That's my girl!
Chapter 36
Fucking Vampires-Within
For a few brief moments we all forgot about death and war. We celebrated a beautiful kindred joining with two people who meant so much to us all. Nero's eyes were brimming with tears as he hugged his former protégée, whispering something personal in her ears, that none of us could hear. My heart had been through so much lately. Split in two with raw grief and now flying free, soaring with pure happiness at seeing Nero and Amisi embrace.
People who mean something to us are meant to attend our joining ceremony. For me, there had been no one. My family didn't know what I was, and my friend at the time was dead set against it. Amisi would have wanted her Nosferatin family, the community of Nosferatins that lived in Cairo, to attend. But time and current pressures meant that was impossible. Still, Nero being here meant something. More than just a connection to the Nosferatin Amisi had looked up to and loved. But also a connection to her family in Egypt. I was very pleased for her to have that.
We watched as vampires trailed past the two newly joined kindred, offering their congratulations - or for those under Gregor's line, their fealty - one by one. Michel kept his arms firmly wrapped around me, unable or unwilling in that moment to let me go. I knew we weren't out of the woods yet, in so many regards. Aside from the impending battle - hopefully the final battle - with Avery, we had the illness to contend with, and Michel's dragon-within's compromising overprotective leanings as well.
He'd been trying so hard to keep them in check, and anyone looking at us right now would have only assumed he was cuddling me for romantic reasons, at such a romantic event. But, I could tell it was more. A thrum of Sanguis Vitam pulsed through the Bond, probably not noticeable to any others in the room, but because we are connected and he held me so close, I could feel it. A warning to others to stay back - from me. His eyes were alternating between magenta and amethyst as he battled to stay in control. And a low, almost imperceptible growl was rumbling in his chest.
Plus, he couldn't stop running his fangs over my neck. It was a gentle, yet entirely possessive, move. Again, one that could be put down to the atmosphere and recent ceremony, but both Michel and I knew otherwise. I wanted to go hug Amisi and Gregor. Hell, I needed to. But, even as those thoughts entered my mind, Michel's grip tightened, his growl deepened, his Sanguis Vitam pulsed, and his fangs broke skin - just slightly, a warning to not run from him.
I kept my breathing steady and relaxed into his hold. I wasn't frightened of him. I was frightened others would see he was barely in control of his vampire right now. My eyes scanned the crowd, trying to make contact with Amisi, but she and Gregor were too busy greeting people and enjoying their new found connection. Finally I found Natalyia, who with one look at us both, knew we were in trouble.
Why Michel’s dragon-within decided now would be a good time to show his true colours, I don't know. But getting out of here was paramount right now.
Thankfully, within a few seconds Natalyia was at our sides.
"Mistress, can I be of assistance?" she asked quietly, leaning in to make her words even harder for others to detect.
"I'm not feeling well," I hedged, my instincts telling me to cover for Michel when surrounded by so many powerful vampires. "But I don't want Amisi and Gregor to be upset that I have not congratulated them. Would you mind relaying my best wishes." And in the process let Gregor know something was up.
"Of course," Natalyia replied smoothly, her eyes flicking to mine letting me know she understood the situation completely. "Do you require an escort to your chambers?"
I was sure Michel's Shadow Guards never left us, and right now any one else, even those blooded to protect me and therefore not threaten him, would probably cause more trouble than it was worth.
I smiled reassuringly and said, "We'll be fine. Just let Gregor and Amisi know." She nodded and flashed away, via Sergei and then surreptitiously to Alain, Michel's Second. No doubt making sure Michel's vampires were aware of what was happening, not taking any chance that he could still communicate telepathically with them.
I met Sergei's eyes as Michel started leading me out of the room, sending a message with my look to increase our guards, but stay back. One thing I could count on with my vampire security team, they were switched on and extremely good at what they did.
