Kiss of the Dragon

by Nicola Claire

  Michel crushed me to him and tried unsuccessfully to stifle his laughter.

  "God, I love you," he declared, while I squeezed him just as tightly back. "We will work this out. There will be a reason he was frantic, I just can't see it yet. And as far as Rousseau's army is concerned, I already have ideas on how to combat that." He pulled back again and smiled a genuine smile at me. "You did so beautifully well this evening, ma douce. I am so very proud of you. The Master of London City is aligned with us. I am sure we can use this alliance to ferret out more information on Davydov and Rousseau. The Ambrosia has already been in touch and is on his way here now to discuss matters further with me. I feel things are coming to a head. We will have this sorted before too much longer. You, my dear, can return to our home and, for now, rest."

  Rest sounded perfect, so I reached up and pulled his face down to me, making his lips meet mine for a kiss. It was full of longing and desperation and love and so much more. Everything we felt wrapped up in one moment, one physical connection, lips to lips. So much can be said in a kiss, and Michel has such talent when relaying how he feels through the touch of his mouth against mine.

  I didn't feel as tired, or as nauseous, or as weak when we parted. I felt invigorated and alive and so completely in love with this man. Worries about Viktor Davydov and Avery Rousseau were washed from my mind temporarily and my body, for the first time in what felt like ages, simply relaxed.

  Michel felt it, smiled down at me again, and offered me one last kiss. Then whispered against my sensitive lips, "Go now, ma douce. And tomorrow night return to the Château, you and yours will have gained all you can in London, and I want you in our bed."

  "You'll be there too?" I asked, excited at the prospect of returning to the Château a day earlier.

  "Absolutely. It is a date."

  I was still smiling and laughing to myself when I returned to my body and our London bed. Natalyia sat quietly beside me in a chair and once she ascertained that everything was again all right, left me for much needed sleep.

  Even dreams of kittens couldn't concern me in my current relaxed state. Michel had kissed me senseless, making up for his vampire-within's actions easily, and making my body crave so much more. I snuggled down under the covers, smelling my kindred on the crisp white sheets and let sleep take over. Wondering if Michel would visit my dreams.

  But whether kittens were on the agenda, or Michel attempted to meet me on the dreaming plane, I don't know. Because, at some stage, I was pulled from my sleep abruptly...

  ...and came to in a very familiar place.

  Chapter 23

  Hey!

  "Lucinda?" was the first word I heard when my new surroundings coalesced around me. The deep familiar masculine voice making me instantly breathe easier, and then suddenly groan with the realisation of what had occurred.

  "And another thing," Amisi said, striding into the room Gregor and I were in, one hand on her hip, the other pointing her index finger toward the vampire threateningly, "you have no idea what I'm thinking, so don't act all superior and attempt to tell me I what I want."

  She hadn't seen me, as I was standing beside the door she had entered and her eyes had been entirely focused on Gregor. Amisi, as a Nosferatin, would be able to see my fully corporeal body though, but Gregor, much like Michel, could only see a hazy outline of me.

  Gregor cleared his throat and looked at where I stood, but Amisi was on a roll.

  "You're a coward and you know it, Gregor Morel." I cringed. Gregor flinched. His eyes darting all around the room now and purposefully trying to ignore the shining hazy outline off to the side. He'd thrust his hands in his trouser pockets and his feet had begun to shuffle on the wooden floor. "You insist on waiting, but what's the point in that?" Amisi demanded. "At any time now war on the Iunctio could break out and if we were joined..." Oh dear Goddess, they were fighting over that. I so did not want to be here, but like a train wreck before me, I couldn't seem to will myself to return to my body just yet. "...you would be twice as strong."

  "And you would be in danger of dying should I meet the final death!" Gregor shot back, forgetting my presence entirely for the moment. I'd heard this argument before, but that time it had been me refusing to join with Michel, in case I was killed and caused his death. Symbiotic, the relationship between a kindred Nosferatu and their kindred Nosferatin. If one dies, the other dies too.

  I cleared my throat.

