Holier Than Thou

[Emora Deen]

Tenele looked him over. He did seem stronger. The whole air around him seemed to buzz with that strength. She couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it, remembering how he'd broken and nearly killed her on there last long distance port back to Lowight. But, this was different, he'd been wounded then and now he seemed... enraptured with power.

She nodded. "I have to see him." She squeezed his arms as he steadied her. "I have to see him before... Talon and I grew apart, but he is still my brother. I love him. If he dies before I can tell him good bye, I don't know what I'll do." Her voice cracked, but Tenele managed to keep her emotions in check.

When they stopped near the bags she knelt slowly next to them, feeling her leg protest. Tenele opened the flap and began to dig for garments. Her hands brushed along hard leather and parchment, and for a moment she paused, lifting out the book the Ilthe had given her.

Her hands ran over the leather. Her emotions were teetering at the moment, but the sight of the book brought back a rush of thoughts that Tenele had pushed to the back burner after all that had happened with the elves and Vlad being burned, and then last night, when all she wanted to do was let go and feel something happy.

Her brother was dying because their father had loved a Goddesss. Her mother was alive. Her mother was immortal. Her mother had scorned the God of Darkness.

And he wanted her in return.

"You shouldn't be so cocky, Tenele. One day soon, you'll be in my realm again. All alone. I have a whole list of things planned for you." Verin's voice echoed in her mind. The image of his twisted angelic smile turning her stomach to knots. A hot wave of fear rolled through her and Tenele rushed quickly to quell it before Vlad heard Verin's voice, read her thoughts, knew what she hadn't wanted to voice to him since her father had spilled the beans.

Something stronger than Vlad was coming for her.

Tenele shoved the book back in the bag and drew out her clothes. She let the warm fur and blankets drop, exposing her to the morning air. She feverishly worked to get her clothes on, cringing as she pulled pants over her legs.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad watched her, his warm expression growing solemn. He couldn't quite make out the blur of her thoughts exactly, but it was clear her mood had changed. He was too much a part of her right now to avoid the same effect.

"Alright. Let's go to your brother," he said gently. The vampire put his arms around her shoulders as she finally seemed ready. A flash of coldness surrounded them both, and they were swallowed up in black. They stopped once, along the way, coming up for air in a random part of the forest. Then Vlad's power pulled them under again, and when they could see again, they were at the palace gates.

Shouting was going on around them as the guards noticed their sudden presence. Then there were cried of recognition as the men identified the Queen's Maiden and Sinead's pet monster. Vlad's arms released from around Tenele's shoulders, looping around her waist calmly. "We are home," he said to her.

[Emora Deen]

"Thank you," she whispered. She leaned against him, the two ports more wear on her than usual. "No one is rushing to tell me he's dead," she admitted with a sigh. "Maybe that's good?"

When they reached Talon's room Tenele knocked soundly on the door. She waited, but no one came. She knocked again, her eyes looking to Vlad.

"Talon?"

No answer.

Tenele turned the knob and the door groaned open. She limped away from her husband, using the wall for support. His library was empty, he wasn't at his desk. The desk itself was always messy and covered with open books. She turned towards his bedroom and froze.

Talon lay sprawled on the floor, his silver hair fanning over his face. A vial lay near him, empty of its contents. The stained red parchment inside reading the familiar word "relief". The poison that she'd found outside Verin's temple, the one he thought was meant for her.

"Talon!!"

Tenele ran to him, the pain in her leg gone in a wash of adrenalin. She took his face in her hands, and bent. He was breathing, faintly.

"Talon!" She shook him, but his eyes didn't open. "Vlad!"

Tenele picked up the vial. "Why did you drink this?!" Was it that bad? Had it hurt that much?

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad stood near the doorway a few feet from the scene unfolding in front of him. His legs were fighting him. He could hear his brother in law's heartbeat, tired and faltering. He knew what death sounded like. He'd had enough time to register and accept that the silver-haired man would die. He'd known it for months. But he was supposed to die of a curse, struggling and fighting. He wasn't supposed to lay down and give up. The curse could be accepted and endured, but this... Suicide? How was Tenele to accept an ending like this? He could feel her shock vividly through the link between their minds.

