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Realms Converge	By : Candice Category: +G through L > Legacy of Kain Views: 3562 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 1
Disclaimer: I do not own Legacy of Kain, nor any of the characters from it. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.Don't get to Nosgoth itself til chap 5

Chapter List
- 23
- 24
- 25
Edits as of 05/2016

Fleshed things out and fixed some errors. chapter is longer.

Chapter Twenty-four: Anger Management

Despite having fallen asleep with Eldar Kain and Raziel offering a comforting presence meant to calm my nerves, nightmare's still riddled my slumber. Nightmares in which the Auron ridden Lordling had not been interrupted and the torment had continued. Nightmares of Kain finding my body and going into a rage. Nightmares of a single die spinning on one tip and ever changing its' shape. Nightmares of another young half-blooded girl from what looked to be around the fifteen-hundreds, kidnapped like I had been in the middle of the night. Auron's 'delight' at finding her a virgin, the tortures that followed and were so painfully similar to my own torment at his hands.

The nightmare shifted constantly and showed me images where sometimes she gave in, sometimes she killed herself to get away, sometimes... sometimes, even though Auron had said he hadn't had a virginal half-blood amongst his pets for over five-hundred years, the dream shifted and showed her still fighting, still holding on and hoping to be freed even by the time that I had been caught by him. I could only hope that the other half-blood that he had spoken of fought him to the last and found a way to end things on her terms, but I also knew that not everyone could survive such torments with their mind intact.

The nightmare then shifted again and the other half-blood stood suddenly at Auron's side as a willing slave, one that helped him with his tortures. The dream twisted and I found myself standing with her at his side and helped her tear out some poor souls lungs. My hands moved of their own accord even as my mind screamed in denial.

It was that last, detailed, nightmare about that 'other' half-blood that jerked me awake with a stifled cry as I rejected the mental image of my ever helping that bastard. I flared my wings wide and I struggled in Eldar Kain's arms as he held me in pinned in place across his lap.

Eldar Kain's grip remained firm around me, though I had to have buffeted him hard with my wings and scratched him with my claws. He let out a low, comforting growl and his Aura pulsed in a small burst that flooded my senses and briefly overwhelmed my panic stricken mind. I shuddered once, twice and then went limp in his grasp as I slowly registered where I was. I submitted to that power whilst I fought to clear the fog caused by the nightmares from my mind. I rubbed at my face and let out a soft groan.

I froze when the back of Kain's talons lightly brushed over my wings along the line of the bone. I waited for any sense of renewed panic to set in but then slowly relaxed an inch at a time under his continued, gentle touch. I realized dimly that the only reason that I had not panicked under his touch was because my wings had not been harmed when the Lordling/Auron had attac... assaul... raped me. He had... they had, raped me. My left hand opened and closed into a fist slowly again and again as I examined that cruel, cold knowledge with a detached sense of self.

I seriously contemplated the thought of asking Eldar Kain to block out this particular memory forever... and yet... and yet I was so damnably angry and I didn't want to actually let go of that rage. There was also the fact that if the memories were blocked that I might well panic over what could possibly have been bad enough for me to ask for a memory block. Things... could have been far worse considering the cruelties that I had witnessed from Auron over the years.

My hand slowly closed into a tight fist once more. I barely recognized the small flash of pain that seared up along my arm when my claws started to dig deep enough into the palm of my hand and began to cut into the muscle and bone beneath the skin. Eldar Kain let out another soft rumble of noise and I felt Raziel's Aura pulse as he started to approach me carefully. I was held firmly in place even as Raziel gently forced my hand back open. I didn't fight either male's touch and instead looked at the palm of my hand and watched as it healed from the self-inflicted wound. Eldar Kain's voice echoed above my head and he rested the talons of the hand not smoothing my feathers upon the back of my neck in a firm, yet admonishing grip.

"Do not hurt yourself, my Katrina," he said with a firm growl.

I let out a small noise to acknowledge that I'd heard him. I then felt a low growl begin to build in my chest as I glared at my now healed hand. I felt my own Aura flicker for a moment. Raziel's taloned hands closed upon both of my wrists firmly in a way that trapped my claws against the ground. I realized that my eyes had most likely gone white as my anger flared. I fell as still as I could whilst I turned my head to look at Raziel out of the corner of my eye, though my body still trembled finely with my growing sense of rage and hatred. Careful concern showed in his expression and I finally closed my eyes even as I continued to shiver in rage.

"I'm going to kill them both," I growled out finally in a low voice.

