Kiss of the Dragon

by Nicola Claire

  "And you think he will simply believe you are still his, when you fought against them in Paris?" I asked, incredulously. "He will know you are on our side."

  "No doubt," the Ambrosia said, entering the conversation for the first time since I arrived. "But have you not heard of the term: double agent, Prophesied?"

  Huh. I frowned as I thought that through. Nero would make a perfect double agent. He was once on Avery's - or at least Viktor's side - but now was on ours. But he would need a reason to betray us now, after getting everything he desired. His freedom from the Puppet Master and a kindred to double his powers. I couldn't see it. I shook my head, betraying my doubt.

  "You lack imagination," the Ambrosia said, but despite the accusing words, he said it gently, as though he was fond of me regardless of this fault.

  "I just can't see it working, Ambrosia," I said with an apologetic smile.

  "No, you are too close to see what other's would believe," the Ambrosia remarked, but didn't explain further. Instead he picked up a tumbler of amber liquid - probably whiskey, the vampires' preferred alcoholic drink - and started to sip it whilst staring at the fire.

  I glared at Michel, who looked like a man with his head on the chopping block. His eyes flicked over the Ambrosia, a flash of magenta letting us all know he didn't appreciate being dropped in it by the ancient vampire.

  He cleared his throat. "Viktor and Avery are aware of Nero's history with you," Michel said and then offered a self deprecating smile. "And with me," he added. I blinked slowly at him, already getting where this was going. "He will attempt to make them believe he is unhappy with our relationship. That is the relationship between you, me and him."

  "The proverbial love triangle," I remarked, arching my brow at Michel. Nero, Michel and I had never been a love triangle, despite Nero's feelings for me at the time. I didn't reciprocate, therefore a triangle we did not make. But, I admitted to myself, that others could have seen it as that.

  "What about Sophie?" I asked, because to make this work, Nero had to act as though he was still in love with me. Which he wasn't. Sophie was his heart's desire now and probably made what he had felt for me, inconsequential.

  "They believe," Nero answered, "from what I have heard, that my joining was for power only. To give me the necessary boost required to break Viktor's hold."

  "Don't they know about my Light?" I asked. It had been my Light, after all, that broke Viktor's hold.

  Nero and Michel both shook their heads. But Nero answered again. "The joining took place within a day of your Light's influence. One power-filled event occludes the other. And as I am joined, they have assumed it was because of that."

  I let a long breath of air out. "OK. Go for it," I said, thinking we might as well try.

  Michel's lips twitched, but it was the Ambrosia who replied. "So glad we have your approval, Prophesied." Again the words were said with dry humour, not a sting in sight. I smiled back at the ancient vampire winningly, and received a chuckle and shake of his head in return.

  "I shall make the call," Nero announced and having received various nods of heads, left the room.

  "Where are we with preparations to defend the Château?" the Creator asked.

  "My daytime guards have been tripled and prepared," Michel answered. "And on nightfall, we will have two hundred more vampyres onsite to raise arms."

  My eyes met Michel's. Had he called in some markers to get more here? I knew all of his vampires available were already in the building, as well as all of Gregor's and the other Councillors'. Clearly they had been calling all their nearby lines to them while I had been out. One hundred odd vampires were roaming the shuttered halls of Le Château. Three hundred vampires in total by tonight. That was one hell of an army, when Avery's had been decimated to such a degree in Paris.

  Could we actually win this?

  "The London ghouls have crossed the Channel," Michel said, directly to me in answer to my thoughts. "We have all called on our accord partners. If ever there was a time to fight together for a good cause, this is it."

  And it was. Avery threatened the very existence of all Nosferatu as we knew it. Michel may have drastic plans for their future, our future, but Avery's plans were full of Dark not Light. Even today's vampires, on the whole, would not want an utterly Dark existence. With more and more Nosferatins being born and joining, slowly the tide had been changing.

  Slowly Light had been outshining the Dark. But now Avery threatened it completely.

  "What about Nosferatins?" I asked. If the Nosferatu could unite, couldn't we?

