Forbidden Drink

by Nicola Claire

  He stared at me long and hard and then gave a short nod and turned away. In his wake I felt his power wash around me, almost stripping me bare. What the fuck? This guy was definitely more of a concern than twenty minutes ago. Did Michel know how strong he was?

  It was as if thinking of Michel opened up a door I hadn't realised was closed. And it wasn't one I had closed either. It was Michel, trying to keep me out of his head. Not that I'd been going there a lot lately, but he obviously didn't want to risk an unannounced visit. Too late, I was screaming down the tunnel towards him and all I could see at the other end was his fear and pain and a whole lot of fucked off-ness.

  And he wasn't alone.

  There were Taniwhas around him. And lots of them.

  Chapter24

  We Meet Again Old Friend

  I stumbled against the table and let out a gasp. Michel was hurt and chained, silver I think and he was pleading with me not to come.

  Amisi was on her feet, stake out at the same time that Erika spun around to look at me, Svante still at the ready.

  “What is it?” They both said in unison.

  “Michel.” It was a whisper, but the entire room stilled and sprang to alert.

  Jett was beside me in an instant. “Where? What does he need? He hasn't called to us, is he out cold?”

  I took several shattering breaths in, trying to stop my world from spinning out of control. Oh God, Michel. Oh my God.

  “Where's Bruno?” As his second in command I wanted Bruno here, he'd know what to do.

  “He went out with Michel earlier this evening, neither said where they were heading.”

  I held my hand up to Jett to stop him continuing and let myself sink into the Bond connection and go to Michel.

  Is Bruno still with you?

  He grimaced as I spoke in his mind, I'm not sure if it was from the pain of my voice in his head or the fact that I had come to him, even metaphysically, when he so obviously didn't want me involved.

  His reply made me collapse to the floor.

  No. He has met the final death. I felt his pain at the words, I felt his desolation at the loss of a close ally and friend. I felt his heart weeping.

  And mine wept with him too.

  I'm coming for you, stay strong.

  No, Lucinda! That is what they want, they want you. They won't kill me until they have you. When you turn up they will stake me, just to watch you die.

  As far as plans went, it was a pretty good one. How could I stay away from Michel when he was like this? Yet, how could I go to him knowing this would lead to his death as surely as if I thrust the stake in myself?

  There was no simple answer, but the only path was the hardest. I had to stay away. I knew without a doubt that Rick and his Taniwhas would stake Michel as soon as I arrived in that clearing and because he and I were joined - and Rick knew this - I would die too. They were all on Hapū land, they knew the terrain well, they had laid the trap, but how had they caught Michel?

  Call all your vampires to Sensations, Michel. I'll stay away, but let them come get you.

  I could feel his relief at my words, not the vampires part, but me saying I would stay away. That's why he hadn't called them yet, he knew I would have just come running, now at least he had convinced me to stay safe.

  The vampires in the room shifted suddenly and I heard Jett beside me say, “He's summoned us to you here.”

  Go, ma douce. I cannot concentrate on you and the Taniwhas at the same time. Je t'aime, ma belle.

  I love you too.

  I fell back out of the link and into chaos.

  “Jett, you're temporary 2IC.” The room stopped in motion, the realisation of my words sinking in immediately. We had lost Bruno. But I couldn't afford to dwell on that right now. There would be time enough to grieve later, hopefully. “How long until the bulk of Michel's line gets here?”

  He coughed slightly, obviously trying to come to terms with his new, albeit, temporary promotion. I knew Jett was who Michel favoured as his next in command under Bruno. He had spoken of it to me before. Despite Jett being from another line originally, he had proven loyal and strong. He carried himself with an air of regal standing, Michel was always his Master, not just Michel. He believed in the sanctity of a family line, he had pledged himself wholeheartedly to Michel's. If Michel trusted him, so could I.

  “Another ten, maybe fifteen minutes. The command was urgent. They will sense the repercussions. They will know our master is in peril.”

