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[Aurelia Bretane]

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“It’s th’ warmth I miss th’ most…since movin’ here I mean…” Aurelia trailed off thoughtfully as she warmed her hands over Tristan’s forge. Draken did likewise, but he was clearly more focused upon her than the workshop, as he had been throughout her tour of Northridge. Aurelia lowered her head slightly, unsure what to make of his attentions, but still enjoying the warmth of the forge. Warmth was an amazing sensation – a feeling that she could not maintain without a source of heat. Not anymore. She reveled in the fiery glow, allowing it to paint her pale skin in hues of red and orange.

“Ah…” he sucked in air through his teeth as his gaze instinctively fell away from her. He jerked his hand away from the forge, his finger having come into contact with the edge. The burn was small, but deep. A sliver of flesh still sizzled on the rim of the forge, and blood oozed from the burn.

“Oh!” Aurelia was unversed in the manual treatment of human injuries, but she knew how to treat something this minor, at least. She quickly knelt and picked up a clean lump of melting snow, tracked in from outside, and placed it over the burn, looking up at Draken. Carefully, she wound a strip of bandage around his finger and over the snow, to insulate it, pack it, keep it in place. And to cover what threatened to destroy them both. The melting snow seeped, pale pink, into the clean bandage; the scent of even these tiny droplets of blood made her ache, dizzy with hunger.

It could be so easy…just a look, a gaze of longing. It was so very tempting. But not here, not in the workshop. For the second time since she met the warrior, she felt her eyes flash briefly, the pale blue of her iris draining away to leave only a dark-rimmed silver shimmer. Near panic-stricken, she released his hand and stood unsteadily.

“Are you all right, Aurelia?” He moved to steady her, but she pulled away.

“I was ne’er any good with blood.” She smiled apologetically, moving toward the door. “I...just need a bit o’ air.” And with that, she moved quickly out into the howling winds of Northridge night.

When he emerged behind her from beneath the overhang of the shop, his expression was unreadable. Aurelia closed her eyes tightly against all that he held for her there. Concern, curiosity…suspicion.

Suspicion. How much did he know? And how much more did he suspect? Then, more importantly, was this temptation a deliberate test? Now was the time to run. Now was the time to remove herself from his sight. To tear away this fixation that endangered her more with every moment she remained. She felt the warmth of his hand against her cheek as he brushed aside an errant strand of her hair, and she opened her eyes, fully prepared to excuse herself, and return home--to refuse this childish temptation. She was in too deep, and she was far too inexperienced to know where to go from here. She would seek guidance from her Lord. And she would break this instinctive pull the human had upon her. She could survive on the blood of anyone. She should never miss the loss of this one. Harming him could bring hell down upon her. Upon her family. Upon her Lord.

“Come with me?” He watched her as he flipped through his runebook until he found the page he sought.

No…It only leads to ruin. She knew what she had to do.

“Aye, Draken.” Her voice was quiet—detached. She watched the pulse at his throat, mesmerized, as he cast a shimmering moongate. Without hesitation, she followed him into the light.

[Aurelia Bretane]

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What suspicion lay in his gaze? Draken-Korin’s green eyes darkened, watching Aurelia unwaveringly as she moved through the virtue chamber. The heat of anger from enduring weeks of such scrutiny began to flare within her as she waited for him to speak his thoughts, or leave her be. Her fingertips slid lightly over objects on pedestals, each a representation of a chosen virtue. She stopped at pedestal bearing a dagger, hued red, and she looked back to Draken from across the codex laid out on the floor.

“Ye hold ritual human sacrifice?” Aurelia quipped, half-smiling.

“What?” His eyes flitted from her, to the circle of the codex, and back again. The humour was lost on him, as her comment had clearly set him on edge.

Enough…Out with it already! Aurelia took a deep and steadying breath, resuming her smile. “There’s a circle here, I thought circles were only for human sacrifice.” She gauged his reaction as he realized she was only joking.

What kind o' monster d'ye think I am?

“Ah, yes. Well, we’ve altered its purpose to suit our own needs.” He smiled now in jest, but seemed only a little more at ease as he moved closer to her.

“Careful that ye don’t accidentally cut yerself on a dagger or some such nonsense.” Her eyes flitted back to him again, a sarcastic edge biting in her voice.

“Why would I do that, Aurelia?” His tone was even, almost chiding.

She shrugged. “Why would ye burn yerself on a forge so deep it bled?”

“You think that was on purpose?” He began to back away from her again, this time, reaching out and taking up the crimson dagger.

So this is it... Aurelia looked from the dagger back to his darkened emerald gaze.

Now, one of us dies.

[Aurelia Bretane]

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She was unarmed. He had to know that. He’d seen her hunt, fought alongside her as she used her tambourine to pacify the beasts that descended upon him. He had to know she was unarmed. Aurelia felt frozen, waiting for his first move. Waiting for the plunge of the dagger.

Not unarmed….her kind was never unarmed. The thought flitted through her mind, almost against her will, but somehow it comforted her.

“Is this what you want, Aurelia? Is this why you’re here?” He removed his gloves and tossed them carelessly on the empty pedestal.

Cold realization crept over her as her eyes went wide with panic. “Draken, what are ye doin’....” She took two careful steps closer to him, reaching out a hand for the dagger.

“This is what you’ve wanted all along isn’t it?” He dragged the blade across his palm, no hint of pain marring his determined expression, but something darker than pain lay behind those eyes.

“No, Draken.” She spoke softly, but urgently. “Please, n—“

But it was done, and she was already far too close. Was he mad?? The scent addled her mind. Strong and sweet, like deep red wine…her senses were enraptured. Draken dropped the dagger, the blade clattering to the stone floor.

He held out the hand to her, speaking softly. “Take it. It’s all that I’ll give you. It’s what you wanted, isn’t it?”

Aurelia, stood stolid, shaking her head, fighting against the frenzied beast that arose within her. He couldn’t know that if she allowed herself to take this token, she would never be able to stop. Past experience painted a grim picture, as she’d left a trail of bodies in the wake of her lack of will power. Subconsciously, she took another step toward him.

“I’ve heard the rumours.” Draken spoke evenly, watching her every movement keenly as she took his hand in both of hers.

“There is no truth in rumour, Draken.” Blood trickled over her fingers as she opened his hand to examine the cut curiously. “I can fix this. But please…be very still.”

He nodded, finally taking a deep breath and lifting his gaze from their hands to her face. She inhaled slowly, steeling her will. She lifted his hand to her mouth and closed her eyes. The first taste spun her senses into an explosion of colour and light – a clear note that resonated through her body and joined her own chords in a song so rich she could scarcely believe that it didn’t echo down the stone halls and drive the pigeons from the eaves.

Radiance poured out of him, and into her, shining brightly from every crack, and space, and gap in her being. Aurelia’s brow furrowed as she forced herself to ignore the light, the sunbursts of colour , the song. Forced herself to put these things aside for now, and focus on the task at hand.

Slowly, she slid her the flat of her tongue along the length of the cut. Her saliva stemmed the flow of blood, and the flesh began to knit itself slowly as she drew reluctantly away. “I can heal this, Draken. Jus’ let it mend.”

“But…I’d heard rumours…” Draken spoke, looking bewildered.

“There’s no truth in rumour,” Aurelia repeated, watching his eyes intently. “No truth. I’m just somethin’ a little different is all…” Her serene expression belied the raging beast that clawed away within. He was something more than human or elf. She’d always suspected, but now there was no doubt. Every attempt to glamour fell short with him.

But it seemed to matter little as the two stood as one, apart. An uncertain smile spread slowly across his face as he gave half a nod.

“I can see that.”