Skedaddle

[Emora Deen]

Laya glared at Adonis. It was probably the worst look she had ever given him. "I'm trying to keep you alive," she hissed. "You're unicorns. He's a vampire. Blood makes you weak. He drinks it to make him stronger. See my point?"

Laya got to her unsteady feet. He could be close. He could be in the building by now. She stepped away from Telanis and the pain shot through her like an arrow.

His laughter and aimless muttering consumed her mind. "Let me go." Laya looked at Adonis. Laya was on the verge of falling apart from the sudden revelation that her worst nightmares were coming true. She wanted to run, she needed to run.

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis looked uncertain what to do, but Adonis left the doorway and went to the main door of the bedroom. He glanced outside into the hall and then closed it firmly and threw the bolt across the door. Then he went to the window and drew the curtains shut.

"Laya, we won't let anyone hurt you," Telanis said, stepping forward and placing his hands on her shoulders. "Do you know where he is?"

[Emora Deen]

Laya shook her head, feeling defeated already. "I don't know," she told him. "He could be here by now." They weren't listening to her. They were just assuming they could fight him.

"Its not me I'm worried about," she breathed, though she knew that wasn't entirely true. Telanis's hands on her shoulders helped ease her mind. "If he finds me..." Laya choked on her own words. "He'll punish me for leaving him."

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis felt Adonis react to Laya's words as strongly as she did herself.

"He's not punishing anyone," Adonis said flatly. The black unicorn dropped his bag and pulled out the knife he's used against the wolves the night before. The weapon hadn't been cleaned, but he ignored the static in his fingertips as he handed the blade to Laya. Then he walked to the bed and broke off one of the pointed solid oak bedposts. Swinging the 3-foot post to his shoulder, he looked around the room, then to Telanis. "No...better not to let you have a weapon. You'll probably just kill one of us, or yourself," he commented.

[Emora Deen]

Laya held the knife in her hands. "I already stabbed him with one of those," Laya told Adonis, her eyes flashing to the wood in his hand. "I don't think he can die."

Laya leaned back against Telanis, because she felt safe there. Her heart was thudding in her chest.

"His presence in my head is muffled when I'm close to you," she told Telanis. "Maybe thats why he hasn't been able to find me so far?"

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis pulled his arms around her lightly and touched his cheek to the top of her head as he watched Adonis prepare the room like he'd been in this situation before. "Whatever he is, we'll stop him," Telanis said.

"Tell us what we're up against," Adonis said as he dragged the desk out to the center of the room in case they had to take cover behind it. "He can't be stabbed? What else can he do?"

[Emora Deen]

"He can be stabbed. He died right in front of me. Dust and everything. I don't understand," Laya breathed, she was on the verge of tears, but she fought to get a handle on herself.


She closed her eyes and took a calming breath. "I don't know. He rips and tears things. He's a vampire.... Whatever they do he can do... But, he knows magic. He has to. That's how he marked me." Laya's hand was still firmly around her arm. "He plays with the things he kills. Other than that I don't know much." She sighed. "I spent most of the time under him. I spent nearly a year with him and I don't even know much about him."

The laughter grew louder, and suddenly she realized it wasn't coming from her head anymore. It was coming from outside the door.

Found you.

[Soran Nightblade]

"Get behind the desk," Adonis ordered, moving to stand next to the doorway.

Telanis's eyes flashed protectively as he took Laya's hand and pulled her toward the place Adonis suggested. It was hard to believe this person who had hurt Laya so much was standing just outside the door.

[Emora Deen]

Laya knelt behind the desk, breathing so fast she was feeling dizzy. She clutched at Telanis, looking up at Adonis. "Please don't die," she told him.

The creature was through the door in a second, fragments of wood splintering. A flash of dark color as a figure moved with lightening speed, pin-pointing on the mark in the room. Laya screamed when she was ripped from Telanis's arms and a hand clasped around her throat.

