Heirot

Tenele nodded, smiling softly at her husband. "Take some of my blood until Atul arrives to send for more," she whispered to him, placing her wrist over his mouth. "I have enough to give. I was not wounded. Please take some, Vlad."

Vlad struggled to think straight and honestly couldn't even imagine taking blood right now. But he was willing to try it, if she was definitely safe. He had to take her word for it, because he could barely hear anything through the pain in his skull, let alone sense her pulse. When she offered her wrist, he bit her lightly. He wasn't focused enough to take the pain out of the bite, so he tried to be as gentle as possible.

The blood hurt. Everything hurt. He forced himself to take a swallow, but everything inside him fought it. He jerked back abruptly and rolled to his side, hacking up more blood than he'd taken in painful, choking coughs.

The door swung open and Atul staggered in, his clothes soaked with sweat. An entourage of worried servants attempted to follow behind him. He slammed the door in their faces, leaving them outside. "Vlad?" he breathed, going to them quickly.

Tenele glanced up to Atul as he rushed in. Fear was written in her features. "He won't get better," she muttered to Atul, holding her bleeding wrist. "I tried to give him my blood, but he couldn't take it." Tenele took Vlad's head and drew it into her lap, stroking fingers through his hair. She bent low over him, peering at his dull eyes. "Everything is going to be fine... You'll be fine. We'll get you something you can drink..."

"Do something," Tenele growled, looking up at Maxwell. "You made him invincible. Don't you have something you can do for him?"

Maxwell frowned at the struggle in front of him. "I can tell him what he has. The poison is Herrwort. Harmless to living flesh, but there are compounds present in undead flesh that are different. To a vampire, it can literally dissolve the insides. Particularly the organs." He didn't look pleased to be sharing the news, though he spoke it in his usual callous way. "We could bleed him dry again, but at this point, his blood's not the problem. The agent has run its course. Now it's just doing what it does."

Tenele blinked at Maxwell like he was speaking a language she'd never heard before. A hollowness set in her eyes, and she slowly let them leave him and fall back to Vlad. She shook her head fiercely. "No...." Her hands framed his face. "No, not like this. This isn't happening." Her face contorted with sorrow and her body shook with a ragged sob. She looked to Atul, wanting him to help, pleading silently for a way to save him.

Atul's throat worked up and down. He was beyond words. The guilt washed through him as hot as fire. He'd done this. Intentional or not...someone had used him to get to Vlad. He rested a hand on her shoulder. "Let's get him off the floor," he whispered. He knelt down and collected the shaking vampire in his arms. Vlad swallowed a cry, wincing as the movement seemed to tear him apart.

A moment later, he was lying on his side in the bed. "Okay," he gasped. "Let's just be clear." His eyes scanned over them. "I'm not dying."

Maxwell rolled his eyes. "Yes, you are," he muttered.

"I am not dying in a room with HIM," Vlad growled in agony.

Tenele glared at Maxwell, sitting on the bed next to her husband. Her shaking fingers ran through his hair nervously. "Get out," she growled darkly, tears trailing down her cheeks. "You are useless and unwanted, so leave."

She turned her attention back to Vlad. "Maybe I can heal you?" she whispered to him. It never worked before, why would it work now?

"I need you," she whispered to him, sobbing. "Don't leave me."

Vlad's expression glowed with a faint, if painful, smile. "Okay. Come heal me," he invited lovingly. He raised his arm, making space for her against him.

Tenele sniffled, stretching out next to him, resting lightly against him. She smoothed her hand gently across his chest. "Okay," she muttered. A faint white glow started beneath her hand, after a minute Tenele gave a shuddering breath and the light faded. Her green eyes flickered up from where her hand rested on his chest and to his eyes.

Vlad looked down at her tear-filled eyes. "I love you." He leaned forward, wrapping her in a trembling hug. His cheek rested over hers. "Okay?" he whispered into her ear. "Always."

Tenele choked on a sob, not able to answer him. She nodded against him. "I love you," she breathed. The world around her shattered. "You can't go. I won't let you. I won't let you, do you hear me? I can't let you go. I can't live without you, Vlad."

"Talon will protect you," Vlad croaked out. "And Atul will love you." He shuddered as the poison contracted his muscles. "You won't be alone. You will never, ever be alone," he choked. He stroked his trembling fingers into her hair, shaking with less and less control. "I'm sorry." His voice cracked with emotion and his hand wrapped protectively over the back of her head. "I am so sorry, Tenele."

Tenele shuddered with each drag of air. "Its not your fault," she whispered. "Its mine... If it wasn't for me you'd be okay. If Verin hadn't wanted me so badly you'd be okay... If it wasn't for my mother. If I didn't look like her... If I..." Tenele blinked, tears dropping down her cheeks to soak against the blood on his skin. She reached up and wiped her hand under her nose. "My mother..." She combed her fingers through his hair. "The best moment of my life was when I met you in the garden that night. All my life I was alone until I met you... and then I couldn't get away. I'm not going to let you go."

Tenele rested against him and closed her eyes. She whispered her prayer, low and quiet and frightened. It had been a long time since she'd prayed to Attara... She prayed for minutes, and having no response she faded into soft cries. "Save him," she murmured against Vlad's skin. "Please, save him. Please. Please. Please." Tenele choked on another sob. "Mother... please."

Atul stared at Tenele praying. Tears built in his eyes. He sat on the bed behind her and put his hands on her shoulder and Vlad's. "Please," he echoed her prayer in his own mind. "My goddess, please, help him. Help them. I know I am the son of your enemy, but he is his destroyer. And the girl who sits praying to you can only be your daughter. I beg you. Do not allow this."

Tenele clenched her eyes shut. "Mother, if you have any love in your heart for me... I beg you, save him."

A light glowed to life in the corner of the room, pale at first and then brighter. The light, shapeless at first, moved across the room, passed Maxwell, towards the bed. The closer it came, the more dense and solid the form grew.

Tenele's eyes fluttered open, lifting to the silvery form kneeling on the opposite end of Vlad. She was beautiful. The most beautiful thing Tenele had ever seen. She was clothed in light, with long flowing silver hair, and piercing silver eyes. "It is not love that I lack for you, daughter..." Attara whispered, eyes misting with tears. "I saved him once."

"Save him again."

"He made his choice," Attara whispered. "I offered him humanity, salvation from Verin... He chose to remain a demon." Attara reached out and placed a hand over hers.

Tenele's brow scrunched. "He did it to save me. If he hadn't, Verin would have had me a long time ago. I love him. Save him. Please."

Attara's eyes softened.

"I prayed to you," Tenele growled. "I prayed to you as a child and you never once came to me and told me who you were."

"I watched you," Attara breathed.

"You ignored me! I needed you. Talon needed you. You could have at least told us what you were!"

"Tenele..." Attara frowned at Tenele. "It was for the best. I was protecting you..."

"Protect me again," Tenele whispered. "He's the reason Verin is dead. He deserves life."

"Dead?" Attara muttered, shaking her head. "That's not possible."

"Dead," Tenele affirmed. "He's gone. They saved me from him. They destroyed him. So save him, too. If he dies, Verin wins... even if he's dead. Save him, mother, please. I love him. I love him more than my own life."

Attara glanced to Vlad, and then Atul positioned behind her, and finally to Maxwell. "I loved your father," Attara whispered to Tenele. "I'm sorry. I am a Goddess, better a goddess than a mother... It breaks my heart to see you in such pain." She rested her hand on Vlad, but it did not burn him. "I will save you, Vladimir Dracul, my son. Choose, mortal or immortal. I can turn you from what you are, or leave you."