Kiss of the Dragon

by Nicola Claire

  I didn't question his suggestion of an alcoholic beverage, I was sure it was now past 5pm, so although the sun was still shining outside, it was well over the yardarm. Besides, if he said I needed a drink to hear this, I believed him.

  He turned back to me, offering the glass and then led the way to a leather two-seater sofa in front of the fireplace. Despite it not being lit, the pine cones and dried setting inside the hearth was still appealing. I took a sip of my drink to fortify myself and then turned to face him on the couch.

  He had been watching me. I got the feeling he was going to be doing that every time I walked into a room for some time to come. The separation, and maybe as Kathleen had said, the fear he wouldn't get the portals open again, had taken its toll. That worried me.

  "What happened?" I asked, reaching over and taking his hand, the one with the new Sigillum. It was instinctive to reach for him, but the Sigillum increased that desire tenfold.

  He took a sip of his Scotch. "The Iunctio is split," he announced without further preamble. It was something I admired about Michel, if he had decided to involve me in a topic, he didn't hold back. "A third of the Council believes the Fey will not cause us too many issues and access to their realm could actually be beneficial. A third believes they will be our downfall and should be locked out of our world. And the last third are either undecided or have no personal investment in the Fey staying in our realm or not. It took time to convince the last third to vote in my favour." He took another sip of his drink and let his words sink in.

  "Was it bad?" I asked, unable to drink any more of mine.

  "Yes. Alliances had to be made and they are always... demanding. But it was those who opposed who caused the most trouble. I am afraid I have enemies, my dear. Some of which are very powerful and have now reason to seek revenge."

  "Because you succeeded in opening the portals?"

  "Yes, I won the vote. Their beliefs are strong. They haven't simply foregone them because the Council has voted in a particular fashion. And..." He hesitated, swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. Then amethyst eyes lifted to hold mine. "The Iunctio is still cloaked in Dark. Changes need to be made, but they will take time. Not to mention, winning those who oppose not only me, but my ideals, over."

  "Who?" I asked. And perhaps this was the most important question. To know who we are against, is to be prepared. Or as prepared as we can be.

  "The Diviner, the Imposter, the Nemesis and the Interrogator."

  I let a slow breath out. I had expected Avery. He would vote against anything that aided me. His anger at having our joining broken was palpable when the ceremony was performed at the Council Chambers before I was taken to Álfheimr. He had also thought he had been the previous Champion’s favourite, until our joining started to fail and we both fell out of favour with the leader of the Iunctio. He blamed that on me, of course, despite it being well out of my hands - just one of those things, a joining that simply was not meant to be. But he would seek revenge and what better way than through Council ballots. He was going to be a thorn in Michel's side.

  The Diviner had never liked me. I don't know why, but he just hadn't. The Nemesis was just the same, but I didn't know the Imposter, other than what he was capable of; appearing as anyone, changing his looks to make you believe he was someone else. Not a good Council member to have as an enemy.

  But what surprised me the most, was that the Keeper wasn't on that list. He had been extremely close to the former Champion. I was sure he blamed me for her death. She had been trying to save me when Queen Sofiq landed the killing blow after all.

  "What about the Keeper?" I had to ask.

  "He was one of the swing voters. I managed to persuade him that we would lose your power if you remained too long in Álfheimr." That actually made sense, the Keeper was first and foremost concerned with the Iunctio's power base. It was his job to protect it and maintain it. No wonder he wouldn't want to lose me. Power was more important to him than revenge. Good to know.

  "The only other swing voter was the Foreteller," Michel went on. "And that was simply because he hadn't seen the future to be able to pick a side. In the end he chose logic. I am the Champion, you are my kindred, without you I may perish. He is loyal to the Iunctio above all else. I am sure though, that he would be happy to have the portals closed now you are back at my side."

  I took a deep breath in and let that one out slowly too. Vampire politics. More specifically, Iunctio politics. I so hated it all.