Raziel's grip eased a touch around my wrists at the sound of my voice. I felt Eldar Kain give a soft, approving rumble of laughter as he held me.

"Allow my younger self the satisfaction of dealing with the Lordling my dear Katrina," he said as he continued to preen my feathers with precise care. I shivered slightly under that continued, soothing touch. "You are no Mage and cannot counter his magics as I can."

I felt silent for a long moment before I let out a grumbling sigh of noise. I murmured softly against his thigh. "I hope you tear his balls off and shove them down his throat..."

Raziel let out a soft laugh, "That was... not what I expected you to say."

I opened my eyes again to look at him and spoke softly, "You saw the state I was in."

"I did," he answered in a sudden and carefully blank tone of voice.

"And you have not told Kain?" I asked with a slight tilt of my head.

"He refused to let me say anything," Raziel responded.

Eldar Kain's hand rubbed soothingly at the back of my neck. I tilted my head into that touch like a cat arching for a better angle. His touch felt good... safe.

"It is your choice to tell my younger self what has occurred," Eldar Kain said to me softly, though I kept my gaze locked upon Raziel's. "I will learn the knowledge from that, if you are willing to share it."

"Hnn," I murmured softly as I closed my eyes again and I continued to speak in a soft voice a moment later. "Can you fault me my rage, Raziel?"

"Never, my Lady," he said in a firm tone. He gave my wrists another small squeeze.

I shuddered again and let out a soft sigh as I just tried to think. It took a few moments before I realized, with a small and abrupt flash of insight, just what I wanted. It would be a small illusion and with Eldar Kain's ability to block memories would have been the most likely result anyway as I... needed to avoid talking about Raziel?

I realized with another small, sudden jolt that I had not been overly surprised to see a whole and restored Raziel with wings intact helping me to escape my bindings. I blinked a bit and knew, just knew, that Eldar Kain had blocked out just enough of the initial 'visit' at the Pillars to make me forget that Raziel had been there. A visit which had to have involved my seeing the restored vampire/reaver. Yet it was like he had left a door cracked just wide enough so that I would not be shocked at the sight of Raziel later down the line. I let out a thoughtful hum of breath at that knowledge. I then shifted in order to try and sit up. Raziel let go of my wrists as I moved and Eldar Kain helped to steady me. He used the knuckle of one talon to turn my head so that I could meet his gaze.

"What have you decided my Little One?" he asked in a soft rumble.

"I... have to forget Raziel again, right?" I asked hesitantly.

"The immediate knowledge of his presence, yes," he answered.

"Then..." I took a slow breath and let it out in a huff of air. "Take just enough of the memories away so that I can believe that I got out on my own. I'll realize the truth of it later when my memories of all this are unlocked, restored, but right now... I... got away from Auron on my own..."

I fell silent and glanced down with a frown.

"A small illusion in order to believe that you repeated the feat?" Eldar Kain said as he tilted his head and he nodded once a moment later. "Understandable given that you must forget Raziel's presence as it is and how crucial he was in this escape."

I opened my mouth to ask something and then clamped my mouth shut with a sharp clack of teeth. I clenched my jaw and tried to pull my head back, to look away from him. His hand shifted to cup my chin and his grip tightened just enough to keep my head still. He forced me to meet his gaze once more and I swallowed roughly. His mind brushed over mine with a gentle touch.

~I do not think you weak for asking for this of me. I would not have thought you weak if you asked for the entire memory to be blocked either. Torture of any kind is no small thing to recover from and you have enough memories of such things,~ he Whispered to me.

~Wont you see what happened anyway when you block the memories?~ I asked after a moment of silence.

~Memories do not function like the 'movies' of your world, my Little One,~ he responded. ~I cannot 'see' them being played out in exacting detail. More that I can feel the emotions, words spoken, scents and thoughts of the moment I am focusing on. Anything to be 'seen' is not but half-blurred images at best and darkened shadows at the worst.~

I nodded slowly and then started to laugh softly as I found myself focusing on the strangeness of him talking about movies of all things. It was a silly thing to focus on, but I could not help but find it funny as I leaned against him once more. His hand shifted from my chin to rest on the back of my neck and his own chin fell to rest upon the crown of my head. My thoughts were yet mostly fractured and I found that I was focusing on the oddest things... like the bat earlier.

~We seriously have enough time when we go to Gaia that I take you out to the movies of all things?~ I asked him with a mental laugh.

~Yes, you were quite insistent on that actually,~ he said with a roll of his eyes. He spoke his next words aloud. "Are you ready?"

