Heirot

Vlad could feel her fear like a knife in his chest. "I will be on the roof. You are both safe," he said softly, and disappeared. On the clay-tile slant above them, the vampire sat carefully, fighting dizziness, and began keeping watch. He didn't need his eyes to tell if anyone new showed up, so he lay back on the tile.

A human relationship.

Was this all he could give her? Pain, and danger and abuse? What had possessed him to think he could make her happy as he was? He stared at his ring with clouded vision.

"Gods," he murmured, pulling an arm across his face as his lips drew back in pain. Finally alone, he gave in and lost himself to his tears in wide-eyed silence.

"Come on, Lady Dracul," Espha cooed softly. She took Tenele's hand and drew her off the floor. "Let's get you in bed." Tenele let the girl treat her like some poor child, mostly because she was to exhausted to do much else. She sank into the mattress, lying on her good side, and Espha pulled the covers around her gently. "That's better," Espha sighed, stroking fingers through Tenele's soft silver hair.

Tenele fell a sleep quickly with the gentle touch. When she slept Espha curled cross-legged on the bed and watched the Queen's Maiden.

Some hours later, after the world had grown quiet two figures happened down the street. Talon's red eyes gleamed in the night, and Atul looked in desperate need of a shower. "I wonder where they went," Atul muttered.

"Smells like they went this way. I think. I really don't know. Its hard to tell with all the death and fire." Talon rubbed his forehead.

Vlad finally picked up the sound of Talon and Atul's voices. They sounded like they were several blocks away.

*Talon. This way,* Vlad called to his blood.

He got to his feet and jumped down from the roof, landing on the street in front of the house.

"And this way," Talon told Atul, pointing in the direction Vlad's voice had come from. He lead the prince towards one of the only houses with lights on the block. "Pretty much all the Arken's are dead, save a few Atul kept to send back to Shea with a message...." Talon paused at the look on Vlad's face.

Atul glanced to the house, and then back to Vlad. "How is she doing? For that matter, Vlad... How are you doing? Do you need to feed?" Atul was pretty sure the poison was out of his system, and his blood would do the same as if he fed on a group of people.

"Espha is with her," Vlad said carefully. "She is not well." He didn't know how to respond to Atul's question. He barely cared if he ate or not, which was probably a good sign that he needed to. But the intimacy would expose him. It would allow Atul into the nightmare inside his head.

Atul stiffened. "Not well?" The look on Vlad's face filled him with worry. "She should not have come with us. But, she refused to stay in the capitol. I'm sorry, my friend. I should have locked her in your room." He rolled up his sleeve, offering his arm to Vlad. "Take if you need it."

Talon stepped towards the door, letting Stalker in as he seemed very intent on chewing the wood if someone didn't. When the door opened the beast burst into the house.

Upstairs Espha placed cool towels on Tenele's skin, as it had grown feverish while she waited on Vlad to return. The door creaked open, and Espha glanced up hopefully. She screamed when she saw the red-eyed beast. He snarled at her, seeing a stranger next to Tenele. He padded forward slowly, growling at Espha.

Vlad's gaze jerked away from Atul's arm as he heard a scream from the house. In an instant, he appeared beside the bed, his garnet eyes commanding Stalker still. The beast immediately grew silent and backed up as its master stood before it. Vlad registered the understanding in the beast's eyes, and then the world flipped upside down for a moment. When his senses returned, the hardwood floor was zooming in toward his face. He threw his hands out reflexively to catch himself and lay still a moment while the room stopped spinning. Stalker's muzzle poked at his face, beady red eyes studying him alertly. "Fine, I'm fine," he murmured, grabbing the thick scruff at the back of the hound's neck and using it to haul himself back to his feet.

Atul was the first one in the room, and Talon came bounding up the steps behind him. "Vlad, you need to drink," he muttered as he caught Vlad by the arm. He glanced to Tenele, who was sleeping very soundly despite all the racket going on, and then to Espha who was crouched near Tenele's head. "Come on." He ushered his friend into the bathroom.

Talon crept up to the bed slowly. "I'm her brother," he told the girl. "Is she doing well?"

"She has a fever," Espha muttered. "Will Ambassador Dracul be okay? He fell very fast."

"Ambassador Dracul will be fine as soon as he eats," the king called back to her.

Vlad didn't have much energy to fight as he was tugged into the bathroom with Atul. He found himself sitting on the lip of the tub, his arms perched on his knees. Only then did he feel stable enough to look up at Atul. "How was the battle," he asked, hoping to talk about anything but himself.

Atul smiled darkly. "Arkens die too fast," he muttered, holding out his arm for Vlad. "Go on." Atul smoothed his hand over the top of Vlad's head tenderly, stroking fingers through his hair. "You look awful. Why don't you jump in the bath while your in here."

"This town is struggling. I don't want to waste their water supply," Vlad murmured. The scent of Atul's blood and his strong pulse was pure comfort. He didn't know if the poison would have worn off by now. Part of him really didn't care. He took his friend's arm gently in his hands and bit his wrist, making it painless and even a little pleasurable. If his heart was in it, he could have done more, but he focused on accepting Atul's warmth and life and letting it fill the veins around his empty soul. He wasn't sure when the tears started again, but by the time he released the king's arm, he was lost, overwhelmed by the need for a companion after what had happened. He let it all flow through to his friend, exposing himself to whatever judgment the man wanted to offer. He just held his fingers across the small wound in Atul's arm, and let the tears run.

Atul was torn between being angry at Vlad, and being sorry for him. He cupped his hand around the back of the vampires head and drew him in against him. "She'll forgive you," he muttered to Vlad. "She loves you. She hasn't been herself, that's what I was trying to tell you. She just needs time."

Vlad rested his head on Atul's chest. He couldn't remember the last time he had cried on someone like this. Probably not since boyhood. It had been a rough couple of weeks, and he was reaching some kind of a limit. "I need to go. Find the girl's father. The high lord. Did you see him at all?"

Atul grew very quiet. "He didn't make it," he finally muttered. "The sickness wasn't broken in time. We found him in his chambers, in bed. I'll tell the girl, don't worry. I won't put you through that. You need to see to your wife, Vlad. Even if it is frightening. I'll take Talon, the girl, and Stalker downstairs."

Vlad took a deep breath. Damn. "Okay," he said. "I may as well use the time when she's asleep to fix the other bandages. She can't refuse my care if she's not aware of it."