  Michel squeezed my hand and took another sip of his Scotch. "Drink up, I have more to tell you."

  I glared at him for a second and then decided maybe I did need a little Dutch courage after all.

  "OK, fire away," I said after I had downed half my drink in one go. Michel smiled back at me, white teeth and all.

  "I am utilising all of my assets right now. Alain and Daniel are busy in France keeping an eye on various Iunctio Council members. Antonio and Ricardo are providing much needed shadow protection for myself. I cannot afford to become complacent." That pleased me, not the cannot afford to become complacent part, but the fact he was using his best guards to keep himself safe. That meant more to me than anything. "But something is happening in London. The Iunctio has already got their investigators looking into it, but they fall under the Nemesis and I cannot trust the outcome completely. I need my own men there."

  I was starting to get a bad feeling about this. What exactly was he telling me?

  "Paris is not exactly safe for you right now, ma douce. Should you come to the city you will need to stay with Yves."

  That perked me up. I loved the Nosferatin house Yves looked after in Montmartre and I was relieved Michel no longer saw the Nosferatin as opposition for my affections. Yves and I had established an easy relationship from the start, but it had only ever been platonic. And the idea of staying with him instead of the austere Palais, was an enormous relief.

  "But I would like you to go to London and see what you can find out from Amun." My perkiness vanished. Michel knew I hated London. I stared at him for a beat, but he wasn't finished. "I could send some of my other vampires, but Amun likes you and is likely to open up to you. As well as the fact that you have both Nosferatin and Ghoul contacts in the city. I believe you would be the best person for the task."

  The perkiness may have vanished, but it was being replaced with a sense of pride. I'm not normally a prideful person, but Michel asking me to do this obviously important job, treating me as he would an equal, one of his vampires or another Council member... well, it was big. Bigger than big. It was fantastic.

  Michel had always tried his level best to protect me and having been taken again from him by the fairies and whisked away for three whole weeks, I had prepared myself for more of the same. But here he was giving me my wings. I was shocked, but elated and couldn't speak to save myself right then.

  "You can take Marcus and Matthias of course, as well as your Tego Texi Tectum duo, I should think. And should you wish it, Sebastian Cole is also available to assist."

  "The Nathair-Sgiathach?" Surprisingly I found my voice at that. The dragon shifter had done his best to aid the former Champion, much to my chagrin. I didn't completely trust him, but then Michel was Champion now, maybe the honour of his loyalty now fell to him.

  "Yes, he serves the Iunctio."

  "He serves the Champion," I corrected.

  Michel cocked his head at me and then murmured, "Rightly so."

  We were both silent for a moment, letting that all digest. Michel was giving me an assignment, asking me to do something that he felt I was best suited to do. Even if it meant returning to London, I would do anything to have Michel put faith in me like that.

  "I have always had faith in you, ma douce," he said quietly, reaching a hand up to push some of my hair off my face. "Always."

  "But why now? Why this? Sending me away when I have only just come back."

  He looked at me, a little of his vampire mask back on his façade. He wa
s hiding. It disappointed me. I went to pull away and he grasped my hand and pulled me back to face him.

  The vampire mask had slipped, in its place was definitely an emotion that sucked the breath from my lungs.

  "Paris is not safe and until I can make it safer, I can not have you there. But I know you and asking you to remain behind at the Château would be useless. You would follow me, Dream Walk to me at the very least." He took a deep breath in and then let it out in a rush of words. "I can't lose you again and I know you can do this. You are the best person for the job."

  "But London is safer," I concluded softly, still reeling from the fear I had seen on his face.

  "Oui, ma douce. London is safer than Paris."

  I smiled up at him. I couldn't be mad about his reasoning. I was the best person for this task and even if his hand was being forced because of the fear that I would be harmed in Paris, he had still given me a thrill to have asked at all.

  "What do you expect I will find there?" I asked him, giving him something to focus on other than my safety and his fear.

  "I believe someone is establishing an army to come against the Iunctio."

  Whoa, not just a little conspiracy then.

