Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) (9 page)

“
Forgive me, I can't seem to help myself it would seem.” So similar to Michel, hadn't he said something like that?

“
Please take a seat, be comfortable.” When I hesitated he said, “I only wish to talk. For now.” The
for now
kind of ruined the reassurance he was going for.

I took a seat in a chair across from him, as far as humanly possible away from where he stood leaning back casually against the wall, legs crossed at his ankles, arms in his pockets. He was a poster boy for GQ Magazine, an absolute god. He was so gorgeous, but despite all that beauty, I wasn't fooled. He nodded to Scar Face, who turned and left with a quiet click of the door. I guess you don't need a bodyguard around a petite unarmed female when you're master of death.

And that's the thing. I could feel the evil floating off the goons who had collected me from work, but this guy, he was hiding it well. All I got was the now muted sense of his
Sanguis Vitam
, untainted, yet also un-anything. With Michel I could feel the good in his power, it's kind of like reading someone's aura I guess, although I'm not very good at that. But with Michel, I can sense his aura or goodness, it's all gold and light. This guy though was just a void.
What are you hiding, buddy?

When he didn't immediately say anything, I thought I might as well jump right in. In for a penny, in for a pound, so they say.

“Why am I here?”

“
I wish to make an offer. You have been in the company of such an exclusive lot you need to realise your potential, broaden your horizons, so to speak.” He smiled at me then, a stunning smile that lit up his eyes making the greens so vivid it was almost blinding. But it wasn't my Michel's smile, there were no blues or indigos there. I mentally shook myself at that thought, but then stopped. If thoughts of Michel could dispel whatever this vamp tried on me, then so much the better.

When I didn't respond, he went on. “You are wasted here, Lucinda.” He stalked across the room toward me in a sensual glide, all hips and legs and muscles rippling. He leaned over my chair and looked me in the eye, his hand resting on the bottom of my chin to tilt my face slightly upwards. His touch was warm and yet cool. I could feel a slight tingling where his thumb stroked my face. “I offer you the world.”

Something inside me, something akin to my inner monologue, but not quite as insistent, spoke in my mind.
Stall. Stall for time, drag this out as long as you can.
I could only assume that when this conversation was done my life would be over, that's why my voice was telling me to stall for time. To what end that would accomplish I did not yet know, but I had faith I'd think of something. I'm pretty good at thinking on my feet.

I cleared my throat and pulled back slightly from his grip. He let me, for now. “What exactly are you offering?”

His smile widened, it looked more genuine than before. His earlier effort had obviously all been for show, this one was natural. My question was apparently what he wanted to here.

My inner voice growled.

“First, let me introduce myself,” he said as he perched against the arm of my chair.
Too close, too close!
My inner monologue, the insistent one, shouted. I shoved the voice aside and hid my emotions as best I could. When you've been around vampires as long as I have, you learn to suppress your facial expressions, to hide anger or fear or any of those other unwanted emotions. If not, it could lead to an instant death. It's not easy if the emotion creeps up on you unexpectedly, but when you're braced and on high alert, like I was right now, then it's possible. Just.

“
I am Maximilian, my friends call me Max.”

“
What do your enemies call you?” It was out before I could stop myself. I mean, come on, the guy had left himself wide open for that one!

He smiled a sly smile this time. “They call me Death.”
Spooky much?

I swallowed and shifted a little further away in my chair. He laughed at that and threw back his head. A delightful manly chuckle that warmed me up inside.

“I mean you no harm, Lucinda. On the contrary, I wish for a joining. I would not have my servant injured in any way.”

“
Servant?” I raised my eyebrows. He lowered his.

“
Has
he
not told you?” And then more to himself, “Could it be?” He stood up quickly at that and paced the room. Go figure, a vampire pacing?

“
There is much to tell you, but we do not have time. Not here. Will you come with me willingly?”

Stall! Do not let him move you from here. Keep him talking, delay him at all costs.
This time my inner voice almost shouted, I had to use every ounce of control in me to not openly wince. What the?

“
Um, I...I'm not sure what you're offering.” And then seeing his eyes darken ominously added, “I want to go with you, really, but I just need, I mean, I haven't eaten all day and I'm feeling a little weak. I don't suppose...?” I let the question hang in the air, hoping he'd accept my piss-poor attempt at subterfuge.

He was already at the door. “Tony, bring us some food”. He hadn't raised his voice, so Tony, whichever one of the goons he was, was nearby. Vampires do have great hearing, but still, they need to at least be in the same building.

“You shall eat and then we shall go.” He returned to his own chair across from me. At least that was an improvement.

I glanced around the room, taking in my predicament, for all the good it would do me. I couldn't tell what time it was, the windows were shuttered closed and I don't wear a watch, but I was guessing it was about four in the afternoon by now. Maybe even as close to five. The bank would be closing, the sun getting lower in the sky. Maybe travelling at night would be better for him too, that's why he had acquiesced so easily to my request.

“I plan for an equal joining, Lucinda. More than you could hope from him. You will participate in all my endeavours right beside me, where you can be seen, admired for what and who you are.”

Somehow that didn't have the desired effect on me I was guessing he was after. Just then Tony, Scar Face - who would have thought the goon had such an appropriate Mafioso name - came into the room with a bag from McDonald's. I could smell the French fries and I wasn't in the slightest bit hungry. Being held captive by an uber-powerful Master Vampire and told you will be
joined
to him in
all
his endeavours tends to unsettle the stomach somewhat, but I had to carry on the pretence.

