by Nix, Imogene
He looked back at her. She sat, slowly eating a piece of carrot coated in some white fluid, nibbling on the end, but even to his eyes it looked less than appetising. He strode over, his belly churning with anger, while he listened to the message blaring from the speaker. He gripped his goblet, quickly downed the blooded wine, then he put the cup down with a crash. Hope lifted her head, and looked directly at him.
“Come. Leave that. We have to meet with Cressida, so we can find you something better on the drive.” He grabbed her arm, marvelling at the warmth and softness of her skin as he always seemed to.
It had been many years since he’d had a human lover. Maybe that was why he was so drawn to her? But something in him rebelled at the thought that it was because she was human, beautiful and young. No, he didn’t want to know what the reality of this feeling was, yet he wouldn’t label it as something so empty.
“But I’m not dressed or anything.” Her words drew him back.
“Then change, but be quick. We leave in ten minutes.” She stood, and he watched as she disappeared through the bedroom door.
* * * *
They exited the stairs to the corridor. Her father stood there, waiting. He was as immaculate as ever, with the black suit teamed with a bright white shirt and conservative tie. His salt and pepper hair was cut close to his head, his face having undergone a transformation over the years. The lines around his eyes and mouth highlighted his chiselled jaw line, now shaded darkly with five o’clock shadow. Through the years, he had slimmed to a streamlined shape, but he still exuded a power many men only achieved through bulk, she idly thought. His pale blue eyes were cold, and she shivered in reaction as they left her face and continued on to Xavier.
“Master, a moment of your time? I have prepared the statements for your perusal. The Iversten accounts have risen by fifteen per cent…”
Hope noted Xavier’s hand flashed at her father. “James. I am displeased with you, but we have no time to discuss this. Hope and I have an appointment that cannot wait. I will attend you tomorrow evening. Give the portfolio information to Javed, and he will go over it tonight with me when we return.” The words were tight and controlled, but something glinted in Xavier’s eyes.
Her father looked at her. “Hope, your mother wishes to see you…” It was as if Xavier had never spoken. She watched Xavier’s mouth flatten in anger. A tic at the side of his jaw started, and she would have stepped back, but Xavier held a firm grip on her arm.
“I have already told you, James, we have an appointment.” This time the words were terse, and her father gazed intently at her, as if telling her of his displeasure with her. Confusion reigned. What had she done now?
“Father, tell Mother I will contact her in the morning. Right now, we have to go.” She tried to soften the words with a smile, but the look her father gave her became a sneer. It hit her like a blow, and for just an instant she wanted to step forward and have him hold her, as he used to when she was a child.
He turned and walked away from her, the thudding of footsteps growing fainter as she watched him retreat. The action cut her. She gasped for breath at the physical pain it caused, shafting through her heart.
Xavier interrupted her thoughts. “Hope? Are you well?” The hand that had held his shook slightly, and she gripped onto him, seeking assurance that this was a bad dream, yet it wasn’t. She could feel the tensile strength in his grasp. A sob fought to escape, but she controlled it.
“Ahh, yes. Let’s go.” She tried to smile, but somehow she knew the failed attempt was noted, just as he gazed at her moist eyes.
Xavier didn’t speak, and she was grateful for that small mercy, as he steered her out of the door of the house, down the block steps. She was aware they crunched their way across the gravel of the drive to the car that sat waiting in the driveway. It was a monster, sleek and black, that sat waiting for them. The windows were darkly tinted for safety reasons, and she noted that several other cars waited. Their guard filed out behind them, flanking them in a formidable show of strength.
The air was still and heavy and she lifted her head, allowing her eyes to close against the burn of unshed tears. The sweetness of the scent of roses and jasmine filled her senses, and for just an instant a cool breeze filtered through the air, and then was gone, but the fresh feeling it brought helped to clear her mind. She allowed it to sweep away any trace of sadness or regret, before climbing into the vehicle.
Xavier climbed in beside her, after tossing the file onto the back seat, while his personal guard and second, Javed, moved to the front with the driver, leaving them alone once more.
The first of the guardian cars pulled out. A boxy black people mover took up position in front of their vehicle, and, in her mind, memories of details flittered. Each of the vehicles was heavy and built to the specifications of the nest purchasing them. The glass and bodies were bulletproof, and the engines had been replaced with fast heavy motors, allowing them to travel at speeds most humans were unable to handle. The tinting on the windows was reinforced and carefully darkened, allowing the vampires within to seek shelter during the daylight hours if the situation or need arose. But they could still see out, allowing them a view of the world as they moved.
Each car was then submitted for testing by the traffic authorities and certified before being allowed on the road, and was clearly identified by the nest’s coat of arms on the passenger doors. The registration plates were easily distinguishable in red and yellow stripes.
Many of the militant humans argued it was unfair that they could drive these modified beasts on the roads, but the government had passed legislation to allow for this specialised certification some years back. Now most people just accepted it without question.
She leant back into the luxurious leather seating.
“We will find a drive-through.” His voice was filled with humour, which irritated her in a brief flash. She wasn’t some child who required cheering up. Once more Hope opened her mouth to comment, but a raised hand stopped her.
