Holier Than Thou

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad looked around him at the huge stack of books. "Yes," he said decisively, "I am."

It was late that night when Vlad finally rose from the mountain of books he'd been studying. He'd found some interesting insights about Verin, including what Tenele had already researched about the power of shrines and temples. Somehow, he really couldn't see himself attacking Verin by means of a vandalism world tour.

He'd read more about the demigod, the abilities they were believed to share with their heavenly parents, etc. From what he could see, though, the strengths and powers varied so much that there was really no generalized information about them. Technically, even Tenele was a demigod, but her blood did not carry the same effect on him that Atul's did. Just the thought of the remembered sensation of drinking from him made the vampire's hair stand on end.

And then, there were the spells. He and Talon had both found several that might function to bind two beings' power. Some were rituals of love, including certain weddings. Most of the ones that could apply to demons and vampires, however, had a distinctly darker nature. The rituals were extremely bloody or highly intimate. Some involved the complete subjugation of one party to the other, which was probably a no-go. Others could temporarily empower one party to fight using both life forces. Others involved subjugating the two minds into one joined personality, technically creating a new persona for the duration of the joining.

He wasn't sure how he felt about any of them. Whether he trusted Atul enough, or whether Atul would ever desire such a thing, was beyond him at the moment. He soaked in the information until he could hear the blood pulsing in his temples. He'd been up more in one day than he'd even been awake in the past three, and his body was nagging him for sleep. He didn't like healing like a human. "I believe this is a good place to stop," he said, to release his ward from his service. Not that he'd needed to use any kind of dominance to gain the man's cooperation. He'd helped him freely, all day.

"Talon," he said as he bookmarked his page, "Thank you."

[Emora Deen]

Talon smiled, standing up from his seat. "You're more than welcome. I think I'm going to head to my room. I haven't seen it in over a week, and I do believe its missing a door," Talon chuckled as he passed Vlad, patting the vampire on the shoulder.

* * *

Tenele had waited up for Vlad as long as she could, but inevitably she fell a sleep lying on her stomach horizontally across the bed with one of her arms hanging off the end and the other tucked beneath her. She'd changed out of her clothes and was wearing one of her warmer cotton gowns. The fire had dwindled to embers in the hearth, and the cool air was just starting to reach her.

Her green eyes blinked open and she glanced around the room, frowning when she noted that Vlad hadn't returned yet. She slipped from the bed and went to the fireplace.

Tenele knelt next to the fire and prodded it with the iron poker. The embers broke from the wood and collected at the bottom of the grate, and she rolled the logs until the flames caught again. When she was finished she stood up, turning.

An involuntary scream escaped her, and she took a clumsy step back.

“What are you doing here?” Tenele hissed, slashing at the air between them with the firepoker.

Verin caught the end in his palm, holding the scalding metal to his skin, the curved point protruding from the other end of his hand. He admired the wound, his eyes drifting back to her.

“Get out!” Tenele yelled at him, jerking on the iron rod. “Get out, leave me alone.”

Verin chuckled.

“LEAVE ME ALONE!” Tenele screamed at him. Shoving forward with the firepoker. The metal skidded up his arm, but in the end he simply snatched it from her grasp and tossed it across the room before taking a hard step forward.

Tenele backed up, and he kept closing the distance.

“Go away,” she murmured, bumping up against the stone wall next to the fireplace. The usual cold stone was warm against her back.

Verin stopped a foot from her, admiring his hand and the slowly closing wound. He then cast his eyes to the blood drops on the floor. “Pitty,” he muttered. “I suppose you won’t be able to keep my visit a secret, will you? Vlad will come for my head when he walks in here and smells me.” Verin lifted his hand towards Tenele and ran it down the length of her arm, and then over the front of cotton gown, smearing red blood. “I guess I’ll just have to rip his off instead....”

Tenele’s eyes widened at the blood on her clothes and on the floor.

“Or I could just wait here and save him the suicide mission? What do you think?” Verin stepped back and moved towards one of the overstuffed arm chairs.

“No,” she muttered.

“No? Well, whatever could you do to make me leave?” He smirked, drumming his fingers over his knees. “I think he’s getting closer, Tenele. You best hurry before you haven’t any time left to clean up my mess. You wouldn’t want your husband dead, now would you? I’ve been trying to weigh whether I’ll peel the skin from his muscle first, or if I’ll just turn him inside out all together…”

“What do you want?” Tenele growled, throat growing dry. She narrowed her eyes on the King of all that was evil and bad, trying to hold her head a little higher.

“Let me kiss you,” he replied with a wild grin. He was handsome, but his personality made him absolutely revolting. The idea itself made Tenele gag.

“If you want a kiss you can take it and leave, but I’m not letting you do anything,” Tenele hissed at him.

“You see, you have to let me. You’re human. Taking a kiss is considered hurting you, it’s something physical happening against your will,” Verin admitted. “So you have to give me permission to kiss you.”

“I think I’ll pass.” Tenele stooped to wipe his blood from the floor with the end of her gown.

“I’ll just wait here then,” Verin sighed, making himself comfortable in the chair.