  "Any ideas as to who?"

  "We have considered Viktor Davydov, but he has been observed back in St Petersburg and hasn't left since your last confrontation with him in London. If he is involved, it is remotely. Still, we cannot rule him out."

  Oh boy. Viktor was not a vampire I wished to meddle with again and for Michel to suspect him at all and let me be involved was bigger than fantastic. It was down right thrilling and a little scary, truth be told. I blinked several time at his words, he just watched me mutely.

  "So," I swallowed, "possibly Viktor from afar, possibly someone else, but it's happening in London."

  "Yes."

  "Anything else I should know?"

  "Carry silver. It is a vampyre, of this we are sure."

  I wasn't going to ask how he was sure, if Michel was sure, he was bloody sure.

  "You'll have three days, then I'll meet you back here." That made sense, three days was normally how long a joining separation took to begin to show ill effect. And any more than three days in London was simply ridiculous to contemplate anyway. It's not as though there is anything specifically wrong with London, it's just not my cup of tea.

  "Wow," I said on a breath of exhaled air. "You really know how to welcome a girl home."

  He started chuckling, wrapped an arm around my shoulders and pulled me close to his side.

  "Do you think you can do it, ma douce?" Who was he kidding?

  "Of course I can, Champion. Who better to catch a conspiring vampire, than a vampire hunter."

  "Not just any vampyre hunter," Michel said as his face began to nuzzle into the curve of my neck. "But the biggest, baddest and most powerful vampyre hunter of the lot."

  I laughed at him and then started to squirm as his tongue lapped at the sensitive skin behind my earlobe. His hand at my front decided to join in the fun then and slipped under my T-Shirt, finding its way to my breast. He never could leave my boobs alone for long.

  Just as he turned himself to cover my upper body, pinning me to the back of the little couch - his tongue exploring, his fingers exploring - there was a soft clearing of a throat at the door to the room.

  Michel growled low, I jumped.

  "Kathleen. This better be good," Michel said in a voice that did not invite argument.

  "Master," his old human servant said with deference. Then ruined the effect with her next words. "If you two love birds could come up for some air for a moment, I have a room full of people dying to reacquaint themselves with the Mistress."

  Then before he could respond she spun on her heel and almost ran from the room. Good move, I thought. Kathleen might have called a spade a spade, but she normally didn't do it to Michel's face.

  He sat still for several seconds, blinking a few times as though trying to comprehend what had just happened.

  "I see things have gone to the dogs since I was gone," I offered in an attempt to break the stunned silence. He glanced at me, blinked again and then shook his head.

  "You have no idea."

  And then he stood fluidly to his feet and grabbed hold of my hand, entwining our fingers he lifted my knuckles to his lips and kissed the tops of them softly.

  "We have tonight together, before we must part again. Commune with our family, ma douce, but by midnight, you are all mine."

  And I was sure he meant every word.

  Chapter 7

  The Team

  Kathleen had gone all out. One of the sitting rooms was bedecked with wild flowers, so many different colours in little vases all around the room. The smell of them wafting on the air as soon as we entered the grand space was alluring. The furniture here was more casual than the sitting room I had appeared in last night; this room was clearly for entertaining close friends. Its overstuffed sofas were in pale colours that complemented the many wild flowers Kathleen had picked from the Château's gardens, the throw rugs were in contrasting and in some cases clashing colours, but the overall effect was still homely, rather than garish. The artwork was less formal, the lighting dim and inviting. The entire space was definitely one I could picture using again and again.

  She had also placed snacks around the room, fresh vegetables and dips, finger food that looked delicious, treats that carried no less than a thousand calories I was sure. Considering Kathleen, Matthew and I were going to be the only ones eating, it seemed a little over the top. But then I spotted Yves in the corner with a young Nosferatin girl I didn't recognise. So, five humans to eat enough food for fifty then.

