(Forgive the extra song smith-ing but after the last one this really seemed to fit what I was going for.)
Tatyana watched from her window seeing Nathan in the courtyard. He took his coat off and just stood there in the rain. He was always crazy like that. He talked about how he grew up in the dessert and rain still fascinated him even after all these years. Such child like wonder in a man so experienced and profound amazed her. She went out to him and said with awe in her voice, "Even though I was the one in the castle I've always felt like I was on the outside looking in on you. Looking in on the joy I should have." He smiled at her and said, "It is the joy that only righteousness can bring. It is a joy I am happy to share with you. Though I am jealous of you as too. You fascinate me. I can often look at something and simply know the truth but you are a mysterious one. I love your dark eyes and careless hair. And I can tell you are sensitive the right and wrong even if you act too cool to care." He finished his last statement by moving some of her black red hair behind her ear. It was the most tender she had been touched since the Crimson Prince lifetimes ago.
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Kaeden carried the report tucked under his arm to where they were all meeting. Katsumi, and Lana were waiting for him and stood when he enterred. "Did you find it?" Lana asked with her now all too characteristic impatience. "Yes," He responded, "Galan's full report on Tatyana from the archive."
They all reviewed it through the night and Lana restated soundly, "Her power to influence and control has several sources that all seem to stack, her beauty and the natural affect that has on people and men, an enhanced vampiric power due to her age and power, some magical spell, and a breathable pheromone she emanates. He found to resist it, they had to magically ward against charm, become immune to poison and avoid looking directly at her. Even then, he comments on how inviting she is. At least now we know how to prepare."
Kaeden nodded, he then spoke, "The Angel Jeric has visited me in Nathan's absence carrying a message. He has told me where Nathan is, an old abandoned fortress called Gelevan Castle in the west of Babylon. Long abandoned and the countryside empty. We need to make preperations and move out quickly. We also need to consider the very real possibility that Nathan is compromised." The words hung heavy and thick in the air.
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Tatyana went inside taking off her soaked cloak and hanging it by the fire. She turned coyly looking over her left shoulder to see Nathan just standing in the doorway. He seemed to have nothing to say as he looked at her. Finally he said, "The rain is warm." It was charming but it was not the weather she wanted to hear about. They had been together for weeks and she saw the way he looked at her, she saw the way he wanted her. And even after they had been together there still seemed like there was part of him he held back. Part of him fighting to be free. Free of what? am I so horrible my love should be fought and resisted? WHY? She remembered the night of exile being held alift by Derrick's powerful arm and he said to her that no one could love filtch. She began to cry. Nathan rushed in to her side, "What troubles you?"
She responded with anger she did not expect, "Well in case you failed to notice, In case you failed to see, This is my heart bleeding before you, This is me down on my knees, and...These foolish games are tearing me apart, And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart." Kneeling before Nathan she begged him to love her. To look into her soul and make her real, to save her to love her. And while on the surface she could see he did, there was something deep in him a will of iron which seemed not to break and pull him somewhere else. He looked away out the window. She whispered in pleading tones, "You're breaking my heart."
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Nathan had gone to bed obviously not locking his door. Tyros and Tatyana left to let the human sleep. They sat and talked. He brought up all memories and travels as he often did. The stories always appeared to upset her though that was not his intention. He cherished those memories, times he had saved her, times she approved of him. why did she had them so much.
She changed the subject and instead talked about the art she collected in Trade City. As discussions on her collections always go it turned to her collecting her hearts. She spoke of her loved ones and he clumsily played the piano.
The night exhausted and the day coming they returned to their coffins for needed sleep. He knew she would sneak back as soon as he rested so he lay in his coffin for only a moment before coming out. He held the glass jar which held his hear and waited. It was only a few moments and her coffin opened. He had taken her off guard and he pressed the moment, "Why? Why do you persist? You will destroy him just like you destroyed all of us. Why not let him be and be with me we are both monsters there is no need to make another."
