Kiss of the Dragon

by Nicola Claire

  So this was how it was going to be? I felt connected to my kindred, but I couldn't use that connection. There was some measure of relief that I could tell the joining still existed at all, but it was short lived every time I automatically sought Michel out and came up with a blank. The portals closing had made it impossible to reach him and I would grow weaker and weaker without him by my side.

  And what of Michel? He was now the Champion and was separated from his kindred Nosferatin. This was so not good.

  I let a slow breath out and tried to marshal my thoughts. For now, I could do nothing about the separation. But I sure as hell would not believe this was the end. Michel was resourceful, determined when faced with insurmountable odds. His desire to reach me would be unfathomable. He would find a way. Of this I was sure. And I was not without abilities myself. I didn't need access to my Light to be able to negotiate with Aliath. I had learned a lot recently whilst living in London and trying to survive the cut-throat world of vampire politics. What was a fairy compared to blood-thirsty vampires?

  I stood to my feet and took a look down at myself. My strappy, stretchy, black cocktail dress was in shreds, coated in copious amounts of my blood, mixed with the blood of those I had slain. I knew I looked a sight. First things first. Get myself presentable, put on a strong, competent façade and then deal with the fairy fuckers who had locked me in this room and stolen my Light.

  I managed to run myself a bath, they did have running water in the Dökkálfa Royal Court at least. Stripping off the remnants of my outfit I lowered myself gingerly into the steaming water. It smelled of mandarins. Left over bath foam from my last stay here. The familiarity of the scent gave me courage. I scrubbed my face and hands and then more carefully tended to the rest of my body. Although Aliath had healed the worst of my injuries, I was still covered in bruises and minor cuts and scrapes from head to toe.

  By the time I exited the water, the foam had disappeared and had been replaced with a pale pink hue. My blood. The blood of my enemies. I quickly rinsed off in clean water and then towelled myself dry. Knowing the shadows had not only ears but eyes, I wrapped myself securely in the towel and walked across the bedroom to the closet. Row upon row of beautifully crafted black, white and grey dresses hung waiting for my perusal. The Dökkálfa may have consisted of many different coloured skins, but they all wore a uniform of black.

  I wasn't going to be fussy, I grabbed the first dress in the row and began to climb into it. Fairy dresses are similar to something from medieval times. Layer upon layer of material, intricate clasps and buttons, full floor-length skirts and tight fitting bodices. The dress I had blindly picked had a scooped neckline, three-quarter length sleeves and a cinched waist, with a multitude of petticoats sewn into the outfit itself. Once on, it made me look like a Dark Princess. All I needed was to curl my hair and wear a tiara and I'd be set.

  I finger combed my hair and left it limp. It hung down to my shoulders now, not quite as hideously short as when I last left this Court, but still not back to its previous and preferred length just yet either. With some impressive contortionist moves I managed to do the buttons up at the back, by the time I finished I was exhausted. I wondered briefly if I was going to have my butterfly fairy maid to assist me on this trip to Álfheimr. I was surprised to realise I was looking forward to seeing the fīfrildi again. Sora had been a breath of fresh air on my last stay, if she was assigned to me again things would be looking up.

  I walked back into the main room and looked around, unsure what to do next. I knew the door was locked, walking freely around the castle was not possible. I was confined to my room and at the mercy of Aliath. Just what would the Dökkálfa Grey Lord - no King - do now? Leave me to rot? Allow me no company so I may go crazy without conversation? Send for me to be tortured? I really had no way of knowing how he would act. I thought I understood the Grey Lord, well at least, kind of understood him. He had honour and worked by a strict set of rules. He had sworn to protect me, but was that now defunct?

  I walked over and sat down on the bed. I'd been here no more than an hour and already I was getting stir crazy. There were no books, nothing to read or do. I could stare out the window and take in the intense colours and vibrant life of Álfheimr, but watching it would only make me want to be out in it. I wasn't into self torture. Patience was obviously going to be the name of the game.