  I just nodded, still sitting on the floor. I seemed to have lost all ability to use my legs. It was Erika and Amisi who helped me into a chair. Jett sat down next to me at the table, as did Amisi and Erika, then out of no where, Doug slipped a Bacardi and Coke in front of me and simply said, “Drink.”

  I didn't argue, I downed half of it in one go, before realising it wasn't a double, or a triple for that matter, it was practically a Bacardi with a hint of Coke. Still, I needed the wakeup call and once I got the the sudden influx of watery tears in my eyes under control, I felt the warmth of the alcohol seep through me, warming me up and making me clear headed and ready to face the minutes ahead. Doug, a man of little words, but great virtue. He knew exactly what I had needed.

  “He's being held on Hapū land at Whenuapai. You know where that is?” I asked Jett.

  He nodded. “We've had it surveyed. Michel has never felt confident with their compliance. We know the layout of the land, even if we haven't ventured on it before.”

  “Don't get too cocky, they live and breathe that forest surrounding their homes. They could run in it blindfolded and they are fast.”

  “You escaped.”

  I hadn't realised Michel had told anyone about that. “Well, I was lucky and I think we're going to need a bit of luck tonight.”

  He nodded again. A good soldier.

  “He's in the clearing, by the houses in the middle of the land. They've got him strapped to a table top, silver chains across his entire body.”

  There was an audible gasp in the room, the vampires cringing and looking stricken.

  “How much damage will the chains do?” I asked quietly.

  Jett flicked a glance at Erika, I didn't see her response, too busy looking at him. She must have given an indication to go ahead and tell me. Good girl, I didn't need protection from the truth, not now.

  “If he is at full strength, then he will be ale to tolerate them for a few hours, but he's been gone since sundown, so we can assume he's been there at least one hour already. And as to if he is at full strength, you would probably know that better than I.”

  I felt my shoulders sag in defeat and couldn't bring myself to look at Amisi. Her hand came out and clasped mine, offering a meagre amount of support.

  “OK,” Jett said, equally as quietly as I had. “I'll take that as not at full strength then.” He paused. “In that case, he will be suffering and the longer he is under silver, the more damage it will be doing to his Sanguis Vitam. If he is left there too long, even a stake won't be necessary. His flesh will begin to melt where the silver touches and the contamination will quickly spread. He will be using everything right now to stop its progress.”

  I couldn't hear anything else for a moment, there was a thudding in my ears, a thumping that drowned out all other sound. It took a moment for me to realise it was my heart and it was racing. My Michel. In pain, suffering. I tried not to let the images of Jett's words play out in my head. It would do no good to succumb to the grief and heartache I felt knocking at my door. If we were going to get Michel out, I needed to stay strong and focused. I needed to give him strength.

  I brushed at non existent tears and took another swig of my drink. Fortification, I told myself.

  “There are approximately fifty fully grown shape shifters, I'm not sure how many were surrounding them, but at a guess I could see twenty, all in Taniwha form. The rest may be spread out on the land, but that's just a guess. I could only see Michel and those nearest him.”

&nb
sp; “All right, that's enough to go on. I have a plan of attack. Michel and Bruno had already thought of events such as these, however, it was always under the assumption they would be coming to rescue you, Luce, not the other way around.” He stood up and turned to speak to the whole room then. “We'll be approaching from several directions in a unified attack. It'll be a snatch and grab. We're not concerned with taking them out at this point, that can come later. For now, the priority is Michel and getting him and us out of there in one piece.”

  He looked down at me then and in a quieter voice said, “You up to this, Luce?”

  And now the truth. They wouldn't even have me.

  I took a deep breath in. “I won't be going. The moment they spot me there, they intend to stake him. Their goal is to watch me die and they have chosen to use Michel as the weapon.”

  Jett just nodded. “Enough said. I'll leave a contingent of guards here with you.”

  “No. There's no need. You'll all be needed for this. Amisi will be here with me.”

