Giver of Light (33 page)

It ended up being a sandwich, kind of like the ones Michel makes, piled high with protein and salad and scrummy dressing. I'd made it through most of it when the phone in the kitchen rang. Swallowing the last bite in a mad rush, I picked the handset up before any of the vamps in the house could, expecting Amisi or maybe even Michel, telling me he'd landed and he missed me already.

But it wasn't. It wasn't anyone I had expected at all.

It was him. The one vampire I didn't want to talk to. The one man I never wanted to entertain in any way, shape, or form again.

Jonathan.

And he wasn't on an international call.

“Sweetheart. Did you miss me? I missed you.”

I couldn't answer. I couldn't think. Panic washed through me like a tsunami, slamming into my chest and paralysing my body. The phone shook against the side of my head and I could feel my palm, where it held the receiver tightly, become moist and wet with sweat. I knew my breathing had hitched and that, no doubt, Jonathan could hear it. I was playing into his hands to perfection and there wasn't a damn thing I could do about it at all.

“I like your city, sweetheart. So many lovely hidden spots for my men to find entertainment. They are looking forward to becoming more familiar with the local sights this evening. I hope you don't mind, but they intend to have some fun. As do I.”

The threat to innocents in my city helped settle my confused and frantic mind, I squashed the almost unbearable sense of panic and sucked in a deep breath. He already knew I was off guard, I didn't care that he heard me trying to rally myself, it was more important to just get some semblance of logical thought processing through my head. I needed to think this through. Where was he? What did he want? What could I do to prevent it?

And most importantly. If he was here, what did that mean for Michel?

“This is a strange way to battle a call to arms, Jonathan. Leaving it to the other Families left in America to honour your reputation?”

He hissed down the line in response. If he had thought I was going to be that drugged out weakling he had held captive for a month, he had another thought coming. I was on familiar territory and I was a Nosferatin by birth. I had already headed into Michel's home office and unlocked the safe, bringing out my stake box and grabbing a couple of extra silver knives and my Svante sword. I hadn't been wearing it lately, just two stakes and one knife inside my jacket, but now I held the phone to my ear with my shoulder and strapped on the extra daggers in thigh sheaths on both sides and began to get into the back sheath that would hold my Svante out of sight. If he wanted a battle, he would get one.

Jonathan pulled himself together quickly and managed a laconic reply. “Sweetheart. I am King, they do what I command.”

“So, how many did you leave behind? How many did you think would be sufficient to hold Michel?” If I could get him do divulge some tactical information, it could prove helpful to either Michel or me. Either way, I wanted to keep him talking. I had already left the office and gone back upstairs to the bedroom to retrieve my cell phone from beside the bed. I needed to let everyone know what was happening and quickly. A mass text would do the trick.

He laughed in response. “Never fear, my love. There are more than enough of my kin to occupy your kindred. He shall be well involved before we even conclude this conversation. What were you thinking sending him away? You know how weak you are when separated.”

That had me stopping short of the bedside table, my hand outstretched, ready to pick the cellphone up, but now hovering in the space between, a small tremor running through it back up toward my shoulder. The longer I was away from Michel, the weaker I would definitely become, but as soon as he knew Jonathan was here, the quicker he would return to me. He wouldn't stay in America, he would leave that task to Enrique and Alessandra and his men and he would come straight back to me. It would mean only a couple of days apart, that wouldn't have too adverse an effect on our strength. Any longer though and that could be quite different.

I picked the cellphone up and started tapping in a message to send, but answered Jonathan at the same time.

“We have strength to burn, Jonathan. We have spent every second together in each other's arms since my escape from you.”

I knew the effect that statement would have on him and I wasn't disappointed. A low, loud growl rumbled down the line, sending a shiver down my spine I couldn't stop. An automatic reaction to all that anger that accompanied the sound, prickling along my skin and wrapping around my throat, the knowledge that he could use his
Sanguis Vitam
on me over the phone, making me have to fight that panic all over again. This vampire was strong and I wasn't sure if I could face him on my own. I needed help.

