Kiss of the Dragon (23 page)

I leaned forward and rested my elbows on my knees and sighed. Nero lifted his head to look me directly in the eyes. Blatant regret lay etched on his face.

I rolled my head from side to side to ease the tension. I could so do with a Michel back rub, but we weren't due to meet at the
Château
for at least another day and night. Even though we had reinforced our joining with the Dream Walk, neither Michel nor myself could wait longer than that to be back in each other's arms - properly.

"All right," I said, having made a decision. "Are you or are you not my friend?"

It seemed a stupid question. He was Nero now, Nero was always my friend. But words to vampires mean something and saying this aloud to Nero the Vampire, meant more than any assumptions or previous dynamics we may have had.

"I pledge my loyalty to you," he said without pause. Tension seeped out of my frame.

"Your pledge is accepted. I propose an alliance that would be mutually beneficial."

"I would be honoured to enter an alliance with the Prophesied and kindred of the Champion," Nero replied and bowed low, hand fisted over heart.

I had a tentative alliance with Aliath, King of the
Dökkálfa
, which was backed now by a formal alliance between Michel and himself. But I had never made a formal alliance with anyone before. I had allies, who I could trust to a certain degree. Pete, the head of the Auckland Ghouls, was one of those people. I could trust Pete to a point, as long as I played by his rules. It was good to have allies, but alliances were a whole other thing.

There a varying degrees of alliances, the most formal and restrictive was called an Accord.
They
were unbreakable. The Nosferatin people of New Zealand had an alliance with the Taniwhas. But that alliance had been shot to hell now that I had killed their new Alpha and almost decimated their Hapū in the process. He'd been trying to kill me, but that was neither here nor there. The alliance shattered upon his death by my hand.

Fair enough.

But Nero was an old friend. A beloved brother Nosferatin in a former life. He was also powerful and full of Light. And the Master of London City. An alliance wasn't going to cut it.

I stood up smoothly and held out my hand to Natalyia. Without saying a word she offered me her Russian hunting knife. I have my silver dagger, but to make an accord both palms of the parties must be sliced. I could hardly ask Nero the vampire to slice his palm with silver.

I crossed the short distance to Nero and looked him in the eye.

"Are you willing to back those words with a binding accord?"

I knew I was putting him on the spot, but strategically, and personally, I could not let this alliance escape. It would mean I would forever be bound to help him in his hour of need, as he would be bound to help me. But it would also mean he could not purposefully harm me, by betraying me to an enemy such as Viktor. Likewise, he would be protected from the Champion's wrath. Well, at least, for most things.

Nero only paused for a brief moment, the action more to lay weight to his next words than due to any discomfort.

"I agree wholeheartedly to an accord with the Prophesied, kindred to the Champion of the
Iunctio
." Gotta love being called by your titles. At least he hadn't listed each prophesied title individually and just lumped them all under 'the Prophesied' in one heap.

"Super!" I announced, trying to downplay the pressure of formalities here.

I quickly sliced my palm and handed him the knife. Nero sliced his own palm and held it out to me, open and waiting for mine. Had I been an unjoined Nosferatin like Sophie, this would have been problematic. I could have been a compatible kindred to him. But now we'd never know. He couldn't test that compatibility nor act on it if it existed. Because I was joined to Michel and there was no way sharing Nero's blood now could affect that.

I grasped his palm and said the words of my side to the accord. Promising loyalty and support when needed, cementing our friendship and alliance in the simply spoken phrases of an accord. Nero repeated his side and a weight came down on our shoulders, confirming the magic had taken hold. It had all been very civilised, and for once in my life, nothing supernaturally unexpected happened. Things were definitely looking up.

Nero's relief was almost tangible. Although magical weight had landed on his shoulders, psychological weight had been lifted in exchange. If he was still fearful of Viktor Davydov, I wouldn't know, he wasn't showing it. But the relief I felt left me feeling he wasn't taking the Russian lightly either. And neither would I. But now we could work together against Viktor's machinations. And hopefully prevent unnecessary war. The
Iunctio
was precariously placed right now, we didn't need an upstart Russian mafia-style mobster, stirring up the shit.

I stepped away from my old - and new - friend and felt my vampires all relax a smidgen too. This was heavy stuff. I'd always hated politics for the hoops it often made you jump through. But tonight I just hated it because it added to the exhaustion and made me want to puke from the over tiredness racking my body right now.

"So," I said again, trying to hide the weariness from my voice. I mustn't have succeeded, because Sergei stiffened and Natalyia took a step closer to my side. "How about those armies?"