"A moment?" I asked as I pulled my head back once more.

He nodded his head and I turned to look at Raziel. I held out my hand to him hesitantly. He took my hand in his own taloned grasp and he gave my hand another, gentle squeeze. I tugged him forward so that I could lean my forehead against his even as I leaned back a little more heavily against Eldar Kain's chest out of weariness.

"I don't know exactly when I will remember all of this properly, so I need to say this now," I said softly. "Thank you, the both of you, for coming to get me out of there."

"Always, my Lady," Raziel said with a soft rumble.

"This will not break you," Eldar Kain rumbled and I nodded my head at his words.

"I wont let him win," I murmured darkly as I turned to nuzzle my nose against the line of his jaw. "I have survived everything up to this point and I will continue to do so."

"Good girl," Eldar Kain said as he nipped at my neck lightly with his fangs. "Now sleep."

I felt the magic seep over me and I fell into a fitful sleep... and forgot.

I drifted in and out of slumber with nightmares plaguing my thoughts. Rage and shame assaulted my mind equally for a long while. My mind slowly began to settle upon the sensation of rage more and more each time I blinked my eyes open. Sleep would rapidly wrench me back under and the dreams changed each time it took hold of me.

I finally awoke to full awareness and rolled onto my stomach with a low groan of discomfort. I let out a huff of breath at the strong scent of smoke in the air. I glanced over the edge of the cliff that I had been able to safely reach and I blinked when I noticed that the Sarafan Keep was in flames. I let out a hum of dark satisfaction at the sight and started to let my eyes fall shut again as I tried to process, to organize, my scattered and drained thoughts. A mental shout echoed in my mind and I jerked up onto one elbow briefly in response. I let out a soft whine of annoyance as that shout had forced me back from the edge of slumber.

~Katrina!~ Kain's voice, raged-filled and holding just the smallest note of worry, echoed through my mind. ~Little One, where in the hell's are you!? Katrina! Answer me woman!~

~Here,~ I Whispered back in a pained and weary voice as I fell back against the ground. ~'m here...I hear you..."

~Katrina,~ Kain's voice sounded border-line relieved. ~I have been calling for you for the past ten minutes. I found a bed that was all but drenched with your blood and covered with chunks of your hair, a bloody trail leading away from the room and a drained corpse down one of the halls, yet I could not find you. Where are you, my Little One?~

~Got out...~ I frowned and blinked blearily at the ground as I tried to piece my thoughts together, ~flew. I'm... on a... a cliff outcropping? I can see the Keep burning in the distance...~

~Can you see the moon and is it to the left or the right of you?~ he asked.

~Ummm...~ I blinked again and rolled onto my side so I could look at the sky.

I could see Meridian itself clearly but as I looked to the left of my little roost I could not see the moon at all. I turned slowly and glanced above me and then at the rest of the cliff that blocked the rest of the sky from my sight.

~I cannot see the moon...~ I started slowly. ~Is it still early night? If it is, then the moon is hidden by the cliff... east of me..."

~You're directly to the south of Meridian then,~ he said in a satisfied tone. ~I can see the cliff you should be on. Can you fly back?~

~...I... don't know...~ I responded in a hesitant tone.

I then tried to push myself to my feet. I let out a huff of breath as I eased back to the ground. The human I had... caught?... and fed from had helped to heal my wounds but I still felt so damned tired and drained.

~No... last feeding went toward healing my... my wounds.~ I let out a soft groan. ~I don't have the strength to fly right now...~

~I see,~ Kain's voice had gone dark. He was silent for several long moments, long enough that I almost drifted off again, before he spoke again. ~Janos returned early when we figured out that you had been taken. He is on his way to you with several blood vials now.~

~Alright. Did you... find the Lordling?~ I asked as I closed my eyes and curled back up.

~No,~ came the dark response. ~It seems that he fled the moment the barrier went down. We do not know where he has gone at this time.~

~...damn...~ I Whispered softly. ~Do me a favor... if you do find him...?~

~What is it?~ he asked.

~Tear off his balls and ram them down his throat,~ I growled darkly in my chest and that growl transferred to my Whispered words.

I could almost picture him giving a blink of surprise at my harsh words and knew his face would have darkened with rage by now. His voice came back as a dark growl and I felt my lips twitch faintly.

~Whatever he has done, I will see him dead for it, ~ he promised.