  Bugger. I was never good at waiting quietly for others to get on and do something. I wondered briefly what Michel would do. He would consider this a game, something to master and perfect. He would act as though waiting patiently with nothing at all to do was the one thing he loved above all else. He would make himself comfortable and would pretend to sleep, relax, lower his guard. But instead he would be a coiled spring waiting for the opportunity to attack.

  Well, no time like the present to take a leaf out of his book. He had been saying I was capable of political wheeling and dealing, of playing the game. Time to put it to the test.

  I had been reclined on the bed, giving the impression of relaxed repose for two hours, when the door clicked unlocked and Sora floated in. The pretty yellow fairy fluttered over the threshold, her large Monarch butterfly-type wings shimmering in such quick movements it reminded me of a hummingbird. The sound of the delicate appendages flapping sent a thrumming through the air. She was dressed in a maid's outfit; black with a white apron over the full skirt. A small yellow butterfly was sewn into the corner of the apron. A personal touch which made the Dökkálfa seem falsely more human than fairy.

  Her long yellow-blonde hair was tied up in a knot on top of her head. A small, almost imperceptible yellow down covered her skin. Her big blue eyes lidded with long yellow lashes. She blinked rapidly as she came to a halt in the middle of the room. The hyrða behind her, satisfied that I wasn't going to pounce, shut the door quietly and flicked the lock closed.

  I rolled off the bed languidly and stood across from my friend. I'm not quite sure why I called her that, but she had looked after me when I was last here. When I thought Michel still dead and I had no way of getting home. She had taught me everything I now knew about the Dökkálfa and the Ljósálfar. She had tried her best to make me feel welcome, giving me familiar foods from home, the mandarin bath foam, coffee with fluffy milk. Books, games and company. She may have been instructed to do all of that, I'm not sure, but she had made that week of confinement more acceptable, survivable, than it would have been otherwise. For that I owed her my friendship.

  I hoped she felt the same way.

  "Princess," she said and curtsied low. "Welcome back."

  I nodded and smiled, forcing myself not to say thank you, but instead, "You look well, Sora. I like the butterfly on your apron." I pointed to her little embroidered motif and received a beaming grin in return.

  "You must be hungry" she stated, being sure not to ask a question acquiring any debt. She still didn't move from her formal stance in the centre of the room though.

  "Yes, a little," I replied, uncertain if my welcome back was genuine or not. She seemed happy, but her reluctance to relax sent warning bells off in my head.

  "The King has agreed for you to eat." How noble of him. "Food will be brought to your room in due course." I nodded, trying to encourage her to go on, but instead she turned and started towards the door. I frowned in confusion.

  "You have nothing else to tell me." I made sure my voice was flat, no inflection to indicate a question. I had a sense that I needed to use every ounce of knowledge I had regarding the Fey, in order to get through the next few days. Sora was playing by the rules, so much so, that I had a very bad feeling about all of this.

  There had been a small part of me that thought I wasn't truly going to be a prisoner here. Aliath and I had an alliance. It may have been over now, but surely the Dökkálfa King felt something for me? Maybe I was being naive, maybe Queen Sofiq's death at the hands of a Nosferatu would be placed at my feet. If the Dökkálfa believed I was to blame, what were the consequences going t
o be?

  But the Queen's death had been Aliath's desire. Part of the obligation to having his aid in the breaking of my joining to Avery Rousseau. But I didn't know what that would mean for me now.

  I was so confused.

  Sora didn't answer my statement. That's the joy of not being able to ask a question without incurring a debt. If I did ask a question, she would be forced to answer with nothing but the truth. But the pay-off for gaining that knowledge would be a debt of some sort. Right now, I couldn't afford debts, therefore I couldn't guarantee she would answer. Sora chose to ignore the implied question and simply left the room on near-silent wings.

  I stood motionless for several moments, the realisation of how precarious my position currently was seeping in. Any trust I had built up with Aliath was clearly not a given. The slate had been wiped clean and I would have to start all over again to win him over. The enormity of the situation weighed heavily on my heart. If I didn't get to see him soon, before the joining separation took its toll, my ability to think straight and act decisively would be diminished. Time was of the essence, but I was locked in a room without anything to aid my cause.