The Queen’s Maiden stared at him, and then she glanced at the door. She imagined Vlad walking in to seeing Verin sitting in his chair, in his room, with his wife. Threatening her again.

“He’ll die before he can lay another finger on you,” Vlad’s words echoed hauntingly through her.

Verin smiled as the realization clicked and the lightbulb went on, he could see it in the green eyes she turned on him. She finished wiping the blood and stood. “Fine,” she breathed, her voice quivering. “I give you... I give you permission to kiss me.” His smile transformed into a fierce grin, and the God of Darkness rose to his feet.

He snaked across the floor like a predatory cat, closing the distance between them. Tenele meant to stand her ground and take it as Vlad had taken his punishment for saving Talon, but she couldn’t. The triumphant look in Verin’s eyes sent ripples of fear through her. It sent her heart beating so fast it thundered in her ears and her legs trembled.

She backed up until she bumped the stone wall again, and by then his body was pressing her into the wall. Tenele put her hands on his chest and pushed, “I change my mind,” she blurted.

Verin chuckled, the deep sound vibrating through his chest. Vlad was tall and broad, but Verin was massive. Abnormal. He loomed over her menacingly, reminding her of how small and human she was. “You can’t change your mind. Once permission is given, it cannot be taken back,” he whispered to her, lowering his face down towards hers. “And now, I can kiss you anytime I please. Won’t your husband be so proud? His lovely wife makes such sacrifices to keep him safe. He should be overjoyed.”

Tenele jerked her head away, conking it back against the stone. His lips pressed hard and firm against hers, and he didn’t let up until he’d worked her mouth open. She clenched her eyes shut tight enough to draw tears, and did the only thing she knew to do. She bit down on his tongue hard enough to taste blood.

Verin drew back, and Tenele spit the blood on his face. Fire lit in the God’s eyes. His arm wrapped tight around her waist, but not enough to hurt, and just enough to pin her in place. His other hand cupped the back of her head so completely that she couldn’t move. He dove down again, pressing his lips in hard enough to bruise. Apparently, where kissing was concerned now, he could hurt her.

When his point was proven the God of Darkness released her, stepping away to admire her startled fear. “Be careful what deals you make with devils, Tenele,” he advised before doing his famous disappearing trick.

Tenele’s knees trembled, and she reached a quivering hand up to her lips. They were red and sore from his last kiss, and she knew then that he’d done it just so Vlad would know. She immediately set about cleaning up the rest of his blood. She pulled the cotton gown over her head and tossed it in the fire, hoping to destroy the evidence before Vlad’s return.

She grabbed another gown from the drawer she’d commandeered in Vlad’s wardrobe and then went to the basin on the table near the window where she cupped cold water against her lips to cool the flustered skin. Tears ran in rivers down her cheeks and a knot welled in her throat. She felt a terrible shame consume her for agreeing to that, felt horrible humiliation choke her. She felt stupid, like an idiot, a complete fool for falling for it. Vlad would be so angry. He’d be so irrefutably angry to know that she’d agreed to that. It hurt her heart to know how furious he’d be with her, and then she knew she couldn’t tell him. He couldn’t find out.

What would he think of her if he knew?

The only thing she forgot to do was to burn Verin’s blood off the fire poker that he tossed across the room.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad made his way slowly up the long staircase. His back throbbed with every step, but somehow teleporting seemed to make it worse. After the long day of research, he was feeling hopeful but also excruciatingly worn out. Damn, can't this heal any faster? he thought to himself stiffly. Still, the thought of joining up with Tenele for the evening made his thoughts lighter. He finally reached the peak of the spiral steps and the main hall of the tower. He pushed the door open, making just enough sound to alert Tenele that it was him. He spotted her curled in the blankets and moved to the bed to sit next to her. His nerves weren't as perceptive as usual, thanks to the distortion of the pain in his back. Otherwise, he should have known immediately that something was wrong. Instead, he placed his hand on her shoulder to roll her over and hug his wife.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele flinched at the contact, and thought about resisting, but then he'd really know something was wrong. So Tenele took the covers with her, keeping them tugged up to her nose. Her eyes were red and weary from crying, so she hoped that he would suspect it was simply the fact she was tired. Tenele moved quickly, wrapping her arms around his neck and burrowing his face against his chest. "You're up later," she whispered into the fabric of his shirt.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad heart the tightness in her voice, and her alarm was so obvious that he actually blinked at her calm comment. He embraced her for a moment, but pulled himself back enough to look at her tear-stained face. His sight was perfectly good in the dark, and he could see the moisture on her face as well as hear her throbbing heartbeat. "Tenele?" he asked her gently. It wasn't like her to cry easily. Something was wrong. Was this about their discussion that morning? Or maybe something had happened at the diplomatic meeting. After all, their marriage was debuting; perhaps the delegates had been snide to her.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele tried to keep her face from his view when she heard the concern in his voice. She tilted it away from him, casting her eyes across the room. "I'm fine," she breathed. "Rough day." Her eyes fell on the firepoker lying on the floor across the room where Verin had thrown it. Her pulse jumped, and her arms tightened around Vlad for a second before relaxing. She'd forgotten it, but he hadn't smelled Verin's blood yet. Maybe she could...

