Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) (47 page)

Dust was swirling in the air, chunks of stonewall and no doubt vampire, every movement a person made sent the dust motes dancing up off the ground. If the light wasn't blinding, the dust certainly threatened to be more so, blocking all vision from within a foot of where you stood. I stifled a cough and tried to get my bearings. It was fairly obvious which vampires were Nafrini's, they were all dressed similarly to how Nero does, linen trousers and loose linen shirts, tanned skin and dark hair, where in comparison, those of the
Cadre
were dressed in commando black. Tight fitting, dark and sleek, like the way they were moving. Their hair a mix of colours, their features a snarling grimace of hatred, their skin slowly smoking in the rays that caught them through the windows, here and there. I didn't think they would be able to hold out much longer.

Nafrini's vampires were composed, but determined, their beauty still so obvious whilst in the fray, but they were weakening too, a few showing signs of sun damage. I spotted Nero across the room. He wasn't spinning, but he was moving with lightning speed. I guess he had been holding back on me when we fought after all. Figures. He was moving with such grace, a small strike here, a swift step there. A parry, a thrust, he wasn't using a sword, but his stake might as well have been one, it was like a long extension of his arm, a part of his body, he seemed so in tune with it.

I noticed too then, a couple of other humans, Nosferatins, fighting beside Nero. These had to be the other mature Nosferatin Nero had talked of. They weren't quite as graceful or as fast as Nero. They had a style of their own, it was efficient and seemed to be successful, but it wasn't that beauty I saw when I watched Nero. That utter brilliance of his motions, the way his body slid through the space around him, like a sleek mountain cat jumping from ridge to ridge.

The
Cadre
had Nero and the other vampires cornered, they had them moved back against the far end of the corridor we were in. The windows along its length to the left of me, the wall to the room I had just exited to the right. I wondered why some of the
Cadre
hadn't just broken off and gone for the humans in the room, who were clearly Nosferatin family. That's why Nero and the others were fighting so hard, to protect them, but Nero's group were keeping them busy, not allowing for any to break away. But, I was beginning to worry they were about to lose this battle. Step by excruciating step, the
Cadre
men were advancing and step by ever more excruciating step, Nero and his side were retreating. Despite the sun, the
Cadre
were determined to finish this now.

I had to stop them.

I know I had promised Michel I would pop in, take a peek and pop back out again, but I couldn't turn my back on them now. They were about to be defeated and those poor humans, those Nosferatin, in that room, were about to be killed and used by these creatures. I couldn't let that happen.

No one had noticed me, the vampires of course couldn't, the Nosferatin too busy, so my position of advantage had gone unchecked. I was behind the
Cadre's
men, they were between me and Nero, they didn't see what hit them.

I decided for a random attack, rather than starting at one side and moving across the line of vampires there. I ran at my first victim on the right, slid the stake home and somehow managed a spin through the air across the corridor by pushing off the wall with my feet, by the time the vampire had burst into dust, I had staked another by the window and was already rolling back past one in the middle of the rear guard. I slashed out at that vampire, just as he was turning to see who was attacking them and missed his heart by a millimetre I should think. Enough for him to yell out in pain and also fling his arm up instinctively to protect himself. I went flying back down the hallway and landed in a heap, feeling my breath come out in a rush.

I rolled onto all fours instantly. Training with the Taniwhas had taught me that, it was so second nature, you tended to just do it before the pain set in, no Taniwha wants to bare its stomach to the predator's claws.

The vampires couldn't spot me and were looking around uneasily at the back of their group, the rest continued to fight, trusting their buddies behind them to cover their backs. Not for long, I thought bitterly and launched myself at one of the more confused vampires standing in a crouch. I staked him through the back as I launched over his shoulders in a somersault and landed next to another looking alarmed, I didn't waste time but sunk my stake home. The dust cloud created blinded me for a minute, so I didn't see the arm that came out and punched me in the face, sending me spinning around and crashing to the ground. It was a lucky punch, the vampire had just aimed for where he thought someone would have been standing when they staked his comrade, I had just been too slow to move out of the way and ended up getting caught.

I mentally kicked myself, shook my head and rolled away from where I had landed, getting tangled in the feet of another vampire, making him come down on top of me, arms and legs flailing and then registering the shape beneath him was solid, despite not being able to see it and attempting to crush me in the grip of his arms. Luckily for me, I had already raised my stake, so when he pulled me in for bear hug to end all bear hugs, my stake took hold and pierced his heart.

The dust from that one did choke me and I coughed and spluttered as I crawled out from under it on all fours. Dust clung to me; my hair, my skin, my shoulders, my clothes, I could feel it stinging in my eyes, gritty in my mouth. I spat out a fair chunk of greyish blue gunk from the back of my throat and tried to swallow away the rest, only to start myself coughing again as soon as the wet dust hit the back of my throat. God this was just lovely, wasn't it?

Somehow I had managed to keep crawling through all of that and even though I was coughing and spluttering, the vampires had been unable to pin down my exact position due to all the confused shouting and cursing that was now ensuing from their midst. I staggered to my feet, dusted myself down - a reflex action when covered with vampire dust - and straightened my shoulders. These guys just weren't taking the hint, were they?

Only two more were facing backwards towards me now, the rest fighting tooth and nail against Nero and his team, good odds, but I was tiring. My breathing was rapid, my heartbeat a little erratic. This had to work, I needed to finish this or I'd end up making a mistake that would cost both myself and Michel our lives. The thought of Michel made me momentarily pause, but I pushed it aside, no time for sentimentality in a fight. Concentrate and get it over with.

