I looked up into his eyes, noting there was magenta in amongst the violet hue, but shook my head in confusion. I wasn't sure what it was, but I was happier in this building than I had been for months. Michel looked a little hurt at those thoughts.
"This building is warded," the Nosferatin interrupted our silent staring match. "You cannot be overhead or seen within these walls. This is safest building in Paris. Perhaps in Europe," he said proudly. His eyes settled again on me, the look was friendly and open, but Michel was not having any of it.
"Thank you...?" he said pointedly, to get the Nosferatin's attention away from me.
"I am so sorry, in all the excitement I did not introduce myself. My name is Yves Bertrand. I am in charge of the Nosferatins here. This is our most sacred home."
"Home?" I asked, wanting to know more about this beautiful place and why it called to me.
"Home of the Nosferatin, Lucinda," he said my name as though it was sacred, as much as the building itself. "This building has been our base for centuries. For as long as the Nosferatin have resided in Paris." He said Paris as the French do, musical and romantic - beautiful.
Michel cleared his throat loudly, his arm snaking around my shoulders in a predatory and possessive way. I ignored him.
"How long have you been here, Yves?"
His smile widened, his eyes flashing an amazing azure in amongst the Arctic. He was old, only Nosferatin over a certain age had a colour change like the Nosferatu in their eyes.
"A long time, Lucinda. But I have never had such an honour as to welcome a Nosferatin such as you in our home. Welcome," he said with feeling, fisting his hand across his heart and bowing low. Lower and longer than he had bowed to Michel. "Treat this as your home," he added as he came back up to full height. "It has been waiting for your return."
Before I could ask him what he meant, he started for the door. "I am sure you wish for some privacy. You will not be disturbed, you have my word." And then he slipped out of the door, closing it softly behind him.
Silence filled the room, the only sound that of Michel's low, soft and menacing growl. He pulled away from me and walked several steps, then turned and shot me a look. Eyebrow raised and mask in place. His neutral political mask. The one he wears when he doesn't want to give anything away. He was failing miserably. I could almost smell the jealousy and anger rolling off him, an overreaction to be sure.
"An overreaction?" he asked quietly and the vampires went deathly still.
I held his gaze and smiled softly, his mask slipped, anger seeping in. "Michel," I said as though speaking to a child. His mouth opened slightly in disbelief. I started laughing at his reaction, probably not the most thoughtful of responses, but really! What was he thinking? I'd die for this man, I would give my last breath to love him and have him love me back. No strange inexplicable Nosferatin connection would ever stop that now.
I shrugged my shoulders and said quietly as I approached his side. "I don't know why, but I like it here. I feel safe and at home. It comes from deep within. I feel Nut in these rooms." And it wasn't a lie. The longer I was here, the more I believed my Goddess was present. "This is where it all started, Michel. This is where it all began."
He let a slow breath out and glanced around the room, I wasn't sure if he was looking for some sign of Nut, but when his eyes returned to me, the magenta had faded.
"You are mine," he said softly, reaching up and placing a hand behind my neck. His thumb began to trace a pattern in my hair.
"And you are mine," I answered simply.
We stood like that for several seconds, our eyes locked on the other, and it must have finally worked, because he pulled back and gave me one of his young boy smiles and then elegantly shrugged his shoulders.
"You cannot blame me," he murmured. "You came alive tonight as soon as we arrived. It has been weeks since you have done that."
"London," we both said at the same time and then smiled. That damn city just wasn't for me.
"Maybe we should move here," I said without thought, but as soon as I saw Michel's contemplative gaze on me I hesitated. "It's too close to her," I added and he slowly nodded. But I got the impression that it was an idea that had appealed. Before I had mentioned the Champion that is.
"Very well," Michel said softly, returning to the task at hand. "Get your gem out, ma douce."
I pulled Aliath's bright yellow stone from my pocket and lifted it to my lips. I hoped like hell we weren't disturbing him. Then quickly whispered his name against the side.
A split in the air appeared several seconds later and Aliath stepped out with Gigi in tow. Marcus hissed, Matthias whacked him on the shoulder and the Nothus bared her fangs.
"Control yourselves," Michel said with authority and both shut their mouths.
Once the initial reaction to their strange arrival had subsided, I got a good look at them both. They were a little grimy, dirt smeared all over their faces and hands. Their clothes ripped in places and shadows under both their eyes. But Gigi looked the worst. Aliath had that tired look of a long fight, but was still in reasonable health. Gigi was hungry, her eyes darting to my neck more than once.
"How long have you been in Álfheimr?" I asked alarmed. Time passed differently in the fairy realm. Sometimes faster, sometimes slower. But by the look of Gigi, she hadn't fed for several days.
Being half Nosferatin she can handle a little lack of blood, but even after three days or so, it begins to take its toll. It looked like she had been suffering for more than that.
"Too long," Aliath muttered, assisting Gigi to a chair. "Do you have a donor nearby?"