“You shall pay for your transgressions, Lucinda. You are no one else's, but mine.”

I swallowed past the restriction in my throat, not a lump of fear, but the angry prickle of his power slowly constricting my wind pipe.

“I will never be yours,” I managed in what sounded decidedly like a squeak. Not exactly the inflection I had been going for.

Just hang up. Just hang up. Just hang up. It was all I could think to end the connection, but my hand couldn't move the phone from my ear in order to hit the end button. It was glued in place with concrete.

“Now, sweetheart, let's not fight. I would like our reunion to be a happy one. I have such plans for our reconnection.”

I did manage a shiver at that thought, a genuine reaction of revulsion, not
Sanguis Vitam
induced in the slightest. I knew exactly what Jonathan's idea of
reconnection
would entail and it would not be nice.

My thumb was hovering over the send button on my cell, I had already typed the short message out. Simple, to the point:
Jonathan here in Auckland
. I hit send before he could distract me further. It was done, the cavalry would be on its way. The text was programmed to reach not only Michel's cell phone, but Erika's, Jett's, Gregor's, Amisi's and my two personal guards downstairs. I hadn't yet managed to put Samson's number in my address book, but he wasn't far away. I could just shout.

“So, my love, why don't you come out and play?”

I had no intention of playing with Jonathan, kill maybe, but not play. But I needed to be prepared, there were still too many variables in this little party he had planned, I needed to narrow down specifics.

“What did you have in mind, Jonathan?”

“Mm. I do love it when you cooperate, sweetheart, it swells my heart.”

I did not want to think of any part of his body swelling, but I also didn't want to give too much away. If he had no idea anyone else was aware of him being here, so much the better.

“So?” I prompted, as he had gone silent on the other end of the phone. “What did...”

“You have been very naughty, my dear,” he abruptly interrupted. “Did you think I wouldn't know you'd call for help?”

As the meaning of his words sunk in, Marcus and Matthias appeared in the doorway to my room, Samson behind them, all of them looking decidedly ready to fight. I held a hand up to stop them talking and returned my attention to the phone.

“What do you mean?” How could he know I had sent texts out?  Did he have some way of intercepting my cell?

“You know, Lucinda. You are not playing by the rules and rule breakers must be punished. It pains me, but I will have to set an example and as I have no wish to mar that gorgeous perfect skin of yours again just yet, one of Michel's vampires will have to do. Who shall I pick?”

What the fuck? This was all wrong. He knew too much and he couldn't possibly have one of Michel's vampires already. What the hell was happening here?

“Maybe the big burly one behind the bar. You there! What's your name?” He sounded like he had lowered his phone and was shouting at someone near him. I couldn't hear the answer, but then I don't think I really needed to. The sun had set here in Auckland, all of Michel's vampires left behind would be in his club and the only one near the bar would be Doug. “Doug,” Jonathan confirmed that same second. “How unoriginal. So, Lucinda, shall it be Doug or perhaps one of the nine other vampires Michel left behind for your protection? Not many, is it? He really doesn't value your safety, my sweet. I would have ensured you were surrounded by at least 100, in fact, I intend to make sure you always are from now on. You shall never escape again.”

The words were out before I even considered the ramifications. “You don't have me yet, Jonathan.”

He just laughed, a cocky, self assured, I-hold-all-the-cards laugh. “Don't I?” Then I heard the scream. I couldn't tell who it belonged to, because it was so raw with pain, so high pitched and yet guttural, full of agony and fear. “Doug does make a lot of noise, doesn't he, sweetheart?”

I had lowered myself to the edge of the bed, unaware of what I was doing. The thought of Doug being hurt, tortured, was unbearable. I wanted to run to
Sensations,
to blast through those doors and to stake every offending vampire in that club right now. I felt Samson's hand come down on my shoulder. He could either sense my distress, or more likely, hear what was happening down the phone line and see the effect it had on my face. His presence centred me, allowed me to breathe and made me focus on what was important.