I decided to go for the larger of the two, he looked more threatening and he was against the wall of the corridor, the other one was in direct sunlight and suffering for it. So without hesitating any further, I ran towards big dude and at the last moment, when he must have heard me gasp and tensed for an attack, I slid between his legs, came up behind him and stabbed him in the back. I didn't stop for the dust to settle, but spun around in front of the final vampire waiting and ended up in his face, the stake already inside his chest right up to my hand. I saw his eyes widen, then he disintegrated into dust.

The remaining vampires swivelled at the fall of their last back-up and fled through the windows into the day. I crumpled to my knees gasping for breath and feeling every bruise and graze keenly. Nafrini's vampires had already begun to secure the building, I didn't even see them move, but they were gone, I could hear them shouting orders and moving around behind me down the corridor. I saw a tall swath of brightly coloured fabric zip past, noticed a pretty face and long dark hair flowing down the back and then the corridor was silent and still.

I opened my eyes to find Nero kneeling in front of me. He didn't have a strand of hair out of place, his clothes were immaculate, no rips or tears or crumples or dust, his face a shining glow of sweat, but that was the only indication of him having fought. He laughed, his smile bringing such joy to me I was momentarily shocked at my body's response to it.

“
So, little Kiwi. It seems you really can fly after all.”

I couldn't imagine what I looked like, but I had felt better, I knew that much. I struggled to get to my feet, only to find my knees crumple under me again, then Nero's arm wrap around my side. I wanted to let the blackness in, flow towards that nothingness and Michel, but I needed to know what else was happening here, what to expect when we arrived. So, I took a steadying breath in and slowly released the tension from my body. It kinda worked, well sort of.

“Better?” Nero asked, his arm still held around me, his warm body up against my side.

“
Yeah. Sorry I was late.”

He laughed as he led us over to some seating that had miraculously remained intact. I could still feel the warmth of his touch even when he pulled away and sat down next to me, not touching, but almost.

“I should say you were right on time, Kiwi. Perfect in every way.” His eyes were shining brightly, the gold flecks dancing in the cinnamon swirls within. Wow. I realised I'd been staring at him a little longer than I should have and quickly ducked my head. So much for remaining cool under pressure then.

He sat back against his seat, winced a little and let out a sigh.

“Are you all right?”

“
Nafrini will heal me, I will be fine.” He looked up sharply then and said, “I see you have let your kindred heal you too, these injuries are all today's.” His hand reached out as if to touch my cheek, but stopped mid-way, a look of uncertainty on his face. I had never seen Nero look uncertain before, intense, not uncertain. He rested his hand back at his side. I think he may have even sighed again, but I'm not sure.

“
What happened, Nero? How did they get so close?”

“
They outnumbered us, 3 to 1, not impossible odds, but they appear to be well prepared. That was not their first wave today. The attack began at sundown, first a group of twenty, then when we had dispatched them, another group similar in size, then again another and so on and so on until now. This, I think was their fifth group.”

“
That doesn't make sense. If they had that many vampires, why not hit at once and overpower you from the start.”

“
I am not sure.” He paused, thinking it over, then added, “I think they were targeting the unjoined vampyres, they would fight myself and Nafrini off and our two other joined pairs, but not attempt to kill us, but they would kill the other vampyres in our line, those who have not yet joined. I didn't notice it at first, but in reflection that seems to be the case.”

“
So, they're intention is not to wipe Nafrini and you out.” And therefore also not me and Michel. “But, instead to capture you?”

He looked at me, then a slow look of comprehension lit his eyes. “I had not thought of that. Why would they?”

Despite the gravity of the conversation, I couldn't help feeling a sense of joy at Nero asking for my opinion. Here was this amazingly talented Nosferatin, old beyond my years, intelligent, clever, had an answer for everything, yet asking me a question with such brevity and intent, expecting me to be able to contribute an adequate reply. How is it when I was around Nero he made me feel big and yet when I was around Michel he sometimes made me feel small?

“
I'm picking there aren't enough of us, the Nosferatin, for them to carry out their plans. We're precious, important to their success, they can't afford not to have us on their side.”

“
Surely they would know we would not join them?”

“
Could they make us? Hold something of ours as ransom, force our hand?”

Nero's face darkened at that. He ran a hand through his short black hair, somehow
making it tidier than not, the golden brown skin on his muscular forearms rippling with the movement. I found myself licking my lips and had to force myself to look away. What was wrong with me? Nero was sex on a stick to be sure, but (1) He lives in Egypt, (2) He's joined to a mega-old, no doubt mega-powerful vampire and lets not forget (3) Michel!
Stop it!
I shouted in my head.
Behave yourself!

When I chanced a look back at Nero he was watching me, a small smile on his face, he held my gaze for a moment and then glanced away, with a slight look of anguish replacing the smile and then it was gone.

“They are depleted today, but will return this evening. I must attempt to locate Amisi, our stolen immature Nosferatin. I shall use the daylight to my advantage while I can.”

“
If they come back tonight, will you be up to it? No sleep?”

He smiled, one of his light-up-the-world-with-a-sunbeam smiles, eyes all sparkling, white teeth gleaming.

I sighed. “You know, you really shouldn't use that unless you mean it.”

His eyes flashed with wickedness. “What makes you think I don't, my little Kiwi.”

I just shook my head, when I looked back at him, he had reschooled his features into the intense look he usually wears. He wasn't looking at me, but had his head down looking at the floor, his hands were also scrunched into fists at his side.

After a while he said, “Thank you for your help, Kiwi. It shall not be forgotten. We will see you soon, I hope.”