Heirot

"Like I said, you never had to touch her in the first place," Vlad said bitterly from his place on the floor. "If you'd done what I said, none of this would have happened. How many of your men did she injure? Five? Ten?"

The priest regarded Vlad with a sigh. "We cannot trust the words of another monster."

"If you won't let her go, then let me be with her," Vlad said. "Your men don't know anything; they could kill her if they aren't careful."

The other man seemed to consider this for a long moment. "I think the Lady Tenele is more...behaved when not in your presence."

Vlad grit his teeth and turned his head to the side. "What if I knew a way to return her to normal?"

"If you know, you should tell us."

"No. Take me to her first," the vampire demanded.

"We could torture you, you know," the priest said, although it was clear his noble tongue was having some trouble uttering such a dark threat. He seemed shocked when the vampire let out a full-throated laugh.

"Torture is not a new concept to me," Vlad said darkly as his laugh cut off. "I won't even tell you the color of the damned sky unless you take me to her now."

The priest looked at the former vampire who was almost too weak to get up off the floor. He did not look dangerous, as he was now. "Do not excite her," he warned. "If she gets out of hand, I have things that will kill her."

"Fine," Vlad said, beginning the arduous climb to his feet. His muscles felt pathetically shaky and unwilling. Nothing that had happened to him this morning justified being this tired, but he'd lost blood, and he hadn't eaten. The hunger didn't bother him immensely. He was used to being thirsty all the time, but having his body pay consequences for abstaining from food was an inconvenience he didn't usually have to deal with. He bent down and retrieved Sinead's communicator from the ground, casually, as if it had just spilled out of his pocket. The priest didn't seem to care; it was just some rock.

A few moments later, men arrived to escort him to Tenele's cell.

They were pulling the sword from the Colonel as Vlad passed, and his eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I thought we were going to keep them seperated?" he asked, more to himself since the only people with him at the moment were underlings who didn't know the full scale of the situation.

Tenele's red eyes flashed to Vlad as she saw him coming down the hall slowly. She was still lying on the floor, surrounded by glowing salt. Shaking, she just stayed still. She had never been this hungry, and every single heart beat in the room was about to drive her mad. She just wanted them to all be silent. Even Vlad's. That way, she wouldn't be thinking about how close the food was, and how unreachable.

"Are you alright? Did they hurt you?" she asked in a whisper.

"Don't be ridiculous," Vlad whispered back, worry creasing the corners of his amber eyes. "Why are there so many people in here?" he demanded.

"In case she escapes..." someone said half-heartedly.

"Does she look like she's going to escape? You're going to drive her insane," Vlad snapped. "The priests are more than enough to guard her."

The men looked at each other, but the priest admitted, "That's true enough. She won't be going anywhere."

"Then get them out," Vlad said sternly.

"You are not calling the shots here, monster," the man shot back.

Vlad frowned and looked down at Tenele, lying on the floor, suffering. His chest felt tight. "Let her go," he murmured.

"You said you had a way to change her. Do that, and she's free to go," the priest said, reminding him of his promise.

Vlad grit his teeth and touched the familiar weight of the stone in his pocket. "I need to make a call," he said. "Unless you want the Queen to see this, I suggest you let me make it in private." The men looked skeptical, but no one stopped him as he walked to a storage closet in the back of the room and closed himself inside.

The Colonel came walking in, rubbing his bleeding shoulder. It was almost too much for her, for the sent was suddenly so strong. She looked at him as he came up towards her, the blood poring over his hand and running down his arm. "Is she trapped in that thing? She can't step outside of it?"

The priest nodded.

He stooped to a knee and held his bloody hand out towards her.

Tenele rolled her eyes and rolled to where her back was to him, trying to ignore him.

"What? Don't want it now you monster? You almost killed me!"

"But, I didn't..." Tenele muttered. "Though, I'm starting to wish I had." She covered her nose and mouth with one her slightly charred hands, trying to stifle the smell. But, the heart beats were something that could not be stopped. Slowly, they began to lessen as most of the men in the room filed out. But, the bleeding Colonel chose to stay, for he didn't entirely trust things to be the same without him.