"Wake up," the vampire growled. He took a step toward Talon, and then another. "Wake up, you coward!"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's face scrunched with emotion. "Please!" She took the collar of his shirt and shook him.

Talon's eyes fluttered, he groaned. "Can't a man die in peace?" His voice was raspy and weak. His hand fumbled for Tenele's, where they were fisted in his clothing.

"What are you doing?" she muttered, near sobbing. "Why did you do this?"

"I'm sorry," he breathed. She saw his face start to go slack again and she reached back and slapped him across the face.

Talon's eyes snapped open.

"You don't get to do this," she hissed at him. "You don't get to leave me too. Why didn't you tell me?!"

His silver gaze floated to Vlad. "You kept your promise," he muttered. He tried to sit up, but his body fell back with a hard thud. "You know, it might not have always seemed like it, but I wouldn't pick anyone else for my sister... or for my brother. Take care of her. You are her family now. I trust you, Vladimir Dracul."

"Stop talking like that," Tenele choked. There was nothing she could do to save him. He was cursed, and he had poison in his system. What could she do? A cure for the poison? Would it prolong his suffering? How long could he live without it. "Don't leave me. Don't leave me. Who is going to get mad at Vlad for being fresh with me? Or interrogate me when I do something stupid?" She stoked a hand through his soft silver hair.

Talon chuckled before fading into a cough.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad blinked in shock at Talon's words. Trust? Brother? He struggled to understand it. The half elf had never voiced such things to him before. He wanted to throw the words aside, to say pissed so he could smack Talon silly without regrets, but the stuck with him.

Tenele was crying. She wasn't showing it yet, not on the outside, but he could feel it inside his soul.

The man's heartbeat faltered, dangerously slow and arrhythmic. Crap. He'd be dead in a few moments.

What was he supposed to do? What could he do?

An idea was pricking at the back of his mind. The very concept was so unpleasant that he rejected it out of hand on sheer instinct. It was probably the sheer force of human emotion weighing in on his thoughts that even allowed him to give it a second thought.

He could. He never had, and he never wanted to, but he could. Even though the very thought went against everything he'd lived by these past three hundred years.

"Tenele," he said tensely. He listened to the man's pulse lapse for two whole seconds before grinding up again sluggishly. "Go fetch the doctor. Tell him it's deathwart. The cure works quickly, if they have it. Go now!"

[Emora Deen]

Tenele hesitated for a second, her eyes flashing back to Talon. Her green eyes turned up to Vlad questioningly. Then, she was on her feet, running. At the moment her emotions were too high to actually register the pain that was throbbing through her leg with each full hard step she took.

Talon took a heavy breath, and then another.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad didn't look at her as she left the room. He didn't want her to feel his guilt at lying to her. He couldn't afford to think about that for right now. The vampire reached out and closed the door behind him. His cool fingers turned the lock and bolted it shut.

He walked up to the suffering silver-haired form and sat down next to him. "You really messed yourself up good," he said to his brother in law. "What in hell made you think this was a good plan?"

[Emora Deen]

"I'm dying," Talon muttered. "What does it matter how I go, if I'm ending up in the same place?" he blinked his eyes open. "Deathwart? I'm an alchemist, never heard of it."

Talon took a struggling breath, his eyes widening. The rasping sound hung in the air before he finally exhaled in a sigh. He closed his eyes. "You will make a good husband," he muttered. "Not letting her stay and watch me suffer. Thank you." He slapped his hand over Vlad's. Talon closed his eyes.

[Soran Nightblade]

"It matters that you didn't explain it properly to her, yourself," Vlad said flatly. He sighed and placed a big hand over the man's forehead. Talon's skin was blisteringly hot. "Damn it, Talon." I don't want to watch this, either.

"Listen, Talon," the vampire said, staring at the man's hand lying over his. "I need to know something. Do you want to die like this?"

[Emora Deen]

Talon didn't answer him for a long time until he gathered his breath to force out a sharp, "No. Does anyone?" He wanted to say more, but he was beyond tired for words. Instead he let himself slink back to the cusp of death, welcoming its sweet release from his misery. For the end of pain. His hand slipped off of Vlad's.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's hand twitched over and caught Talon's as his fingers slid away. He could feel his own pulse throbbing in his temples. He was nervous. Apparently his body had decided what his brain still hadn't. "Talon," he said, his tone cool and steady as an iceberg. He leaned over the man on the floor in a pose that would have looked romantic in most situations. He took Talon's chin in his hand and shifted it to the side.