~That too...~ I Whispered as my rage flagged again with my growing weariness. I blinked my eyes open when I heard the sound of nearby wing beats in the air. ~I... think I hear Janos...~

~You do. He has just Whispered to me that he has spotted you. Let your adopted Sire tend to you now, my Little One. I will see you soon,~ he said softly.

~Kain, I...~ I stopped and fell silent.

I blinked as I realized what I was about to say... and that I... actually meant it. I just wasn't sure that I could say it right now, not with what had just happened to me. Not when I yet felt... I decided to simply Whisper my next words to him with as much affection as I could manage filling my mental voice.

~My Lord,~ I Whispered softly.

~Dear Katrina,~ he Whispered back. Dark affection laced his own tone and brought me comfort.

I let my eyes fall shut again and I let out a soft sigh. The wing beats grew closer and a few moments later the sound of taloned feet hitting the ground sounded near me.

"Katrina! My Childe! Are you alright?!" Janos asked as he gently pulled me up and into his arms.

His Aura pulsed in a gentle, fatherly touch over me. I let out a soft, startled sound and I curled up against him as much as I could manage. One thought suddenly pulsed throughout my entire being. My vampiric instincts thrummed within me in time with my heart beat; safe-safe, safe-safe, safe-safe. I was in my chosen Sire's arms and I was safe once more. The rage that I had been holding onto started to slip through my mental fingers. I clenched my hands into careful fists, being intensely mindful of my claws for some odd reason. I started to tremble in a kind of strained relief while I also tried to hold onto that fading anger.

"Oh my dear Childe, what has happened to you?" he asked in a murmured, gentle tone as I shook and trembled within his arms.

His talons threaded lightly through my shortened hair and he let out a faint, worried, sound of noise when I did not answer him right away. I shook my head violently and his arms tightened around me as he let out a soothing croon of noise. It took me three tries to find my voice.

"Not yet... not yet, don't want to talk about it yet," I managed to breath out.

I shuddered and fought against any further tears. I did not wish to start crying again, did not wish to seem weak. I could get through this, I knew that I could, but everything was yet raw and viciously real in my mind's eye.

"Hush now my Childe," he said softly as he drew me into a tighter hug. His wings wrapped around me as if he might shield me from the world in its' entirety. "Later then, when you are ready. Here, drink. Kain said that you needed blood."

Janos popped open a vial and helped me to drink the contents within whilst he continued to hold me safe in a cocoon of his own wings. I dimly recognized the taste of Nikolai's blood, tinged with preservative magics. I let out a soft sigh when I had finished the vial. Each of the vials were filled with more blood then one would think possible due to the magics on the glass, yet I was still filled with a strong hunger akin to some of my worst days being starved of sustenance.

It had been a long time since I had been reduced to such a state. I reached out eagerly to take the other vial in my shaking hand in order to drink it down on my own. Strength returned to me slowly as my body absorbed the blood and I let out another shaky sigh as relief started to course through me. Before my arrival on Nosgoth, I had never know the pure, satiated bliss of being well fed. That sense of wild hunger coupled with what I had just been put through had left memories clamoring at the edges of my mind. With the blood-hunger fed to bearable levels, I could push those memories back down... for the time being.

"Can you stand now, my Childe?" Janos asked me in a gentle tone.

I shifted my limbs a bit and felt the renewed strength in them, though I did not feel truly up to par. I nodded to him a moment later. He stood slowly and helped to ease me to my feet. I wobbled in place for a moment and then let out a shuddering breath as I tentatively gave a single beat of my wings to test their strength. They could hold me in flight, for a little while at least. I scrubbed at my eyes and then nodded again at Janos a moment later when he flashed me a concerned look.

"Home? Please?" I asked. I tried to keep my tone level as I spoke.

"Yes, let us go home Childe," he said softly and he gave my arm a gentle squeeze.

He pushed off the cliff edge and swiftly caught the air under his wings. I followed him a moment later. I found that I was still tired and, due to that lack of energy, I was forced to keep moving to catch the thermals as we winged our way back toward Meridian. Janos had to circle back several times as he followed my erratic flight path. I glided, more then flew, back towards home and I felt a brief flash of annoyance at my own weakness before I calmed once more under the gentle press of my adopted Sire's Aura. As we neared the city, I could hear the sounds of cheering in the distance and I blinked at the jubilant noise.

"The city is ours now?" I called out questioningly to Janos.

"Yes," he responded. "With the Keep claimed we now hold the city."