Vlad couldn't wait for Sinead to contact him. He couldn't leave Tenele in that circle for another minute. He pulled the stone out and activated it. The blue light appeared and the first thing he heard was the sound of an argument going on. He picked out a few words before those on the other end realized he was there, and then Sinead's face appeared in front of him. She looked stressed out, which was a very unusual thing for her.

"Vladimir, I said I would contact you," she said, her frustration venting out at him.

"I can't wait. Tell me your theories, I don't care what they are," Vlad said fiercely.

Sinead paused, again seeming surprised by Vlad's intensity. "The mages have not found an acceptable way to fix the problem."

"What's the unacceptable way, then?" Vlad demanded, noticing the qualifying tone she placed on the word.

Sinead stared at him uncomfortably. "The spell acts on your life forces. It's a permanent enchantment. The only sure-fire way to nullify it would be to remove one of the components of the spell."

Vlad narrowed his eyes. "You're saying one of us has to die."

"No! Vladimir, I forbid you to try anything, we'll find an alternative," she said sternly.

"Fine, if we can. But hypothetically..."

"Hypothetically, you were dead in the first place," Sinead said very quietly. "That doesn't mean dying now won't kill you for real."

"Are your mages certain of that?"

Sinead frowned, and it looked like she was listening to voices behind her. "No. There is a chance you could rise again afterwards, but not one I'm willing to take."

"Damn it, Sinead, you're going to have to take a chance with one of us," Vlad snarled.

That left Sinead looking absolutely floored. Vlad never, ever, EVER spoke to her that way. Somehow, it didn't make her angry. It made her alarmed. For the first time, she started to believe his urgency. "You are certain it's necessary?"

"Yes."

She frowned into the light, guilt flickering into her eyes. "Protect her," she said.

Vlad touched his palm to his chest and bowed. "My Queen," he said respectfully, and then reached out and cut off the connection.

When he turned and came back out into the room, it was significantly emptier, which was a relief. Except for the newcomer, who was kneeling much too close to Tenele's cell and clutching a wound.

"Get out," Vlad hissed to the man, storming closer.

Tenele looked over her shoulder at the blood, finding it more and more tempting. Her hand crept out as she rolled over to face him. His attention was directed to Vlad, and he was glaring. "I'd rather not. I'm here to make sure she doesn't do this to anyone else!" He pointed to his wound with one hand. Her hand kept closer, but the moment it reached the salt is shocked her like an electric bolt.

She hissed, clutching her hand and withering for a moment. This was horrible. This was wrong. She couldn't take it. She was in so much pain, her whole body felt so cold it burned. She could smell blood, and it was torture. She could smell Vlad's blood from his cut, but the overwelming smell of the man next to her.

Her teeth gritted, her crimson eyes flickered back and forth between the two men. All Vlad would have to do was shove him into her ring and she could eat him. Drink him up. Fix the hunger that was inside her. But, Vlad would not turn her into a monster.

He would not let her become something she was afraid to become.

Yet, at the moment, she wished greatly that he would.

Vlad just leaned in very close to the man, and whispered into his ear darkly, "If you interfere with this, I will kill you," he said.

The colonel looked confused. "Interfere with what-" he started to ask, but Vlad was already halfway into the circle. "Are you insane?!" he shouted, scrambling back as if the whole circle might explode at any moment.

Vlad walked calmly into the circle and knelt somewhat shakily next to Tenele. "It's going to be okay," he said, touching her pale cheek.

"Vlad, no... I'm not safe to be near. Get away," she muttered, pushing his hand from her cheek.

If she would have had a heart, it surely would have been beating out of her chest. She could hear his heart, feel it in his fingertips. Her mouth watered at the thought. She could see the cuts, and see the blood. She could remember the wonderful taste.

Tenele scooted away from him, digging her nails into the very wood she was lying on. "Please..." Her eyes darted from him to the men around the room. She shut them in the hopes of keeping herself calm.