  “And me, chica,” Erika said laying a hand on my shoulder.

  But I couldn't have that, could I? She was probably the best suited to this type of job out of all of us. Wielding those swords of hers, slashing and hacking her way through the throng to get to him. I stood up and turned to her, clasping both her hands in mine.

  “No Erika. Bring him home to me.” I looked her in the eyes and let mine tell her how much I was depending on her for this, because I couldn't do it, she had to do it for me. I wouldn't trust any other to the task. If I couldn't go, then she had to in my stead.

  She nodded slowly. “I will bring him back.”

  The club was of course shut to the public, every one of Michel's vampires going on the rescue mission. Numbers would be needed, this was no stealth job, they planned on making maximum chaos in a minimal amount of time. Erika was the one responsible for reaching Michel, Jett would be at her back. The rest were to scatter the Taniwhas and keep them all busy.

  The attack would happen all at once but from several different egress points. All in all, there were some 70 of Michel's vampires who were able to respond to his call. He has more in his line and they would have felt the call too, but they either lived overseas, or too far away in NZ to make it in time. Jett warned me though, that some may still arrive and come knocking on the door, so not to be surprised.

  With that, they were gone, in a caravan of sleek black Land Rover Discoveries travelling at warp speed nine towards Whenuapai. I pitied any cops who tried to pull them over, they looked formidable and scary as hell. All of them dressed in dark clothing, intent on staying camouflaged with the night.

  I spent the first ten minutes after they left praying to Nut and God and anyone else who would hear and trying to send power and Light down the connection to Michel. I have no idea if it worked, or if the Bond was just doing it anyway, taking what Michel needed to stay alive until they got there. I just had to trust that it knew what it was doing and would look out for him as it had looked out for me.

  Amisi poured me another drink. She had some skills behind the bar, which surprised me, I really hadn't seen that coming from a young Egyptian girl, but then, I was coming to realise there was more to Amisi than meets the eye. Egyptian or no, she was quite capable of doing whatever the hell she set her mind to. I couldn't have thought of a better person to be flatting with me right now. My life was, once again, turning into a danger zone. Warning Will Robinson kind of scenario. Anyone who got close to me, needed to be able to take care of themselves. At least Amisi could do just that.

  We had one phone call from Jett to say they were all staged and about to strike, then it was just a waiting game. I tried to feel Michel, I tried to sense him, hear him, go to him down that line that connects us, but all I got was fuzz and white noise, as though the antenna was busted. He had to still be alive, because I was, but anything other than that was pure conjecture. I had no idea and it was eating me up inside.

  Amisi had stopped talking to me, had stopped trying to fill the silence and was instead talking quietly on her cellphone. I had no doubt it was to Nero, keeping him abreast of the situation, maybe just seeking council and comfort of sorts. Who knows, maybe she was checking on a vampire back there that she was attached to and wanted to join with. I didn't know, but she kept her voice low and made sure I didn't hear.

  Not that I was paying too much attention. I was too busy flipping my car keys in my hand. Michel has tried to gift me many things over the years that I have known him, from roses and jewellery, to the latest being the car. The only thing I had on me right now that he had given me was the car keys, so they were the things I was fingering, tossing up and down, smoothing my fingers over the key ring. Those and his marks.

  I don't know how loved ones manage to sit outside the operating theatre and wait for news of their beloved. It is torture, it is Hell on Earth, it is not right. Nobody should have to wait this long to find out the answer. At least for me, if he died I would too. I knew I'd go to Nut, I've been there before, I've met her, I've heard the children laughing. So I knew what awaited me, to some degree. What I didn't know was whether Michel would be there too. He hadn't been when I visited with my goddess mother, so where do the Nosferatu go when they meet the final death? Do they have somewhere just for them? And if so, does that mean I will live eternity without him on the other side?

