winter | Public announcement

My Herbert could relate ;) But yeah, good narrative idea - slow, painful, situation bound to degenerate and/or negatively impact life quality forever afterwards without magical help even with state of the art medical technology...

Aren't belly wounds the most useful things ever? ;) VK's trying to stop himself freaking out by the amount of internal bleeding at the moment. Basically, a smaller piece of wood would have meant they could have got her to a hospital and had her patched, but this chunk was big and it went in deep and tore was more than it otherwise would have.

Yay for internal organ damage, then :>

(And oy, isn't it a pain in the, well, gut, to get someone to die a slow fight-induced death in this day and age? Damn these antibiotics...)

It's why he does what he swore he would never do and breaks into her head. He needed something big to happen and now, since he can't heal her, he needs to trigger her so she can do it herself. Spike is freaking out totally.

“We came under attack.” Striding in from the daylight, Illyria’s blue flesh was flecked with blood and gore. In her arms, however, Dawn was unconscious. “She has been impaled upon a spar.”

The demon allowed von Krolock to gently gather the bleeding girl into his embrace like a child. Not daring to trust his own control or her physical well-being, he strode towards the drawing room, to the couch, where he laid the girl.

Despite himself, his hunger was rising, making his hands tremble as he pulled open the front of her shirt. Long splinters of pale wood were visible amid the gore staining her skin and he felt himself growl, his body tense.

They had tried to stake her! By sheer good fortune, they had missed her heart, no doubt when she had fought them off, but the ragged shaft of wood - nearly two inches in diameter - had cut low, into her flat stomach.

Rage suffused him, so black and furious that he had to turn away from her, to try and regain his control. What manner of idiots were these vampire killers? Had they not seen her in daylight? Had they not seen the colour in her cheeks? The life in her eyes?

“Tell me you have them alive,” he whispered, his eyes closed.

“I bound them and left them unconscious,” Illyria replied calmly. “The vengeance was not mine to give. One died for laying his soiled hands upon me. The rest await your justice.”

Von Krolock nodded slowly, turning back to his lover and laid one hand lightly over her wounded stomach. Closing his eyes, he forced himself to focus. Even without looking inward, he could sense the wrongness, could feel the swell of misplaced blood around the thick piece of wood.

“What the hell...”

“Father?”

Raising his other hand for silence, he could feel William and Herbert approach the couch, could feel their shock and rage, utterly entwined, his senses so sharp, so keen, he could see every minute tear within his lover, every escaping blood cell, every ripple of pain.

Pulling back with a gasp, he stared down at her face, the skin paler, hues of grey only serving to indicate how severe the internal bleeding must be. “I can do nothing to heal her,” he said softly.

“But you...”

“The dead cannot heal the living, William,” Herbert sounded dazed.

“We need to get her to a hospital, then,” William’s voice was quaking. “If we get one of Herbie’s motors...”

Von Krolock shook his head slowly. “There’s no time,” he said, his palm trembling over the wound. He laid his other hand against her forehead, brushing strands of hair back from her cheeks.

For a moment, the only sound was the fading heartbeat.

“Turn her.”

Von Krolock looked up at the youngest vampire, unable to hide his shock. “William, I cannot.”

“I’ll do it, then,” William had tears pouring down his face. “Niblet can’t go out this way. She can’t.”

“Nor can she be turned,” von Krolock said. “She ensured that.”

Oh, so angstily pretty. And all happening so fast, they've no time to angst and brood properly before it's too late...

*commences nailchewing as she waits for the next bit*

*bounces* I LOVE THIS SCENE!!!

!!!!!

Sorry. Distracted by tea and biscuits...

*returns to fic*

You are a cruel, cruel thing.

I'm nice! And fluffy! And kind to small and furry creatures ;)

*meows plaintively* MOOOOOORE!

“Nor can she be turned,” von Krolock said. “She ensured that.”
Blue eyes stared down at him in despair. “That’s not right... she... she can’t have...”

“She did,” Herbert added his voice. “She’s marked, protected.”
Swearing viciously, Spike upended one of the elegant candelabra, kicking it across the floor. “So we just sit and wait for her to snuff it?” His voice was raw, rising and shrill. “You’re the most powerful bastard this side of Europe! Do something!”

