Blood and Lust: Love

Limbs snap and skulls crumble under her magic, Elske is completely lost to the blood.

It sings to her, a sticky sweet song promising salvation from pain, a siren's wail that is irresistible to the blood mage.

Wrapped in a hazy fog of dark energy and dancing in puddles of crimson liquid Elske moves gracefully through battle, receiving almost no wounds as her enemies don't get a chance to strike…

She watches in delight as a bandit begins to shake and spasm, Elske's hand slowly forming into a fist as his rib cage shatters and his blood boils, bright red foam bubbles from his lips and she makes sure he dies screaming in agony.

Anders can't stop watching her. So savage, primal, animalistic and totally abhorrent…his lover is death personified, a demon in human form, but beautiful…horrifyingly beautiful and he can't look away.

The last foe lies dead, his corpse twisted and mangled beyond recognition…Merrill leaves the group and Anders soon hears the sound of her stomach emptying its contents.

"That was uncalled for Bones." Varric growls, leaving to help the Dalish elf as Elske wrings out the sleeves of her black robes, the fabric soaked in her own blood.

"If she wants to continue practicing the art of blood, then she needs to see where that path ends."

Anders wants to argue, wants to defend poor Merrill, but he knows Elske is right…and if being sick makes her think twice then maybe it is called for.

"Here…" He sees Elske flinch as she rolls up her sleeves, revealing the deep gashes in her forearms, "Let me…" He waits for her eyes to fade back to steel grey, knowing his healing is useless until she releases control of her own power.

Elske can't help but shudder as his magic flows through her arms. Anders is her lover, and so when they exchange magic it affects her far differently than a stranger's, it is filled with pleasure, tingling warmth and ecstasy, and it makes her knees almost buckle as she fights to suppress a moan.

The smirk on his face tells her he knows what he does to her and she feels her upper lip curl into a sneer, "Finished?"

He leans close, "Never Maleficar" and devours her mouth, biting her lips until they begin to bleed.

She hisses at the pain, her hand fisting in his hair as she savagely rakes her nails across his scalp, "You will pay for that." She growls as he pulls away.

"Don't I always?" He purrs, the smirk never leaving his blood stained lips.

Damn him…damn what he does to her. No…no she has already established he doesn't do anything to her. Nothing at all!

She spins on her heel, "Varric, you have five minutes to clean her up then I'm leaving whether you are following or not."

Anders follows her as she moves to the mouth of the smuggler's cave, "That's a bit harsh don't you think?"

"I warned Merrill not to come, that this was a rush job and so I wasn't going to censor myself on her behalf. She insisted and is now paying the price for not listening to me." Elske's eyes narrow as she looks at him, "I am not going to coddle her. She should be grateful I bothered to warn her at all."

"You're a real bitch you know that?" He growls.

"I am aware, you're a pathetic excuse for a mage, did you know that? Rebel leader…bah, your whole resistance is doomed."

That smirk, how he hates it…he feels his anger build, though he can't deny he still wants to shove her up against the cave wall and continue where they left off earlier.

He moves to make a sarcastic remark when he hears a noise off to the right; too quickly he realizes what it is…

"Elske quick, BEHIND YOU!" He leaps for her, throwing her back as the throwing knife embeds itself deep into his chest.

Elske watches him fall, sees the light leave his eyes as his body fails…she's frozen in place, her eyes refusing to leave Anders.

A howl of rage pierces the air as their attacker reveals himself, or themselves…the rest of the bandit camp, looking for revenge.

Elske reacts in an instant, mouth opening in a deafening shriek of fury.

Quickly she slices into her wounds again, undoing Anders' work as she draws on her energy…there is momentary weakness as her body loses precious life blood, but then she feels it…the oncoming euphoria that precedes bloodlust.

"Varric, Merrill! To me!" Her voice is warped and echoes like thunder in the cave opening, the bandits hesitating at the sound.

She grins at the leader, her eyes glowing with dark energy, "Take away my pets and I'll take away yours…" she purrs.

Elske lunges, her teeth ripping into his jugular as she tears at his flesh…drinking him in and moaning as she devours his soul. Blood is so much sweeter than wine…

"Holy shit…Blondie!" Varric shouts, rushing forward.

