Skedaddle

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis swallowed dryly. A cold sweat froze the back of his neck. "Wait," he commanded.

[Emora Deen]

The vampire stopped short, tilting his head.

Laya looked at Adonis, feeling relief and worry fill her. She wasn't sure how she felt about this. She knew deep in her heart that out of the two of them, the thought of Adonis touching her didn't make her want to throw up.

But, she had a terrible feeling that this act would scar him far more than it would scar her.

"Adonis," she spoke softly to him. "Its okay. I'll be fine." She smiled. "Don't worry. You don't have to do this."

[Soran Nightblade]

"Liar," he said coldly. Was she insane? She wasn't okay. Her emotion was radiating straight through his bones. He gathered his legs and pushed to his feet. His body wanted him to drop back to the floor. He was privately impressed that he was able to walk toward them. He approached the vampire without caution and slid his arm around Laya's waist. Adonis drew her toward him, boldly taking her right from the man's grip. "I'll play your game."

[Emora Deen]

Laya felt safe in the instant that Adonis pulled her close, even if this wasn't the safest situation. She clutched his shoulders, holding herself to him. Her heart was beating in her chest. She slid her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly, her face burrowing there against the skin of his throat. "Don't," she told him in a whisper. "I don't want to hurt you."

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis really couldn't believe she was trying to protect him in this situation. He put a guardian palm over the back of her head in a brief, soothing gesture. He cast the vampire a stern look. "My bed," he directed Laya, releasing her so she could walk to his room.

[Emora Deen]

Laya was holding onto his sleeve while she walked towards his room. Her legs felt like rubber as she headed towards the large neatly made bed. When she reached the bed she sat down, drawing her legs up and scooting towards the headboard.

She focused on calming her nerves, and putting her mind in a place that would be better. She knew that Adonis wouldn't hurt her, and she knew that if she concentrated and thought of Telanis that maybe it wouldn't be so bad. Then, when it was over, the vampire would leave them until they were prepared to deal with him.

Laya exhaled. She could do this.

The vampire chuckled and moved to stand outside the room, his arms folded. "You gave in. Didn't expect that."

[Soran Nightblade]

"You can already feel it, can't you?" Adonis challenged the vampire, glancing back at him sharply as he followed Laya onto the mattress. "I'm different. Not whole. His eyes flickered to Laya. "I've had women, even if it wasn't with this body." He stretched his lithe form across the bed next to her, his legs brushing hers. He avoided letting his battered ribs touch the mattress, propping himself on his elbow instead to lean over her. The vampire was just standing in the doorway. Was he really just going to watch? Adonis grimaced. He needed the jerk inside the room, and he had little choice but to play along until that happened.

He looked down at Laya's wide eyes, and fear finally made it into his shock-clogged system. Fear so strong he could barely breathe. He kept it out of his expression, working hard to maintain the soothing energy naturally radiating from him despite his mental state. He couldn't afford to terrify her any worse than she already was. He leaned over her forehead and kissed it carefully. His lips moved to kiss the bridge of her nose, and then her cheek. He forced back panic and kissed the corner of her mouth. His eyes looked down at her with calm, utter confidence as he slid his mouth over hers.

[Emora Deen]

Laya felt dizzy, her heart was beating so fast. She swallowed hard when Adonis crawled across the bed and leaned over her. She could feel he was trying to calm her, but she couldn't be calm.

He kissed her forehead. She jerked involuntarily, because it startled her. She hadn't expected him to kiss her. She had expected this to be detached. She put a hand to his chest, and concentrated on not pushing him away. She told herself that he wouldn't hurt her. She knew deep down that Adonis wouldn't hurt her. He might not like her, but he wouldn't hurt her.

Her breath came quickly when he kissed her nose, and then the corner of her mouth. It stilled when his lips melded with hers. Her hand fisted in the fabric of his shirt.

The vampire took a few steps forward, leaning against the door frame just outside the room. He chuckled darkly. "You are different," he mused. "You should be happy. If you haven't had a woman with that body, you're about to."

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis felt the tension pouring off of her and stopped, looking down at her. He certainly didn't feel like he was about to have her. In fact, he was sure he couldn't if he tried. *Do you trust me?* he asked in the silence of her mind. He looked down at her earnestly, seeking honesty.

[Emora Deen]

Laya took a deep breath. She knew deep down in her heart she trusted him. She didn't know why, after all his threats and the mean things he said to her... but she had always trusted him. He would help her. He wouldn't hurt her. She knew he could make this right.

"Yes," she whispered. Her hand knotted from his shirt, and she touched his cheek. "I do."

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis registered her words and took a deep breath.