I didn't answer him. "How could you do this, Aliath?" I had trusted the fairy would have her best interests at heart, he always seemed to have mine.
"We were ambushed, Lutin expected us to hunt him. We almost had him too, but his guards arrived. We barely managed to escape with our lives."
"Why didn't you just walk back through a rip in space?" I asked, incredulously. It's not like they had to hang around for a portal to open. Aliath was of royal blood, he could come and go from Álfheimr at any time, as long as portals were open nearby.
"They warded against normal travel, your summons was outside their ward's parameters."
"So I saved your arses," I said, giving him a pointed look.
He frowned, then conceded. "Yes, so it would seem."
"I'll organise take-out," Alain said quietly from the corner of the room, pulling a cellphone from his pocket. I smiled in thanks and returned my attention to the fairy before me. Marcus had stepped closer to Gigi, she hadn't noticed, too busy studying my vein.
"Marcus," Michel warned and his vampire jumped having been caught out. Just what was he planning to do when he got near her? She turned and flashed fang. "Matthias contain her, please," Michel instructed casually and when I shot him a glance he added, "I do not wish my wife to be her next meal." Gigi looked mortified having been called out on her desire for my blood.
I sighed, it was always a drama around Nosferatu. Michel chuckled quietly off to the side.
"Why did you call me, Princess?" Aliath asked and Michel's chuckles vanished abruptly at my Fey title.
Here goes nothing. "I need my joining reversed," I announced and watched the fairy's face shut down. "You've never offered to do it, so I presume you can't or won't." He stared neutrally at me. "So I need Lutin to do it instead."
He didn't say anything for a moment. Then finally he said in a low voice, "There are consequences for using that type of magic. It is not an easy ask."
"You don't think he can do it again? He's done it once, surely he'd be able to replicate it." I could tell my voice had risen, I was desperate. Michel edged closer to my side, his hand reaching out to clasp mine.
"You do not understand, Princess."
"Please don't call me that," I interrupted without thinking.
"You are a Princess of Álfheimr whether you accept it or not," he replied curtly, then stood abruptly to his feet and st
arted pacing. "I have sworn to protect you." This was news to me, I knew we had an informal alliance of sorts, but I had never considered his side of the agreement went so far as protecting me. "To allow you this would be to place you in harm's way." His bright green eyes lifted to mine. "Even if I could capture him, which at the moment is not guaranteed, to allow him to perform this task would be to give him a closer tie to you."
"What?" Michel demanded, his voice and body stiff.
Aliath turned his gaze to the vampire at my side. "Exactly what I say, vampire. The first time Prince Lutin performed the reversal he placed a part of himself inside the spell, which was bound to the Princess in your joining's place. All things in the world - yours or mine - require balance. You cannot take something away without giving something in return." Aliath sighed, as though the topic pained him. "I apologise, Princess. But although your safety concerns me, I do not wish to be tied to you like that."
"I should bloody well hope not," Michel said, sounding stunned. He turned slowly to look at me, a sadness creeping into the edges of his eyes. Then still holding my gaze he said to the fairy, "If Lutin were given the chance to reverse the joining again, he would make a closer tie to my wife?"
"Yes," Aliath replied slowly. "It could be enough for the Princess to be unable to resist."
"Unable to resist?" I asked, becoming numb.
"Even your Tego Texi Tectum would not protect or shield you from that," Aliath said shattering all my dreams and crushing my heart.
It was hopeless. There was no way I wanted to swap a weak connection to Avery with a stronger one to Lutin. And without reversing the joining, the Champion would surely strike. We were completely screwed.
I lifted my eyes to Michel's and saw my pain and heartache reflected there. He had obviously got his hopes up too and now they were dashed, like mine. He smiled sadly at me and pulled me into his arms, wrapping me up in his embrace.
"We'll find a way to placate her, ma douce," he whispered against my hair, but I knew he was doubtful too.
Chapter 22
Good-Byes
"We could just run," Nataliya offered and received four vampire snarls in return. Gigi was the only one not to voice her disapproval of the idea of retreat. Maybe that was the Nosferatin side of her, allowing her to consider such a tactical move. But the others made it obvious that running was not a good idea.
Personally, I agreed with them. I'd done the running thing before. Two months hiding out in South America, I knew how tiring constantly looking over your shoulder could be. Plus, I couldn't help thinking how unfair this all was, how wrong. And if it was wrong, then why should I be the one to run? Why not the Champion? The Iunctio? Why me?
"Are you prepared to declare war on them, ma douce?" Michel asked quietly. He'd returned to the other side of the room to pace, his attention now on a painting. He still had his back to the room when he spoke.
"What other option do we have?" I asked. His hesitation said more than his reassuring words did.
"Diplomacy. We could attempt to persuade the Champion that there is another way."'
"Is she sane enough for that?" I asked with a little more derision than I had intended.