  Amisi spun around in a split second, to face the sound at her back. Stake out and eyes flashing with the desire to strike. I smiled and waved from my spot in the corner, amused to note she carried silver when alone with her vampire. I used to also. Not so much anymore.

  "Hey," I said, equally as cheerful as my smile.

  "Luce? What the hell are you doing here?" The stake remained in her hand and her hand hadn't lowered yet.

  "Wanna stash the silver?" I asked, nodding towards her weapon. She jerked her hand down and slipped the stake away in a flash. It was difficult to see the movement, she was that fast.

  "Wanna tell me why you're in our home?" Amisi eventually said. Her question was said through gritted teeth. I'd never seen Amisi so riled. Usually she was the picture of composure. But I had just witnessed a very private argument between her and the vampire she wanted to join with. Who was running like a coward from the girl.

  I turned my steady gaze on Gregor. "Gee, Gregor. I wonder why I'm here, when my body is comatose with exhaustion back in London right now? Care to enlighten our Amisi?" Two against one, this should be good.

  Amisi growled. It was a good growl. I smiled widely at her, but she was now looking at Gregor, arms crossed over chest and face as bleak as a storm at sea.

  "You called Lucinda to you, while we were fighting? What's up with that?" she said ominously.

  Gregor and I had a unique connection, possibly due to the fact we had shared Sigillum in the past. He still wore mine, an iridescent tattoo-like design around his eyes. His had been removed from me, with a little help from Michel mixed with my Light. Goddess knows how Amisi felt seeing my Sigillum every time she looked in her beloved's eyes, but I had hope once they joined she'd blast it and replace it with hers. Amisi was going to be powerful once she matured.

  And due to that connection and Gregor's own talents he had the ability to call me to him, when I slept. I would appear as a Dream Walker, but I had no control over it happening. So, Gregor had promised he wouldn't do it, because he would never know if I had already Dream Walked that day. And therefore could compromise me. Like he just had.

  He must have been quite distraught to have called me right now.

  "I..I.." he stuttered and then ran a hand through his dark hair. "I was upset and I was wondering how Michel handled this and that led me to thinking of Lucinda."

  Amisi did not look amused. Finally she said, "You can go thanks, Luce. I'd like to speak to Gregor privately now."

  I wished I could, but as I was here I couldn't miss the opportunity to tell her about Nero. The timing sucked, granted. But to return to my body and be out for three days and have her find out another way, just wasn't kosher. Besides, she'd kill me.

  "Um," I said, a little uncertainly. She swung her head towards me.

  "Um?" she replied, incredulously. "What do you mean 'um'? I'm about to blast his arse. I don't think you want to be here."

  I nodded in agreement. "I'm certain I don't, but can you hold off for a second. I have something I need to tell you and if I don't do it now, I'll be out for three days. I've already Dream Walked once tonight," I admitted, cringing on Gregor's behalf when Amisi threw a stake at his head.

  "You compromised her!" she yelled, as he dodged the projectile. "How can you be so gorgeous and so stupid at the same time!"

  Oh boy.

  "I didn't mean to," he defended in what had to be the whiniest voice I'd ever heard on a grown man, let alone a Master Vampire.

  "Kids!" I shouted, before Amisi threw herself across the room and stabbed him with the
new stake resting in her palm. Oh, how I remember the courtship days. Michel had worn more than one of my stakes too.

  They both stilled. I sucked in a breath. "Amisi, sweetheart, you need to sit down for this."

  The atmosphere in the room changed immediately. Gregor had her in his arms, then planted on his lap as he sat in a chair across from me, in a split fraction of a second. He was already soothing her with gentle hands and soft words. And she was letting him. Her focus completely on me, the argument all but forgotten.

  Now I was here and the moment had arrived, I had no idea how to tell her. But delaying would not make this better. It would make it decidedly worse. I sucked in another breath and found my courage. This was going to hurt, no matter what.

  I sat down across from them, leaned forward, elbows on knees and centred my thoughts.

  "There's no easy way to say this and believe me I would soften the blow if I could."

  "Just say it," Amisi said, with all the nobility she was born with. A natural queen. A leader. I was sure Amisi would rule something one day.