It wasn't working. "You're are mad! I will not hurt you! I will not do this! Get away from me before I make you go away!" Tenele's eyes snapped open, and they were a fire.

Vlad looked at her soberly. This beautiful woman wanted to protect him. She loved him, accepted him. She was worth protecting; she was worth everything. Even if she never forgave him for what he was about to do.

Vlad moved forward, closing the space between them. Kneeling on both knees this time, he wrapped both of his arms around her, so that his chest pressed against hers and his hands encircled her back. "I'm sorry," he said, holding her firmly. He bent his head to kiss her shoulder, stretching his neck in a long, smooth line in front of her face.

"Vlad!" Tenele cried out as he wrapped his arms around her. She would have shoved him off had all the senses in her head not started screaming. She could feel his heart beating against her chest, and see his neck there. She could almost feel the vibrations of his pulse in the air. She withered in his arms, turning her head away, but even that didn't work. She was panting, but mostly out of habit. She breathed fast when she was panicing.

She tried to think of something else, but it wasn't working. She made the most terrible sound, for it was neither a wail of agony, or sob of grief. She couldn't control herself. She was so hungry. She was in so much pain, and for some reason she knew this would end it all.

Her head whirled around towards his neck and her teeth sunk quickly in. She hadn't meant to, it was as if her body had been possessed. But, the moment she tasted blood she could not stop. She could not hold back. The more she drank, the further she went into a realm she never wanted to go. A dark place, where the only thing that mattered was easing the hunger.

There was no pleasure this time in her bite. It was just a necessary pain, like ripping off a bandage. His head swirled dizzily and he felt himself leaning more heavily against her. He'd almost forgotten, after all the years since he'd been turned, but being emptied hurt. His fingers knotted into the back of her shirt and he winced against her shoulder, starting to feel like his heart was on fire. There was no time for I love you's and he had no breath to speak them, but he held her as tightly as he could until his brain mercifully shut itself off. Vlad's body collapsed fully against her, and his hands loosened from her shirt and fell to his sides.

Tenele stopped when there was nothing left to drink, and there was no more heart beat left to hear. At first her mind was buzzing with content, but soon it began to move backward. Trying to figure out why it was so happy, and she noticed the weight that was on her. She looked to him, lying practically on top of her. Still as death, and this time not in his usual way.

Her breath caught in her throat, and she raised her hand to her lips. Blood, warm... Tenele's eyes widened as she slowly and deeply sucked in air, on the verge of exploding. She couldn't let it out. Couldn't even move. Her black finger tips were covered in blood, his blood.

She rolled him onto his back, and shook him roughly. "Vlad... Vlad, please wake up..." He wouldn't. She couldn't hear his heart beat. What had she down. She shook him so hard that his hands flopped away from him and shifted over the sand. It broke the circle, but no one seemed to move to hold her back. No, they were all in shock. "No! No! Don't do this to me! You ass! Open your eyes! Vlad please!"

What had she done?

She had killed him.

She had killed the man she loved. The only man she had ever opened her heart to. She had murdered him. She was panting now, and her eyes watered to the point that she could not contain the wall of tears that wanted to be set free. Bloody tears, that trailed down her pail cheeks. She shook her head, clutching his shirt. "No," she whispered. She couldn't beleive this nightmare. Never dreamed it could get worst. "No!"

She was on her feet, unable to take this pain in her heart. Unable to live with being his murder. "Why didn't you stop him?! WHY?!" She stormed from the room, not wanting to kill anyone else. Not wanting to be a vampire any longer. Not wanting to be alive. Not without him. Not being the one who had killed him. She ran from the room, going to the only place she knew she deserved to be. She ran to the priests quarters, and he followed behind her, trying to yell for her to stop.

She didn't pay attention to him. Instead, she kept running until she ran through his wards. Her skin began to steam once again as she walked more calmly into his room, looking for something to take vengence upon herself with. She reached towards a holy dagger, her hands trembling. She reached out and touched it, expeciting it to burn. Instead, it did not.

