Skedaddle

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis met her eyes and focused on her. Her pledge that she would return to her tormentor unnerved him. She was really that serious about his brother. Through the haze of his own trauma, he could tell the emotions he'd briefly felt from them were honest and intense.

The response that came from his mouth wasn't the one he expected. "How are you able to do that? How can you enjoy that after what was done to you?"

[Emora Deen]

Laya looked as if she'd just been poked with a hot rod. Was she not supposed to enjoy something after that? Worried filled her. Did that mean there was something wrong with her?

She brushed her hair meekly behind her ear. "I..." she thought for a moment. "Telanis is sweet... and he is kind to me. I trust him... I heard stories growing up that the women would tell of their loves and I knew that it was something wonderful if you did it with someone you love. When we were kidnapped by pirates a woman drugged Telanis, and he was... He was excited and in pain and I didn't want him to be hurting. I only knew one way. I was so frightened. I just wanted Telanis to be okay. And I remembered the words the women had said and tried to convince myself it wouldn't hurt. And even if it did I wouldn't have cared, because Telanis... I think Telanis was in agony. It seemed like it. So I let him...." She swallowed, her face draining of color. She'd rambled out her dark secret. That she had taken the innocence of a pure creature. She looked up from the spot she had been staring at the floor slowly, meeting Adonis's eyes like he were suddenly some threatening beast. "I'm sorry." She breathed barely audible.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis didn't move. All these things had happened while they were apart, and he'd had no idea all along. "I believe you," he barely breathed. "I may not trust you, but I won't deny what I feel with my own senses. I believe your feelings are real. Your intentions are real. At least for now." His shoulders tensed. "You aren't the first person I've felt this from," he said, clenching his fists at his sides so they wouldn't shake. "Please take care of him. Please try not to...change. He'll never be the same if you change." His throat closed on the end of his sentence and he looked away from her.

[Emora Deen]

Laya was alive, the realization of that shocked her. It still sounded like he was going to leave. "Please stay with us..." she urged, taking a step forward. "Telanis wants you to stay.... I want you to stay." Laya took another step forward.

"I know you don't like the way I smell," Laya said softly, glancing away. "Its not my fault, though. I didn't ask for it. But, stay for Telanis. He needs you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis looked at her strangely, his protest against her request shoved aside by her confusing remark. "Your smell?" he murmured. It abruptly occurred to him what she meant. Like puzzle pieces falling into place, her reactions the night before started to make some sense. He'd been in need of any random insult to add force to his order to leave him. Had he somehow managed to pick one that was deeply personal to her instead? "You smell fine," he said blankly.

[Emora Deen]

Laya frowned at him. That's not what he had so heatedly remarked the night before, and she didn't know which one was true. She rubbed her arm, as her a terrible memory flashed through her mind and she swore she felt the mark burn. Just as soon as it had the feeling faded. "You probably smell him," she muttered. "I don't think he'll ever leave me." Like he was something that was growing on her, she still felt his presence in her soul. Just thinking about him made her still feel him envading her body. It made her want to run to Telanis so he could wash that feeling away.

Laya looked up. "Will you stay?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis's world went red for a second as she said "I don't think he'll ever leave me." There was so much fear and disgust behind those words. And a helplessness that was all too familiar to him. And then the other meaning of what he'd told her finally stuck. The reason she wouldn't meet his eyes the night before.

"I smell nothing of that man on you," he said, slow and firm. "I can see that you've been wounded, I sense that the wounds are not closed, and I perceive you skeptically because of who I am, but I smell nothing to suggest you are tainted or fowled. On the day you truly overcome his memory, that man will hold no power over you."

[Emora Deen]

Laya's eyes met his, and his words filled her with the most profound sense of hope. She hoped he was right. She wanted to be healed of the scars that Kron left. She wanted his memory wiped from her so she could live without fear.

"Thank you," she whispered, her eyes brimming with tears. She blinked them away, and shook her head. She reached out for his hand. "Please stay with us."

Laya blinked. She felt her arm burning again, but this time it wasn't faint. It was strong and very real. She chose to ignore it at first, because she was still convinced it was in her head, tagged on with his memory.

But, then the burning turned searing in a split second and Laya knew for a fact it wasn't a memory. She gasped, drawing her hand back and clamping it down over the mark. Then, it shifted into being unbearable. Laya crumpled to the floor on her knees, her arms wrapped about herself, and she was clutching at the mark.

