The Truth
I refused to accept Michel's help in getting dressed. I did have my pride. Despite the issue of losing my balance at the drop of a hat and the room still threatening to spin out of orbit. I did concede to him finding me clean and intact clothing. Most of my clothes were still at Samson's, but Michel had at some stage had new clothes purchased for me and installed in his wardrobe. Not my normal short black mini-skirt, black T-Shirt and fitted jacket, but I couldn't really complain. Whoever had gone out shopping on my behalf had taste.
I slipped into the black dress and did allow Michel to do the zip up - he chose to do so slowly - at the back. It fitted me perfectly and the length wasn't too bad. Only a fraction longer than I was used to and made out of stretchy material, maybe something laced with a little spandex. It had elbow length sleeves and a rounded neckline. The material although stretchy, was heavy and gave the feeling of being really well made. I'd managed a brief look at the label before I slipped it on over my head, it wasn't a name I recognised, but I was sure it would be a name of note. I just don't hang around in the right circles to know.
The jacket was a matching material and cut to perfection to fit over top of the dress and actually came all the way down to the hem of the skirt. It had been altered to take my two stakes and silver knife, all of which sat snugly against my body and were completely invisible from the line of the outfit. I left the jacket open, so I had ready access to my weapons, it hung as though it was made to sit that way. I thought the length of the jacket would be cumbersome, but after trying a few stretches and moves, I found it all simply flowed together with the dress as one.
He had also had a selection of underwear - all lacy and slightly racy, but that's men for you - and tights available. Plus new boots. The overall effect was a definite step up from my normal hunter gear, but equally as accommodating. I had no doubts I could fight in this outfit. I just dreaded to think how much it had cost him and I had noted there were several more hanging in his closet just like this.
Michel smiled at me when I turned back to him from the full length mirror in his bathroom.
“You left New Zealand in such a hurry, I knew you would not have had time to pack a lot. Besides, I think I have damaged enough of your clothes in the past to feel obliged to replace your wardrobe.”
He glided towards me, now dressed in a brand new Armani suit and crisp white shirt. He leaned forward and kissed my forehead, his hands on either side of my upper arms and then he just inhaled deeply. Taking in my scent and that of the new clothing. Vampires rely on scent a lot. He would be used to my old clothing and the washing powder I use, he needed to file my new mixed scent away for future reference. When he was satisfied with what he had found, he wrapped an arm around my shoulder and walked me out the door.
I hadn't realised how bad those damn narrow, steep English house stairs could be. I think Michel was tempted to lift me in his arms and whisk me to the bottom, but the growl I gave him, as I almost lost my drunken footing for the third time and he rushed to my aid, made him back off. He let me find my own way to the bottom with mild amusement flashing in his eyes as he passed me for the front room, giving up on aiding me at all.
Sure, I try to recover some of my dignity and he just drops me in the deep end. I was nowhere near as smashed as I was before eating, but I still did not feel right. You know, that stage of drunkenness you reach, where you are very much aware your words slightly slur, your balance is shot to hell and nothing makes sense. Keeping up with intelligent conversations when this intoxicated can be embarrassing. I went for silence as I sat on the sofa and just breathed.
Avery's amused gaze stayed fastened to me, despite the fact that he was participating with enthusiasm in the conversation before us. Samson sat on my right and Nataliya on my left. Sergei was participating as though he had been a part of this little group all along. He had much to say and all of it helpful. Michel had told me, when Samson had joined my line that I could trust him. It would be impossible for a vampire of my line to not want to do their very best for their master. But, Erika had made him more cautious now. Still, it's not like anyone could have gotten to Sergei and broken our Light bond from the time we left that roadside scene and now. I was sure Sergei was now firmly on our side.
“He will not feed again tonight, so we should prepare for tomorrow. We now know what we're dealing with, plus we have Lucinda's Tego Texi Tectum duo on our sides.” This was Alain and he was talking about Alastair of course. We'd come in half way through the conversation.
“We still need a plan of attack.” Avery, his eyes continuing to devour me.
“That's easy,” Alain answered, but was interrupted by Michel's low growl from the corner by the fireplace.