"You need to understand," Nero said, hands up placatingly, as though I would attack when I heard his next words. I sighed, audibly, trying to convey to him that he needn't waste the effort. I sure as hell wouldn't right now. "I was not myself," he finished.

"I know this, Nero. And let's set a rule right now. A rule I find useful with any vampire I bring under my line. What happened before the Light, stays in the past. Now, we move on."

He nodded slowly, relief still running rampant across his physique. Nero would have to spend some time fortifying his shields, relearning how to mask his face as he once did when he was a Nosferatin and also when he was Amun. So many emotions had been flitting across his face this evening; his heart was laid bare. A weakness he needed to master.

"My compliance was completely managed by Viktor," Nero said a little bitterly. "I am unsure where my allegiance would have actually been, because I could not make that choice for myself. I would like to think, that there was a part of me that would have chosen the right path. But I will never truly know for sure."

I nodded, wishing I could put his mind to rest. And although I had spent time with Amun and seen his internal battle, I could not confirm to Nero that he would have chosen the correct path if
left to his own devices. I wished I could, but I simply couldn't.

"Viktor is not the mastermind behind the army gathering to confront the
Iunctio
and in particular fell the Champion," Nero said so quietly that I actually had to strain to hear.

I knew Michel was present in my mind in that instant, although he had kept his presence hidden from me. Because his anger at Nero's choice of words washed through me, again making magenta spill forth from my eyes.

Down Dragon!
I instructed mentally, because the magenta meant only one thing.

"Go on," I encouraged Nero, once the magenta had retreated to a pale violet hue.

Nero had watched the magenta display with interest and a healthy dose of fear. He swallowed visibly, then straightened his shoulders preparing for the worst.

"The enemy we battle," - nice pronoun choice - "is Avery Rousseau. The Interrogator of the
Iunctio
."

I couldn't stop the magenta shining in my eyes if I had tried. Michel's dragon roared inside my mind.

I pitied anyone who was close to the Champion in that moment, for surely his kiss would have meant certain death.

Why are you so angry?
I asked Michel in my mind.
It's not like this is the first time an Iunctio Councillor has come against the Champion and tried to destroy the Iunctio Council in the process.

I had defended the previous Champion against one such attack. And the instigator on that occasion had been her own vampire mate. It couldn't get more personal or cutting than that.

Michel's dragon continued to fume inside my head. I wished he'd return to his own mind space, my brain was starting to throb. I tried a few more placating words and soothing emotions, but nothing seemed to make it through the dragon's rage. Strangely, Michel although inside my head right now, had never felt further away.

I sighed and turned my attention back to the white room we were in.

"Do you know any details?" I asked Nero.

"No. I was kept out of the inner circle, but I can tell you, the Interrogator is not acting alone. There are other Councillors on board. More than one."

The dragon roared again. I clutched my head and doubled over. Sergei swore loudly and instructed Matthias to bring the car to the front of the club, while Natalyia wrapped an arm around my frame, offering physical support.

Michel!
I yelled at him inside my head. The dragon retreated, but I could still feel his fiery breath.

I needed to calm things down and talking to Nero about this right now, with Michel's dragon acting all agitated warrior inside my mind, was not going to happen. I'd have to take a rain check and come back tomorrow night to follow up. Or have Nero come to me. Either way, tonight's attempts to uncover further details were officially at an end.

Before I allowed Natalyia to guide me from the room, I turned back to Nero, forcing myself to concentrate through the dragon's continuing rage.

"When do you expect to hear from either Viktor or Avery again?" The dragon's presence stalked closer in my head. I pushed him back with my Light. Something I had never had to do with Michel before.

"Soon," Nero said, placing more pressure on top of me. "I haven't heard from him in a fortnight and he usually goes no longer than that."

"Fuck!" My turn to swear, although I think Sergei had joined me. I let a huff of breath out and tried to reason this all through. I couldn't continue this, but Sergei could act in my stead. Plus, I could also kill two birds with one stone. "OK. Sergei, you stay here and get as much information about all of this as you can. Work with Nero to uncover this plot from his memories. I want to know everything he knows."

Sergei nodded, fisted his hand over his chest and bowed low. Typical uptight and formal vampire. I turned my attention to Sophie.

"I want you to stay with Sergei." Sergei looked affronted at that suggestion. Clearly not understanding my real motivation here. "The Parisian Nosferatins have aligned with the Champion, Yves will want an update." It was a piss poor excuse to get Sophie to remain in Nero's presence. But I really wasn't firing on all cylinders here.