  I couldn't stand that thought. I couldn't bear to be parted from him? Funny, isn't it? Here I am trying to be independent, trying to have distance between us, so I can go out there and do whatever the hell it is I am meant to be doing, without him worrying like a mother hen. And yet the thought of not having him beside me for eternity when I die was excruciatingly painful.

  Part of me realised I needed to make better use of the time we had together alive, before I started worrying about the afterlife. Let's just hope I got a second chance at that then.

  It had been 25 minutes since Jett had phoned, so they would be at war, there would no doubt be casualties, who would we lose? But, the more time it took, the longer Amisi and I sat there, the more desperate I became. Why had Jett not phoned yet? Was Erika OK, was he OK? How about Shane Smith and Doug the barman? And even Dillon bloody Malone? Not knowing was torment. I started pacing, wringing my hands, which quite frankly is a miracle I hadn't started doing that before now, but my patience had finally worn out at the half hour mark. Shit. What now?

  There was a sudden rapping on the door to the club. Amisi and I both jumped where we were standing. She was off the cellphone now and had just been staring into space, probably trying not to think of anything, just like I had, but she was closer to the door than me.

  “Probably one of Michel's late comers,” I offered and she went to the door.

  Unfortunately, there isn't a peep hole in the front door to the bar, and no windows to look out of, they are all painted over in black. It didn't even register for a second that she should ask first, who was on the other side. Neither of us contemplated it being a problem. If it wasn't a vampire, then it was probably a Norm, wanting to know why the hottest club in town was closed up like Mt Eden Prison on a Friday night.

  She went through the internal door and it swished closed behind her. A safety measure if the doors are opened during sunlight hours, one door always shuts before the other opens, so no light can spill into the room and toast a vampire. The ante chamber is big enough for a few people to mill around in, before being admitted into the bar proper.

  She had been gone a minute before I started to get a bad feeling. Not really that long, but my nerves were already on a razor thin edge as it was and no noise and no reappearance straight away, just had me hiking up the adrenaline all over again. I started to head toward the door when it opened slowly towards me. I briefly felt relief, only to have it completely dashed by abject fear.

  In walked Rick with his arm around Amisi's throat, holding her in a deadlock, her feet scraping across the floor, her fingers scratching at his thick forearms and
having little effect on him at all.

  I didn't reach for my Svante, I didn't flick out a silver knife and a stake would do fuck all. I just held my breath and waited.

  “Lucinda. We meet again old friend.”

  Somehow the sentimentality of the words was lost by the hostage in his arms and the grimace on his face.

  And then before I could even think of an adequate reply, his hand flicked out of nowhere, the flash of shiny metal caught the lights of the room and a knife sliced through the air towards me.

  Chapter 25

  Going Home

  If I had only moved to the right, the knife would have missed me altogether, at the very least just nicked my arm, but of course, I shifted left. So the knife, which had been heading for my heart, hit me fair and square just under my right hand shoulder. The pain was blinding and suddenly it was very hard to breathe.

  Miraculously, I had unsheathed my Svante sword before I had hit the ground, probably even before the knife broke the surface of my skin. I'm fast when I want to be. Shame I hadn't been fast enough to get out of the way of the three inch blade though. Man, it hurt like a bitch and why couldn't I draw air?

  There was no time to think about it though, Amisi had managed to stab Rick in the thigh with her stake and he had thrown her across the room, some three metres, into a wall. I managed a quick glance in her direction, she was sitting stunned, but trying to get back on her feet, another stake in her hand already, before he came at me.

  I swiped, a half-arsed swipe of the Svante sword, down in front of him, missing him by mere inches, but making him take a step back and reconsider his approach. If he had another knife on him, I was toast, there was no chance I could dodge a second. My movements were laboured and imprecise, my breathing was ragged and caused the already fierce pain in my chest into a stabbing frenzy. Sweat was coating my skin and blood was running down the front of my jacket, dripping onto the floor in front of me. I was vaguely aware of just how much shit I was actually in, but I was determined to keep Rick at bay and protect Amisi.