She stood and slapped his face her strength much more than her thin arms would suggest. "Jealousy is offensive in you Lord Tyros. You may leave my company any time my life style offends you. But if you insist on trailing me like a lost sheep, you will do so in silence."
"Well, excuse me, guess I've mistaken you for somebody else,Somebody who cared about goodness, Somebody more like myself. Well in case you failed to notice, In case you failed to see, This is my heart bleeding before you, and These foolish games you play with me and with your prey is tearing me apart, And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart."
She actually looked stunned, more like devastated by his words. He thought perhaps he had reached her, that she may concede. He heard a distant door be kicked open and he knew he would never know if he had reached her.
Kaeden splintered the wooden door. He kicked it hard assuming it would be locked but was surprised to see it swing on the hinges unhindered. He saw Nathan sitting in be in nothing more than small clothes. He looked comfortable and surprised, even disappointed to see them. Lana and Katsumi came in after though Katsumi did so with great stealth. "My Lord, we've come to rescue you." He responded slowly, "But I'm not finished they still need my help. They are more captive than I." A torrent of barreling Mist rolled into the room and solidified swords clashing driving Kaeden back and striking him several times. Kaeden saw Lana rush to Nathan and use the wand she had created to free Nathan's mind. They had succeeded.
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Nathan looked on Lana seemingly for the first time. He scanned the room and saw Kaedn in danger. As if dust and rumble cleared from the realm of his mind he rose his Seeker sword, Lana smiled. Then she was lifted and tossed as a limp doll across the room. It was Tatyana who took her place standing exactly where she stood. Nathan turned his sword to strike the temptress but was stopped by the pleading in her eyes. He could see she was sincerely troubled. Then the velvet voice spoke, "I honestly loved you. Because you'd teach me of honest things, Things that were daring, things that were clean. Things that knew what an honest heart did mean. The whole time, I hid my soiled hands behind my back. Somewhere along the line, I must've fallen Off track with you. Please save me from the nothing that I've become."
Nathan saw Tyros outpacing and out fighting Kaeden his friend would soon die, he saw Lana eyes barely open, and he saw Tatyana pleading, "The truth is that no heart walks so far in the shadow they can not find the light. But in order to be saved you have to want to be saved, not just hide your sin but confess it and strive to change it." Tatyana lifted her hand and Tyros stopped holding Kaeden pinned to the ground by his sword. "And I see you want to be saved. I will save you."
"Then we have to kill these people who have come. You must see that, they will only take you away from me."
After a long pause Nathan looked at Lana and knew she would never understand. They were here to take him away, they would kill the vampires if they could. She acted out of jealously and would never see the light as he had. "I agree." He said turning to lift his sword on Lana. But then things went black.
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Tatyana looked with rage at Katsumi who had injected some poison into Nathan. Kaeden called out, "Lana now!" and Lana dropped the glass figure she was carrying. As it shatterred they returned to Oa.
She say by his bedside for hours. Kaeden had left to seek healing and talking to Katsumi about something in the other room when Nathan awoke. She smiled at him. "Boy do you hear me, talking to you?"
He looked at her sad, "I couldn't save them. You shouldn't have come it was too dangerous"
She had saved him, charmed or not he raised a sword on her despite that. Her pity turned to anger thinly veiled as she spoke, "Well, excuse me, guess I've mistaken you for somebody else, Somebody who gave a damn, Somebody more like myself. These foolish games are tearing me apart, And your thoughtless words are breaking my heart. You're breaking my heart." She stormed out past Kaeden tears filling her eyes.
She stopped in a courtyard collapsing next to a gazebo. It started to rain a cool chilling rain to match her tears. She looked back behind her to see Nathan had followed. Wearing only an overcoat over his small clothes. She could not run any more so she sat there as he approached. He took his coat off to shelter her with it. Then he stood up and looked up in the sky seeming to embrace the rain. For a few moments if felt as if the rain was washing away what was done. He looked down and smiled at her, "I love the rain, water falls from the sky and cleans the earth. I'm lucky to be in love with my best friend." She smiled he was always crazy like that.
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