Nero, though, had understood my thought processes completely. His smile encompassed his entire face. I watched as his eyes raked over Sophie's frame hungrily, feeling like I was intruding on something entirely too personal.

"The Nosferatin is welcome in my home," he said, bowing to Sophie. "Indefinitely."

Sophie blushed and nodded her thanks back. Heh. My work here was done. Even the dragon seemed placated for the moment. My headache beginning to recede.

"All right. We'll carry on with this later." Either later this night if Sergei returned to Michel's house before dawn, or tomorrow evening. For now it was all I could do here, but that didn't mean my work wasn't completed tonight.

Matthias had the car waiting as we exited the club. It was strange not to have Sergei at my side, but Marcus had moved in closer, taking the position my Russian vampire usually had. Natalyia remained at my left elbow, guiding me and offering support through her touch. The dragon was behaving, but my concern that Michel had lost control of him - and still hadn't fully gained it back - wouldn't be assuaged.

I checked the time on my cellphone clock as the car pulled away from the curb. Luck, though, was not on my side, and wouldn't be for another three hours. I needed to get to Michel. I was sure he had his guards with him, but only my presence would calm the dragon down. And it hadn't been twenty-four hours since I last Dream Walked to him at the
Palais.
The only caveat to my talent was that. Any more than one Dream Walk per twenty-four hours and I would be out cold for three days.

I cursed softly under my breath and scrolled through the names in my phone until I found Alain. Michel's Second would have been made aware of what was happening, even if he wasn't with him right now. I prayed, though, that he was. Alain was a vampire I could fully trust. He worshipped Michel.

"Lucinda, he is safe," Alain's softly lilted French accent came down the line as soon as he picked up. "I have him secured in his chambers. Fortunately this occurred while he was resting with his guards."

"Are you with him?" I asked.

"I have just arrived, but was informed immediately upon his vampyre-within taking over."

"Why has this happened, Alain?"

"I am not sure." Not an answer I wanted to hear and Light suddenly blinded us all in the car. I grasped it immediately and pulled it back into me. It would do no good for both Michel and I to lose it. One of us had to remain in control.

"What do you
think
is going on, Alain? This is not like him. And to lose control like this over a threat, when the threat is really to be expected. Well, I can't see Michel doing this without some form of outside influence," I concluded.

"You are right." Again, not words I wished to hear from Michel's Second. "His behaviour is clearly out of character, but, Mistress, I do not know why. I am sorry." He sounded sorry too.

I dropped my head into my free hand, pulling my hair off my face, feeling hot and edgy. The dragon still paced within my mind, his fiery breath not cooling me one bit. I don't think I was going to lose his presence any time soon and until I did, I was afraid Michel would not be in charge. His dragon-within would be instead.

"Have you heard of this happening before?" I asked, searching my brain for a reason for Michel's behaviour.

"Not in one so strong as Michel," Alain admitted, "but it has been known to occur in times of stress with weaker vampyre. When a mate is in imminent threat. Or when the one who has lost control of their vampyre has been compromised by silver poisoning."

"Has he been poisoned?" I asked, my heart in my throat.

"No, I can not detect silver anywhere on him. It is not that."

"Then we're stumped," I said in defeat.

"Can you not come to him? Your presence would calm his vampyre-within, I am sure."

"If I Dream Walk now, I'll be out for three days straight." The dragon roared inside my head. I gasped and Alain swore in French. I was guessing Michel's body had done something to indicate his stress at that idea.

"How long?" Alain growled.

I looked at the clock on my cellphone. "Two and half hours."

"I will do what I can for him until you arrive. He will be safe from harm, but I fear he will not take back control until you are physically near. This can only be something to do with you."

Oh, so
not
what I wanted to hear, but I had kind of come to that same conclusion myself. Was this because of Nero's return and Michel's jealousy? Or was he simply angry that Avery Rousseau, my former kindred and torturer, had come back into my life? Either would be enough for a vampire like Michel to be angry. But to lose control of his dragon-within? I shook my head from side to side as I stared unseeing out of the car window. This was bigger than any of us thought and I was shit scared with worry. I was even beginning to feel nauseous again. I rubbed my stomach and then rubbed my forehead and then whimpered slightly feeling entirely too sorry for myself.

The dragon continued to stomp away in my head as Alain rang off and Michel's house came into view. Whatever was going on, I wouldn't be able to soothe him physically for another two hours at least.

