Sable

"I am not sharing a bed with you," Sable glowered at Conor.

"Well, I'm not sleeping on the floor," Conor shrugged and plopped himself down on the bed. Sable's glare intensified.

"Well, I'm not either," she said. She climbed onto the bed and pushed at his back, trying to shove him off of the bed. "So you have to. Get off."

"Not happening," Conor said. He turned and enveloped her in his arms. Sable struggled to get away from him.

"Let go of me," she growled. "And get off the bed." She fought more against him, and he tightened his grip. "Stop. Conor!"

He released her and laughed. "Okay. But I'm not getting off the bed. I don't trust this place, so we're sleeping together tonight." Sable glowered at him again. "Oh, be mad as you like. You want to get home safely, yes?"

"I do," Sable sighed. She rolled over onto her other side, her back facing him. She curled up the fingers of one hand under the pillow beneath her head, moving as close tot he edge of the bed as possible. "I just... don't know you very well, or like you that way."

"You don't need to," Conor said. He moved all the way right up to her back. It took all of her will not to bite him when he wrapped his arm around her. "It's protection. If they try to pry you from me, I will awaken and then kill them."

"Okay, that's not helping at all," Sable said. "Just don't speak anymore. It does you no good when you open your mouth."

"Now, that is just rude," Conor chuckled.

"That's rude for saying it was rude. Can you please back up a bit?" Sable asked. "You're making me really uncomfortable."

"We slept like this the other night," Conor pointed out. "How is this anymore uncomfortable than that?"

"I thought you were gay," Sable said.

"Oh, come on," Conor laughed. "You weren't fooled by that. You even asked me later if I really was gay. So, what's the problem this time?"

"I don't know," Sable muttered. "It's just uncomfortable sleeping with some random guy, on an actual bed."

"It's just sleep," Conor sighed. Sable rolled her eyes. "And you should do that now. Close your eyes and stop thinking about everything. Pretend that I'm whatever guy you have interest in."

"Fine," Sable muttered. There was no one she was interested in, but she could just pretend that he wasn't there at all. His arm heavy over her was hard to ignore.

Sleep did not come easily, and it wasn't a very restful sleep. Sable tossed and turned and at one point she remembered kicking Conor off the bed. Apologize were mumbled as he climbed back in and held her again.

Shadows that hadn't been there before danced over the room. Sable, though half asleep, did not like how they felt. She rubbed her eye and sat up, staring into the darkened corner of the room where the moonlight didn't touch. It might have been her imagination, but she thought she saw glowing red eyes over there.

"Is someone there?" she called out. Conor stirred, but didn't wake. Sable considered waking him, then asked more quietly, "Hello?"

The shape and eyes moved. Before she could scream a hand came over her mouth. Arms came around her and hauled her up and out of the bed. She screamed against the hand over her mouth, and the muffled sound startled Conor out of his sleep. He shot up immediately.

"Sable!" he cried.

He moved to grab her, to pull her away from the arms, but a large pair of arms came around him too. Sable let out another muffled scream. Conor clawed at the arms, his eyes glowing bright as his fangs grew.

The monster threw him against the wall, and Conor cried out in pain. It came at him again as he was starting to stand back up.

Sable pulled the hand away from her mouth and screamed, "Conor!"

The monster gripped Conor's head and smashed it against the wall. Conor crumpled to the floor there. Sable wasn't sure whether he was dead or just unconscious- she had no clue what injuries vampires could withstand. She let out another scream.

She watched them lift Conor off the floor. She reached out toward him, tears running down her face. A purple, shimmering cuff was placed over Sable's wrist. Her eyes widened as she stared at it. What was that for? The creatures surrounding them all laughed, throwing their head back and revealing sharp, pointed teeth.

Energy buzzed at the fingertips of the hand of the wrist that the cuff was on. Sable remembered her powers, and stretched her hand out again.

Nothing came out. Her hand glowed, and then sparks fizzed around it as the glow faded. Sable shook her head and tried again, but only succeeded in reaching the same result and making herself dizzy.

The couple from the day before entered the room, holding torches in their hands. The male- horns on top of his head that Sable had never noticed before- stepped over and tapped at the cuff on her wrist. He clucked his tongue at her.

"You can't use your powers now," he told her. "Not with this thing on. Would hate for you to burn yourself out before Finnian can absorb you."

"Who are you people?" Sable asked quietly. The man stepped back, laughing hard. The creatures around them laughed with him.

"People?" the horned man asked. "Why, dear goddess, we are not people. We are monsters; we are demons."

He stepped further away from her and spread his arms out before him. Sable watched him with wide eyes.

"My fellow monsters," the man spoke again. "It brings me great pleasure to announce that we shall be returning to lord Finnian's castle shortly. Our lord Finnian will be pleased to find that we have captured the gem of a goddess. He will want to make sure that her powers are ripe, and then begin the ritual.

"You will not escape us this time, Inara," the demon pointed at her when he spoke.

"My name is Sable," she corrected him bitterly.

"Yes, well, no one cares about which identity you're choosing to go by now," the man laughed. "Take them away."

The group moved, carrying both Conor and Sable out of the room and down the stairs. Sable screamed at the top of her lungs. No one came to their aid as they were carried out of the inn.

"Help us," she screamed more. "Help us! Somebody. Please!"

Though she screamed, the villagers that she could see remained in the shadows, watching. More tears flowed down her cheeks. She looked over at the beast that was carrying Conor. He had been right not to trust the village. They were all in on this plot.

What were they going to do? She couldn't even feel Akeem with the cuff on her wrist. All hope was lost.

Sable fell silent. She stared blankly ahead as the tears continued, and the creatures carried them along. Deep was her regret that she had ever even thought of leaving Lucca and the safety of his castle.

She wished for him then, hoping that he would somehow sense her distress. He had to have noticed her disappearing by then; had to have sent guards out to search for them. What would he have done to Conor, knowing that he had aided in her escape?

Sable felt weak. Her consciousness slipped from her.