Heirot

Vlad winced as something from the other side of the door echoed sympathetically in his nerves. She was hurting herself. She was suffering. Tenele, he breathed. He sent a message, or more like a feeling, through to her, as calmly as he could, doing his best to mask out his own emotions right now. It's alright, Tenele. Stay out.

He turned his eyes back to her dazed brother and collared him easily, pinning him back to the floor. "Not so fast." Talon had said that he trusted him. Vlad wondered if he was betraying that trust now. No, he was sure that he was. "I'll give you one chance, brother. Reject this now, and I will put you to rest. Your Rebirth is not complete until you drink of my vein with your own strength. He tugged Talon upright, drawing the man's face in against his neck. "Live, Talon. By your own choice."

Talon blinked at Vlad, looking upon the vampire's neck with both longing and disgust. "I..." But, he wanted to live. He really did. Talon hesitated a moment longer, his hands fumbling to embrace Vlad. His mouth watered for it, opening. Sharp fangs drove into Vlad's neck, and Talon's hands fisted in the back of Vlad's shirt. The taste made Talon dizzy. It was delicious yet revolting at first, but slowly that died into ecstasy.

After several minutes of drinking Talon pulled away, blood running in lines down his chin. "What have I done?" he asked Vlad, his head flopping back against the floor. He had no need for air, and yet out of habit he was panting for it.

* * *

In the hall Tenele slid back against the stone wall, watching the door across the way from her. She pressed her hand over the wound now to apply pressure and stifle the mess she'd made. What had he done? What was going on in there?

He said stay out.

"What have you done?"

Vlad rested over Talon's body for a moment and then sat up to look at him. It took a lot of blood to quench the thirst of a New one, and even his body was feeling it. "You've chosen to live. Nothing more and nothing less," Vlad said firmly. He omitted the ritualistic words of a vampiric Sire to his Newbred. He didn't count himself a part of vampiric culture, and he'd sworn he'd never Sire anyone. He could find his own words, when he wanted them. "You will live, Talon Raider."

The thought struck Talon as odd. Live? He'd been dying, and now he was going to live? Talon laughed. It rumbled low and deep through his chest. His emotions were going mad, he was joyous, and hungry.

Hungry.

His mind went right back to that, forgetting to be happy about living. He wanted food. He smelled the air. He smelled blood. Talon sat up again, moving all too quickly into a crouch. He tilted his head at the door. The sweet smell was coming from the otherside of the door. He launched himself towards the wood, animal instincts making him forget the lock or the nob. Claws stretched from his finger tips and drove into the wood.

* * *

Tenele jumped at the loud thud, her gaze lifting the the sharp pointed spikes sticking out from the door. Ten. Like nails.

"Vlad?!" She scrambled up to her feet, letting out a sharp cry when she put pressure on her leg. "Vlad! What is going on?"

Vlad sighed and rose to his feet. He walked up behind talon and grabbed hold of the back of his collar. With one arm, he tugged the New vampire backward, taking the door with him. "Talon," he said firmly, and it was more than just a physical voice. A mental command shot through Talon's mind like it was hard-wired to his brain. "Put the door down."

The door fell to the ground with a heavy thud.

"Retract your claws."

The knifelike blades slowly receded, despite his instincts to keep them out.

"Put both hands on my shoulder, and keep them there," Vlad commanded.

Tenele watched with numb shock as Talon did as he was told. She was half standing, hands pressed into her wound and against her leg for support, completely transfixed by seeing Talon stand. "Talon?" she asked, but he didn't answer her. He just stood with his hands on Vlad's shoulder.

She took a hobbling step forward. She tilted her face, silver hair falling in front of her eyes. She brushed it out of her face. She searched Talon, until she found the glint of red eyes. Her breath caught. Confusion flickered through her link with Vlad, and then she finally looked to him. "You... you turned him? But, why? Why would you do that Vlad? They'll never let him live. They'll do what those Elves had done to you! Why did you do this?!"