"I'm going to poke the fire," Tenele muttered, slipping from his arms and strolling quickly across the room to the iron rod. She scooped it up and turned for the fire.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad watched her with the fire poker, confused and concerned. He relocated beside her at the fire, teleporting to her side. "Tenele, what's wrong?" he said, gently pulling the poker from her hand and setting it at the edge of the fire. He cupped the side of her face and turned it toward him. He leaned down and kissed her, wanting her to open up about whatever was bothering her instead of running away from him.

That was when he stiffened. Her lips felt swollen and unusually warm, like they'd been hurt. He went still and sent his tongue out in a testing touch along the seam between her lips. His pulse jammed in his throat and he pulled back, almost gagging. Her mouth...tasted...like...

He couldn't make sense of it. What in the... How could Verin's taste be in Tenele's mouth? He literally couldn't unscramble his thoughts enough to form a coherent theory. "Tenele?" he asked thinly.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele's green eyes shot to his face, his eyes, his expression. He knew. Her eyes grew wide with shock, she stopped breathing, went rigid. "I didn't," she whispered quickly, not wanting him to think she kissed Verin willingly. Even still, she'd given him permission to do it, wasn't that the same. He couldn't kiss her otherwise.

Tenele had the strongest urge to run from the room, to terrified to face her husband or what his reaction would be. She couldn't move though, her hands were locked in the fabric of his clothes.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad took another step back. In any other circumstance, her obvious terror would have produced an instinctive desire to approach her, but not this time. Something shifted wrongly inside him, his gut promising him that something was very, very wrong. He stared at her, still tasting Verin's power in his mouth. No. She was a place of safety. The idea of her having anything to do with Verin made his insides go cold.

"What's happened?" he asked her. The ache was audible in his voice. He couldn't help it. Why did it feel like something was falling apart inside him? His body was registering what his brain hadn't, yet.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele felt a hollow sickness wash through her at the expression on his face. "He wouldn't leave," she whispered, taking a step forward. She didn't want him to retreat from her. "He wouldn't leave." How was she going to explain what she'd done? She'd agreed to it without so much as a after thought. She'd wanted him gone that fast. He'd known it to. She was stupid and foolish and so angry with herself.

"He was going to hurt you," Tenele whispered, remembering Verin's dilemma of deciding on what the best way to kill Vlad was. The mental images his words brought made her sick.

"I didn't want him to kiss me," Tenele told him quickly. "But, he wouldn't leave... unless I let him." Tenele went stiff, waiting for it and yet unprepared for how he'd react.

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad's irises shrank to unsteady red dots. He forgot to even blink as he just stared. Tenele had...with Verin...

It felt like something strained and then crushed apart in his chest. She'd let him touch her. Invited him to kiss her. There was no other way for him to do it. He'd more than kissed her. He'd marked her.

"You did this to protect me?" he asked. He sounded horrified, but a louder, fiercer reaction was slowly kindling inside him, as if it would tear him apart when it found release.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele felt like she was going to shatter. The pain on his face made the sour self-hatred in her grow. She knew this would hurt him. She'd known as soon as she'd made the bargain, and then it was too late. She couldn't take it back once the words were spoken.

"Yes," she muttered, barely able to voice words. "I did it to protect you. I didn't know... I didn't think. Vlad..." She took a few more steps towards him, but at the same time she was afraid of going to far. What if he retreated from her more? Her heart felt like it was tearing apart. "I'm sorry. I didn't want it, I swear. I tried to take it back."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad shook his head slowly. He slid another step back, his movement unusually human instead of the catlike grace he usually showed. "You cannot take it back, Tenele," he said unevenly. "You have pledged this to him, now. I am your husband... Why would you..." He swallowed back the abnormal tension in his throat. He'd never in a million years have thought to prepare himself for such a thing.

"You think me so rash, and weak, that you need to do this? You cannot trust me, even that much?" His throat burned as he realized he'd choked up on his words. The fire building up inside him seared into his eyes.

[Emora Deen]

Tenele felt her heart break when he took a step away from her, and her composer (what little she had left) began slipping. She shook her head. "I do not think you weak. But, you are rash. You attack him, without even pausing to think of what he can do to you! I was afraid for you. He was having trouble deciding between ripping your skin off or turning you inside out for Thar's sake!"

"So I made a mistake!" Tenele clenched her eyes shut. "I'm the one that's weak, not you. I'm weak. Yes, I pledged it to him, and I'll pay for that. But, I did it because I love you, my husband. You have no idea what that was like for me to do."

[Soran Nightblade]

Vlad blinked, crippled by her words. She was defending what she'd done. She was insisting he couldn't help her. Though he'd been researching all day. Struggling to get them through this. "If you had just given me a little more time...could just believe in me," he murmured.

Ah, there it was. The pressure brooding inside him climbed up and finally achieved substance as agonizingly hot anger. "You would betray me for such a small, foolish thing?"