"Meredith Aurion," A stern voice from behind her said, and she turned to two vampire guards standing with swords in their scabbards. "Where is your master?" One of them asked knowingly, and she had no answer. This was likely the goon the other two had set up to grab and punish her.

If she said that Rush had lost her, it looked as bad on him then if she had wandered off.

"Remus Shade relinquished Meredith to me when I asked oh so nicely." Talamayas spoke up next to her, and the men both took a step back. It seemed they hadn't realized she was with him. One of them narrowed his eyes, and Talamayas flared his nostrils. "Are you calling me a liar?" Talamayas smirk fell to a threatening scowl, and a flame lit over one of his hands.

"Of-of course not, Talamayas, sir," the man said, stumbling back.

"You say that, but I get the idea that you're a meddler," Talamayas said as he stalked forward. The man backed away but wasn't fast enough to avoid Talamayas as he appeared next to him. "Tell me," he said as he grabbed the man by the neck and held his ignited hand so near the vampire's face that he screeched and struggled. "You wouldn't have happened to steal this girl from her master would you? She has such a unique scent and magic aura, and I can sense it on your chest and hands. You do realize the punishment for touching something that isn't yours with intent to harm, don't you?"

"W-wait," the man begged, and Mer hugged the pole that held the tarp over the pool of balloons. There was nothing idle about the threat as Talamayas brought the flame closer. "I was just following orders, Talamayas, please, please." Tears slipped out of the vampire, and while Mer pitied him, she also knew that they had planned worse for her.

"Whose?" Talamayas said with a snap of his teeth, and the vampire closed his mouth with a whine and dropped his head in defeat. Whoever had given him orders was terrifying enough that he wouldn't give them up. "Very well, then you accept the punishment for breaking the law."

Talamayas dropped him. Kicking out the man's knees, he tossed him on his stomach on the ground and secured him with a knee to his back.

"I'd love to melt the inside of your skull, but killing is prohibited at the gathering and it's no fun if I don't hear you scream."

And the man did scream.

Talamayas pressed his hands to the man's back with no mercy, and a sizzling, popping noise accompanied the smell of burnt flesh, all to the soundtrack of a shrill cry. It went on and on until the man ran out of lung space, chocked on his breath, and then tore another breath full of air into his lungs. By then, Talamayas moved his hand to slap it on the side of the man's face, and he really shrieked.

Mer was going to lose her strange desert taco as she couldn't tear her eyes away from the man. She should have closed them, but instead they were glued open as the face around Talamayas' fingers slouched off of the man's cheek bone and his eye grew in size until it popped like a squished grape. Blood and a yellow liquid dripped from the remains of the man's eye in his socket, and still Talamayas didn't let him ago until his screaming stopped.

Then it wasn't fun anymore.

Talamayas stood and every vampire house head at the gathering was around them, rushed to the scene to see what was amiss. It didn't take her half a heartbeat to feel Rush's energy where he was among them, held back by Darius and Lyon's strong arms. There was fear in his eyes as he latched onto her gaze and didn't let go, but Talamayas was between her and him, and she doubted she could pass the man to get to them. Blood dripped from Talamayas' hand, and he wiped it off on the man's shirt before he stood and looked to all the leaders gathered.

"Remus," Talamayas greeted him with a smile, and Rush shifted his gaze to him. "I appreciate you lending me your servant. Without a blood slave of my own, I was rather bored, and Meredith is excellent company. I was quite shocked that this man was ordered by someone to steal her from you, and you know how I am with the law. It's a good thing I was here or something dastardly could have happened. Meredith, return to your master. We have a council meeting to attend."

Mer needed no prodding to do so, though she had to step around a half melted vampire lackey, and then pass by the most disturbing mix of scents she'd ever inhaled. With all the eyes on her, she felt safer sliding by Talamayas closer to him than the crowd and as she did, cinnamon and honey mixed, flavoring the burnt flesh and boiled blood on his hands. It was truly gruesome and had her holding her mouth to keep her food down until she fell into Rush's protective arms. The familiar dark magic soaked into her as she trembled in his arms.

Talamayas departed and so did the other people, not wanting to get caught up in anything that might tempt him to return. Rush took the opportunity to slide away into a dark corner, and Darius joined him with Lyon as they got out of the way.

"Are you okay?" Rush whispered, a hand on either side of her face as he looked her up and down.

"A little shaken up, but unhurt. I'm sorry. That vampire came and swiped me so fast from Lyon. I didn't–"

"I know." Rush pulled her back to his chest and stuffed her into him. How he bent his muscles enough to tuck her into them, she didn't know, but he swallowed her in dark magic and the comfort of his body molding to her every curve as he leaned on the wall.

"How did Talamayas get involved?" Darius asked.

A protective growl slipped from Rush's lips, pinching Darius expression in, but Rush let out a breath and calmed enough to release her from his vice grip. That did not mean he released her from the side of his body, but at least enough to face Darius.

"Talamayas found me when I was alone," Mer said carefully, and Rush's grip tightened on her hip, his lips gliding into her hair to kiss the top of her head.

"Yet he did not harm you?" Darius spoke for both of them. Rush was too jittery to do much but squeeze her to death, so she understood.

"No. He was actually very..." Mer trailed off, remembering that she was supposed to stay away from other males with Rush's new found territorial streak. "Helpful." She chose that word over kind because Rush might get the wrong idea.

"Helpful?" Darius asked, and even Rush stopped petting her hair.

"Yeah. He seemed to know what had happened and said that I could get in trouble alone, so he offered to walk with me until Rush found me. It only got violent when those two vampires showed up to finish whatever they'd planned. I don't think they knew Talamayas was with me, and he didn't like that they had been doing something against the vampire laws here."

"Talamayas is very strict about vampire laws, but that should have extended to you as well," Darius said, slipping his hands into his pockets. He probably didn't like the lack of his robes to hide them, having donned his formal clothes again for the council meeting. "Talamayas loathes mages, and the moment he saw you unattended, he should have broken you into pieces and dragged you back to your master. You're saying he didn't touch you?"

"Well, I'm sure Rush can tell that he touched me. Sort of hard not to notice when he smells like a damn bakery oven, but he didn't harm me. Just got me something to eat, took me around to a few games, and then enjoyed my struggle with trying to pick up–" Mer had forgotten about the balloon on her finger and she lifted it. "This. It was strange when he showed me how to lift one up, almost as if it was instruction on how to defend myself. I don't know." Mer stiffened when they gave her strange stares. "Look, I don't know vampires, but he seemed like he was protecting me."

"If so, Talamayas has another motive," Dariussaid, wringing his hands. "What, I haven't the faintest. Come Remus, we need tobe at the council meeting."

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Word Count: 1450