All eyes turned to him.
“Stop looking at my kindred as though she is your next meal.”
All eyes swept to Avery, who slowly, wickedly smiled. His eyes remained steadfastly on me and seemed to heat up further. I forced myself not to squirm under his intense gaze.
“Michel,” he drawled, “are you feeling threatened?”
Michel's growl deepened and rattled all the glass in the room. He took a menacing step towards Avery and I managed to get out without slurring, “Stop it!” It had only been two words, so it wasn't that difficult to get wrong, the next few were harder. “We don't have time for this.”
Avery started laughing and just ignored what I had said. “If you did not want us to covet your kindred, then why did you bring her before us in this state? She is intoxicated on your blood. We can all smell it.”
And that's when I noticed there was an increase in thrumming Sanguis Vitam in the air. All the vampires had picked up on my pickled state, regardless of how well - or not - I was hiding it physically. I wasn't sure if they saw it as a weakness and I was now easy prey. Or, if they wanted me to be drunk on their blood instead. Either way, it was a little unsettling. I'd had it with vampire games.
“Enough!” I said forcefully. “We're not doing this. This is what's going to happen.” I pulled Citysider's safe-house address out of my pocket and tossed it on the coffee table before me. “I'm going to Croydon to find the lost Nosferatins. We have until tomorrow evening to get as much information about Alastair... Amicus,” I corrected myself, “before he feeds again. Tomorrow night we get him. Sergei and Nataliya will deal with Lutin's influence, Antonio and Ricardo will take him out. Avery and I will take care of Amicus. If the Nosferatins tell us anything useful, then great. If not, the plan stands as it is.”
Nobody said anything for a few moments and then Samson, Sergei and Nataliya all announce in unison, “Yes, mistress.” I heard Avery's whispered repetition of those words only a split second after my line had uttered them. His smile said it all.
Michel wouldn't let me go alone, of course, so we left my and his vampires and Avery behind and took a now steam-cleaned Range Rover out to South London. Croydon was well out of the VC, Vampire Central area where they fed. Or more particularly, where Amicus fed. I'm not sure if the distance was on purpose, Lutin's charm making it impossible to come any closer, or if that's the closest they had a safe house to run to. But, it took us over an hour to get there.
The address we had been given was in George Street, basically slap bang in the middle of Croydon. When we parked the Rover some distance away and made it there on foot, we found their safe-house to be nothing more than a flat above a Pawn Brokers, right next to an Italian Restaurant and opposite an Allders department store. This is the London I had been expecting when I came here. Not the beautiful enclosed private gardens and pristine walkways of Knightsbridge, Kensington and Notting Hill, but the terraced boredom of row upon row of block brick buildings, uninspiring shop fronts, graffiti here and there, and litter spewing out of rubbish bins. Not that I had thought London was ugly, but my limited experience had streets and structures in mind from T.V. programmes such as East Enders.
It wasn't that bad, George Street was a one-way thoroughfare, with widened footpaths making it a quasi p
edestrian mall. It's just that everything was a little austere. It was winter, so I don't think that helped. I had grown accustomed, though, to the wrought iron railings of Kensington, the paved and haughty areas of Knightsbridge and the character filled atmosphere of Notting Hill. I really needed to get out more and see the real world.
There was a buzzer on the door next to the Pawn Brokers, that would lead us to the flats upstairs. No names appeared on any of the mail slots, so I just pushed the first and hoped Nut was lending us a hand. No one answered, but Michel whispered in my ear, “There is movement in one of the flats. Three humans. No one else I can detect.”
He could of course, hear them, or smell them, take your pick. Me, I made sure no other vampires were in the vicinity and then thought how stupid I had been to bring Michel. If they were Nosferatins inside, they'd know the man standing with me was not human. I wouldn't open my front door to a strange vampire, that was for sure. I also wondered if the place was warded. My house was. Only Michel and extremely powerful vampires could approach it. Or those Michel chose to let through the ward.
“Are there any wards?” I asked him.
“Yes, but they wouldn't keep me out.”
I gave him a narrow eyed look. He might be my kindred, but even I didn't like the sound of a vampire stepping so easily over wards.