I eyed the Keep warily and felt another flash of rage pulse through me. I wanted the damned thing destroyed brick by brick and something else put in its' place. Janos' Aura flared comfortingly next to me once more. I blinked and then shook my head as the rage cleared under the weight of his calming energy. We landed near the Blue Lady and then moved swiftly into the building and into that safety of the Sanctuary below. Janos placed his hand lightly upon my shoulder and led me to what amounted to one of the smaller 'war rooms/libraries'.

He had me sit at the dark stained table that had papers and maps scattered about all over it. Alma, Nikolai and another vampire carrying more blood vials, arrived shortly thereafter. They were followed bare moments later by Vorador, who moved instantly to Janos' side and thus my own as the blue-skinned Eldar yet stood behind me. I watched out of the corner of my eye as the two Eldar's shared a concerned look when I ignored the blood vial that was suddenly held out for me to take.

"My dear, your hair!" Alma exclaimed loudly when she noticed the rough hair cut that had been forced on me.

She walked over and touched the shortened strands delicately. I flinched minutely at the touch and when Nikolai moved to rest a hand upon my shoulder, I twitched a second time. I had to forceably remind myself that these two were safe and did not mean me any harm. I did not want to hurt them by lashing out, but the urge to react violently was there. That and the urge to bury myself against Janos and hide under the cover of his wings. I grit my teeth to the point of pain in order to fight down both urges.

I was stronger than this!

"Kat? Are you alright?" Nikolai asked as he knelt by the chair that I was sitting in.

"I... will be..." I responded softly to his gentle query.

I found the vial that had been held out to me suddenly shoved into my right hand by the vampire I did not quite recognize. I'd seen him around here and there in the Sanctuary, but I had not worked with him as yet as he worked primarily in the medical wing and my own talents oft had me act as a scout and thus mostly away from any battlefields. As such, I did not know the males name off the top of my head. I kept my gaze mostly on the table in front of me and rolled the vial mindlessly around in my hand.

"You need to drink this," he said with a growl when I made no move to drink from the vial. "You are far paler then your normally complexion. Why did you not simply return straight here, you foolish girl? You had everyone worried!"

Something in me suddenly snapped at his words and the rage that had been leashed tenuously abruptly flooded my thoughts so completely and totally that I actually saw red.

The vial in my hand shattered violently. Blood sprayed out in a wide arch as the containment magics within the glass failed. Everything close to me was suddenly covered in a fine layer of blood. I felt my Aura pulse and then flare viciously to fill the entire room. I placed my hands upon the table in front of me. I ignored the glass now embedded in my hand and stood slowly as I started to growl low in pure rage. I barely even registered the fact that Kain had just entered the room and that he had paused, somewhat startled with my wild mood, at the doorway.

"Oh yes... it is absolutely a Good Idea to come running straight back to Sanctuary after being bound by Hylden-runed shackles and having my Gifts weakened to the point where I could hardly focus upon them," I hissed out in a low and deadly voice as I glared at the vampire through my shortened hair. My claws started to dig into the wood of the table and began to leave deep furrows in the smooth surface. "It is unquestionably a Good Idea to put everyone here at risk when I had been drained of blood to the point that I could barely think straight. It is a wonderfully Grand Idea to come back here right away when my head is not on straight and thus put everyone in danger by Leading the BASTARD Lordling straight here after HAVING HAD HIS HAND SHOVED INSIDE OF ME!"

The last words echoed in the room as my voice was raised in an enraged shout. I could feel a sudden shocked and enraged pulse from Janos', Vorador's, Kain's and even Alma's Aura's as their energies flared in response to my words. My hands tightened further still around the wood beneath my hands and the table creaked ominously under my touch. The small furrows in the wood grew into longer, deeper tracks beneath my claws.

I bared my fangs in threat and outright hissed at the vampire in front of me. My wings flared wide in threat-gesture as he took a slow step back, eyes wide with startled fear like a deer that had suddenly been caught in the oncoming head-lights of a car from Gaia. I knew that my eyes had to have gone white with power early in my rant if not immediately after the vial had shattered in my hand. It was a struggle, an immense struggle, in order to fight down the urge to just leap across the table top to tear into him with fang and claw.

"Call me 'foolish' again," I hissed at him in a low and dangerous voice. "Do it."

He shook his head slowly as he backed away another step. His fear-scent had spiked and my instincts flared in response. I had to fight back the urge to go for the kill. My wings and limbs trembled with the need to lunge for his throat. I took a deep breath and spoke through gritted teeth.

"No?" I hissed out the question even as I tilted my head.