"Leave him; bring death to these mongrels first!" Elske screams, throwing a twisted spell at a group and listening to the soothing sounds of their screams. Entropy is a beautiful school of magic, and Elske is a master of its art.

The battle is over quickly, Elske beating the others to where Anders lies almost dead.

"Abomination," She hisses, "you idiot, I would have dodged!"

He gives a weak laugh as she falls to her knees beside him. How many times has she been in this position? Kneeling beside a loved one freshly slain? Too many times…

"I was just being a pathetic mage, I apologize…" He laughs a bit louder and then screams as his back arches in agony.

Elske watches his veins darken to black, his eyes clouding, appearing more like Wesley in the foulest stage of the darkspawn taint…

"Poison…"

Varric swears violently as he throws a bandit's dagger away.

"Ow…" Anders pants, his breathing becoming shallower by the minute.

"Varric, get his pack from further back in the cave, Merrill find water." Elske hisses, rolling up her sleeves, "NOW!!!" She howls, her eyes darkening.

Her two companions leave her, Elske leaning down to grasp Anders' head in her hands, "No."

He looks confused, "No what?"

"You are not dying."

He chuckles, then coughs, wincing at the pain, "Can't exactly control that can I?"

"No." He notices her voice crack; the hands cradling his face begin to tremble.

His eyes widen as he looks in her eyes, "Elske…"

"You will not die." She hisses.

He reaches up, cupping her face as his thumb brushes her lower lip, "I don't see a way out of this one Maleficar…" His voice becomes tender around the name.

"No!" She screams, "Heal yourself…NOW!" Her fist pounds against his chest, causing him to cough and gasp in pain.

He closes his eyes, his hand falling from her face as it flickers blue…the power pulses, then fades as quickly as it appeared…

"I can't…can't…" He wheezes, "Not enough…energy."

Elske slams her forehead against his, "Spirit…do something!"

"He can't Elske…I can't even feel him…it's like he's been muted…" A small smirk appears, "Why can't I mute him when I'm well?"

"Now is not the time for jokes!!!" Elske screams, Anders smiling softly up at her.

"Elske…" He whispers, cupping her face again.

"No!"

"I love you…"

"Shut up, you will not die!!!" She howls, "Varric, Merrill, WHERE ARE YOU?!!!"

She moves to scream for them again, but Anders yanks her face towards his, crushing his mouth to hers.

He throws everything into the kiss, his last one for her…trying to put all his love, his understanding into it. The only goodbye he can think to give.

Elske's lips don't respond at first, the blood mage too frozen to comprehend, all she knows is this is the softest kiss they've ever shared…there is no biting, no scratching, no underlying hostility, he is gentle against her, the abomination moaning softly as her mouth opens for him. His hand slides into her hair though he does not yank or tangle…he caresses her scalp as their tongues dance.

He falls away from her, Elske's face leaning after him, her lips wanting more…

Anders smiles up at her, a tender smile that she's never seen before…and then he slips away, falling unconscious in her arms.

"No…NO!!"

. . .

They place him on her bed, Fenris being surprisingly gentle as he removes the other man's coat and boots.

He turns to her, a silent question in his eyes.

"No…that will be all, you can leave now."

Fenris nods, hesitating beside her for only a moment before he places a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank you…" Elske whispers as he squeezes her arm, Fenris then leaving and closing the door behind him.

"Merrill…" She calls, the young elf appearing at her side.

"Y-yes Hawke?"

"Get a knife; I require more blood than my own for this."

"What do you mean?"

"He is not dead, there is still a chance."

"Surely you're not thinking…"

"Give me blood Merrill."

Merrill seems uneasy as she moves away, "Hawke I'm not comfortable with thi-"

Elske's hand snaps out, gripping the girl's throat, "I do not care about your feelings!" She snarls, "You say you can handle blood magic, and talk of it being no different…so you will use it!" She leans close, until her nose touches Merrill's, she can see tears fall down the girl's face, "Give me blood…now."

Elske has lost many…she refuses to lose more.

. . .