"Taking your sweet time over there? There's no need for foreplay in this situation, I assure you," their unhelpful audience pressed from the doorway.

"I'm beginning to understand why you need to resort to force," Adonis scoffed. He kept his focus on Laya as he slid a hand under the pillow behind her head. His hand gripped the knife hidden there. He climbed over her and placed his other hand firmly over her mouth. He leaned down to her neck and kissed her windpipe hungrily.

"That's more interesting, though you're still not impressing me," the vampire scoffed cruelly.

Behind the display, out of sight of their spectator, his other hand sliced a shallow cut in the back of her neck. Adonis's body tensed, but he continued to kiss her neck while his fingers pressed into the bleeding wound he'd inflicted.

[Emora Deen]

She took hold of her emotions and forced the panic to leave her when his hand covered her mouth. She trusted him, she told herself. The fear washed away, like water washes things clean. She wasn't afraid.

Laya stiffened and whimpered behind his hand when she felt him cut into her neck. She wasn't sure what he was doing, but she knew it had to be a way to help them.

His lips were on her neck, and kissing her in a way that she never dreamed he was capable of. She remembered his words, about having women before... She would remember to ask him what he meant by that later.

Laya wasn't sure what to do for her part, so she just kept her hands on his sides.

[Soran Nightblade]

Adonis kissed to her collarbone and stopped there, working to keep his hand over her mouth from shaking.

"This isn't the game, unicorn. Show us some action, or I'll do it myself." The vampire cast them a twisted smile and crossed his arms, admiring the torturous situation he'd created.

Adonis glanced at her, his gaze a carefully composed wall of slate. He moved off her, kneeling next to her. He unclipped her pants with his free hand. "Take them off," he said quietly.

His left hand maneuvered a tiny vial that was stashed under the pillow with the knife. He wiped her blood drop by drop with his finger over the lip of the vial, trying to keep his fingers still enough to avoid causing a mess. If the vampire smelled the blood and suspected something, they would be truly screwed.

[Emora Deen]

Laya drew her hands to her chest while Adonis's free hand undid the clasp of her pants. She swallowed hard, her eyes boring into him as she tried to figure out what was happening. She was confused. Were they just buying time, or was he actually planning to go through with it.

Her emotions were on a roller coaster. She couldn't keep control of it. One moment she thought she was not afraid, and then the next something happened to knock her back down. It was exhausting.

After several long seconds Laya shifted her hands down, her cheeks turning pure crimson. She drew her knees up and shifted the pants off her legs one leg at a time. She slowly let her legs lie flat again, pushing the gathered fabric off the end of the bed. Chill bumps spread up her slender legs as she lay in the cold house. She wore the thin fabric of her undergarment and the cotton blouse. She tugged on the cotton blouse with her hands to try and stretch it over her hips.

Laya hadn't looked at the vampire since they had come into the room. She tried to ignore the fact he was there, but now she could literally feel his eyes as they admired her exposed skin.

She looked at him, and he turned his nose up to the air. "Someone get cut in our scuffle?" His eyes glowed lightly and he licked his lips.

"When I hit the wall," she whispered. And he let it go. Just like that. For now at least. Laya turned her eyes to Adonis.

[Soran Nightblade]

Her panic was plowing through him like bad wine, but he couldn't afford to not know what was going on with her right now. If she couldn't handle this, he'd need to choose something different. Putting aside the real possibility that she'd never forgive him for this, not really, he climbed over her and leaned low against her. Her emotions were much too real for him, her fear familiar to the darkest parts of his memory. He slid his free hand along her side, over her shirt, and pressed his waist to hers, to show her the harmlessness of his body. To the vampire, the movement hopefully appeared blatantly erotic. Adonis's fingers fumbled with the vial beneath the pillow. He couldn't see whether he had enough for the spell, or if he'd even managed to fill the vial at all with his unsteady hand. He tried to maintain eye contact with her, to reassure her, but he was starting to think he might be the first one to break.

He breathed heavily, for all the wrong reasons, and tried to cork the vial under the pillow. His fingers slipped. The vial dropped for a split second, and he rushed to pick it up. He felt wetness on the sheet where he lifted it. A small sound escaped the back of his throat. He covered it up with a restless groan that was much more convincing than he'd have thought possible.

The vampire smirked, sensing Adonis's raised heart rate and taking it for arousal. "Not so bad, being corrupted, is it, unicorn?" he smirked, and looked at Laya. "I suppose you have a way with men. You must have learned quite a bit from Kron. Tell me truthfully, girl, did you secretly enjoy it? His pretty body over and inside yours?" he snickered ruthlessly.