuck.

No.

Tenele held her breath. She tugged and pulled and twisted until she finally snatched it free, scraping the skin against the sharp edges. Then, she was off again, hobbling towards the circle.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's hunger spiked as she bolted. New desperation came to his muscles. He sprinted after her with the fierce grace of a predator. Then she felt, struggled, bled. Glee overwhelmed him. He was going to rip her apart and savor the pieces. The perfect prey. The perfect chase.

He gained on her easily with her hobbled pace, and tackled her to the ground, pinning her beneath him. He glared down at her with flaring red eyes, savoring his catch fur just an instant before he tore her in two.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele screamed when his heavy body smacked hers into the earth. It knocked the air from her lungs and disoriented her. She struggled to get to the ring around her neck. Her eyes locked on him. She had to lean in close to him to get the ring to connect. She pressed it to the closes piece of flesh she could find.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad glanced down at the odd buzz that went through him as the ring touched his skin. There was something offputting about it, something not-his, like a rejection. It was distracting enough to shake him for a second. He jerked up slightly and stared at it.

That ring of gold meant something. He could barely think. Blood. Bloodbloodblood. His ring.

He winced. Resisting his instincts was hellishly uncomfortable. He wanted to give in. He wanted his meal, his prize.

He wanted his wife. He wanted to wear that ring. "Fuck," he gasped, clutching his chest and rubbing his knuckles into the half-healed wound. "You're not..supposed..." he snarled, barely himself.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele used her elbows to drag herself back away from him. "I know. Its okay. We just need to get you in this circle," Tenele pleaded. She tried to stand, putting weight on the wrong ankle. She cried out, faltering back against the ground. No, there wasn't any time for this. Tenele tried again, growling through the pain, and managing to stand. She started hobbling away, as fast as her legs would take her.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad lurched forward, every instinct giving chase. "Slow," he begged, his voice a snarl.