  "Amun Nadeem is Nero Al-Suyuti," I said, thinking how bizarre those words must sound.

  Amisi snorted in disbelief, but Gregor had gone preternaturally still. My gaze flicked over the statue that now was the Master of Wellington City and then returned to Amisi's chocolate brown and mocking eyes.

  Before I lost all courage I spilled the beans. From go to whoa. Everything that had transpired in the past forty-eight hours. Amun testing Sophie as a compatible kindred. His desire to protect her and consequent attack on me. My Light blast. The return of his memories. When I told them about him calling me Kiwi, my voice cracked. The Diviner's findings. The Ambrosia's Twin Soul descriptions. Everything.

  When I was finished I was more exhausted than I had ever been. I expected Amisi to have questions, I'd had so many and she was always as curious as me. But I hadn't expected the question she ended up asking first.

  "Are you OK?" Oh, Amisi. I have missed you. My darling, darling friend. Always putting others before herself. I should be consoling her. Nero was her tutor, her sponsor. Her beloved friend too. "You look exhausted," she remarked and then cocked her head to the side. "And something's off with your aura. Hell, Luce. What on Earth have you been up to? You look like shit."

  I take it all back.

  "I'm fine. It's just been hectic and..." I trailed off. Amisi was my best friend, I could trust her with anything. Gregor was an ally and a trusted friend too. But even with them, I couldn't speak of Michel's weaknesses. "It's been tough," I finished lamely.

  "Yeah, I bet it has," she finished softly.

  Gregor remained mute, but his silence didn't fool me. There was action going on in those silver and platinum eyes. He was taking it all in, digesting it, deciding what it would mean for him. How this would affect his Amisi. He'd be there for her. He'd see her through this, I had no doubt.

  "You're in London still?" she asked and I nodded. "Will you be safe while your body rests?"

  I smiled. "I've got Natalyia and M&M with me. Sergei's with Nero finding out what he can about the rogue army. And Sophie, the Nosferatin Nero is hot on, is with him too. They'll both be called back to my side for protection."

  Amisi stood and dusted herself off. Gregor came to his feet immediately too, no longer statue-like.

  "Fire up the jet," she demanded, and he simple nodded and left the room.

  "You don't need to come all that way," I said immediately. "I'll be over half way through the three day rest period by the time you arrive."

  She waved me off. "We're coming. Gregor's been called back by Michel anyway. And there's no way in hell I wouldn't go straight to him." Nero. She meant Nero and I knew she was right.

  I nodded and stood up myself. She came over and hugged me, her willowy frame wrapping around me like a silken cape. Pulling back she cupped my face with both of her hands.

  "I'm worried about you, Luce. You really don't look well."

  I attempted a shrug and smile, but with her hands still on my face it felt forced. "I'll be fine. Nothing three days bed rest won't cure."

  "There's something," she agreed with a smile of her own. "Forced bed rest when you're exhausted. Timing couldn't be better."

  But I couldn't bring myself to agree. Viktor Davydov and Avery Rousseau were planning something. Nero had just come back and was still finding his feet. Michel's dragon-within was acting out. And I still hadn't had a chance to catch up with Samson and make sure he was all right too. Things were once again spiralling and for the next three days there wasn't a blind thing I could do.

  "Help him," I said to Amisi.

  She knew who I meant straight away. "I'll have him schooled by the time you awake. Leave it to me."

  One thing to strike off the list? I did hope so, but there were still so many more to face. Just then Gregor walked back in the room, he looked pale and a little shaken.

  "The jet will ready by the time we get to the airport," he said distractedly to Amisi, but his eyes were on me. "I explained to Michel what's happened." Ah, that accounts for the whiter-than-a-ghost look on his face. "He's... rather irate with me right now."

  I let a huff of a laugh out. "Yeah, his vampire-within is close to the surface at the moment. I'd steer clear as long as you can," I suggested.

  "He's summoned me. I cannot." Gregor was completely serious now. His words sounded heavier than they should have, but I think he realised what was in store for him when he arrived at the Palais.