I flared my Aura again and my wings fanned out wide enough that the tips of my wings nearly brushed against the ceiling. The table suddenly gave a groan, the pressure that I had been exerting upon it finally too much for the strong wood and it collapsed. Papers and maps were sent flying as the table gave way to my rage. I stalked a single step toward the other vampire and ignored the sound of broken wood as it crunched beneath my foot.

"Get the Fuck out of my Sight then," I growled softly in a clear threat.

"I just..." he started and I let out a roar as I flared my Aura yet a third time.

"OUT. OF. MY. FUCKING. SIGHT!" I roared.

He fled the room.

I found myself panting harshly for breath as I trembled and struggled against the rage that seared through my mind and blinded my sight now that the male was gone. I no longer had anything to focus my rage upon and every instance of torture that I had been through flooded through my mind, compounded by what I had just been put through. I gasped and choked against the memories, finding it harder and harder to simply breathe. It felt as if I would drown under the weight of it all.

I wanted to find the Lordling and rip him to pieces for his role in what had happened to me. I wanted to tear and rip and shred Auron to bits with claw and fang for every single thing that he had put me through over the years. I wanted them both to suffer for what they had done to me a thousand times over as I crushed them into a bloody paste beneath my heel.

I wanted...

I wanted...

Four power-filled Aura's suddenly pressed down upon my mind like a comforting blanket. I sucked in a harsh breath as if I had been trapped underneath water for a long period of time and had just broken through to the surface. I realized dimly that at some point Janos had pulled me into his arms in a tight hug from behind, my head neatly tucked under his chin. His growls were a soothing, parental rumble of noise against my back.

Alma pet at my hair at my hair even as she started to pull the glass free from my hand. All the while she let out a soft and soothing croon of noise as she leaned against my right side. Vorador held my undamaged left hand firmly within his right hand, whilst his own left hand was a firm and calming weight upon my left shoulder. He was not tucked against me like Janos or Alma, but he made his own presence a clear and comforting weight none-the-less.

Kain himself was in front of me, pressed against the front of my body to complete the odd cocoon of comfort that surrounded me. His right hand lay upon the left side of my neck and his mouth was a gentle weight against his Mark with his fangs just barely pressed into the skin of my throat. Strangely enough, there was no Pleasure pulsing through the Mark at that moment, there was only the strongest sense of 'home', 'safety' and 'mate' that pulsed in time with their combine Aura's. All this and beneath it just a hint of the rage that I could taste along the edges of their own power-filled Aura's.

I let out my breath in a choked, strangled sound and struggled to stay on my feet as I fought against the tide of tears that abruptly threatened to break loose. My instincts warred with the dual need to rend and kill... anything really... and this new need to submit to the energies of my... clan? My mind all but blanked at the word. I rolled it around in my mind like a pebble that slowly began to turn into a pearl.

Clan... that word felt... right.

My rage started to fade as my instincts calmed and the need to kill eased away. I slowly slumped forward against Kain and I felt my wings droop loosely to brush against the ground. I let myself sink into that soothing power that surrounded me on all sides. My Aura flickered out as the anger stuttered and fell quiet. I dimly registered Janos' voice in my ear.

How long had he been speaking so soothingly?

"Easy, my Childe," he rumbled softly against my back. "You are safe now. Easy now, we are here."

"Katrina," Kain's voice was a low rumble against my neck as he pulled his mouth back enough to speak. "Are you back with us my Little One?"

"'m here," I murmured in a dull voice. "Stone..."

"Mmm?" Kain rumbled in confusion.

"The stone..." I said again as I tried to organize my thoughts and focus on something... other. It did not exactly work well as everything was tied together... report... I needed to try to treat this as a report. Maybe that would help? "The Lordling called it a Path Stone. Auron... he is using it to... to ride the Lordling's body like a glove. Could feel his Aura... pushing out of it when he was... both of them... they..."

I fell silent again as I shuddered violently. It was not working, everything was still too real. Too immediate. Alma let out another soothing croon in my ear and she continued to stroke her claws gently through my hair. I could feel that the wounds in my hand had healed over now that the glass had been removed. I felt a small flash of gratitude toward her aid, but it was a numbed sensation.

"You do not have to repeat what you said unless you wish to," Vorador said with a low and soothing rumble.

I nodded my head and raised my hands to hesitantly rest them upon Kain's waist as I leaned further into him. His scent. His power. He pulled his mouth away from my neck in full and moved to rest his forehead against my own in a brief touch. He then pulled back and reached up to coil a shortened strand of my hair between his claws.

"I take it that they did this as well?" he asked in a dark tone.