  Fairies were not stupid. Aliath, I think, perhaps the most intelligent of the lot. Despite the fact that he had spent the better part of his long existence trapped in Álfheimr, imprisoned by the Ljósálfar, cut off from my world and anything to do with it, he had gained an enormous amount of knowledge since traversing Earth's realm. He knew a lot about me, about vampires, about my life. He knew how I acted, how I responded to a given situation. He could predict accurately how I would behave locked in this room. The old me would demand an audience, knowing my strength would wane soon, determined to find an escape path even if I had to battle my way out of the quagmire I was currently in. I needed to do the exact opposite. I needed to think like a fairy, or more precisely, like a member of the Dökkálfa Royal Court. I wasn't convinced Aliath was my enemy, but right now he was the gatekeeper and I needed to steal his keys.

  I took a deep breath in, settled my nerves and began to scan my environment, searching for anything that could aid my escape. Half an hour later it was obvious the room would offer up no solutions. I gazed out the window for a few minutes, familiarising myself with the view. Escape within Álfheimr was useless. The Dökkálfa were still at war with the Ljósálfar, even if the portals were now all closed, that fact would not be changed. If I escaped the castle here, I could be captured by the Ljósálfar. That was the worst thing that could happen. My involvement in Prince Lutin's death would mean Queen Isoleth would want my head for sure. No confusion there.

  No, my only option was to battle the Dökkálfa. And by battle, I mean wage a political assault to win their confidence and gain back their trust. To do this I needed to see Aliath, something he was obviously not going to agree to any time soon. But the shadows in my room had eyes and ears. Everything I did and said would be relayed to Aliath. I may not be standing before him, able to gauge his reactions or response, but he would not be able to avoid me. The fact that I was being watched was a relief - surprisingly - because I could use it as a tool.

  The Dökkálfa had thought me weaponless when confined in this room. They had thought wrong.

  Chapter 2

  Art In Motion

  I worked hard to establish a routine. The only way to survive this captivity, this time locked in my room, was to break the day down into segments. Each section of my drill passed, was a step closer to my goal. And my goal was getting an audience with Aliath.

  The first step on that path was to dress appropriately. But the only suitable outfit in my fairy wardrobe was underwear; tight fitting corsets and knee length drawers. I felt ludicrous, but I also knew whoever was monitoring the shadows in my room would be alarmed enough to pay attention. I wanted their attention. I wanted them to consider what I was doing and to feel compelled to let Aliath know.

  I wasn't about to huddle in a ball on the bed crying. I wasn't going to stare out the window lost in deep thought, pining for my kindred. I wasn't banging on the door demanding release. I was going to spend my days training. Establish an impressive routine, whilst passing the time and maintaining my sanity. Not to mention luring my prey to me.

  Aliath craved courage. I was displaying courage in spades.

  The first day dawned and set the tone for those to come. I'd wake to the sound of a tray of food being delivered and the hasty fluttering retreat of my fairy friend. I was guessing Sora was under strict instructions not to interact with me. I didn't feel hurt, this was all part of the game. As ridiculous and senseless as the game was, I was able to detached from the negative emotions of abandonment her actions provoked.

  I'd then get up and make my bed. Followed by eating my breakfast slowly, savouring the meal and spending a good hour in the bath afterwards to start my day. I knew I had hours and hours of tedium ahead of me, my only chance of passing them was to establish this routine, to stave off depression and the Dark that inevitably threatened. Where there is Light, there is always Dark. I knew better than to let it gain any purchase.

  After my morning bath came weight and fitness training. Lamps, chairs, anything I could lift I used. Anything that offered resistance I worked with. Two hours of gentle exercise and training made the morning pass with ease.

  Lunch was served while I was again bathing, then the long stretch of afternoon would loom ominously ahead. I broke that down into spin fighting. Pretending to evade or to capture an enemy whilst dancing through the air in a spin. Something that I have perfected, but only with regular practice. I was determined that skill would not disappear.