“You'll still need an invitation to go in,” I answered and pushed the next button on the wall before me, not getting any answer in return.
“Not necessarily. I have significant abilities in that area.” He wasn't being vain, some vampires could breach invitation rules. I'd always suspected Michel was one.
“It might be best if you let me sweet talk him first. Don't want a wayward stake to mar that beautiful chest,” I threw over my shoulder, then used a little of my Light to pick the lock.
Michel brushed a kiss on the back of my neck and whispered, “Be careful, ma douce. If I sense you are in danger, I will come in.”
It was the best I was going to get from him. I nodded and crossed the threshold, taking out my silver knife and hiding it behind my wrist. I could use a stake on a human, but knives are more effective. The silver though, would do jack shit, but it wouldn't stop the slice of the blade when the time came either.
I crept up the stairwell, straining to hear any ambushers in the dark. There had been no light switch at the bottom and if there was a light overhead, it didn't work on a sensor. I wasn't surprised, the Nosferatins would have had a way to switch it off from the top. Not that it would stop a vampire who had made it this far, but a human assailant would find it harder in the pitch black that now engulfed me.
I made it to the landing without meeting any monsters and was faced with just two doors. One to the right and one to the left. Michel had indicated the right when he spoke of the humans he had sensed, so I strode over to that door. I was part-human, so I was going with the whole no-traps-for-the-Norms things encompassing me. I couldn't see Citysider wanting to harm a Nosferatin, he's the go-to guy now that Nero is deceased. So, I just rapped quickly three times on the door and said in a quiet voice, “Citysider it's me, Luce”. Then added for good measure, “I come in peace.” Chuckling to myself at the Star Trek quote.
Hopefully Citysider was a Captain Kirk fan.
The door opened and a muscular man, several inches taller than me and looking about my age, gave me a good stare. He had short thick blonde hair, bright blue eyes and chiselled cheek bones. His nose was a little too wide for his face, but his mouth balanced it out nicely. Currently that was in a thin, wide line.
“You've gotta cheek, bringin' a vamp 'ere, Kiwi.” Ah, the dulcet tones of my London based Nosferatin contact.
“You're a hard man to find. I had to use ghouls. And besides, that's Michel: my kindred. He's well trained.”
“I heard that,” Michel said from the bottom of the stairs.
Citysider humphed. “Not even our kindred are allowed 'ere, Kiwi. This is a Nosferatin safe-house. That means safe from all vampires.”
OK, I could understand that. Before I had a chance to say anything to Michel he whispered in my mind, I'll wait back in the car, ma douce. I think he is safe, non?
Yeah, he's my man. I'll be fine. See ya soon.
Citysider was looking at me intently when I met his eyes again. “He's gone. He'll wait for me in the car. Now, are you going to invite me in and give me a coffee? I'm hanging out for cup of Java.”
The door swung open and I walked into the first Nosferatin safe-house I had ever seen. It looked fairly standard, at a quick glance. Clean, relatively unfurnished, just the bare essentials. Couch, table and chairs, T.V. The door clicked closed behind me and Citysider came further into the room.
“Put away the knife, we don't hurt our own kind,” he grumbled, as he crossed the empty room and rapped three times on a closed door. “'ave a seat, luv.”
I sheathed my knife and took a seat on the couch as the door opened and two more Nosferatins walked in. Both of course my age, we all are if we have joined. One male and one female. The male gave me the once over only men can get away with, the female was a little more guarded. I picked she was the younger of the two, a little uncertain of her place in the world. Maybe a new recruit. She lacked that Nosferatin swagger. Both had short brown hair, dressed in jeans and sweat shirts with tennis shoes on their feet, good for running away from vamps.
“This is Marie and Trevor. Both London based Nosferatin,” Citysider said. “You can call me by my name here too, by the way; Arthur. Arthur Pencarrow. Citysider's my handle for the website. No one uses it to me face.” He said Arthur more like Arf-ah, with a real cockney twang.
“OK,” I said brightly, trying to not get bogged down by the doom and gloom that was coming off all three Nosferatins in spades. “Well, I guess you all know my name.”