It was the longest two hours of my life. The dragon constantly with me, but ignoring all efforts to reassure. I was beyond exhausted. Beyond worried.
Completely
freaked out. I even managed to ease the nausea with a vomit in the bathroom after pacing for over an hour. Natalyia was rife with concern. Marcus and Matthias stood immobile on the landing outside of Michel's and my room. Not daring to enter, as when they had initially tried, the dragon had roared. Only Natalyia could be near me, so it was her who held my hair out of my face as I leaned over the toilet and tried to spew orange chocolate chip ice cream for all I was worth.

Finally, I lay my weary body down on the bed and allowed myself to Walk to Michel. It had taken everything in me not to go to him too soon. My body wanted to. My heart begged me to. But it would have done more damage than it was worth. For some reason the dragon wished to protect me from that. From weakening myself by Walking twice in one day. Little did he know he'd weakened me enough with his behaviour. I think, by the time I did Walk to Michel, I could have done with three days uninterrupted rest.

The moment I appeared in his bedroom at the
Palais
, taking in Alain slightly dishevelled in a chair at his side and Ricardo and Antonio standing guard at the one door out to the rest of his chambers - none of them registering I was even there - Michel was up and had me wrapped in his arms. But magenta was the only shade filling his beautiful eyes and with a feral growl, that only his dragon-within had ever made, his fangs slid into my neck and he frantically sucked my blood down.

Exhaustion. Constant nausea that didn't seem to want leave me no matter how much I forced myself to vomit. Plus a headache that threatened to crack my skull apart, left me limp in his arms, tears streaking down my cheeks. The bite hadn't been tempered, so along with all of that, I was whimpering, making the vampires in the room agitated. Clearly hearing my distress, but unable to see, sense or smell me. Dream Walking had its advantages, but right then, their ability to see me equated to their support. I could have done with their support.

Thankfully, Alain must have guessed as much.

"It won't be long, Mistress," he encouraged. Michel growled around the bite at my neck and crushed me to him. "He won't drink more than you can take," Alain insisted and again Michel growled. "The more he tastes you, touches you, the more Michel will become aware."

I wasn't so sure.
Michel
was currently squashing me, pushing all air from my lungs. And
Michel
was currently draining me in the most painful way. Black spots had started to appear in front of my eyes, the room became wavy, my vision blurring. I was going to pass out. And that just made me mad.

It had been a hellishly long couple of days and I really didn't need Michel's vampire-within going all Neanderthal on me. So, with what little strength I had left I gathered my Light and shoved it toward him.

"Stop!" I commanded. My Light wrapped around us, entwining itself between our bodies, arms and legs. It recognised my kindred... and simply made Michel begin to purr. Even my Light had abandoned me.

With near hysteria, I began to laugh. I could see Alain looking a little frantic and alarmed. He couldn't see me, but he could see Michel still feeding and he would have seen my Light - and heard Michel's delighted response. And now I was laughing? Yeah, he was alarmed to say the least. My body shook with the laughter, and I admit, fatigue. But still I couldn't seem to stop myself. I had even wrapped my arms around Michel's neck, in order to hold on while my body shook. He had been crushing me to him, but now I crushed him to me.

And somehow it worked. Michel's fangs withdrew, his chest rising and falling with the effort he was expending to suck in air. His dragon-within was all vampire. Vampires didn't need to breathe.

"Michel?" I asked, tentatively. The laughter stilled in an instant.

He began muttering something in French. I could hear the words, not distinctly, but had I been able to speak the language I was sure I would have understood. But it didn't really matter, because Michel's dragon-within did not speak French at all.

"The Master is back," Alain announced, unnecessarily. "Do you need us to stay, just in case?" The question was clearly for me.

"What's he saying?" I asked, letting Michel pet me and rock me back and forth. His hand wrapped tenderly around the back of my head, his face in the curve of my neck, nuzzling my hair and smelling my scent.

"That he is so sorry. So very sorry," Alain said, reluctantly. I was guessing Michel's words were frantic, and Alain did not like witnessing his Master's distress.

Michel wouldn't have wanted him to see this weakness either. "Go, Alain," I instructed. "And thank you."

Michel's Second nodded, turned on his heel and left through the door. Shutting it behind him and leaving Michel and I alone in the room.

It took several minutes and although I was way past tired and still felt sick to my stomach and was so very weak, I let him take his fill of me. Through the touch of his fingers, the kiss of his lips, and the constant inhale of my scent. I had no idea what had just happened, but Michel needed me and I offered myself willingly, praying he'd get what he needed to settle his soul.