Shadow's Light

by Nicola Claire

  By lunchtime I was too wound up to eat what Sergei had prepared. Ham and cheese sandwich with a fruit salad on the side. It was then that Michel decided to do something to fill the remainder of the day. I wasn't sure if he just felt the need to distract me or himself. Or whether it was a planned action to help us in the long run. But he re-bonded with Marcus and Matthias.

  The blood bond of a master vampire and their line is just that. A bond created through the sharing of blood. It is very similar to an accord or a joining between a Nosferatin and a Nosferatu. A slice in the palm of the master, a corresponding slice in the palm of the vampire being brought under the line. They don't necessarily need to have been turned by the master, although that in itself is a blood bond as well. Marcus and Matthias had both been turned by Michel, but their bond had severed when Michel had been taken to Álfheimr. Part of the whole losing what he prized most. To be parted not only from me, but his vampires as well, was to weaken him. The Dökkálfa knew how to place a charm. Now, to re-establish that bond, the sharing of blood was required.

  Blood and a hell of a lot of Sanguis Vitam. Michel's Sanguis Vitam. It would have been impossible to hide that amount of vampire life force from the entire building, but Alain and Daniel did their best to ward the room and shield the power Michel was expending. I couldn't agree with his timing. I couldn't understand how he thought the risk was worth it. For the life of me, I couldn't see how the Champion wouldn't know that this was happening and wouldn't take advantage of it at all.

  It took more than twenty minutes for each vampire. Matthias went first, then Marcus. By the time it was over an hour had passed. Both Marcus and Matthias were tired, but comfortable. Their bond rekindled with their master outweighing any adverse effects. It was obvious they were content and at ease. Once again whole.

  But Michel, although trying his best to hide it from me, was exhausted. Maybe he had underestimated the amount of effort required. Maybe the stress of recent events had finally taken its toll. But try as he might to hide it from me, I could see he had been weakened and it had managed to cause a terrible dent to his power and strength.

  I quietly instructed Sergei to stand guard at the door. Alain and Daniel were maintaining a shield to the room, so sat motionless on their respective seats. Marcus and Matthias were not at full strength, but could manage to fight if needed, so I left them where they were. Both reclined bonelessly in their armchairs, happy grins upon their faces.

  I stood and went to Michel offering my hand. He looked up at me and one glance told him I knew. I knew how far he had pushed himself. And he knew how angry I was at that. He smiled ruefully, but took the offered hand and I led him into the bedroom and shut the door. It was now two in the afternoon. We had at best two hours before the Champion would call. Maybe more if she was following normal protocol. But I couldn't rely on it.

  I helped Michel onto the bed, removed my jacket and Svante sword. Then climbed up beside him and lay down moulding myself to his side. His arms automatically came around me, his face resting on top of my head. I felt him inhale deeply, moving his nose in amongst my strands of hair.

  “You're an idiot,” I said with feeling.

  He grunted in reply, too tired to even argue the point. I shifted position, bringing his face down to my neck. His breath was hot against my skin, but his fingers as they ran over my pulse point, beneath his lips, were stone cold. I closed my eyes and prayed to Nut that he had time to regain his strength.

  “Bite,” I commanded when the prayer was done.

  He didn't waste time. His fangs entered in a smooth glide through my skin. The sharp stinging sensation of the bite replaced with love and an apology for making me worry. I sighed at that emotion as it wrapped around me. Michel needed his vampires back in his line. Just like I needed to be with him. It was a compulsion he would have found hard to deny. But despite that knowledge, it didn't make my concern for his health and safety evaporate. I was still so angry that he had done it. Now had not been the time to lower his guard. To allow his sentiment to over take his intelligence.

  “You're a fucking idiot,” I whispered, a tear escaping the side of my eye. He pulled me closer, tucking my body nearly beneath the length of his own and continued to drink me down.