  "That is exactly what we hoped you'd say, Prophesied," Gregor announced from my side.

  "I'll get on the line to Yves and Arthur. Maybe even those in Rome could make it here by nightfall."

  "Agreed," Michel said. "We cannot be more prepared than this."

  Speaking of preparations.

  "Right, I'll make some phone calls now, but before we all face off against the Plucking Pervert and his Evil Puppet Master mate," - I received several raised eyebrows at those nicknames - "we have a celebration to undertake. In the formal lounge in one hour."

  Gregor paled considerably, visibly swallowing past his dry throat. I had to stifle a laugh at his less than enthusiastic reaction. I knew it wasn't because he didn't want to join with Amisi, the man was crazy in love with the girl. No, this was nerves, pure and simple. Gregor, the Enforcer, the Iunctio's Guillotine, was shit scared of marrying my best friend.

  "Michel," I said, standing to go make my various pitches to the Nosferatin leaders close enough to respond to our call.

  Michel nodded, understanding my unspoken - or un-thought - request.

  "I will have him there, ma douce," he said with a cheeky grin. "Even if I have to drag him."

  "I'll help!" the Ambrosia offered, sounding way younger than his many years.

  I gave Gregor a consoling smile, but couldn't stop laughing as I walked from the room. Time to man up, Enforcer, I threw at him, knowing he'd be unable to avoid my thought.

  It took the full sixty minutes for me to coax the European Nosferatins close enough to respond. Aside from the language barrier with the Italians, I had to give in-depth detailed reports to each group on what had happened so far, and what I predicted would happen from here on in if Avery won this war. In the end, it wasn't really that difficult to convince them to agree to help. It could have been because I am their Prophesied and they actually listened to what I had to say, but I think it was more to do with evidence. Everyone had heard of what had happened in Paris. Including what Avery and Viktor had done to the ghouls.

  The entire Parisian ghoul population had been destroyed. Over one hundred ghouls in total and not one left standing, because they wouldn't have stopped trying to kill us until Avery - or Viktor - was dead and the compulsion to do so broke. It was... mind numbing, shocking in the extreme. We all felt the loss keenly, even if we didn't like them overly much.

  Arthur and his team were setting out to Saint-Geoire-en-Valldaine immediately, as were Yves and his team of hunters from Paris. The Parisians' enthusiasm to join the fight at my side making me wonder if we'd actually had that disastrous meeting at all. Somehow I had won them over and I think I had Yves to thank for most of that. The Italians had further to travel, so would be later arriving, perhaps even after the sun set. But they were keen to add what aid they could, and as a back-up when we may well be waning, their fresh faces would be welcomed.

  I didn't know the Rome Nosferatins well, only one of them: Marco. But I had saved Marco's life, so their desire to help me, on top of helping the Light win over the Dark, was palpable. I didn't dare tell them that the vampire who had just about drained Marco dry was here as well. Gregor had changed a lot since that day. And he'd found his one Nosferatin who called to him above all others.

  Which brought me to now. Walking into the formal lounge, decorated in beautiful white flowers from Kathleen's garden and greenhouse, where everyone who knew them waited for Amisi and Gregor t
o arrive. Unlike Norm weddings, the 'bride' and 'groom' enter together for a kindred joining. A united front from the very start. Together they are stronger, apart they grow weak.

  My eyes sought Michel out immediately, and before I'd sucked in a breath at how good he looked in a tuxedo, I was already at his side.

  "Did I just flash here?" I asked breathlessly, blinking at my change in position from a second ago.

  Michel smiled down at me, his arms already wrapped around my frame, his body flush against mine.

  "You may have," he admitted. His voice was huskier than usual. Did my speed turn him on or was it my need to be at his side? His smile broadened, but he didn't confirm one reason over the other.

  I pulled my gaze away from him as I had to look around the room and take in all the hard work from earlier today. Amisi, Sophie, Natalyia and I had spent two hours decorating this room. It looked wonderful. Copious amounts of white candles flickering on every surface. White petals draped over the furniture and the floor, and white blooms - roses, tulips, daisies, pansies, bryonies, daffodils and orchids - springing out in glorious arrangements from every corner. Even though Kathleen was not here to see this, she was here in the fragrance of the flowers throughout the room.