"I... told you that Auron likes my hair cut short..." I said in a soft voice. "He did that after the first explosion before he left the room..."

I started to tremble again and my hands clenched him reflex. Kain let out a faint grunt of and I forced myself to relax my grip lest I actually dig my claws into his sides. I leaned forward again and he let me tuck myself in under his chin.

"So damned angry when he found your Mark..." I muttered.

I couldn't help the sudden near hysterical laugh that escaped me as I nuzzled my nose against Kain's chest. Sweet scent. Good scent. It meant I was Home. I tried to calm myself even as I tried to speak through the strained laughter.

"He thought... he thought that Janos or Vorador might have been the one's to Mark me... he did not even think to ask about you. Didn't tell him Anything," I said fiercely as I finally managed to swallow back the laughter. I closed my eyes tight. "So damned mad... first 'virgin half-blood' that he had caught in... five hundred years he said? Why? How? How can electrical magics do anything but cause pain...? Had to fight my own body... zapping pain... then it didn't hurt... and... shit... shit... SHIT!"

I knew that I was not making a lick of sense and the anger started to flare once more as my thoughts started to run 'round and 'round in circles. My hands clenched again and Kain let out another grunt. He yanked me forward suddenly, out of Janos' arms, though my chosen Sire's taloned hands remained a soothing weight against my back. Kain's mouth closed on the skin over the Mark again and his fangs lightly brushed the skin of my throat. That pulse of 'Home' and 'Safe' and 'Mate' filled my mind once more.

I gasped for breath for several long minutes before I finally relaxed in his grasp. I only realized that my claws had started to dig into his flesh when I caught the power-rich scent of his blood. I pulled them out with an apologetic hiss even as he pulled his head back from my neck. I took a half step back and wood crunched under my foot. I looked down and let out a soft sound of distress at the sight beneath me.

"Sorry... I..." I started, only to fall silent.

I blinked at the ground around us which was covered in the broken wood of the table and I blinked again at the sheer mess I had made in my rage. Papers and maps and splinters were strewn about. Blood and glass from the vial seemed to coat everything in sight.

"Oh... the table... I..." I frowned and fell silent again as I looked over the havoc underfoot.

"Do not apologize Sister," Vorador said as he gave my shoulder another firm squeeze. "It was a flawed piece of work. I meant to replace the thing years ago and simply have not had the time to make a new one."

I blinked again, this time in confusion. I looked at him with a small frown, "I... thought you were a blacksmith...?"

"I have learned many a craft over the years," Vorador responded with a soft chuckle and he brushed my hair behind my ear lightly with the point of one talon. "Do not concern yourself over what can easily be replaced little Sister."

Alma let out another croon to my right and I glanced at her with a tired series of blinks. It took a few moments to really focus upon her what with how tired I suddenly felt. She lifted a few strands of my hair up and I frowned at her as she let the strands go. She had such a serious expression on her face when she met my eyes.

"I'll teach you some tricks to grow this nice and long my dear," she said firmly as she leaned forward to place a kiss on my forehead. "We are not going to let that bastard mark you in even the smallest of ways, now are we deary?"

I let out a pained chuckle and I rested my head back against Kain's chest, "Right..."

She nodded firmly as she patted my arm and turned to leave the room. Nikolai still stood hesitantly at the doorway of the room, a pained expression on his face. As a human, he would have had to stay back to avoid getting hurt if I had started to lash out violently, but he had still tried to stay nearby out of concern for my well being. I flashed him a grateful look for his willingness to stay. He almost started forward a step, yet Alma gently grabbed his arm and guided him from the room.

"Come along, Nikolai deary," she said as she tugged him along.

He hesitated a moment longer but followed after her without a word and only a single nod of his head in my direction. His eyes showed plain the concern he felt and I knew he would try to check in on me later. Not that I would mind, my human friend had often helped to cheer me up when I was in my darker moods. Later though... right now I just... I shook my head and just focused on my breathing.

"I will get the city organized," Vorador said as he turned to leave the room as well. "The fires will need to be put out swiftly lest they spread."

"The Keep is partly in ruins after that last explosion," Kain said with a satisfied growl. "See to it that plans are put into place to have it torn down in its' entirety. I would have it rebuilt from the ground up."

Vorador chuckled, "That will be years of work, but at least one thing we have is time."

"Indeed. See to it that it is done Vorador," Kain said imperiously.

Vorador let out a snort as he turned away, "Why do I help you again youngling?"

"Because Nosgoth is mine, as you well know," Kain snarled out.