Hours go by…lyrium and blood is mixed over and over.

Merrill is a pale and sickly figure, passed out across a chair. She has spent all she can without dying, and is thanking all the creators that Elske did not ask for the ultimate sacrifice…she wouldn't have been able to fight back.

Elske is bent over the mage, her magic glows a vicious red as she works, Anders' body jerking every so often as she pulses a particularly vile spell through him. Justice has made brief appearances…both women knowing he is there whenever Anders' eyes flash blue.

Elske moves towards the jagged gash in the mage's chest, the place where they removed the dagger…the heart of where the poison lies.

Anders' hand lashes out, gripping her wrist until she almost yelps, "What foul magic is this? What are you doing to him?!" Justice roars.

"Trying to save you." Elske hisses, "Now let me go." She is too weak to yell.
"We do not want to be saved by tainted magic."

"Well I'm not giving you a choice!" Elske snarls, breaking his hold as she presses down on the wound, it succeeds in throwing the spirit back into the deepest recesses of the mage's mind…Anders' body not strong enough to handle that kind of pain.

Anders cries out in agony, Elske uncaring as she resumes her healing…

"I told you you wouldn't die." She hisses as she draws on her last reserves.

. . .

It is done.

Elske collapses, her frail body completely drained.

Merrill left long ago, barely able to lift herself from her chair, but desperate enough to get away from Elske. The blood mage knows she will have to answer to Isabela for what was done, but Anders is alive and that is all Elske cares about.

Her eyes narrow as she glares at the dark red carpet her face is pressed against. Love…she thought she was done with it, but once more it has latched on…she wonders after this how long it will be before she loses Anders. The inevitable separation that seems to curse her existence….she saved him this time, but she will not always be there.

She feels her bones shake, a whimpered cry escaping her lips as she bites into the carpet to stifle her cries of agony…of fear.

She has not loved for many years…she's forgotten how painful it is. How miserable a being can be without its other half.

She lays there for hours, drifting off into a restless sleep…waking every so often and beginning to cry anew, her mind a haze of panic. She loves him…she really loves him, and she's going to lose him, bad things always happen to the ones she dares to love.
For once her tears are clear as diamonds…not blood as her body is dangerously low, and she hears the sound of someone moving on the bed.

"El…Elske?" Anders calls out hoarsely, "Am I…dead? Elske?!"

She does not respond, her body too weak, all she does is weep more tears and tremble at the sound of his voice.

"Elske where are you?" She hears him sit up, but is still too weak to voice her command for him to lie back down.

He stands, wobbling on his feet before crumpling to the floor.

He chuckles as he flips onto his back beside her, "Hey there sweet thing, come here often?" He purrs before laughing, Elske wonders if he's now truly gone mad or if she is dreaming.

His eyes become more alert as he sees her tears, "What are you doing down here?" He leans closer to her, "What the…by the Maker you're almost completely drained of blood!"

She begins to shake, feeling almost ill as her eyes clamp shut…soft mewls of distress ripping from her throat.

"Elske…" Anders calls softly, and she feels his fingers touch her chin.

"N-no…" she whimpers and she hears him slide closer, groaning at the pain.

"Elske?" He asks his hand gentle against her jaw.

To the Void with denying it any longer…

"Anders!" She howls, wrapping herself around him as she screams her sorrow. She loves him…Maker damn her but she loves him. She doesn't want to…she wants the hate back, wants to despise every fiber of his being…she'd give anything to feel that hatred again, but it's gone…faded…and there is no turning back now.

He stiffens as she plasters herself to him, her lips pressing to his neck before she bites down, hard, to stifle another scream. Anders barely feels it, far too shocked to notice the pain.

"What in the name of Andraste is going on Elske?" He whispers softly in her ear, his arms wrapping around her waist as he kisses her shoulder, "Ssshhh…it's alright, it's alright, Elske…Elske…" He alternates between whispering her name and murmuring that everything is alright as she whimpers against him.

Elske soon calms from her panicked wailing enough to cling to him even tighter than before, eyes sliding closed as she nuzzles his shoulder. Anders massages her back lightly, smiling softly as she looks up at him.