“I checked on your favourite dietary options while you changed.” At his words she flashed him a look, but he merely smiled back at her.
“I’m not that bad. I can eat normal food, you know. It’s just cold cuts and the dressed salads are…” She shivered in distaste, realising that maybe she had read the situation with the wrong attitude to start with.
If she were honest, it was probably a reaction to the altercation, if she could call it that, with her father. It had left her edgy and off balance. It was also childish, she allowed privately.
“If I were you, I think I would feel the same also.” His grin was boyish, and for a moment she saw the man he must have been, so very long ago, startling her. She didn’t really know anything about it, and suddenly the need to find out seemed so important to her.
“How did you end up Master of the house?” Her mother had refused to discuss the matter when she had asked, and, given the situation, she needed to know as much as possible, so she could have some control over what happened to her.
He sighed. “It’s a long story.”
Hope looked at him. “It’s a long drive. Please?”
Xavier nodded. “Okay, you know when you were abducted by the Brethren, there was a deal, between Cressida and Philippe?” She nodded and waited patiently. “Well, there was an alliance formed. They both had the same sire, so it made sense for her to seek his assistance. In order to both rescue and protect you after you were located in the warehouse where you were hidden, she needed someone to take over the running of the nest as there were certain steps she had to take. Steps that couldn’t be taken without a price paid.”
Xavier stopped and breathed deeply. “None of her personal guards who survived were sufficiently prepared to take over, so she made the pact with Philippe. I was part of the house back then, and remember the night Cyrus was made aware of his promotion. He had been Philippe’s right hand for an extended period of time, groomed to take over running the nest.”
Hope watched as Xavier turned away for just an instant as if revisiting the time once more. “Anyway, Cyrus and I were close, having seen nearly two hundred years of service together. I helped him to make the transition but…as he was groomed to be the next to make the transition within our own nest, it left a vacuum in ours. One I was sure I could fill. The nests are built upon a system of alliances. Some houses would seek their next Master or Mistress from others. It was a time of great upheaval in the houses. Such a thing had not happened since the Spanish Inquisition, when many came here.”
Hope waited. This was a history she had never heard, and it intrigued her. “So, how did you become the Master then?”
“Ah yes. Well, since the houses started forming these strategic alliances, the Brethren became more unsettled. More and more attacks occurred. One night, we were travelling with Philippe when our convoy was intercepted. We were flagged down to help a woman whose car had broken down. She was supposedly in labour, and Philippe had a soft spot for children and babies. So we stopped…” He sucked in a breath.
Hope extended a hand, seeing the conversation was emotionally difficult for him. “You don’t have to say any more.”
Xavier held her hand and smiled. “You know, I probably do. I have pushed it away ever since it happened.” His smile was strained, and it hurt to see him struggle for the words. A feeling of anger swept through her, but she waited in silence for him to continue. “Anyway, it was an ambush. Philippe got out to see what he could do, while we were busy with the vehicle itself. They had the new UV rifles. Others were waiting and they opened fire. Philippe died, but we got them all. Captured them, and made sure they stood trial for the murder of Philippe and the other six guards lost that night.”
“But in losing our Master, the house had no head, so another was appointed by Cressida as the head of the Council as I wasn’t yet trained. You did know she had been a member of the Council previously, didn’t you?”
Hope shook her head, so much information and lore that she didn’t know. After all these years, and she still knew so little about them.
“Then one of the Councillors stood down last year, and Cyrus was nominated as the next to ascend, so he requested that I take over the nest. I had been shadowing Xurian as his second, so it made sense. I knew how to run a nest. So here I am.”
Hope was sure there was a lot more to learn, but for now she was content with the information he’d shared. It wouldn’t help solve the problem of why the Brethren had attacked last night, but it was something to consider and file away.
She sighed as she looked out of the window to the city while they whizzed past. He looked so good in his black suit, cut perfectly and fitted to his muscular frame, and she wanted to turn back to gaze upon his beautiful visage. The scent of his aftershave, spicy and welcoming, filled her senses and she knew she was fighting a losing battle against her attraction to him—the one that she had been prey to from the first time she had seen him. When she turned back, she saw him watching her—studying her with an intensity that made her quiver deep inside.
“Apart from that, Cyrus had noted that there was a problem within the nest. The power imbalance, in my opinion, comes from so many changes in a short period of time—something that usually doesn’t happen often. To be honest, I have to agree with his assessment of the imbalance, but am still trying to get the business arm back on track. The nest had been doing well, until the last three years. Suddenly our financial reserves were dwindling no matter what we did. Investments that we foreshadowed were being picked up, before we could get them finalised.” He sighed and leaned his head back.
Hope sat, quietly digesting what he had told her. Something was wrong with the nest? For the first time, she realised it was rife—her father arguing the point with Xavier, the way her mother ruled the household. She looked out of the window and was stunned to see them pulling into her favourite takeaway restaurant.
The intercom buzzed. She watched Xavier open his eyes and straighten up, touching the speaker button. “Miss Hope, what would you prefer?” Javed’s voice was filled with amusement, and she felt the heat flare in her face. Did they all know she had a weakness for junk food?