Where are you? the voice boomed in her head. It wasn't Kron's voice. But, who else could it be? I know you are close... You can't run anymore. I'll find you. Laya panicked. He was alive? Her eyes were wide open, staring at the floor. Color had left her completely, and she was so rigid with fear that she couldn't even more to pull her forehead from the floor.

They were all endanger. Kron would kill Adonis and Telanis. He would slaughter them because they were people she cared about. She couldn’t lead him to them. How far away was he? What if he was downstairs, or in the city?
Where?! the voice roared like a fierce beast, and it startled Laya so bad she choked out a scream.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis looked at her hand, weighing what to do. He didn't know how to deal with the memories she and Telanis stirred up or handle their sexuality without his mind flooding with doubts. What good could possibly come from his staying with them? He no longer belonged with Telanis, any more than he belonged with humans. Telanis had made that clear enough to him last night. It's no wonder the wolves didn't recognize you, his brother's words returned. His hand made it half way to Laya's when he paused and drew it slowly back.

It was about then she grabbed her arm like she was in pain and collapsed to the ground. Startled, he threw open his senses and tried to make sense of the utter terror rolling off her psyche. It wasn't much different from the feeling he'd had five minutes ago when he'd first woken to the memories of his soulmate. He dropped to his knees next to her and reached out without quite touching her shoulders. "Laya?" he called to her. His gaze dropped to the burning mark on her skin. She screamed, like she was seeing something he could not. "Laya, what's happening?" he demanded quietly.

[Emora Deen]

"He's alive," she cried. "He's close and he's coming for me. Oh, gods... he's alive." She drew her hand away shakily and saw the mark glowing through the cotton gown she wore. She drew down the shoulder and watched as black webs spread out a centimeter or two and drew back. She couldn't hold her hand away for long, though it did it little good. She squeezed her palm back over it, sucking in a ragged breath.

"I have to go," she muttered, willing herself to her feet. They were shaking so bad she couldn't even stand, but she had to find the strength. "I have to leave. I'm sorry. I have to go." She had to lead him away from them. She couldn't let Kron find them.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis placed a hand on her shoulder and guided her back away from the stairs. "You're not going anywhere. Who's coming to get you?"

[Emora Deen]

Laya shook her head, pushing against his guiding hand. "I can't stay. Kron will kill you both. Not just kill you, he'll torture and kill you. And he'll make me watch." She shook her head feircely, the pain in her arm making her feel nauseated. Dizzy.

She could hear him laughing in her head. Laya was filled with the terrible thoughts of what he would do to her once he found her. It would make the first night she spent with him appear to be bliss.

She had to throw up.

Instead of running for the steps, she ran into the room and into the bathroom. She heaved and when she was finished she drew herself into ther corner off the bathroom between the tub and the sink and she tried to calm herself enough to think.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis was halfway through the complicated task of fastening his pants when a wave of terror and pain hammered into his mind. Then a second mind jumped onto his mental radar, protective confusion dominating its signal. Adonis? His brother's mind was open?

Before he could do anything, the door slammed open and Laya ran through the room for the bathroom. Adonis burst in behind her and looked at Telanis.

"...Did you do something to her?" Telanis forced himself to ask his brother.

Adonis shook his head, accepting the suspicion. "Go to her."

Telanis was relieved his brother's mind was readable at the moment, because he honestly didn't know if he'd be able to believe his innocence if it wasn't. He turned into the bathroom and went to kneel in front of Laya's curled up form next to the sink. He put a calming hand to the side of her head and tried to meet her eyes. "Laya?"

Adonis came in behind the white unicorn and leaned against the doorframe, watching her ordeal alertly. He kept his mind and senses open to try to figure out what was going on. So much for walking out.

[Emora Deen]

Kron's presence in her mind dimmed when Telanis's hand touched her. She visisbly relaxed, like cold water dousing a fire. She exhaled shakily. "I have to go," she murmered, but didn't want to leave the safety of Telanis's hand. "If I don't he'll find me and you too. I'm sorry Telanis. I have to go."

She sat up slowly, still feeling the burning in her arm. It was dulled by Telanis's presence, but it was there. "Kron will kill you both, I can't let that happen."

She shook her head. "I don't understand... He should be dead. How..." She put her hands on her head and shut her eyes tight. "He's in my head. He's using the mark to track me. I don't know if he's close. I have to go."

[Soran Nightblade]

"What?" Telanis murmured worriedly.

"I don't fully understand, but what you're basically saying is: It's not okay for me to run from my demons, but you expect us to let you run from yours?" Adonis said unsympathetically, continuing to block the doorway.

"Adonis," Telanis warned, but his tone was dulled by the carefully masked concern rolling off of his brother's psyche.