"He will live," Vlad corrected. "He is mine to protect, as are you. He is my blood." There was something alien to the words, something that made perfect sense to him as a vampire, but that he knew perfectly well would mean nothing to a human. Seeing her hurt affected him deeply, but he did not move toward her. He didn't even flinch. "I am sorry for shutting you out. Privacy was needed. For your safety and his."

Tenele shook her head, frowning. "What will you do with him? Talon, did you want this?" Tenele took another step, hiccuping with pain. She really shouldn't have been so foolish as to reopen a wound to get Vlad's attention. Even still, it had been too late. He'd turned her brother, and Talon would be hunted. He had no pact to bind him to Sinead, he had no link to keep him in her service. No limiter, as Vlad put it.

Talon didn't look at her. He couldn't. She smelled too good. All he wanted to do was rip her throat out. "I can't," he muttered to Vlad. "I can't take this. I want to kill her. I want to kill my sister. Please, get her away."

"Talon..."

"Go away!" Talon screamed at her, his head cocking to her. His eyes locked on her leg. His feet moved, but he didn't stray from where Vlad had told him to stand. The torment that caused washed across his face. He could have her, drink her dry, but he couldn't move. It was painful.

"Tenele," Vlad said quietly. "My love. I swear to keep your brother safe. He is mine to protect, and mine to command. I am his limiter. But right now, I am torturing him. Please understand that he cannot explain this to you. Not right now. I must take him to hunt."

Tenele opened her mouth to speak, and then closed it. She blinked her eyes, feeling shock riddle her system. "For how long?" she finally asked, trying to hide the pain in her voice. She was not sure how long it took for a new vampire to learn to master his hunger. Days? Weeks? "How long will you be gone?"

Vlad blinked. He'd expected her to fight him, to scream at him and judge this drastic thing that he'd done. She was upset, yes, but she chose to ask when he'd be back. He hadn't even thought that part through, and it was the first thing she thought of. A smile made it to his lips as he stared at her in amazement. He couldn't help it. She was incredible to him. "As soon as he is ready. Perhaps a week. Perhaps a little more. I will return him safely."

Tenele nodded slowly, swallowing the knot in her throat. "Okay," she finally said, closing her eyes. "Be safe." What more could she say? Enjoy your dinners? Have fun feasting? Please, come back when you can refrain from ripping throats out? Tenele took a step back. "I'll miss you." She lifted her gaze to Vlad. "Hurry, go, before it hurts him more."

"I love you, Tenele," Vlad said with a sincere, though oddly unhappy smile. He put his right arm around Talon's shoulders and pulled the man in against his chest. In a spark of power, the two were gone from the room, leaving Tenele alone next to the torn-apart door.

When they reformed, Vlad and Talon were in the sketchy outskirts of town, where most of the brothels and taverns were. At least the type that Vlad wanted to frequent tonight. "Come," he directed Talon with calm confidence as he walked down a narrow alley, away from too many people. He didn't bother trying to help Talon sort out his feelings. He knew what the man was experiencing, and he knew that feeding took precedence, even after you've just had your life torn upside down. There was just no getting around this part.

Tenele reached up and wiped the tears from her eyes that had started falling when Vlad had disappeared with her brother. She stood in an empty hall, staring into an empty room, feeling the same level of fullness as the space around her.

* * *

Talon followed Vlad unflinchingly, which probably would have been more unnerving if he wasn't so damn hungry. He didn't voice his complaints about the way they'd left Tenele. He felt wrong for it, and at the same time was more thankful for being out of her sight than anything else.

"What happens now?"

Vlad held up a hand, motioning for him to keep still. A man ran in toward them from the other side of the alley. He was dragging a young girl, perhaps 14, behind him. She was holding a basket of flowers in her free hand, and they were falling all over the place behind her. As soon as he thought he was out of sight, the man pinned her up against the wall. The basket fell to the ground.

"Please, Austin," she murmured, terrified. "I didn't flirt with him."

"Lying brat! I saw you brush his hand when you handed him your flower. You know who you belong to, don't you? I hoped your body would remember by now." His lips brushed her ear as he spoke, and he leaned in close against her.

Here is your first lesson, Talon, Vlad spoke into his kin's mind. See if you can take the man, and spare the girl. It may be more difficult than it sounds.