If I was to rescue Doug and Michel's vampires, I needed a plan and a level head.

“So. I think my point is made.”

Yes. It had been, hadn't it? But, I don't crumple that easily. Doug was a powerful and old vampire, he could last a little longer I was sure. Where this hard and mechanical thought process had come from, I didn't know, but I did know I needed to be like this to get through what lay ahead.

Just then my cellphone chirped. I glanced down and read the text. It was from Gregor. Short and to the point, just like me.
I'm on my way. Amisi to stay here.
I breathed a sigh of relief. All I needed now was to hear from was Michel or Erika or Jett and I could unclench my heart and actually let it beat.

“Now, I'm sure you can understand the situation, Lucinda. I have all those at
Sensations
imprisoned and will kill them one by one for each hour you delay in getting to me. It's simple, them for you. Are you strong enough to sacrifice these vampires, my love?”

He didn't wait for my reply, but simply ended the call. I listened to the dial tone for a moment and then when the phone went dead dropped it to the floor.

Matthias appeared before me. “We can't reach Michel.” I didn't want to hear that. I looked up at him and just stared. “He is shielded somehow, we have no connection and he has not answered your text, has he?” No, he hadn't. “I think we are on our own.”

“Gregor is on the way here now.” At least that was something. I allowed myself a moment to search for Michel down the Bond we shared and received static in reply. I'm guessing, that's what Marcus and Matthias had got as well. Nothing. No emotions, no sense of wellbeing or fear or pain or distress. Just white noise nothing.

My cellphone interrupted my downward spiral with a buzz, this time a call, not a text. I fumbled for it off the floor and answered without looking at the number.

“Yes,” I demanded, thinking it was Jonathan.

“We're surrounded, it's been well planned,” Gregor's voice informed me. “He's cut us off from helping you. Have you heard from Michel?”

My mind was a swirling mass of torment, questions spinning like a tornado through grey matter, slicing at any calm I had left in me and churning up panic and fear in its wake.

“No,” I managed.

“Who do you have with you?” He didn't sound surprised or fazed in the slightest, straight into assessment and regroup and no doubt, plan and attack would quickly follow. I wished I had his concentrated reserve.

“My guards, Marcus and Matthias and my vampire Samson,” I replied mechanically.

“That's all? Where are the vampires Michel left behind?”

“Jonathan has them.”

“Shit!” No more concentrated reserve. “Shit!” he said again to emphasise. I couldn't have agreed more.

“I can't help you, Luce. We are barely holding them off as it is. I'm going to have to help my men soon, we've retreated as far as we can. I'm so sorry.” And he meant it, I could tell. There was so much unsaid in his voice, but that didn't mean it wasn't still all there.

“We'll manage,” I answered with far more strength than I actually felt. “Take care of yourselves.”

I hit end before he could answer. He needed to concentrate on his problems, not on me.

“We're on our own,” I told the vampires before me. “If you've got weapons to secure, I suggest you arm yourselves now.”

“What do you plan?” Matthias asked, while the other two headed out to saddle up. “You know Michel would want you to protect yourself no matter what cost.”

He would. He would rue the loss of so many of his line, but he would be furious at me for trying to rescue them and getting myself caught. Ten vampires at
Sensations
was not a price I was prepared to pay however. I shook my head at him and he just crouched down before me, to look me in the eye.

“What about the Prophesy? With you gone there is nothing to stop the Dark.”

“Playing Devil's advocate, Matthias?” I asked, feeling a sense of numbness start to invade my body, hardening my resolve and stealing me from distractions. My father had said it in that letter. I had to do
anything I must
in order to survive, but that I also had to remain
true to myself
. I could not let ten vampires meet the final death because of me, Prophesy or not.

“I don't plan to die, Matthias. And he doesn't plan on killing me. But, he will kill them.”