Kindred (42 page)

OK. This I hadn't seen coming. Michel being jealous of my friendship, yes, but to actually feel threatened, as though Rick
could
take me away, no – I hadn't seen that coming at all. Michel's always in control, this seemed to indicate an area he was not quite as sure of his control as he would have liked.

He reached over and took my hand. “Can you understand?”

Yes, I could understand, but to give in now would be to accept my position as the less powerful one in this relationship, it would hand Michel control of our interactions for a long time to come. In the eyes of him and his vampires, I would have toed the line, just like a good servant Nosferatin should. Also, Rick is my friend, why shouldn't I have that relationship with him? How could I ask him to leave, he wouldn't understand vampire politics.

No. I couldn't let Michel do this, I had to stand my ground.

I'd had my head down, staring at Michel's hand holding mine, biting my lip while I worked through all of this, when I raised it and looked into Michel's eyes, I realised he'd felt all of my emotions and knew exactly what my answer would be.

He closed his eyes and took a deep breath in. “I am sorry.”

I didn't understand what he meant at first. Sorry he was acting the way he was? Sorry he had asked for Rick to leave? Sorry Bruno was being an over zealous Mafioso bodyguard? But then I heard Rick shout out, from across the room, “See ya later, Luce. Gotta Go.”

I turned to see him wave and smile and simply walk out the door. It took a minute for my mind to catch up with that picture and then I saw the glow slowly fading in Bruno's eyes as he turned back to his drink at the bar and I felt the world turn a hazy shade of red at the realisation of what Michel had Bruno do.

Rick had been glazed.

I immediately took my hand back from Michel's and balled it in a fist, resting it on the top of the table between us.

“
How could you?” It was low, even and dripping in anger.

“
You left me no choice.”

“
There is always a choice, Michel. You just have trouble choosing the right one, it would seem.”

He sighed. “I do not wish to fight with you,
ma douce
.”

“
No, you just want me to be your lap dog, to do what you say when you say. To not have a mind of my own, to not stand up to you, to not be independent. You want me in my place, right where you friggin' put me!” And OK, so my voice might have risen a little at the end there, but still, it was a pretty good speech, as far as speeches go.

Michel didn't seem to think so though, his eyes glowed their amethyst and violet swirls and he stilled, locking me with his gaze.

Then I was standing in his, now magenta coloured chamber, the warmth of his touch on my arms and side fading, my head a little giddy, looking in the face of a very angry, very unhappy vampire, but I had no idea how I had got there.

“
Did you just glaze me?”

“
No.” It was barely a whisper.

“
Then how did we get here?”

“
I carried you.”

“
You went
that
fast?”

“
Yes.”

I had to admit I was impressed with that. I've seen Michel move in a blur, I've seen him look like he just appeared out of thin air, but I had never seen him move an object with such speed. I hadn't thought it was possible. I mean, he would have had to get out of his seat, grab me from mine, cross the bar to the private door, open it, get down the hall, open the chamber, close the door, and stand me there. In a split fraction of a split second.

“
That's wicked!” I couldn't help it, it just was.

His lips quirked, just a bit at the edges, but I saw.

He let a big breath out - so did I, but I tried to hide it - and his eyes started to dim from their impossible glow that had lit up the darkened room. He flicked his hands and the lights came on, softly on the tables beside the bed, giving the area a more natural sheen from that of purple.

His hand ran through his hair, I was starting to like that motion and he looked straight at me. “Why do you make me feel emotions I have never felt before?”

“
Emotions? Like what?”

“
Regret. Guilt.” A pause. “Heartache.”

“
You can be better than what you are, Michel. You don't have to be an Amicus.”

The understanding of what I had said poured off him, his eyes wide, his mouth slightly opened in a look of shock, his face slightly shattered. He recovered himself and turned toward the bed to sit.

“
I am what I am, Lucinda.”

I came to sit next to him, taking his hand in mine this time. “I don't believe that. I believe you could be so much more.”

He leaned his head against my shoulder, I could feel his breath against my skin through the thin sleeve of my top. “How is it you have such faith in me, when I do not?”

I didn't know how to answer that, I just knew he could be better than this. The knowledge came from somewhere deep within, maybe the part of me that is all Nosferatin, the part of me that wants to lead him towards the light.

I squeezed his hand. “I just do.”

We sat like that for a moment, just welcoming the warmth of the person next to us, not daring to break the contact. After some time, I took a breath in and said, “I won't be your puppet, Michel. When the Bond has been fully established, I'm going back to my apartment, back to work, to my friends, please don't stop me.”

He didn't move for a moment, then finally when he pulled away and reached up to stroke my face with the backs of his fingers, looking at every curve, every ridge and line, he said, “I have always enjoyed a challenge, my dear, I just never knew you would be my greatest.”

Right back at ya buddy.

We spent the rest of the night in his chambers, talking, cuddling and when the sun rose the next day, I felt whole. I knew the Bond had been completed, I felt connected to Michel like I had never been before. I could tell where he was and although I couldn't read his mind or even his emotions, like he can mine, I felt like I knew instantly what he was feeling, his moods; happy, sad, concerned, angry. It was an intrinsic knowledge that simply thrummed through my veins telling me my kindred vampire was safe.