  Then I followed that impressive performance up with Nosferatin-fast Kendo and Weapon Dance moves to bring me into the late afternoon. Excitement permeated the shadows of the room when I danced my routine, even though I didn't have a sword in my hands, the motions were fluid and beautiful. Captivating to those who appreciated such things.

  Fairies love beauty in any shape or form.

  Both of the afternoon activities always created that heightened sense of awareness from the shadows in the corners of my room. I knew without actually knowing, that Aliath had been made aware. And as I had established an impressive, captivating routine, and wrapped it up in a good dose of courage as though my gift was beribboned and begging to be revealed, Aliath was having trouble ignoring it, I was sure.

  Afternoon activities were followed by a third bath. When you exercised as much as I was and had little else to pass the time, bathing becomes an essential detail of your day. Dinner would arrive while I was dressing and I'd draw my meal out to an hour, making the darkness of night finally win out over the day.

  Surprisingly, although tired, I was not exhausted or nauseous by the end of ten days of this routine. As I should have been, because of the separation from my kindred. I couldn't puzzle it out, I was definitely still joined to Michel, I felt the connection even though I couldn't follow that connection to my other half. I should have been suffering. But I wasn't, at least not yet.

  Maybe it was the power boost the Ambrosia had given us at the joining ceremony. Maybe it was the way we were joined, the fact that our Light had been drawn from us, combined and then returned. Maybe it was something to do with the portals being closed, cutting off that effect before it could reach me. I didn't have an answer, so I chose to just accept this helpful outcome. I'd worry about it if, or when, I was forced to face it.

  For now, my patience and dedication to the task I had set myself eventually paid off. On the tenth day of captivity Sora fluttered through the door to my room in the middle of a Weapon Dance move. I knew she was there, but continued the ritual, until it was complete. Coming to stand before her with a low bow a full minute after she had entered the room. The door was still open behind her. My heartbeat tripled and thundered through my veins.

  "Good afternoon, Princess."

  I had to swallow twice before I spoke. Over a week of not talking makes your voice a little weird.

  "G
ood afternoon, Sora."

  "I will choose a dress for you," she said holding my gaze with a placid one of her own. "Perhaps a quick wash would be advisable. His Majesty commands your company this evening at dinner."

  I forced myself not react, just nodded briefly and turned on my heel towards the bathroom. My hands shook as I drew a bath, my face was flush with excitement, I willed my body to relax. Used cool water to shock myself out of the heightened anticipated state I had fallen into. By the time I entered the dressing room, I had myself more or less under control. This was what I had wanted. A face to face with Aliath, a chance to negotiate a truce, improve my imprisonment. My ultimate goal, to win his trust and be considered an ally, not a captive at all.

  And it had only taken ten days.

  Ten days of solitude and boredom, interspersed with a self-inflicted vigorous routine designed to dazzle. I knew I was altogether too excited about this change of events. How could I not be?

  I wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking, but I was certain I needed Aliath if I was to survive in this world. Or escape it. I didn't have anything to barter with, except myself. Be that my emotions for him to consume - ick - or what I could offer the Dökkálfa should the portals be opened again. And I was sure they would be. Michel would move Heaven and Earth to make that happen.

  So, this dinner invitation was paramount to a portal opening up in my room back to Earth. A lot rode on its outcome.

  Sora helped me dress in an intricate and beautiful outfit. This one was slightly more elaborate than the original dress I had clothed myself in that first day. Since then I had only worn underwear. This was the first dress I had worn since arriving ten days ago and it was exquisite. Black, but with tiny crystals stitched all over the tight fitting bodice and flowing skirt. The crystals caught the light in the room, making prisms of colours reflect off any available surface nearby when I moved. It was magical. I couldn't determine an image from their positions, I think it was just a random pattern covering the entirety of the dress. The skirt was floor length, but failed to have the copious amounts of petticoats beneath it, making it seem more modern, in an ethereal way. The black fabric was light-weight, almost sheer, and swirled around my legs when I walked.