[Emora Deen]

Talon took a ragged breath and exhaled, his pulse dropping to an all time low. He was slipping over the edge, and falling into death's arms.

* * *

Tenele ran all the way to the doctor. A dark red patch had formed on her thigh where she'd run until her stitches tore. She beat on the doctors door until he pulled it open with a harsh tug.

"What on earth-- Oh, Lady Raider its you. I wasn't aware you were.... you're hurt."

Tenele glanced down at her leg. "Talon's been poisoned with Deathwart. I need the cure," she exhaled in one breath. "Please. Hurry!"

The doctor blinked. "Deathwart?"

"Hurry!" Tenele shoved him aside. "Where is it?"

"Deathwart doesn't exist," he muttered. "To my knowledge there is no such thing. Are you sure?"

"Yes, Vladimir said...." Tenele faded off, a perplexed expression crossing her features. "How would he know.... Unless... What's going on?"

"I don't know. What is going on?"

Before the doctor could answer Tenele was running again, back the direction she came.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad leaned down to the dying man, brushing his teeth against his neck. There was no hunger in his bite, but he used magic to enthrall his victim as much as possible under the circumstances as his fangs slid into his flesh. It was difficult to tell what would kill the Talon first - the shock of the blood loss or the poison in his system. If the timing wasn't right, this wouldn't work at all.

Was he really doing this? He'd sworn... to himself, to Sinead, to everyone who'd entrusted him as a servant of Ighten. He'd sworn never to use his powers to create more of his kind.

He could feel the body beneath him buckling, struggling to function as its fuel ran dry. The vampire stroked back the long silver hair from Talon's forehead, brushing cool fingers across the feverish skin. Finally, the heartbeat dwindled to nothing more than an occasional, incoherent spasm. Vlad retreated from Talon's neck and looked down at the pained expression on his face. "I know. Dying hurts," he muttered sympathetically. He reached up to his bloody mouth and sliced his wrist open on his sharp fang. Reaching out, he held the blood over Talon's lips and let it drip into his mouth. "Swallow," he directed the man quietly, his stern eyes watching Talon with full attention.

[Emora Deen]

Talon's wide eyes watched Vlad, with little strength to disobey. Part of him didn't want to. Talon REALLY didn't want to die. He swallowed, and even as he swallowed his pulse gave out. His heart stopped. He stared at the ceiling with lifeless dead eyes. The color drained from his skin.

* * *

Tenele reached the door, pushing and twisting the handle to enter. It didn't budge. She tried again, but the door didn't open. "Talon!" she called. "Vlad, let me in! The door is jammed. The doctor hasn't heard of Deathwart."

No one answered her. "Vlad! Let me in!"

She twisted the knob franticly, before throwing her body into the door. She slammed it over and over until she hit so hard that she stumbled back whimpering, "Ow, ow, ow."

Then she felt it, blood, rapture, all the things Vlad felt when biting someone. It made her sick, just as it had the night before. She wrapped her arms around her middle, staring at the door.

"Vlad!" She ran, throwing her body full force into the wood. "What are you doing! Stop! What are you doing!" Tenele wasn't sure how to break him out of it, how to make him stop, or if it was too late. She needed some way to get his attention. So she ran a hand down to her wounded thigh and pressed her thumb into the flesh. Blood spread out across the fabric, soaking into her pants. She pressed until her eyes watered with tears and choked in a scream. She knew he could feel it, feel her pain. She wasn't sure if it would affect him, but she had to do something.

* * *

Talon's dead eyes watched the ceiling, the silver in them as pale as his skin. But, slowly a different color floated into his irises. Red seeped out from his pupil, standing the silver crimson. A few seconds later his gaze shifted to the pounding on the door. He inhaled a deep breath. His senses registered Vlad, but he didn't care. He wanted something, something he couldn't put a finger on. He wanted it bad. Wanted food. Wanted sex, and screaming, and blood.

Blood.

He smelled blood. The Door.

Talon shot up, sitting. His head cocking towards Vlad. "That smell..." He licked his lips.

The pound on the door stopped echoing in his skull, the smell of blood growing stronger.