I wanted to be near him, but I also knew I was able to walk away, safe in the knowledge of his existence through the Bond. I took the opportunity to return to my apartment, demonstrating my determination to lead a separate life. The actual moment of turning my back on him, as he lay on the bed resting and taking that first step towards the door of his chamber, was the hardest thing I had ever done. Although the Bond was happy for us to part, it was also making it very obvious that I'd be happier if I stayed. Just as well I'm stubborn.

I'd only been in my apartment about five minutes, managing a quick change and throwing some washing in the machine in the bathroom, when Nero appeared. I'd just walked back to the kitchen to switch the coffee machine on, and there he was.

“
You could knock first.”

“
I was unable to reach you.” He took a step towards me and stopped dead, his head cocked slightly to the side, his gaze intent.

“
You have Bonded.” He sounded, what? Disappointed?

“
How can you tell?”

“
Your glow.”

“
I have a glow?” This sounded familiar. I quickly glanced down at my body. Nope. No glow. “I can't see it.”

“
You will learn to recognise the glow of a Bonded Nosferatin in time.”

“
So, I only glow to another Nosferatin?”

“
Yes.” Good to know.

“
What does it look like?”

“
Bright.”

“
How bright?”

“
Supernova.” He smiled ruefully then.

I have a supernova glow. Figures.

“
Do you glow?” I asked.

“
Yes.”

“
How can I see it?”

“
Concentrate on my aura. Look past my physical form, you will see a haze around me, look closely at that. Do not be distracted.”

I tried, but it was hard. He was dressed in black again today, I have a thing for black. His linen trousers were down to just above his ankles, dark manly bare feet at the bottom, the trousers hugged his hips and thighs lovingly and didn't have a crease in them. How can he manage to keep linen wrinkle free? His top was a T-Shirt today, unlike the loose cotton shirts he had worn in the past, this black T-Shirt showed off every muscle, every line, every - well, I think you get the picture. Concentrating on a hazy blur around the sides of him was damn near impossible.

“
I can't see it. How bright is it?”

“
Not as bright as yours.”

“
Why?”

He smiled, a sexy smile as if to say,
I'll tell you, but you'll have to come a little closer.
I almost did. Damn, what did this man do to me?

“
The brightness of a Bond glow is in direct relation to the connection you share with your kindred vampyre, but not just the mental connection of joining, it manifests the emotional or,” a pause, “sexual, connection between the vampyre and Nosferatin. My relationship with Nafrini is platonic love. She is like a sister to me. Our Bond glow is pale.”

Oh. So, my glow was telling every other Nosferatin that I was doing the dirty with my kindred vampire. I felt a blush rise up my cheeks and started biting my bottom lip.

Nero just smiled more widely.

OK then. “Why haven't I seen you for a couple of days?” Change of topic time.

“
You were with your vampyre. I cannot intrude at those times. Dream Walking does not allow for such an intrusion.”

“
But, you came when we were together fighting in Sydney.”

“
You were fighting. Not Bonding.”

Oh. Another blush.

“
So, what's on the agenda for training today? I'm guessing that's why you're here.” Still trying for a change of topic here!

Nero came and sat himself down at the dining room table, his favourite spot. I guess it allowed him to see from into the bathroom off the kitchen, through the open plan area of the kitchen, dining and lounge and even a bit into the bedroom. It was probably chosen with care. I started making a coffee, training could wait.

“
You are maturing in four days.” Four days? Had the time really passed that quickly? “There is little I can teach you in the time left to us that would be of use. Your fighting skills are good, they will have to suffice, perhaps when you reach Egypt we can train further, but for today we talk.”

“
Talk?” I asked suspiciously.

“
You must have questions about who you are, what you can do?”

Oh yeah, I had questions all right. I finished making my coffee and grabbed a muesli bar from the pantry, then slipped into a chair at the dining table next to Nero. I could feel his warmth from the small space that separated us. Man Dream Walking didn't dull a thing for another Nosferatin did it?

I was pretty sure that I had my head around where Nosferatins came from, how we had broken away from the Nosferatu and then how we had come back again, so I didn't want to waste the time hashing over that for now. What I really needed help with was my powers and what to expect when I came into the rest of them on the night of my birthday, at the actual time of my birth.

“
I have received two of my powers already.”

Nero's eyebrows rose. “That is impressive, Kiwi. I have not heard of another Nosferatin come into more than one before they turn 25.” Michel had said the same thing.

“
I can obviously Dream Walk, but when I did it twice in one night I was out cold for a week. Why was that?”

“
Dream Walking is perhaps the most powerful of Nosferatin powers, it is a power only a few of us possess. I know of only one other, for instance, who has this power right now, until I met you. It requires a large amount of our essence, our life force or our
Vita Vis
. We can
easily handle one Dream Walk per night, but any more and it diminishes our
Vita Vis
too greatly. You are lucky to have woken again. Your vampyre must have stayed close to your side throughout, giving you some of his power to heal. Without that proximity, you may not have woken at all.”

Michel was there when I woke, by my bed, holding my hand. His head was even resting against my side. I hadn't even considered that he may not have left my side at all throughout, it didn't seem possible at the time. Now I wasn't so sure.