They all nodded and Marie went into the kitchen to switch the kettle on. Maybe I would get that coffee after all.
“So, wot brings you to our neck of the woods then, Luce? London's off limits to us all.”
“Not me,” I said and both men perked up instantly. Marie just kept clattering in the kitchen. I got the impression she wanted to get as far away from Nosferatin problems as she could possibly get.
“Now that's interestin',” Citysider... Arthur said. “How is tha' possible? Tha' fairy fucker got us all turfed out and no matter wot I tried, I can't get us back in.”
I didn't want to answer that question straight away, I needed to build up to it. First things first.
“Why didn't you call for help? Let the rest of us know what was happening in London? Even the Iunctio didn't know Boris had been killed. London's been whisper quite on the Net. It was my Sanguis Vitam Cupitor powers that brought me here, I walked into it blind. I'm thinking, my powers did that, because you no longer were there.”
Arthur rubbed his day old stubble thoughtfully, giving me a good once over with his shrewd eyes. “I'm sorry, luv, I had no idea you would be pulled into it. We couldn't get near London's VC, I just assumed it would apply to all of us. It never crossed my mind, tha' you would be exempt. But, you are the Prophesied, I guess anythin' is possible with you.”
He sounded genuine. I didn't think he was pulling the wool over my eyes at all. I wasn't so sure when I first walked in, but this was the Citysider I knew. Cautious, careful, intelligent. He was just assessing me like I was assessing him. I had no reason to doubt him. He has always been the first to offer support since Nero died. My gut was telling me to trust him now.
I swallowed. “Apparently, I am a mœðr. Lutin, the Fey Prince's, elska in fact. That's why I haven't been turfed out of the VC. He wants me as his mate.” The last was said with a bitter twist of my lips.
Arthur took a deep breath in and blew it out slowly. “I'm guessing you haven't taken nicely to tha' info.” I shook my head. “How long 'ave you been 'ere? Wot's been happenin' in the VC?”
Marie handed me a milky coffee and plopped a plate full of chocolate covered biscuits down in front
of us all. The boys both took their coffees black. I nabbed a biscuit before Trevor scoffed them all and gave them a run down on what had happened since I was first pulled here by my powers. It took a good ten minutes and by the time I had finished, Marie had made round two of the coffees and opened another pack of biscuits for us all.
“So, tomorrow night I'm going to try to stake Amicus, but I need to know if there's something I've missed. I can't imagine you wouldn't have been doing some research, Arthur. What can you tell me about the Fey and in particular why Amicus is with them, that could help?”
“All righ 'then. Let's start at the beginnin'. When the Nosferatin went into hidin', we took a lot of our Light from this world. We denied the Vampires our powers and weakened not only ourselves, but them too. This is common knowledge. Nosferatin 101. But, wot you may not know, is the Fey suffered too. In order for the Ljósálfar to keep the Dökkálfa imprisoned, they needed to use some of our Light. Call it our ambient Light. It's that little bit of extra Light we produce just by existin'.
“Now, when we started dyin' off, all our first borns not joinin' with the vamps, our Light diminished. It only took a generation, no more, and there wasn't enough Light for the Ljósálfar to remain in this world and keep the Dökkálfa from escapin'. So, they did the only thing they could do. They closed the portals and cut off Álfheimr completely from our world.
“So far, so good. We don't want the Dökkálfa free and we're not too enamoured with the Ljósálfar neither. But, 'eres where it gets tricky. Now, we 'ave returned. Not at full strength mind you, but our first borns are joinin' again.” He nodded towards me and then towards Marie. “More Light is returning to our world. More ambient Light too. And then there's you.”
He took a swig from his mug of coffee and a bite out of a biscuit, just to keep me on tenterhooks a little longer.
Finally, I couldn't help it, I had to ask. “What about me?”
“Well, 'ere's the thing. You're full of Light. More Light than any other. You're Nut's girl, you are. And with you joinin' with an already powerful vampire, your Light practically split the portals open. Well, at least activated 'em. The opening part required a bit of fey magic and an accord with a undead, dead vampire. Amicus.
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