  I blinked away tears at the thought and returned my gaze to Michel, who hadn't taken his eyes off me since I arrived.

  "You look stunning. Utterly beautiful," Michel whispered, his arms tightening a fraction on those words.

  I'd quickly donned a dress for the occasion, a simple satin sheath in a deep purple that matched Michel's dragon's eyes. My dancing dragon necklace hung proudly and beautifully in the centre of my chest as well, adding a dash of bling to the occasion. But that was it. Amisi would be dressed up to the nines though. Sophie and Natalyia helped her out with that while I dealt with the Council and calling the Nosferatins. So, I hadn't seen what they had chosen for her to wear. She had full run of my wardrobe, not having many clothes here herself, and would have had to alter something. Amisi is a fair few inches taller than me.

  But even if Amisi walked in right at this second, I was sure Michel would still think I was the most beautiful woman in the room. He made me feel that way too. How he looked at me as though he wanted to sink into my eyes. As though he couldn't breathe without having me at his side.

  As though he wanted to devour me.

  "Michel," I whispered, about to tell him off for being so blatantly hungry in front of so many vampires in the room. But the words were lost when he pulled me closer still, nuzzled his face in the crook of my shoulder and neck, and without hesitation sunk his fangs into my skin.

  I had thought I'd keep him on his toes, make sure he never tired of the chase. Yet here he was stunning me. Bending me over as he drank down my blood like a fine wine. One hand supporting my back, up into my hair. The other running seductively down my side, skimming the length of the satin sheath. I'd even lifted a leg, like some movie maiden being kissed senseless on the Big Screen.

  A few manly chuckles could be heard around us, but otherwise no one paid much attention at all.

  It is a joining ceremony, ma douce, Michel said in my mind, surprisingly keeping the bite loving and beautiful, but not overtly sexual in nature. All those with kindred will be reminded of their own joining. I pity the ones who did not have as joyous a ceremony as ours.

  He continued to drink me down, but it was slowly. As though he was savouring every single drop.

  You bit me then too, I reminded him, my hands having found their way into his hair and revelling being there.

  And did much more after the event, Michel supplied, withdrawing his fangs and licking the bite wound closed with infinite care. He righted me, his arms still firmly holding me against him, letting me know the bite, or the memory of our activities after we joined that first time, were having an effect on his body right now. He moved me to a better position, to hide evidence of his wayward thoughts.

  "Do you intend to do more of the same after this one?" I asked aloud. Michel just chuckled and leaned in to kiss me lightly on the lips. I took that as a 'yes'.

  "Are you well?" he asked, as his eyes ran over my face. He suddenly looked worried. Maybe from the idea that feeding from me could make the illness worse. Surprisingly, it didn't. It made me feel better. Much better, in fact.

  He smiled broadly.

  "Well then, I'll make sure not to miss an opportunity to indulge in your blood," he purred, running a finger down the length of my neck.

  "I think I might insist," I replied, realising that I really was feeling better than I had in days. Michel had been careful with his feeds recently, plus we had been busy or I had been unconscious. Neither making it easy for us to enjoy our normal nightly ritual. I was thinking that needed to change, if the way I felt after one delicious bite made this much difference.

  We both started grinning like the love-sick fools that we are at that thought. Anticipation making my pulse beat rapidly and Michel’s eyes shine bright. Magenta flashed across them, letting me know his vampire-within was on-board with our plans.

  It was with those silly grins and the promises in our eyes that Amisi and Gregor finally arrived. Michel spun me around; my back to his chest, his arms wrapped around me from behind, so we could watch our closest friends share blood, become kindred, and show the world how strong they are as one.

  I was so excited for Amisi. This was something she had desired for some time. It's not that Gregor didn't want it. He'd just been petrified to want something and find out he couldn't have it in the end. Gregor had been a hedonist in the past. He had taken enjoyment wherever he found it and didn't think twice. But with Amisi, so much was riding on their compatibility. I don't think he had ever wanted something so much before. And yet that depth of need, made it so very hard to take what he wanted the most in the end.