I breathed a little easier when we made it to the hallway, and easier still as we ascended the grand curving staircase up to our chambers on the top floor. Unlike Michel's house in London, we did not have the top floor to ourselves, but Michel made sure only his line were housed up here beside us. The Councillors and their lines had been housed in the lower floors and cellar. The Château was large, but even it wasn't big enough for all the inhabitants right now. The rooms were full to bursting.
As soon as we crossed the threshold to our room and the door clicked shut behind I pushed away from him, turning to see what colour his eyes were when they greeted mine.
Magenta.
"I need Michel," I said to his dragon-within.
"I am here, ma douce," he replied in a strained voice. "Just."
"What's going on?" I asked, my hands clenching and unclenching at my sides with my agitation.
"I am unsure," Michel admitted. "Save to say my vampyre-within wished to protect you in amongst the escalated Sanguis Vitam of that room. I can already feel him retreating now. I think..." he ran a hand through his hair, his shoulders relaxing slightly as he started to take his jacket and tie off, "that had you not been in my arms when the power accumulated, I may not have been able to keep him appeased."
Distance. It all fell down to that. I let a long breath of air out.
"The Sanguis Vitam wasn't threatening, but joyous," I advised him. "And maybe a little turned-on." Joining ceremonies did that to vampires, their hunger for power making their desire run a little rampant in light of the joined kindred Nosferatu's increasing Sanguis Vitam because of the blood exchange. Oh, and Amisi's blood on the air probably did it too. I remember those present at our ceremony responding to the smell of my blood when my palm was cut.
"Turned-on," Michel semi-repeated. "Exactly, ma douce. They were turned-on and my vampyre did not want you near them then."
Oh, that kind of made sense. I sat down into an armchair by the fire, relieved to have an answer that I could understand. I rubbed my stomach absently, nausea a constant companion right now, but adrenaline making it a secondary concern. Michel watched the movement, now relieved of his jacket and tie, and came to sit beside me in a chair.
A knock sounded on the door, startling me as I'd been staring unseeing into the flames of the hearth.
"Come in, Samson," Michel called a little wearily, clearly able to detect who was on the other side. I was impressed, and relieved, to see he was functioning appropriately again. I hadn’t been able to seek, so I wasn't quite there yet.
"Champion, Mistress," Samson said, bowing his head and remaining by the door, well out of reach and with easy egress available.
"It is safe to enter," Michel remarked, a slight bitter tone now lacing his words.
"What happened?" Samson asked, coming and standing by the fire, his eyes on me, searching for injuries, no doubt.
"Too much sexed-up Sanguis Vitam," I replied, suddenly feeling really hungry. Another positive sign that I could relax further. I snuggled into my armchair and curled my feet up beneath me.
The door opened before Samson could reply, Alain gliding through and coming to rest before Michel. I was sure he wouldn’t have entered unless Michel told him telepathically to do so. Obviously Samson drew the short straw to come in first, to make sure the coast was clear.
"What do you think it is?" Alain asked, face impassive, but voice showing his depth of concern. "Is your vampyre still secretive?"
"Extremely," Michel replied, that bitterness still tainting his tone. "Actually," he said more softly, "I get the impression he thinks I should understand what's going on. Clearly he does. B
ut he also believes it better if I don't join the dots right now."
I frowned at the flames in the grill.
"That would indicate what's happening has happened before and we should recognise it," I said. Thoughts of mind manipulations and Fey charms swirling in my head. We'd been down those paths before.
"But also, that it is not as concerning as we believe," Michel supplied, reaching over and grasping my hand as it lay unmoving on my arm rest. He ran his fingers over my knuckles in a movement he had done so many times before in the past. It was instantly soothing.
"How can he think that?" I asked, lifting my eyes to Michel's and noticing only a hint of mauve in their depths of blue.
"If it was life threatening, he would not keep this from me," Michel said simply. "In fact, that may be why he is keeping it from me."
"That's ridiculous!" I replied, almost succeeding in pulling my hand from Michel's grasp. "He's making it life threatening."
"Yes," Michel said soothingly, "he is making things complicated, but it is our reaction to the situation that is a concern, perhaps not the situation itself."