I smiled slightly at Tony. His power level was well under check in the presence of his Master, but his returning grin told me just what he'd do if the Master wasn't there.

“That will be all, Tony.” Max/Death, whatever, gave Scar Face a glare that could have frozen an snowman. To Tony's credit, he didn't hang around.

I pulled the French fries out of the bag and began nibbling on them. Max watched with quiet intrigue. “You are stunning,” he said, with a hint of sexual desire that coated his every word.

“I'm eating a French fry. How is that stunning?”

He smiled wryly. “I had heard you often spoke without thinking. I shall teach you restraint. You may never need worry about that fault again.”

Fault?
I kinda liked the way I have independent thought. My inner voice purred. Huh?

I decided to just nibble on another French fry rather than answer that statement out loud.

“You will like my home. It is in a much better climate than here,” he said conversationally. His eyes never left me as he spoke. The green gaze felt weighted, as though every moment he looked at me, he owned more and more of my soul.

I hadn't missed the innuendo of his statement though, that his home had a nicer climate than here. I couldn't help defending my adopted city, but I kept my retort internal, no point pissing the Master Vampire off.
You mean the swamp, that is Auckland? I like it buster, it's my home. Don't knock it.

“
There will be much occasion for you to use your powers when they fully manifest. I lead a busy Court.”

“
Court?”

“
Yes, somehow the intricacies of Vampire Court life have been lost on most of today's vampires. I run a traditional Vampire Court.”

I was sure I did
not
want to know what traditional meant. I'd take my Master of the City running a nightclub any day.

“
Just where do you live, Max?”

I think he liked hearing me say his name, he positively glowed. “Far from here. You need not worry yourself with the details.”

So much for
right beside me
and
an equal joining
.

“
So, um, what is it like to be joined exactly?” I had no idea what
joining
meant, but I wanted to keep him occupied. If asking questions did that, then I would feign interest.

He stood up and literally prowled towards me. His eyes glowed a slight red, which was quite disconcerting. Not just for the fact that he was expending power right then, but because green and red, they don't really mix so well. I couldn't move, my hand half way into the bag of fries, my breath a little laboured. He held my gaze, not entirely glazing me, but trapping me like a deer in headlights. I could not have looked away if my life depended on it and it probably did right then.

Power rolled off him in waves, intermittently giving me sensations of pleasure, quickly followed by spikes in adrenaline full of fear. His intention was clear, he wanted me to know how easy it was to affect me, control me. At a simple thought he could have me groaning in bliss or screaming in terror. He stood not half a metre away and watched as wave after wave of conflicting sensations washed over me.

The sensual feeling of flesh on flesh. The heat of a body moving in mine. The crest of a wave, making my breathing come in pants and a small moan escape my lips. Golden pools of lava centring in my soul. Then abruptly, before I could completely crest that wave of desire, sharp, hot stabs of pain. Excruciating jabs of knife-like slices across my skin. Tearing flesh, rendering skin apart. Hot blood soaking my clothes, running down my body and pooling at my feet. Then promptly the flesh on flesh all over again. The utter contrast of sensations making my body shake, my voice cry out in alarm and my mind scream for it all to end.

I'm not sure how long I sat there, completely and utterly at his mercy, but the images and sensations that he conjured in my mind and body will stay with me for life. How he could have me longing for his touch, begging with my eyes for release one minute and then fighting bile in my throat and straining not to wet myself another, is beyond me. A true monster lurked beneath that stare.

Finally, when perhaps he had bored of the enterprise, he smiled and his eyes returned to their normal shade of green. He stepped forward and knelt down in front of me. He reached for my hand, the one not still hovering over a now semi-cold French fry and stroked the back of it with his thumb. “Don't you see, Lucinda? The power we could share. What is mine is yours, what is yours is mine. You shall have my power, as I shall have yours. Together we shall be stronger, fiercer, more powerful than any other that walks this earth today. You
are
to be mine, Lucinda. We shall rule the world.”

I didn't know what to say to that. The thought of having anything to do with the power that had just engulfed me, tortured me in both pleasure and pain, repulsed me. I felt sick to the stomach.
Was he insane? Did he really think I lusted after his power?

I was just searching for something to say, something that wouldn't offend and then invoke the wrath of this being, when I felt him. Michel. I wasn't the only one to notice, I guess that was the point. Couldn't he have just snuck up on the bad guy though? I mean, pride before a fall and all that.

Max was on me in an instant, my head in a vice-like grip. His left arm around my neck holding me securely, his right gripping the top of my head in a position that meant all business. The French fries forgotten at out feet. I didn't breathe.

There were loud shouts and a few thuds from downstairs and then the door opened ever so slowly into the room.

The landing was bare.

I couldn't hold my breath any longer, but I didn't want to make a move. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Michel appeared in the entranceway.

I let the breath I was holding out and felt a deep seated sense of pure joy at the sight of him. No mind control, no forced emotion, this was all me.

I shouldn't have counted my chickens so soon.

Sanguis Vitam
crackled around the room like lightning. The hairs on my arms stood out, sharp stabs of pain danced across my skin as flashes of energy swirled through the air. Neither vampire had moved, but the world was a hazy glaze of impulses. My eyes ached at the bright lights, but I couldn't close them. I was trapped, not just by the steel hold of a vampire's arm around my throat, but by the tangible power growing in the room. And it was growing.