"What in the Maker's name was that?"

"Shut up you pathetic Abomination." She growls, burying her face in his neck, smelling him, listening to the gentle throb of his pulse, signs that he is alive, that she hasn't lost him yet.

Anders laughs, tilting her chin up so that she has to face him, "I think I'm owed somewhat of an explanation…Justice is absolutely pissed right now."

"Merrill helped me, we managed to bring you back….but it was close…" Her voice trailed off, "So close…" She whispers, her hands reaching up to caress his face, tracing his features. The bridge of his nose, the curve of his lips…Her eyes widen as he kisses her finger as it passes over his mouth.

He presses his forehead to hers, "Well I have no idea what's happened to you, but I think I like it."

"No…"  She jerks away from him, sitting up and watching the world spin at the action.

Anders looks up at her, confused, "No?"

"No…I don't want this. Go away…" He watches as her knees are brought to her chest, Elske hugging them to her as she rocks back and forth, eyes shut tight, "Go away go away go away…"

The sight is almost laughable, except for the fact that she isn't joking.

"Elske…what do you mean you don't want this?" He whispers, slowly sitting up himself.

Her eyes snap open, "I love you, you filthy pathetic excuse for a mage, haven't you figured it out yet?!" She spits, her voice laced with venom.

His eyes widen, Anders feeling his jaw drop, "Could you repeat that please?" He asks softly.

"DO NOT ACT LIKE YOU DIDN'T HEAR ME!" She shrieks, her eyes narrowing to slits over her knees.

Anders shakes his head smiling, "Was worth a shot…" He mumbles.

"What was worth a shot?" She growls, glaring at him.

Anders leans forward, hands reaching out to cradle her face, "I just wanted to hear you say that again…"

She moves to insult his intelligence, his appearance, anything but his lips capture hers and she falters.

. . .

New marks have been added to his skin and now she must memorize them.

Anders sleeps like the dead, fatigue claiming him shortly after her confession. Elske does not mind, needs time to process what has been said, what has been done.

Life is the same as it always was…and yet different.

Fear once more latches onto her soul, twisting and squeezing until she feels sick…
Yes, she saved him this time, but she won't always be there. It is only a matter of time and that terrifies her.

Bony fingers trace intimately familiar scars, hesitantly avoiding the newest one… a thick, jagged band of blackened flesh in the center of his chest; the heart of where the poison had been. The wound is closed and fully healed, but the scar will always look otherwise.

It is a physical reminder of just how fragile her abomination is and she wants it gone.

Before she knows what is happening she's leaning down, pressing her pale lips to the center of the scar. A feather light touch that shouldn't wake the mage…

As she moves away his lips stretch in a smirk, "Aw, that was sweet."

Elske freezes, eyes going wide as Anders' eyes open and he smiles at her.

"You are awake…"

"Can't get anything passed you can I?" He sits up, reaching for her but she recoils and it is then he notices her almost ghostly white skin actually has some color to it. Her cheeks are flushed red…it's adorable.

"Are you blushing?" He teases mercilessly, "You needn't be embarrassed, I love it when you trace my scars."

"You…" Elske's face is a mask of horror.

"Yes Maleficar, I'm very good at pretending to be asleep."

"B-but…you…" His eyes widen, Elske is truly at a loss for words. She slips from the bed, throwing on her black mage robes.

"What are you doing?" He asks; laughter in his voice.

"Leaving...before I kill you." Elske hisses, beginning to fasten her knee high boots.

Anders chuckles, "Oh you won't kill me…you looovveee me."

Elske cringes at the word, "Shut up." She growls, moving to grab her staff.

"Aw, come on my love…don't go! We can read poetry and speak of our feelings and…cuddle."

Elske slams the door, Anders laughing as he listens to her stomp down the stairs.

Falling back against the pillows he sighs happily. Teasing Elske is one of his favorite hobbies.

His eyes fall on Dragula, the Mabari watching him with a look that perfectly combines annoyance with amusement.

"She'll be back," Anders sighs, eyes closing, "You heard her yourself, she loves me."

Dragula shakes his head at the abomination,the great hound rolling his eyes bah,humans…