death incarnate & night triumphant

There were no words to explain that death calm that had so settled over the man. Andras far too intent on finding his mate and her attackers, he hardly notices Troy speaking to him, nor the fact that he followed him even though he asked him to help him. Even when he drops several feet in the sky as Lani's mind touches his, does he not notice the way Troy grabs at him, to keep him aloft, though the fellow faerie has much transaction as that shirt of his was long gone, torn to shreds by his wings and drifting in the wind. It's only when Lani's attacker's minds fill his head that he takes off over the open fields, it would truly be a gorgeous view considering. His powerful bat-like appendages flap in booming arcs, carrying him swiftly through the sky as he leaves his court member behind, though, he's vaguely aware of Troy hot on his heels.

Tilting into a dive, he rockets to the ground, tucking his wings in close, only open them right before he reaches the ground, the appendages barely catching him before he slams into the ground, hard enough to leave deep indentions. Straightening, he flares his nostrils. That was Lani's scent. Her fear coating the inside of his mouth leaves nothing but rage in its wake. Though it's stale he can hear her mind, bleating in panic. He was going to burn this farm to the ground. Barely turning towards Troy, his words help ground him, dark hazel eyes glancing at his brother in arms, Andras tilting his head in acknowledgement. "I'm going to kill them all," he states bluntly, his voice dripping with violence. The man was hardly one for violence, only resorting to it when necessary and yet, he was going to kill every last one of them that laid their filthy hands on his mate.

Andras has waited long enough. Moving forward, he quickly heads for that door, blowing it off its hinges as he pauses in the doorway, knowing full well that Troy was behind him. Pausing, he scents the house, the quietness, and that's when Lani's pain spikes in his mind so clearly he can practically feel the knife being dragged across his skin. Tensing, he notices that he couldn't scent Lani anywhere in this house. Panic grips him as another wave a fear hits his mind, followed by those cruel, wicked thoughts of others. Was he wrong? Did he have the wrong place? He was certain she was here! She was so close very close, and yet, she wasn't here. Unless.... she was below ground. It dawned on him so suddenly that he stumbles out of the door he broke, nearly barreling Troy right over as he pauses in the middle of the driveway, scanning for other buildings. And there it was. A cellar.

Breaking into a run, he can feel fear gripping his heart as he wrenches open the steel door and he hurdles down the stairs three steps at a time, the scent of fear and unknown faeries clogging his mind. And that was Lani's scent, overpowering everything else as he hits flat ground and pushes him as fast as he can. Andras knew he was getting closer and yet... Lani's mind was fading quickly. As he reaches that chamber at the end of the hallway, he slides to a halt, taking in as many details as possible in the span of a millisecond. Oh... god. There was so much blood. A wordless cry escapes Andras as he barrels towards Lani, blood seeping from her multiple wounds, those beautiful blonde locks matted in red. He hardly notices her two attackers as they merely stand there, looking rather smug at the scene of Andras ripping away the restraints and cradling Lani in his arms. Her blood soaking his bare chest and pants, he curls her into him, her weak fluttering heart beating faintly in his ears. "Lani... no. Come back," he cries, those tears streaking down his face as he buries his nose into her hair.

"Lani, Lani, Lani," he mumbles, those tears free flowing, hardly caring if anyone saw him in such a state. It's only when her heart stops completely that Andras stills, those tears freezing on his cheeks. He pauses, before gently laying her on the ground, pushing her hair from her face before he leans down and presses a kiss to her forehead, as if he were merely putting her to bed. The world stopped. There was nothing for him here anywhere except for death and despair. Pushing himself to a standing position, he pivots, nothing but death in his eyes as they finally make their way across the chamber, falling on a set of two faeries. "Hello, Andras. I guess you were too late," the blonde one states, a smile stretching across his lips. The High Lord doesn't answer for a moment as he throws himself into that well of power he so keeps at bay, drawing every ounce of that darkness up into shadows are quite literally radiating from his form. That monster that Lani didn't think he was, was coming out to play. "You're dead," He says, and there's something in his voice that causes those two faeries to physically flinch, taking a step back.

"Now, hold on a minute-," he hardly gets to finish as Andras turns his head, glancing at Troy, "They're mine." Those two words are said quietly before darkness explodes around them, his shadows hurtling towards the two faeries, his thoughts only of Lani. The two men scream in terror as they attempt to bolt away and yet, they're unable to move, that darkness becoming a living, solid thing as it curls around their bodies crushing them. Painful cries echo in the chamber, "She made us do it! I swear! We didn't have a choice!" their screeching pierced his ears and yet, there was hardly any feeling left in him. Allowing a piece of that darkness take shape into a blade, dead eyes meet the frightened, wide pair, "I don't care," he says dully before plunging that blade into the blonde-haired man's chest only to be ripped out and decapitating the other man.

He stares at the rolling head for a moment, the Fae unfeeling as that darkness begins to dissipate entirely, exhaustion coating his limbs. Falling back to the ground, he gathers Lani's lifeless body on his arms again, her frame rapidly cooling as the life continues to seep out of her. Holding her to his chest, he glances up at Troy, the Fae entirely lost. "I'm going to complete her transformation," he croaks out knowing it was taboo. For gods sake, he had told Troy that changing of faeries was strictly forbidden within his court but... he couldn't live without her. The world looked far too bleak and colorless without Lani in it. "Troy... I know what I said but I can't live without her. She's... she's my mate," he whispers, glancing down at her and pressing his lips against her forehead once more. It was the first time he had uttered those words allowed, the man barely managing to tell himself that she was. Yet, he could feel that bond between them.

Andras Steinhello darling