[Flame]

Golden eyes were unblinking as Juliette kept her gaze fixed steadily on Sadriel, the only part of her battered and broken body which seemed to retain its original strength. The look on her face was brooding, thoughtful as he spoke, drinking in every word he spoke with a quietly avid air. To have thought that this was the same man who had almost taken her life so many decades ago, who was now pleading for her to stay, and was willing to risk his own life for it. Juliette was baffled and mystified by the motives and reasoning behind his actions, but at the same time, there was something primal and almost instinctive within her that stirred at his words, although she could not have articulated it if her life depended upon it.

If anything, the older vampire’s words certainly changed the entire dynamics of the situation and elicited a flicker of surprise that lit Juliette’s eyes for a moment, halting her current train of thoughts abruptly in its tracks. Yes, she’d suspected that Sadriel had some sort of interest vested in her, and for that reason, wanted to keep her alive for his own purposes, but never could she have guessed that he was so deeply concerned for her personally, and that he saw her as being irreplaceable. There was a moment’s pause after he broke off from speaking as Juliette studied his face, her expression one of quiet contemplation.

Finally, she spoke again, her voice softer and considerably different in tone, one that seemed gentler and faintly amused. “Since when was I ever able to say no to you?” A small smile adorned her lips as she glanced up at Sadriel. How was it that every single time he asked something of her, she would always give it up to him in the end? First her life, then her freedom, and now, even her death. Whatever it was, he seemed to hold some sort of subconscious sway over her decisions, and whether she liked it or not, she found herself complying each and every time. This time though, she had no qualms about what she was being asked to do, short of the possibility of harming him. Tilting her chin up a little, she let the proximity of his blood flood her senses, its scent warm and tantalizing as she drank it in. “For you, then.” Her voice was a murmur as her fangs grazed gently against his neck, delicately enough not to break the skin. There was a second’s hesitation, then she sank her fangs into the soft, yielding flesh, the sweet, life-sustaining liquid welling up readily at her beck and call. For once, she controlled herself with a vice-like grip, drinking only as much as was necessary for her to hold back the thirst until she could find an opportunity to feed again. Color rapidly returned to her pale face and there was a little more strength in her movements as she deftly sealed the small wound, letting her head rest against his shoulder once more with a soft sigh.

[ToxicShadow]

The wait for a response seemed so long and drawn out to Sadriel that it was almost painful. She remained quiet as he spoke and, through that, he had already grown the fear that she may be too weak to survive even if they took measurements to prevent her death. What her eyes reflected managed to change, which brought some hope. Though this amused him, he was easily growing anxious for the answer which couldn't come soon enough. His eyes search hers and her face almost desperately, trying to find any hint on what she may have been thinking now that he had, partially, poured his heart out.

With her words, a beaming, fanged smile grew onto the elder vampire's face. Of course she would agree to it with such words. It was so very Juliette of her. He closed his eyes when she spoke once again, her voice a murmur, able to feel her breath on his neck. Somehow, it managed to be warmer than his cool flesh. He was calm, perfectly so, up until she bit, which inadvertently caused him to moan very softly. For Sadriel, one to never allow another vampire to bite him, let alone drink of his blood, this experience was very unusual. He would have expected to feel some amount of pain, but he really didn't. If he did, the strange sensation he felt managed to override it. In a way, he felt a warmness creep over him. He could smell the scent of his own blood that now had a passageway to leave his body. He could feel as the small amount of blood in his veins began pulling in a single direction, began retreating to the bite wound and into Juliette's weakened body. Eventually, however, his body began to grow even colder than it may have ever been. He was becoming weakened by his own loss of blood. It was almost instantly after that the female miraculously stopped herself from consuming any more of his blood and, finally, he reopened his eyes.

He stared down at her from the corners of his eyes. He didn't speak for a time and, when he did, it was the inevitable question, "How are you feeling?"

[Flame]

Juliette closed her eyes softly as she let her head rest against Sadriel’s shoulder, breathing in his warm, soothing scent and listening to the gentle rhythm of his heart as it beat steadily in his chest. She could feel the strength gradually seeping into her extremities once again, warming her cold limbs as fresh blood slowly worked its way through her system. The fuzzy fatigue and faintness had begun to dissipate from her mind, like clearing away the cobwebs which had clouded her thoughts, finally returning to her some of the clarity which she had been without for the past week or so of torture. With it came the warm sense of security, of finally being in safe hands once again after having suffered through ordeal with the slayer. That, in and of itself, seemed odd, considering the fact that just a few months ago, Sadriel would have been the very last person in the world who she would have trusted with her life. Now though, she found herself caught in his protective embrace, but she was surprised to find that she could think of no other place in the world she’d rather be than here, in the arms of the man who she had once intended to kill, but had in turn saved her life.

At the sound of his voice, golden eyes, now a little less drained than they had seemed before, flickered open to meet his, her head tilting slightly so that her gaze could catch his. It seemed that her regained strength had come at a price, more specifically at cost to him. Juliette could sense that taking blood from him had weakened him, and although the effects were not too significant given the fact that he was older and more powerful than most of their kind, a twinge of remorse flashed through her face at the revelation. “How are you feeling?” The question finally registered in her mind, and there was a brief pause as she seemed to mentally assess her own condition. “Well, a lot more ‘undead’ now than ‘dead’, thanks to you,” she said with a light chuckle, her voice still somewhat hoarse. “I’ve certainly had better days before, but regardless, I think that my due-date has been postponed indefinitely once again.”

As her eyes held his, her expression remained somewhat guarded, if thoughtful, as she seemed to read him from the inside out with her gaze alone. “I’m…sorry for having to steal of your blood…and for placing your life in danger as well, at the hands of the hunter.” Her words were slightly halting, as if she was trying to figure out what to say as she went along. She had never felt the need to apologize to anyone before, but for the first time in her life, she felt truly indebted to someone, who happened to be Sadriel. “You didn’t have to come after me, you know,” she added after a slight pause, her expression pensive. “It would have been easier to simply create a new – and likely less willful – apprentice for yourself. But…thank you for saving my life.”