  He was a big boy. He could handle it. And he'd known Michel Durand for almost three hundred years. He knew what Michel was like.

  "OK, guys. I am knackered. I think I'll sleep for... oh, I don't know, maybe three days." My attempt at humour was met with sad and strained smiles. "Just one thing," I added, my eyes flicking between them both. "Life is short. Eternal life or not. It can be over in the blink of an eye." I settled my gaze on Gregor. "Don't waste it. Please." I wasn't sure if I'd overstepped the mark. I do have a tendency to do that, but Gregor finally nodded his head slowly. His gaze swept to Amisi at his side, whose eyes were already on him.

  They looked lovely together. Perfect for each other. I so wanted this to work, but I understood Gregor's fear. What if they weren't compatible kindred? How devastating, after all this time, to both that would be.

  "I promise we'll have an answer for you when you awake, Lucinda," Gregor said, not taking his eyes off the prize at his side. His arm had wrapped around the back of Amisi's shoulders and silver flashed hypnotically behind his lashes.

  On her part, Amisi was beaming. Gregor had just promised to test their compatibility by the time I awoke. The last thing I saw, before I Walked back to my exhausted - and now fully comatose body - was Gregor leaning down towards Amisi for a kiss.

  Chapter 24

  Welcome Back

  A lot can happen in three days in my world. Alliances made or broken. Wars started and won. Or lost. Entire civilisations wiped out or created. I no longer dismiss the powers of gods. I live in a surreal world, one that simply anything can happen within. It can be liberating, exciting, challenging and so very rewarding.

  And it can bring devastating loss.

  I woke with a start. No slow creep towards consciousness. My body and mind wanted to see what I had missed. My heart rate was thundering even as my eyes adjusted to the dimly lit room I had been secured in. Within seconds I had taken in the location; Michel's London home still. The time of day; night time, the shutters were up. And who was with me; Michel.

  I have only ever woken once from a coma-induced double Dream Walk and not had Michel at my side. And even then he had been resting in his own room, nearby. This time he was sitting on my bed, his hip against my side. He looked as exhausted as I still - strangely - felt.

  "What's been happening?" I demanded immediately, sitting up on pillows he had fluffed at my back. He handed me a glass of water to drink. It was sugary, I was guessing filled with electrolytes or something to help stimulate m
y body and replace anything I had lost.

  "We are at war," he said simply, his face remaining vampire-mask impassive. "You have been asleep for just two and a half days."

  My eyebrows raised. "That's faster than usual," I remarked. "How did you know to be here at exactly the right time when I awoke?"

  "I have not been far from your side. The Iunctio is currently being run from the parlour downstairs," he explained. "Besides, my vampyre-within was sure you were about to wake. The pull towards you was undeniably strong."

  I took another sip of the sugary drink to stall for time before asking the next question. Michel simply read the thought from my mind and saved me the bother of asking it aloud.

  "I have full control over him." His head cocked to the side slightly and his azure blue eyes swept over my body, but I got the distinct impression he wasn't looking at me, but around me. Maybe my aura?

  "What is it?" I asked, placing the empty glass on a side table. "What are you looking at?"

  He shook his head and sighed. "My vampyre-within is still extremely protective of you. Alarmingly so. I am afraid you will not be far from me, from now on."

  "You still don't know what the problem is though?"

  "He is being unusually... secretive. I think it amuses him." Michel looked disgusted at that idea.

  The relationship between a vampire and its vampire-within was a strange one. One could not exist without the other. And, as I have said before, Michel is the dragon and the dragon is Michel. But they do have separate sentient minds. What makes Michel vampire, comes from the dragon. So, it makes sense the dragon can do things, sense things, even see things, that the man cannot. Usually, the information - or perception of that thing they sense or see - is shared freely. But clearly there is occasion where the vampire-within chooses to keep things close to their chest.

  It boggles the mind. I can't help thinking that you'd feel like a parasite had taken up residence and you just had no choice but to put up with it. No wonder vampires wish for control in their environment so much, they battle for it daily within their bodies. Which is why some vampires are Darker than others. They lack the control to keep the vampire-within in line.