  Finally, he'd had his fill and he pulled back after licking the wounds. His eyes held mine for a moment, a wealth of unsaid words in that gaze. His love. His apology. His sadness that I was so upset. His promise that all was OK, even though I could tell he still wasn't one hundred percent.

  He opened his mouth to say something, but whatever it had been was drowned out by loud knocking on the door to main room, shouts and a command to “Open up in the name of the Champion. Prepare to be presented to the High Council of the revered Iunctio.”

  Crap. We'd run out of time just as I had guessed we would. The Champion knew we were now both compromised and was playing her ace.

  Chapter 35

  The Reveal

  “Merde,” Michel muttered under his breath, rolling off the bed and standing with vampire speed and grace. He only wavered briefly, a bare imbalance that he held in check before it threatened to topple him completely. His eyes flicked to mine. “Put your jacket on. Don't worry about your sword, they would not let you wear it in her presence anyway.”

  I stood and failed to stop the spinning. My ability to control the blood in my body not quite up to the same standard as his. He was beside me in an instant, another curse spilling from his lips. He knew as I did that we had walked into this and now would pay for our mistake. He helped me into my jacket without a word. The tension in his body rolled off him in waves of heat that prickled against my skin.

  I checked my pockets for my stakes and knife. Even if I couldn't have my sword while presented to the Council, they would allow me my stakes and knife. It was considered a Nosferatin right to be armed in front of vampires. Even here.

  We walked out into the tense environment of the main room. Marcus and Matthias both looked at full strength. Whether or not they actually were, I couldn't tell. Maybe they were hiding it. Maybe not. But the concern for their master was evident. As was Daniel's and Alain's.

  My guards fell in beside us, but I was surprised that Alain and Daniel remained behind. Then I supposed if they were in fact our back-up, having them removed from the initial scene was best. Michel could call upon them if required. Keeping them away made them seem less of a threat. Besides, although Alain and Daniel could no doubt defend themselves quite well, they weren't trained the same way that M&M were. Marcus and Matthias, despite perhaps not being at their best, were guards through and through. Their stance as they flanked us was alert, steady and powerful. Ready to act at a second's notice. Ready to serve and protect.

  Sergei followed behind us to cover our rear. My own vampire who was even more lethal than Marcus and Matthias combined. Having him with us eased a part of me I didn't want to admit. I may talk the talk about being able to protect myself, but when walking into the lion's den about to face the lioness, I'd take all the back-up I could thanks.

  The walk to the main Council room was a lengthy one. The Palais was large and the hallways complicated and long. Michel steadied me by a firm hold on my elbow. Nothing overtly obvious, but enough to stop me stumbling and showing how weak his recent feeding had left me. Usually I'd have time to recover. Maybe drink something or eat a few bites. But, the suddenness, the timing of our audience with the Champion meant I had not had a moment to recover at all. On Michel's part, he was hiding his weakness well. If I hadn't seen him imbalanced in the bedroom, I wouldn't have known he was not at full strength right now.

  I tried to follow his example. Straightening my shoulders and walking with purpose. I noticed a twitch at the corner of Michel's mouth. He knew me well and knew I was giving it my best shot. Also, unfortunately, he knew it was just a show. The moment I stepped in front of the Champion she would sense my loss of blood. Hell, she'd probably just pillage my mind to find out what she wanted to know. I sucked
in a steadying breath and bit my bottom lip nervously. All that mattered was getting Nataliya free and joining with Michel. I could handle being not at full strength, if those two things could be achieved.

  We paused outside the double doors to the Council chambers. Guards standing at attention on either side didn't even bother to frisk me. My jacket was well cut, beautifully designed to hide my stakes. But we all knew they were there. After a few seconds of telepathic communication between our escorts and those on the inside, the doors were opened and we walked in.