Vorador let out a thoughtful hum of breath as he left the room. Janos was still as my back and he let loose another gentle pulse of fatherly energy. I let out a soft keen and I tried to tuck myself a little closer to Kain even as Janos' taloned hands rubbed soothingly over my back. I did not hear either of the two males say anything, but I felt Kain's head jerk up and heard it clearly when he let out a faint snarl of breath.

I realized distractedly that they were having a conversation over the Whisper and I let out a soft sigh. The next thing I knew, Kain had picked me up in his arms bridal-style and he hissed at the older vampire. I let out a faint meep of noise as the swift change in my position briefly left me dizzied. Their Aura's flared briefly and they all but glared at each other.

"Please don't fight..." I said to them in a soft and dull tone.

They relaxed only a touch at the sound of my voice and Janos let out a soft huff of breath. He flared his wings for a brief moment in a near threat before he looked down at me.

"You need your rest," he said firmly.

"And I did not disagree with that," Kain growled out in a stiff tone.

"You would take her right back to your bed!" Janos snarled in outrage.

"If you think that I would do anything with her in such a state, then you are Thrice the fool that I thought you to be!" Kain snapped out. "Until she has recovered the only thing that she will be doing in my bed is sleeping. Nor is she to be left alone."

I bristled at the last sentence and hissed up at Kain, "I am not made of glass!"

"No, you are not," Kain responded in a tone that was both agreeing and stern. "But you do need time. Now hush and let me tend to you."

I relaxed into his grip a bit at a time before I finally let out a soft sigh of capitulation. I nodded my head and tucked my head back under his chin.

"Alright... alright," I murmured against his neck.

Janos let out a heavy sigh and ran his talons through his short, feather-like hair. He pinned a mild, yet almost glaring, look on Kain. I felt Kain bristle before he let out a small, warning growl at the Eldar. He then turned on his heel and carried me out of the room.

Kain took me back to his room and laid me, almost tenderly, upon my side so that my wings could easily be spread out behind me. He then sat upon the edge of the bed beside me. He began to gently comb his claws through my wing feathers and started to smooth them out of their ruffled and twisted state. I twitched under the touch but otherwise did not try to push him away. He let out a thoughtful hum of noise several minutes later after he had finished straightening a large portion of feathers on my left wing.

"I find myself surprised that your wings remained unharmed," he said slowly with a lilt of curiosity laced in his tone.

"He was more focused on punishing me for being a 'whore'," I said to him in a soft and almost meek voice.

Kain let out an abrupt snarl at my words and flared his Aura in an overwhelming wave that startled me. I tried to jerk away from him and he grabbed my shoulder firmly in one hand and my neck in the other. He leaned forward and gave my ear a harsh, painful nip. I went still with a sudden flash of fear at his unexpected anger and I couldn't help the confused keen of noise that escaped me. He gave my shoulder a firm shake even as he pulled his fangs from my ear and leaned back. His blue-gold eyes glared heatedly into my own confused green-eyed gaze.

"I will not hear you utter that word in reference to yourself ever again Katrina," he snarled in a low and fierce tone. "You are not now, nor have you ever, been a whore. I would not have Marked you as mine if you were. Rid such folly from your thoughts and do so now. Do you understand me?"

"Y-yes Kain," I whispered, my eyes were wide in startled fear and my instincts quailed under the weight of his power.

His hand tightened minutely around my neck and I tilted my head back further out of instinct. He let go of my neck with a low rumble of noise. He eased back and trailed his claws over the skin at the hollow of my neck. He stood and set aside the Soul Reaver and then stripped out of his armor before he climbed into the bed behind me. He tugged me close into his arms, my wings pinned firmly between us and he buried his nose into my hair at the base of my neck as he took in my scent with a deep inhale. His Aura eased up and shifted to a more comforting pressure as I started to shudder and cry quietly against the pillow that my head lay upon.

I'd been lucky enough to escape on my own, to get back home to Sanctuary. I had been partially worried about Kain's reaction, waiting for some sense of disgust from him. Even in my 'enlightened' home world, some people still reacted poorly to their partner being... raped. Saw them as being 'sullied' and no longer worthy of their time. But... here he was, willing to touch me, hold me, still accept me at his side. Even the unexpected correction had been a better reaction then what I had feared given my lack of knowledge regarding vampire culture.

I was still wanted and, from his so strong reaction, I would not be tossed aside. That thought more then anything else caused all of the residual anger to drift away... for a little while at least.

Chapter done! hope you all enjoyed!
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