She quickly made a suggestion for the order, and waited patiently for the knock on the door. A hand thrust a bag and bottle inside the vehicle, then it rocked slightly as Javed climbed back into the front. The engine hummed once more as they pulled back onto the road.
She sneaked a quick look at Xavier who was watching her. His green eyes twinkled and his face quirked into an amused grin. “What are you waiting for?” His voice held laughter.
“Well, it’s bad manners to eat in front of someone else who isn’t.”
“Hope, eat your dinner before it gets cold, and we get to Cressida’s.” His voice was soft. “If it embarrasses you that much, I can turn away.”
Hope knew it was silly, but the offer warmed her. “If you don’t mind.” She waited and watched as he repositioned himself, then quickly opened the wrappers and began eating. Burger first then the fries, as her stomach rumbled once more.
Embarrassment warred with hunger and, when she had finished, Hope shoved the wrappers back into the sack, and wiped her face and hands with the napkin that had been provided. She’d have to learn to keep her dislike of cold cuts to herself.
“Xavier? I’m done.” He turned back to her and she marvelled at how such a big strong man—no, vampire—could move so gracefully. He smiled and reached out a hand towards her face. Hope sat still, wondering what he was doing. Her limbs weighed her down and an unfamiliar lethargy filled her.
“You have a seed right there.” He touched her skin as he said the words softly, and she felt his warm touch against her skin. He moved his fingers against the side of her mouth, like the softest of velvets, then drew back, where they stilled before they touched her lips. His eyes glinted.
Her breath hitched in her throat and her heart pounded a fast rhythm. She moistened her lips with her tongue, grazing him slightly. His eyes narrowed at the action, then slowly he leaned towards her. The whisper of his breath on her lips, so sweet and fragrant, and her dazed senses went into overdrive. Closer and closer he leaned, and she knew he was going to kiss her.
The phone buzzed again, startling her. He pulled back, watching her, as he touched the intercom button, his chest moving rapidly. “What?” Xavier bit out the words.
“We have arrived at the gate.” Javed’s answer was terse, as if he realised he had interrupted something. “Do you need me to do something for you, Master?”
“No, that’s fine. Thank you.” He punched the button once more and sat back, watching her intently, his eyes glinting in the low light, while the memory of the near kiss scorched her mind.
God, he must think I am so easy. He’s a Master and you are the daughter of his Yeux Secondes. Nothing more or less, she reminded herself. The internal reminder didn’t help, though. She didn’t feel any better about what had nearly happened. It just left her with her stomach churning even more, threatening to swamp her with the greasy waves of emotion. She felt bewildered and confused by her situation, her attraction to this Master vampire and her place in the universe, as the vehicle came to a stop.
* * * *
Hope walked behind Xavier, checking out his graceful gait as it filled her view. Together they passed fine paintings and antiques from wars long past that reminded her of a museum. The entire public area of the house looked like it was filled with heavy dark wooden furnishings, and the familiar scent of lemon-infused beeswax filled the air. She was sure there was no comfort here in the formal areas, but if she knew Cressida, there would be hidden havens within the house. Rooms that would be welcoming and comfortable, probably painted in pale hues with light furnishings.
For an instant, the memory of the house she called home rose in her mind, and she couldn’t contain the cold at the thought. The floor beneath her feet was slate and the tap of her heels sounded loud and echoed in the high-ceilinged ro
oms. She felt unwieldy hearing her loud awkward gait as it reverberated loudly against the soft sigh of the steps of walking vampires.
When they had entered the house, each and every one of the vampire guards had been frisked—everyone, except herself and Xavier. Funny that. Hope snorted loudly. Xavier turned to look at her and smiled. She wanted to cringe, the heated red tide of embarrassment crawling over her skin again.
Instead of asking why they had gone through unscathed and unchecked, she accepted it, and followed him down the long corridor, past suits of armour standing like sentinels at every interval. You don’t ask a vampire those sorts of question. She’d been told in the past, by those who didn’t live inside nests, that asking vampires any questions was playing Russian Roulette. She had come across that attitude throughout her life, but for the life of her she had never understood their fear of nested vampires. It was the rogues that they needed to worry about.
Several elaborately clothed vampires stood guard near a large wooden door, but instead of brandishing swords, they carried UV guns, and each wore a similar dark uniform with epaulets on the shoulders, jaunty berets on their heads and sashes running across their heavy chests.
The opening they guarded was dark and studded with gleaming silver. They nodded, and together moved to grab the shining silver rings that adorned the doors. They pulled and the entrance opened. Not a squeak was to be heard as the massive wooden hung door moved silently on well-oiled hinges. She grinned at the sight of the silver. Those who lived outside nests still believed that vampires had an allergy to silver. Those within nests were sworn to secrecy about that false assumption. Instead, the deadly metal was copper. It reacted with something in their skin, causing burns on simple contact. For those who faced long-term contact, the result was horrific, including eventually eating through skin and bone, causing amputation and horrible poisoning.