  I laughed at the sight that met me and all eyes in the room turned to Michel and I standing just inside the door. I was swamped by vampires within a second. Sergei and Natalyia wrapping me up in a huge Russian bear hug that threatened to suffocate. Marcus, Matthias and Christopher off to the side, but replacing my Tego Texi Tectum duo as soon as they let me come up for air. A nod and grin from each of Michel's Shadow Guards in the corner of the room and then I was scanning the space for the one vampire, if I am truly honest, who was most important right then.

  Samson stepped out from beside the fireplace - which had been lit for some reason, only adding to the cosiness of the room - and walked towards me slowly. I couldn't make out what he was thinking from his vampire impassive face. I held my breath, I'm not sure why, but his reluctance to embrace me, to come to me immediately upon entering the room, worried me.

  He stopped a few feet in front of me, but came no closer. I could feel Michel's presence at my back, as though he knew Samson's behaviour was having an effect on me and he was offering support. The heat of his body down the back of mine and his warm hand wrapped around the back of my neck grounded me enough, so that I didn't simply demand Samson tell me what was wrong. Instead I smiled at him, raised my eyebrows and cocked my head, and then held out my arms for a cuddle.

  Samson's lips twitched, he ducked his head and murmured, "Mistress," and then finally stepped into my embrace.

  "You're an idiot," I whispered in his ear, but didn't release him when he stiffened. "You should always be the first to greet me and I expect nothing less than a full body hug."

  He pulled back and looked down at me, he looked infinitely sad.

  "I thought you'd be mad at me," he said softly. The vampires in the room would have heard our conversation, Michel definitely did as he was still at my back, but the others had started conversing amongst themselves to offer the only privacy they could.

  "I still am," I answered honestly. He cringed, I grabbed his hand before he could step away. "But I am more relieved that you are alive."

  I had not wanted Samson to challenge Sofiq, but without my permission he had entered into that alliance with Aliath in order to help me. His only intention was to save his mistress from harm. I could understand his motives at the time, but watching him nearly die at the Fairy Queen'
s hand was almost too much to bear. Samson was the first of my Lux Lucis Tribuo vampires to join my line. I took almost all of his Dark and held it dear, in exchange for him joining my line through a Light Bond. His attempts to kill Sofiq would have brought him back towards the Dark. I could think of nothing worse than that.

  I smiled up at him and squeezed his hand. "Shall we put it behind us?" I suggested.

  He nodded slowly, but there was still a slightly haunted look to his eyes. I wondered if he regretted doing what he did, if it had tainted his soul in a little Dark. I allowed myself a moment to slip into the blackness to seek his Dark signature out, using my Sanguis Vitam Cupitor talent. The relief at seeing familiar Light washing his signature was almost too much to take in, but the shock of seeing that his Sanguis Vitam had increased in power level, like Sergei's, distracted me from my task momentarily. My body automatically leaned back against Michel for support. His arm wrapped around my waist immediately, his face nuzzling into my hair behind my ear.

  I flicked a glance around the room quickly and noticed that all the vampires had increased Sanguis Vitam, not just those of mine. Which could mean only one thing. The new joining had not only given Michel and I a boost in power levels, but also those of our line. Marcus, Matthias, Antonio and Ricardo were all now level ones, with Christopher moving up the scale to level three. I flicked my glance back to Samson and took in his nearly level two Sanguis Vitam signature again. We had done this, Michel and I - with the help of the Ambrosia - we had given them all more strength. Was that why Samson was acting strange? Did he not want it?

  Samson stared at me for a moment, his jaw set in a firm line. He'd recognised what I had done. Most wouldn't, but he has been my vampire for some time now, he knew me as well as I knew him.

  "Did I pass the test?" he asked through stiff lips. Michel growled.

  I looked back at Samson for a moment, wondering if I knew him at all. He was clearly angry that I had sought his Sanguis Vitam signature out, maybe angry that we had given him more power - albeit inadvertently - but to challenge me wasn't his style. Something was wrong, but now was not the time to investigate further. The vampires in the room had become aware of a problem as soon as Michel growled.