She looked to her hands, and they no longer were steaming. She wasn't feeling the emense pain. She wasn't feeling anything but emptiness. Her eyes glanced to a mirror hanging on the wall, and the image reflected a slightly tanned woman with long silver hair and peircing green eyes. She dropped the dagger out of shock, but pure rage took over. No, this couldn't be possible. She had just turned human after killing him? Couldn't he have waited a few more minutes to hug her?

She screamed in frustrated fury and spun, dragging her hands acorss the desk and knocking everything to the floor. She spun and broke the mirror, after picking up a silver jar of salt. Then, she sunk to her knees, unable to hold herself up any longer. For now, her human body was feeling the effects of wounds that should not have been afflicted.

But, more than anything, it was feeling the agony of losing someone she loved.

Vlad's body lay still in the room full of men. They stared at it in stunned silence, nobody knowing what to say. Nobody stopped Tenele as she ran out, and nobody wanted to touch the man who lay dead in the center of the room.

"If she's back to normal, why isn't he?" someone finally murmured.

"Idiot, he just got eaten!" someone else snapped.

"But he was originally..." the voice faded off, as if maybe the theory was ridiculous. It certainly didn't explain the cooling body lying in front of them.

The priest stepped forward solemnly, feeling called to support the dead at this moment. "May you rest in peace," he said, unhooking the talisman from his neck and resting it on top of the vampire's chest.

The men filed out of the room, leaving the body alone while they tried to decide what to do about the situation.

"Find lady Tenele. Keep her from doing anything rash," the colonel said as the men began to slowly feel rational again. Two men left to search for the maiden.

Tenele sat with her back against the priests bed, while a good number of people stood in the hall way peering in through the door and watching her. She ignored them, for at the moment they were not there. She did not bother to wipe the tears that trailed down her cheeks. No longer tears of blood, but clear and salty. Human tears.

At least she didn't have to live eternity without him now...

Live...

Without him.

The concept was so foreign. She had never considered life without him. She couldn't even imagine it. She stood up, hollowly walking to the door.

"My lady, please. Stay and be calm."

"Get out of my way," Tenele spat harshly to a man in her way.

"But, my Maiden..."

"I said move!" Tenele screamed, shoving him out of her way and heading down the hall. She just wanted to be alone, where there were no eyes to watch her. When she was back in her room, she closed and locked the door. All of her was screaming to go and sit with Vlad's body... His cold lifeless body. She couldn't stop the tears as she thought about how she'd been the one to kill him. It was all her fault.

Blackness, blackness. The universe around him was black and nothing else. Somehow he'd thought the afterlife might be something different, but then, he'd been a vampire. Maybe this was as good as it got.

Then it came, slowly, gradually, like a siren in the distance, gradually invading his senses until it was too strong to ignore. He was burning. His chest was on fire...again. Maybe he hadn't died yet? Did Tenele STOP? No...that was impossible. His chest scalded hotter and hotter until it was like something eating through his body. He tried to move his arms, but nothing happened. He wasn't even sure what position he was in. Lying down would make some sense.

Then another sensation joined the first, and he knew something had changed. The thirst rose up in him in a dull ache that seemed to remind his entire body how empty it was. It all felt like a distant inconvenience in comparison to the scorching inferno that was his chest. A strangled cry rang out - the first sound he'd heard yet. It took several moments to recognize his own voice.

His eyes flew open, glowing a dull red in the empty room. His chest, what was chewing on his chest....it couldn't be that the crew believed those stories about cutting out a vampire's heart? "Gggrah!" he cried out again, this time aware of what he was doing. Maybe then they'd go away. He turned his head to the side, and saw no one there. No one? Who was doing this to him? He stared down at his chest, but he couldn't see it without lifting his head.

He squeezed his eyes shut and growled to keep from screaming. He tried his best to muster up some kind of energy to move, but it was like he was pinned in place by the burning rage of his chest.