I breathed heavily for a few seconds, trying to get my anger and frustration towards Michel's misbehaving vampire-within under control. His vampire's behaviour was compromising us, so I was finding it difficult to agree with Michel on this. Regardless of the 'why', the 'what' was going to be the cause of our death. I was sure.
"Lucinda," Michel said placatingly, clearly having heard my thoughts. "There is no way my vampyre-within would behave in this fashion, if he considered what was ailing you would cause you harm."
"Then why behave this way at all?" I asked in exasperation.
"Because he cannot help it. He is vampyre," Michel said evenly, then added, "Because he has reason to."
I did manage to get my hand free then and even made it my feet to start pacing, but as soon as I stood, the nausea swelled up inside. I sobbed out a sound as bile rose up my throat, and ran to the bathroom and the waiting toilet bowl there. I made it in the knick of time, but there was nothing in my stomach to expel. Just disgusting bile and frantically increasing saliva. My body shook with the need to be sick, but even that was beyond me right now.
I slunk down on my butt on the tiles, crying miserably to myself, as Michel crouched down at my side. A wet cloth in his hand to wipe my face with. I pushed him away.
"I don't want you here right now, Michel," I said pitifully. "I'm pissed off at your vampire-within, and I can't bear being near him."
So much for not harming Michel with my fears. The look on his face was achingly heart wrenching. He was shocked to his core that I was asking him to leave, but also guilt ridden that he didn't have a firmer hand on his vampire-within. I vowed to kick that scaly bastard's backside when I next got the chance to see him in his realm. I even considered Dream Walking right then to get Michel's dragon to come out of his garden. But my anger was too great.
And my need for Michel to go too strong.
"Very well," Michel said in a rasp. "I will send Samson in to attend you."
I just nodded, tears running freely down my cheeks. Michel hesitated. I think he wanted to say something else, but for whatever reason he held his tongue and simply stood and walked away.
By the time Samson made it to my side, I was sobbing again. His calm presence the only thing that made the ache in my heart subside. It was still there, tearing at my chest, but with his soothing strokes across my back and his soft words in my ear, I finally managed to stop bawling enough to let him lead me into the bedroom again. It was only after he placed me in bed, that I realised Michel had really gone. He wasn't in our chambers, or even the attached sitting room anymore.
He'd done exactly what I asked, which only made my behaviour more appalling.
"I didn't realise it was so bad," Samson said from the chair beside the bed. "I understand now why you called me here."
He didn't seem relieved that he was needed. The acknowledgement that I was severely compromised and truly needed all the help I could get was too levelling.
"You know I would want you here permanently, if it was at all possible," I said softly, lying perfectly still to make sure the nausea didn't swell up my throat again. "Regardless of need," I added.
"I know," he said quietly, but didn't elaborate.
"You're the first of my line, Samson. Whether I should or not, I feel more for you than the others."
Samson's chocolate eyes met mine, a wealth of sadness there.
"The pull to you, as my Mistress, is strong," he admitted. "But it is the pull to your Light which saved me, which I think is stronger still."
"Maybe one day we can be in the same city," I mused.
"I will never leave her, despite the ache I feel at being separated from you."
"Then why the jealousy?" I asked, deciding to just get it all out there. Lay it bare. We may die tonight, things needed to be resolved.
"I cannot help it," he said softly. "My mind says one thing, my heart something else. And my vampire-within simply does not understand the difference."
"Fucking vampires-within," I said, but only half-heartedly meant it.
"Fucking mystical ties to your Mistress and unrequited love for a Nothus," Samson shot back.
"I feel like we should be toasting with drinks or something," I remarked.
Samson chuckled. "Here's to having your cake and eating it too," he suggested.
"Or, here's to being in two places at once."
"Killing two birds with one stone," Samson added and I started laughing.
"Getting the best of both worlds."
Samson shook his head. "You win." We both smiled to ourselves for a moment. "I will always want to be there for you, Lucinda," he said softly. "It is my burden to carry though, not yours."