“William, father said he cannot...”

“Then make her do it!” William exclaimed. “She’s the Key, isn’t she? Can’t be all magic and not be able to do a sodding thing with it!”

“But that would be...”

“Possible.” Von Krolock looked from the younger vampire to his lover.

Surely, she would understand. If saving her life meant he had to open her senses to the powers she had locked within her, surely, she could and would understand why he did it. Perhaps it was his selfishness, perhaps, his love for her, perhaps a combination of both, but she would understand.

“Do it.”

Even if William had not said it almost in the same instant as Herbert, Johannes knew he would have made that choice himself. The thought of sitting aside and watching this beloved mortal die would have pained him more than a blade to the heart.

“William, Illyria will bring the captives to the castle.” he said it in as business-like a tone as he could manage as he rose and removed his cloak. He pushed his hair back over his shoulders. “Ensure they are kept alive until I say otherwise.”

*wibbles* OMG so prettily angsty...

(Two notes: when did Illyria leave? Also, "professional" might work better than "business-like" in VK's POV, but that's just a thought.)

Illyria never left ;) And was kinda stuck with that word, so yay! *claims professional*

Ah, so that's him ordering her out, then :)

I could see Herbert touching his father at this point, just a hand on the shoulder to show wordless support, before he realises what a threat such a mental intervention poses...

*shooes you from the mental space*

*digs in with her claws* Nuh-uh. Not budging until fed with snippets :D

“They the ones that did this?” The growl in William’s voice drew a warning look from the Graf and the younger vampire nodded tersely. “Gotcha. Keep ‘em locked up and alive. C’mon, Blue. You go and haul ‘em in and we’ll have some fun.”

“They are to live upon the Sorcerer’s whim.”

Though his back was to them as he walked towards the door, the malicious, vengeful smile was audible in William’s voice. “Doesn’t mean we can’t torture ‘em, does it?”

“Do you truly believe you can do this, father?” Herbert was suddenly behind him, using the strip of ribbon from his own golden hair to draw his father’s back and secure it from his face.

“I intend to do what I can,” von Krolock replied quietly, grateful that his son could not see his face. From what Dawn had told him of her origins, from what he knew, he did not doubt that he would be touching the heart of a storm if he managed to breach the magical boundaries around her.

Herbert clutched his shoulders and he could feel his son’s concern. “If there is a risk to you...”

“I intend to do what I can,” he repeated, turning and taking his son by the shoulders, dark eyes holding grey. “It will be difficult and dangerous, I know, but I cannot sit by and watch her die.”

“I understand, father, but this...” Herbert looked down at the girl. “If she’s has as much power as William says... father, if there’s a risk to you, please... don’t do this. I love the girl too, but don’t.”

Von Krolock squeezed his shoulders. “I want you to take care of William.”

“Father, don’t...” Herbert reached up and clutched his father’s hand.

“Herbert,” Lifting his other hand to touch his son’s cheek, he gazed at the creature he loved more than anyone or anything. Leaning forward, he kissed his son’s brow. “I have loved you since your first heartbeat, Herbert, but I must do this.”

Grey eyes were swimming with tears and Herbert slowly nodded. “I will see you later, father,” he said, then turned and walked quickly from the room. Understanding vied with acceptance and von Krolock knew his son longed to tear him from Dawn’s side, to ensure his safety.

As the doors closed behind the younger vampire, von Krolock drew a breath. “I am sorry, Herbert,” he whispered to the empty room.

Awwwww. *melts, utterly* :D

(Not too sure about the tears, though. Might be more like Herbert to bite his lip and remain dry-eyed and calm until he goes to pieces afterwards, biting included, but that's just the image I had in my head for, well, most of the last 24 hours...)

Good point. I think Spike's influence ;)

Little differences like that help telling your pretty blond boyvamps apart ;)

You would not believe how much he is raging in my head. He's tearing the mental green-room apart, even though dad's in there with him.

*GRINS!*

Did I mention I love this series?

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