Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) (26 page)

“
What can you guess it is then?” I was getting a bit desperate the more I thought about it. I had already been a enough of a freak before and I thought I had another two weeks, now only one week, until I became more freaky and now this.

He looked contemplative then. I wasn't sure if he was going to tell me what he was thinking, but something shifted in his face as he said, “I have heard of one other Nosferatin, who came into some of their powers before they turned 25. This was a long time ago and I do not even know if they lived past their 25
th
birthday. But there were rumours of one in the Middle East. I had thought at the time, that he may have joined with the Master of Cairo, but she showed no signs of having been joined and still does not today.”

A tingle of a thought went through me, just a brief glimpse and then it was gone. Something about what Michel had just said triggered a response deep within me, but it fluttered away before I could catch it.

“OK, but does it mean anything? It's not normal, does it mean I
don't
have to join?” Grasping at straws, but I had to try.

“
No. The alliance between your people and mine is binding, conclusive. There is no way out. You will die if you do not join with us and the vampyre, as a whole, will lose their powers and become weaker over time, if we do not have you by our side.”

He didn't try to sugar coat it, he had seen the hope in my eyes, but there was no point trying to run away from the inevitable, even though part of me still longed for it to be possible. I also knew I would have to make the biggest decision of my life soon, but I could delay it as long as possible, couldn't I?

I sat still for a moment digesting all of that. OK, so I had a nifty new power, one that I could obviously use now and at will, but one that came with a caveat, use only once during the course of an evening, or pay the consequences. Or, at least, I assumed that was how it all went.

Michel interrupted my train of thoughts. “I do think, however, that we should not advertise this ability, my dear. It would not be prudent to let the
Iunctio
become aware of this, it would - how shall I say? - cause quite a stir, I should think.”

No surprises there. If vampires knew I could sneak up on them, unseen, unheard and not sensed, then there would be a riot for my head. I was now, probably, the most lethal thing in their world. I couldn't help grinning at that thought.

“How are you going to keep it quiet?”

He smiled slyly. “I have my ways.” Then more seriously, “I have entered into an accord with Jock, Enrique and Alessandra.”

My eyes widened at that. An accord, as you know is binding and vampires are usually very hesitant to enter into one with their own kind. It wasn't unheard of, but it was very rare. To do so was to tie themselves to what could potentially be a liability. T
here can be a lot of wheeling and dealing in vampire politics. An awful lot of duelling too, but mainly people just negotiate. They negotiate alliances, not accords, but fairly similar in its goal, and they align themselves with other powerful cities. The more allies you have, the more influential you are and therefore the more successful you will be in winning the city of your choice.

So far, Michel had been able to fight off any would-be pursuers of Auckland City, but the battle with Max had shown me that was not by strength alone. Michel was not as powerful as Max, but he had good connections. He was the perfect example of vampire politics in motion. He had manoeuvred himself into a position of power by aligning himself with the right people. I had no doubt in my mind that Michel was a devious and cunning mastermind when he needed to be.

So, although alliances are similar in their overall outcome as accords, they can be broken, which is a necessary evil in a world where wheeling and dealing can have drastic results. Michel obviously had alliances with Jock, Enrique and Alessandra, otherwise they wouldn't have come when asked for help, but now he had an accord with them too and that can not be broken. Ever.

This also meant I'd be seeing a lot more of Alessandra. The bitch just wouldn't leave me alone, would she?

The length of time it took for me to digest this information had let Michel see I understood the ramifications. Michel had placed himself in a potentially dangerous position to protect me, but was it just because he cared? I doubted that completely. Did I want to confront him on that issue? Hell no. But I had to.

“
Why would you do that?”

His lips curled slightly at the corners, even that small movement made his eyes light up with dancing swirls of every shade of blue. I could sink into those eyes if I allowed myself.  “The end justifies the means, my dear. And as I have already told you, I will protect you no matter what. Forever.”

He leaned forward then and cupped my face with both of his warm, soft hands.  He took all of me in with that look, searching every inch of my face, as though he was committing it to memory, lest he never had the chance to gaze upon it again. “You are my kindred Nosferatin, Lucinda. There is no denying it, you know it as well as I. The connection between us is deeper than just simple attraction, although,” his lips quirked, “that is undeniably a welcome addition to the mix, but it goes into the deepest part of us, it is as much a part of us as our own hearts.” He started to stroke my cheeks, softly running his thumb along my jaw. “You may not be aware,
ma douce
, but not all vampyre have a kindred Nosferatin, some will live out their existence without such beauty in their lives. I have waited five hundred years for you.”

His lips met mine, brushing against them in a slow, soft movement, then coming back to press more firmly, sending a shockwave of desire through my body. His tongue slipped between my teeth, seeking, searching, filling me with such longing I could hardly breathe. His hand now resting in my hair at the base of my neck, pulled my head back softly, exposing my sensitive neck to his mouth. The touch of his lips over my pulse made me shudder against him, he groaned softly against my skin and reached up with his other hand to caress my nipples, stroking softly against their already hardened tips with his thumb.

Heat was beginning to build within me, a luxurious flood of warmth starting down low and working up my body. It felt like every touch he made sent electric waves of pleasure through me. I was gasping and my heart had started beating in a rhythm all its own. Just when I thought I could stand it no longer, that I had to have him closer, had to have him naked against me, flesh on flesh, his head lifted suddenly away from me and he stilled.