She came face to face with a stranger, crystal blue eyes so cold they were almost white. They looked very much like Kron's eyes, but bright. "You're not Kron," he grumbled, a little disappointed. His face twisted with amusement only a second after. "You're one of his pets."

Laya blinked, clawing at the hand around her throat.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis was shocked by the speed of the...whatever this was. Were vampires actually that fast? Still, it didn't seem to notice him, so he took the opportunity to come up behind it and swing the club full force, baseball bat style into the side of the creature's head.

[Emora Deen]

The vampire blinked, and she saw his cheek twitch. "Excuse me," he told her, half turning his head towards Adonis. He swung his arm out, attempting to knock the black unicorn into the wall.

"Please! Don't hurt them! We don't know what your talking about," Laya yelled. She remembered the dagger, she'd been holding it in one hand all along, and the shock made her forget it. She shoved it up into his stomach.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis dropped the post as the creature hurled him backward with inhuman strength. His back cracked the thin wall of the hotel as he crashed into it. He grunted and shook off the impact, righting himself as quickly as he was able. He didn't understand what was going on. This thing wasn't Kron?

Telanis ran out to Laya's aid, giving the thing a wide berth. "Let her go," he snarled.

[Emora Deen]

He ignored Telanis and looked back at Laya. "Where is he," the vampire ordered.

"I don't know what your talking about," she protested.

"Oh, yes you do. He marked you," the vampire explained. "My mark."

Laya blinked as he reached down and pulled the knife from his stomach. He tossed it towards Telanis, it slid at his feet, covered in dead blood. "If I must, I'll search you over for that mark," he told her. "Now tell me where he is."

"He's dead," Laya told him quickly.

The vampire laughed. "Really?"

"Yes..."

"You think he's dead, do you?" the vampire pushed her up against the wall, moving in closer.

"He is. He turned to ash." Laya's grey eyes met his.

"Oh, poor thing. You thought you killed him, didn't you?" he asked. "No, no... That mark." He grabbed the tip of her gown and pulled it down, tearing the fabric. She yelped, jumping back into the wall as far as she could go with his hand around her neck. He pulled her arm up and looked at the glowing rune.“As long as you wear that mark, he cannot die. You’re life force will fuel his regeneration. Even if he’s dust. It might take years… But, he’ll live. The only way he can be killed is if the bearer of that mark is dead and there is no one to keep him alive.”

“How do you know that?” Laya asked in disbelief.

“I am Kron’s maker,” he mused. “I gave him my mark. I made him what he is. He is mine… And I suppose that makes you mine as well.” He grinned madly. “It smells like horse in here.”

[Soran Nightblade]

Telanis reached down and grabbed the knife that had been thrown at his feet. His knees loosened at the pulse it sent through him, but he charged for the creature and threw the knife hilt-deep into his neck, then dodged sideways to look for an opening to get Laya out of there.

"No horses in here," Adonis said darkly, recollecting the post from the floor where he'd dropped it. "That doesn't belong to you."

[Emora Deen]

"Telanis no!" Laya yelled, but it was too late. He had already plunged the knife into the vampire's neck.

The vampire choked, blinking. His pale smooth face scowled and he let Laya's arm go. He reached up very slowl and pulled the knife from his neck. He looked at the blade, and then he looked at Laya. He moved quickly for Telanis, reaching out to grab him by the hair. "You know I like pretty boys. Why I picked Kron," he cackled as his finger tips touched his silkin hair. Then, he drew back with a hiss, his hands stingling like they'd touched a holy rune.

"What?!" he growled. He went for Telanis again, wrapping his hand around the univorns throat. His hand ingited in flames, and he drew it away, patting it out on his pants.

Taking a deep breath the vampire sniffed the air. Then, froze. "Unicorn," he muttered. "I knew I smelled horse."

Laya froze in fear. What did that mean? He turned towards Adonis. "So what does that make you? You smell similar...."