"I wish... I just wish..."
"That everyone is happy and content in your world," Samson finished, not exactly the words I would have used, but the meaning was pretty bang on.
"Yeah, I guess I live in a dream world," I admitted. "But I do hate seeing you in pain."
"It is a pain I gladly bear, to still be on your emergency text list."
I smiled at him. "What are mistresses for, if not to make you use lethal Ley Lines just to come and hold her hand while she pukes in the loo."
Samson laughed, a nice deep rumble from the chest, letting me know my Samson was back in the room. We sat there in companionable silence, just the crackle of the fire to interrupt our thoughts. It was such a relief to be in Samson's presence and not feel that weight of his upset on my mind. He would, no doubt, continue to resent being apart from me. But like he said, we have no choice. Just the choice to accept it for what it was. I hoped his vampire-within was better equipped to accept it now that we had talked.
Because there was no way I would be living in Auckland again, and I doubted Gigi would stray far from her home town to be near the Iunctio. Even an Iunctio that was turning Light.
A small knock sounded on the door then, disturbing my thoughts of the Nothus and the reaction to her kind by Nosferatu. Natalyia walked in with a tray of food. For a moment I froze, unsure if I could handle Russian soups and normally delicious, but right now unappetising, flat-bread. But what greeted me as she set the tray down on my lap, after Samson fluffed my pillows like a mother hen, was not Russian cuisine. Hell, I don't even know where it originated from, but it was perfect.
Deep fried, battered pineapple rings, coated in sugar. With a side order of chips. Perfect. She'd even forgone my usual coffee and brought me water instead. I could have kissed her.
"Oh, Natalyia. Thank you," I said with meaning.
"You're welcome, Mistress," she answered, taking a seat on the other side of the bed.
"What's happening down there?" I asked around a mouthful of bliss. "Still celebrating?"
"Gregor and Amisi have retired to their guest room," she replied in her steady, unflappable Russian accented voice. Samson and I chuckled at the implied activities of the
newly weds. Natalyia didn't join in. "The London and Parisian Nosferatins have arrived." Good news. I should go meet them. After my pineapple rings. "Nero is preparing to leave on sunset for the rendezvous with the Interrogator and Viktor."
"What?" I exclaimed, bits of half eaten pineapple landing on my plate and tray. I quickly wiped away the evidence of my terrible eating habits. "What's this now?"
"They have fallen for the ruse," Natalyia said, now a smile graced her lips. "Nero intends to meet them a few miles away at a Ley Line junction. And lead them here."
Suddenly the pineapple rings weren't as appetising anymore. I pushed the tray to the side. At least I'd managed two and half rings in the short time she'd been here. I hadn't touched the chips though.
"They fell for it?" I said, stunned.
"Hook, line and sinker, I believe the saying goes." Natalyia was in her element. The battle loomed and her Sire was about to meet his end. As far as she was concerned, anyway. I admired her positive outlook. It didn't settle my stomach though.
"I'd better get dressed," I said, moving to the side of the bed to stand. No way was I meeting Avery's remaining army dressed in a satin purple sheath of a dress. Samson immediately reached out to steady me, which was fortunate because the world turned a little dim. I didn't let them know it.
"I'm fine," I insisted, after blinking away the black dots before my eyes.
"Mistress," Samson said in a low voice, clearly not believing me. "Perhaps you should stay in the Château."
"I'm the Prophesied," I pointed out to him. "I don't cower in the house while my people lay down their lives for the Light."
"Even so, Mistress," Natalyia said, siding with Samson against me. "You are clearly not well enough to fight. It would be unwise to go out there."
The shutters whirred up, announcing the sun had set, making both vampires' Sanguis Vitam rise in increasing alarm. Time wasn't on our side.
"Regardless," I said, through gritted teeth. "I will not meet this battle in a satin dress."
"Very well," Natalyia said, flashing to the wardrobe and returning with my normal hunting attire, plus my Svante sword in its sheath.
Kiss of the Dragon Page 36