  The room had a high ceiling and ornate plasterwork. Cream walls and gold trimmings, it wasn't overdone, but set the tone nicely. Letting all who passed within know how powerful and omnipotent those on the Council seats were. The Council were all sitting in a row of twelve chairs. The Champion in the middle, on a slightly larger chair than the rest. I ran my eyes over the length of the display. There were two seats vacant, directly either side of the Champion's chair. A quick scan of those present told me who they had belonged to. The Pandora and the Tempest. Both Council members I had killed. And didn't that make me feel better?

  I was startled to see Gregor in his seat. Not only was he the Master of Wellington City, he was also the Enforcer on the Council. I hadn't realised he was no longer in New Zealand. I wondered when he had arrived. He flicked his eyes up towards mine and managed a brief smile, then returned his gaze to a steely blank mask matching those of the rest of the Council members.

  The only vampire on the Council I didn't recognise, was sitting where the Creator would be. The last Creator had died when Rogue vampires had tried to kill the Champion. I had been there and saw him fall. His position would be an easy one to fill. The Creator wrote the rules and maintained their efficacy. It had been a position that Michel had once held. I had no way of knowing if the new vampire was a potential ally. I decided to believe he was not. It was easy to do. All of the vampires on the Iunctio's Council were steeped in Darkness. The only ones to have more Light than Dark were the Enforcer, the Ambrosia and I guess now Michel, the Emissary. The rest were Dark and foreboding and quite capable of atrocious acts.

  I wondered, if Michel was to fill one of those empty seats, who would be filling the other. I couldn't imagine the Champion leaving the Council weak with an absence for too long. The fact that a position had been held open, after Michel had been considered dead for such a length of time, was amazing in itself. But with forceful vampires like the Foreteller in their ranks, it was possible that he had foreseen Michel's return all along. Who knew. He was a powerful Seer and even if he hadn't been able to tell the Champion exactly why to leave a position open, she would have followed his recommendation to do so.

  The rest of the row of Council members were made up of the Diviner; a vampire who could sense connections between people and who was always dressed in period clothing, long frock coats and aristocratic brooches on his lapels. The Keeper with his striped and striking head of hair and piercing blueberry blue eyes. The Imposter; capable of changing his appearance to any other. He could impersonate anyone. I thought perhaps he would make a better spy than most, but his job description obviously did not include killing on demand, otherwise why would the Champion have created Michel's new position? Next along the row was the Ambrosia, his sad, ancient eyes meeting mine. The Scribe who kept record of the Nosferatu history and the Nemesis, who had the ability to force people to take the wrong path and thereby bring them their due, made up the final two members. Both vampires I had met personally, only the Scribe I liked in the slightest at all.

  My perusal had been done in Nosferatin speed. It takes but a second for a Nosferatin to ascertain the hazards of a room upon entering. It is a skill we are born with. One casual glance and I new the positions of each guard, the weapons and potential threat they all posed. The sweep of my gaze over the row of Council members told me who was sitting where, what their Dark within entailed and how that could hinder my task at hand. Of course, I had no idea how the rest of this audience would play out. I couldn't spot Nataliya here and that one empty seat unaccounted for on the row in front of me left me worried. More worried than I should have been.

  Because it was obvious the Champion wanted me to notice it. Her position alone drew the eye to that seat. I knew instinctively that the other beside her was Michel's, but she wanted me to be aware of the remaining unattended chair.

  I let my eyes meet hers for the first time. She was the brightest star in the room, her aura one even I had no trouble spotting. She had originally appeared indistinct when I first met her. Something to do with not being able to ascertain what threat she posed. Not being able to understand who she was. I soon discovered she was dangerous and powerful and only after what would keep the Nosferatu safe. Once I had that clear in my mind, she no longer flickered before me or changed from transparent to solid with the shift of my head.