“
Merde!
”

“
I am sorry, Master. This cannot wait.” Bruno's voice was even, but low, as though he feared Michel's response to his interruption. He wasn't looking directly at us either, but off to the side, as though eye contact would strengthen Michel's anger toward him. I had no doubt that it wasn't out of any sense of consideration of my dishevelled and lust-filled look. It was a survival mechanism, pure and simple. He was protecting his own arse, not my dignity.

Michel took a deep breath in, the power that had accumulated around him when he sensed Bruno's arrival was in check, but his eyes still flashed purple flecks in amongst the blue and indigo swirls.

“What is it?” Even, low and very scary.

Bruno hesitated, looking at me, then glancing quickly away. He was obviously unsure whether to disclose what information he had in front of me, but Michel hadn't moved from my side, his hands were still holding my arm and neck. So still and slightly more firmer than before, as though he was trying to control himself by staying connected to me. He hadn't even turned fully towards Bruno, which in itself was a statement that he was the boss and unafraid to have his back to the intruder. But by staying by my side he was saying more than just that, he was saying that anything Bruno had to say could be said in front of me. He was including me in his world despite him not knowing what blow Bruno was about to deliver.

Bruno cleared his throat slightly. “It's Maximilian, Master. He has been found.”

The breath I was about to take in was forgotten, I tensed with unbridled fear. Michel began softly stroking my arm and neck and glanced over his shoulder to make eye contact with Bruno for the first time.

“Where?”

“
Sydney, Australia.” He paused then, only a fraction of a second, but Michel pounced. “Speak to me, Bruno!” The power that rolled off him let me know he had sent a command to his vampire, a not so subtle threat to obey. He was obviously losing his patience.

Bruno blanched when he felt the command's power hit him and hurriedly went on. “He has found a Nosferatin to join with, Master, they are joining tomorrow night.”

Of all the things Bruno could have said I had
not
expected that. It's just as Michel said, there weren't that many of us around. I certainly knew of none in Australia, I could only assume he had found one somewhere else and had just taken them there. I hoped he hadn't found one of my friends from the website and was holding them captive, forcing them to obey.

“
He
has
been busy,” Michel said slowly, as he moved to sit next to me on the couch. Bruno relaxed visibly and came further into the room.

I wasn't dumb, I knew what this meant. With a Nosferatin by his side, Max would be unstoppable and I knew without a doubt that the first spot on his path to worldwide domination would be Auckland City and the little unsolved problem of me, and Michel.

“This changes things.” Michel, stating the obvious. He sat still for a moment, obviously thinking things through. “Leave us, would you, Bruno. I will call for you when I am ready.”

“
Yes, Master.” He was gone in a blur of speed, somehow managing to shut the door quietly, despite the fast exit.

I didn't like the look in Michel's eyes. I didn't like the way he sat there, so still. Not vampire still, but as though he was a tightly coiled spring about to unwind unexpectedly and scare the living daylights out of me. He sat there for a good two minutes. I didn't make a sound.

Finally, he spoke. “
Ma douce
, you know he will come here, with a certainty.” Yes, I did. “You also know, I will not leave my city undefended.” Vampires, by their nature, are territorial and proprietary, they do not give up something that is their's willingly. I had always known this about Michel. It was who he was, he couldn't help it, but, that also meant I knew what he was about to say to me and a very small, very tiny piece of my heart broke away and simply curled up to died, at the very thought.

“
I cannot let you leave.” In his mind, he owned me too, that much was clear and as such I was something he would not simply let walk out of his life, even if I wanted to. “And I could force you to comply. I could invade your mind and make you think that it is the right thing, the only thing to do. But I do not want to,
ma douce
.” He took my hands then, they felt numb and cold, I could hardly feel the warmth coming through his fingers onto my skin. “Please do not make me.”

He wasn't asking me trust him, he was asking me to not make him break that trust, because basically, that's what it boiled down to. He could make me do this and I wouldn't even know he had done so until after the event. Despite my having a smattering of anti-vampire mojo skills and being more powerful than usual, Michel could do this. He is too strong and besides, his affect on my body would make his hold on my mind so much easier. I guess that's why when I do join with a vampire, they would no longer be able to do that, their powers having no effect over me unless I let them. I would of course hate him for it. I would never be able to trust him again and he knew this.

Now, I know what you're thinking. I'm going to have to join with a vampire before one month past my birthday anyway, or let myself die. Why not let it be Michel? He is charming, handsome, powerful and has way more light in him than dark, compared to most vampires. And I'll admit it, he pushes all my buttons, but if you have ever been forced into a corner by someone, forced to make a decision before you are ready to, then you will understand what I was feeling right then.

I stood up and walked over to the window, another large expanse of glass. I guess vampires get a bit sick of being locked in windowless chambers during the day, they seem to have an obsession with clear glass in their homes for the night. A cruise ship was slowly sailing past, heading out into the Hauraki Gulf. Small lights dotted the deck and deep sides and were reflected back on the surprisingly calm waters of the shipping channel. Right then, all I felt was how much I wished I was on that boat, heading off on some exotic holiday, no cares in the world.

He didn't crowd me, he stayed sitting on the couch, but I could feel him watching me, expectantly. Man, this sucked.

I am, if nothing, a practical person. I have always been able to break a problem down and work through its components to find a solution. It's just how my mind works. This was a little harder. Emotions were involved, even if I didn't really want to admit it. But the theory was the same. I thought about every detail that I knew. This was a decision I would have had to make in little under five weeks anyway, before one month past my 25
th
birthday, I just had to make it now, that's all. And the bottom line was this. Was I brave enough to walk away and die?