  But here they were. Staring up at each other adoringly as the Ambrosia offered a stainless steel knife on a shining tray. They looked perfect together. Gregor in a dark grey suit and silver tie that matched the platinum shining in his grey eyes. And Amisi in a stunning, off the shoulder, short silver dress, that displayed her long legs consummately. I knew it had been lurking in the back of my wardrobe, but it just wasn't my colour. For me it's black or black. Or if something really special is happening, I'll branch out to a shade of purple.

  For Amisi, silver was sensational. Her long dark hair hanging loosely down her back, her caramel coloured skin gleaming in the candlelight. Her beautiful almond shaped eyes dusted in a smoky grey, completing a picture of perfection. She was breathtaking.

  Tears began to streak down my face and my heart swelled for my best friend. This was it. Amisi wouldn't fully mature until her twenty-fifth birthday, which was still a couple of years away. But she would be joined. She would have her kindred. And I couldn't think of anything more wondrous for my girl.

  A kindred joining, when done right - and let's face it, Amisi and Gregor were so right - was a splendid thing. I'm not talking about the power it creates. Nor the status. I'm talking about that connection, that goes beyond mere love and affection to something so very deeply bound to the core of each of us. If one dies, the other dies too. And I truly believed that had nothing to do with any supernatural contract between Nosferatin and Nosferatu back in the day, as Michel had once said. But having now learned about Twin Souls and how the first vampire came into existence, I knew that even if that 'clause' didn't exist for joined kindred, we'd want to die anyway when they did.

  It was beyond love. Beyond need. It was simply the most perfect relationship one could share with another. And our Goddess had given it to us.

  I watched as Gregor didn't hesitate to slice his palm. Now the moment was upon him, nothing would hold him back from claiming his kindred. I cried even more tears as Amisi smiled coyly back at him, running the knife down her palm so slowly, as though to tease. He growled low in response, making a few people chuckle in the crowd. But the final laugh was on him.

  Because he grasp
ed Amisi's hand before the knife had made it to the Ambrosia's tray again and crushed his lips to hers. Their blood mingled, Light streamed through the room, and Sanguis Vitam sang on the air. The vampires responded with their own Sanguis Vitam rising in return, the Nosferatins let out a little extra Light too. And still Gregor kissed her like a starving man.

  Nut was here, I was sure. A feeling of such happiness and wellbeing flooding us all. Amisi deserved to have the Goddess attend her joining, but I think maybe Nut saw this as a chance to touch each one of us, before we went to war one last time. I sent a silent prayer out to her, to watch over my friends. I didn't get a reply, but I knew she'd heard. Light pulsed blindingly bright white for a second and then the room was aglow with the soft muted yellow of the candles again.

  Gregor pulled back from Amisi's mouth long enough to kiss down her cheek, over her chin, and lovingly down her neck. We all knew what was about to happen and I felt the excitement, the anticipation, escalate in the room. Michel pulled me closer and ran his own lips over the skin at the side of my neck.

  And then Gregor bit Amisi and everyone held their breaths.

  A kindred joining ceremony can be very sensual, depending on the relationship the compatible kindred had. Mine and Michel's had been fraught with sexual tension, which was displayed at our joining for all to see. Amisi and Gregor had been in a long standing sexual relationship, so their coupling wasn't quite the same.

  But things can happen at a joining, when Sanguis Vitam is doubling and barely in control, and a Nosferatin is joining with her heart's desire. Great things can happen.

  We felt the swell of power as Gregor infused his bite with Sanguis Vitam, marking Amisi as his own. And we watched as her Light snaked out entwining them both in reply, then removing my Sigillum completely from around Gregor's eyes and replacing it with her own. I'm not sure she would have been able to do that at any other time. But their power was so great upon joining, for this brief moment in time, the impossible was made possible.

  And Amisi made Gregor all hers... and no one else's.