  She appeared no older than a child; petite, perfect and precise. Dressed today in a Snow White style outfit. Blue and yellow dress with white pinafore over the top. I expected to see a dwarf jump out at any moment to complete the scene. Her long curly black hair lay in ringlets down her back making her pale porcelain skin shine and stand out in stark relief against the darkness of her strands. If she'd had her hair in a shorter style she would have given Disney a run for their money. She was Snow White today. I wondered if she had eaten the poisoned apple or was saving it for me.

  I bowed at the same time Michel and our vampires did. Fists across our chests and heads down low. A formal greeting that could not be avoided in the Champion's presence. None of us rose, just awaited her response. She drew it out for a while, watching us like a cat would a mouse. Then finally with a wave of her hand she said, “Welcome.” As though this was a pleasant get-together over afternoon tea.

  We all straightened and waited for further instruction. You don't talk at the Champion, you delay until asked a question and then answer.

  “Michel, would you take your seat on the Council please.” Her voice was musical, like the tinkling of a chandelier. It reminded me of the Fey. It didn't carry the same power as their musical words did, but it left me feeling uncomfortable just the same.

  I could tell Michel did not want to leave me standing before the Champion alone. Not that I was alone, I still had Marcus and Matthias and Sergei at my back. So reluctantly he followed her orders and sat in the chair to her left. The Keeper was on the other side of him, stony faced, but relaxed.

  As soon as he sat, the Champion spoke again.

  “Marcus and Matthias, your master no longer requires your presence. Please vacate the room.”

  I held my breath, because this was it. She was stripping me of my protection, one by one. And we could argue, we could make a scene. But in the end she ruled here and we would have to do exactly what she asked anyway. Just suffer her wrath on the way. I waited for my guards to argue, but prayed that they wouldn't say a word. My prayers were heard, Michel no doubt instructing them telepathically to obey.

  And then there was one. Sergei stepped closer, but still remained at my back. She couldn't order him away, he was mine and I had every right to have him present in this situation. Of course, she'd planned this. And just then a guard brought Nataliya into the room.

  The breath I had been holding came out in a rush at the sight of Sergei's sister. My vampire. The whole reason I had put myself in this position in the first place. To free Nataliya. To protect her as her mistress should. I was relieved to see she was uninjured and noticed immediately that I could sense her cleanly down the connection we shared. She was no longer just calm. She was worried, scared and angry. All in equal measure. With a dollop of relief when she caught my eyes.

  The guards released her and she walked stiffly over to us. I immediately held out my hand and clasped hers. Our eyes locked on each other. I can't telepathically talk to my vampires like Michel can to his, but I hoped my words were obvious in the look I gave her now. I was happy she was in one piece, but I needed her to go. To take he
r brother and leave me to deal with this mess on my own. Having them here was too much of a temptation for the Champion. It would be easy to use both of them to get me to comply to her designs.

  Of course, even as I knew that was the only way forward, I knew the Champion had played me. The Champion counted on me sacrificing myself in order to protect my line. Nataliya read the message in my eyes clearly but adamantly shook her head from side to side.

  “I won't leave you, Mistress,” she whispered. But talking quietly in front of these vampires was a waste of time. So I didn't whisper back, but spoke at normal volume, with a hint of my Light to back it up.

  “Yes, you will. Sergei knows where to go. We will be there as soon as we can.”

  She fought my command, bless her. As Sergei had fought before in the room. But, they both knew I wouldn't back down and making me have to use more Light to send the message home would make me appear weak as their mistress. To have to resort to powers to get them to follow an order would let the Council know I did not have their respect. Respect of one's vampires was important to those in command. If my line was in order I was considered a worthy opponent. Perhaps appearing weaker would have been better. Or not. If I appeared weak there would be no room for negotiations. They would simply take what they wanted and to hell with the mess left in their wake.

  This way I held on to the thought that I could still bargain. That I could maybe turn this situation to my advantage. It was becoming obvious that the Champion had more at play here than I had anticipated. But no matter what, I couldn't allow myself yet to give up hope. To give up the hope that she would let me join with Michel and walk right out that door.