"No less than usual," he replied and turned back to the room. His eyes found mine and he let a little breath out in an action that could have been misconstrued as defeat. "To fight the Iunctio as a whole would be tantamount to suicide. I will consider it if we are trapped. If our backs are to the wall and no other option available, then I will fight to the final death if need be." He paused and looked at each of his vampires in the room, his eyes resting on his Second, Alain. "I will endeavour to negotiate alliances with those of the Council in our favour. If we can divide the Council, then we have some power over her decisions."
"You said she was the Champion, that she'd do whatever she pleases regardless of what anyone else says," I offered, still not on board with the whole sit down and be friends approach. It seemed a little lame and right now my temper was a lit match away from an inferno-sized rage.
Michel smiled at me, it was a little indulgent, but the humour was there. "Mine too, ma douce," he said in reply to my thoughts. "But she is bound to a majority vote of the Council in most things that she does. The trick will be instigating an opportunity to vote. She is adept at avoiding formal ballots."
I sighed. It was obvious Michel had made up his mind and it wasn't as though I wanted to fight the entire Iunctio Council, but diplomacy took patience and time. None of which I had, or was good at.
"Oh, I don't know, ma belle," Michel said coming to sit next to me on the couch. "You have a natural ability to persuade me on most things. A politician lurks under this hunter's guise." His fingers had found the rim of my T-shirt neckline again and lifted it ever so slightly to peer inside. I swatted his hand away, aware of the other vampires all watching in the room. He just laughed quietly.
"So, we all stay in Paris?" I asked, trying to get his attention back on the problems at hand and his hands off me.
"Absolutely not!" he said with conviction. The authoritative master back in the room."You shall return to London, where you are somewhat out of the Champion's sights. I'll remain here and do what needs to be done at the Palais."
Anger bubbled up inside me at his dismissive words. Sending me away again. It was as bad as him going away again. I was sick of being separated. If we had to face a final battle, then we'd do it together, not apart. I was determined to make him understand.
"Leave us," he said to the room at large his eyes never moving from mine.
The vampires all stood as one, Aliath and Gigi a little slower. I heard Alain tell the Nothus her meal had arrived, but my attention was on the swirls of indigo and amethyst inside Michel's eyes. Within only seconds we were alone.
He looked at me intently for a moment and then in a soft voice said, "I cannot have you near Avery. I cannot even begin to tell you how distracting that would be. If he laid another finger on you, I would..."
He didn't need to finish, I knew what he thought. It was written all over his face and truth be told, hadn't really left since he'd arrived in the Council chambers earlier tonight. I was a distraction. Or at least, the thought of Avery harming me again was. I'd need to Dream Walk to him in three days time, but by then the Champion's time limit would have expired and we'd either be in some form of agreement or at war.
I reached up a hand to cup his cheek. "Is there really no other way?" He closed his eyes and turned his mouth to lay a kiss on my palm, his hand coming up and holding my wrist tenderly.
"I believe I can persuade her, ma belle. I have to try. The alternative is too harsh, too set in stone. We would not survive the entire might of the Iunctio, but with certain members of the Council on our side, we could just have a chance."
I let his words sink in. Michel was not a weak vampire, on the power front. He was perhaps the strongest after the Champion. Even without our joining powers. But he was also a consummate politician. A diplomat first and foremost. And would I have it any other way? If he was a warrior only, with little ability to think a situation through, he wouldn't be Michel.
"Who, out of the Council, do you think you can get on our side?" He relaxed slightly at my words, aware I had conceded his point of view.
"Gregor is a natural, our friendship more solid than it has been in centuries. I have no doubt he would support us." He ran a hand through his hair contemplating the rest of his answer. "The Ambrosia, I believe, would be on our side. He keeps his counsel close to his chest, but he is a good man." I agreed, the Ambrosia was practically all Light. "It becomes more difficult after that, although the Scribe has shown overtures towards friendship since I returned to the fold. I believe he could be persuaded. The Foreteller will only side with those he has already foreseen. We have a fifty-fifty chance with him. He is fair though, so what he sees he will honour. The Nemesis and Keeper are most likely out. Both too close to the Champion. The Diviner equally so, but he has a good political head. If he bel
ieves it will aid his career, he will do it. That leaves the Creator and Imposter, I know neither of them well. The Creator less so than the Imposter, but I could not hazard a guess as to their political motivations. So, I'll have to tread carefully there."
"And of course, the Interrogator. Definitely not on our side."
"Or is he?" Michel answered, surprising me. "He does not want the joining reversed. Even if siding with us goes against his better judgement, right now we're his only bet."
How much fun will it be for Michel to approach him? And how much would Avery gladly put him through before he'd agree? I didn't envy Michel his task ahead, but it had been his decision to take it. Still, I would give anything to be here to support him. The little wife waiting in his chambers to soothe his ragged nerves at the end of the day.
Michel started laughing, his chest rising and falling with increasing force. "You are definitely not the little wife, Lucinda." He wrapped an arm around my shoulder and pulled me close to his side. "If I had my way, you would be on the Council with me, working at my side." He started nuzzling his nose in my hair.
I stiffened at his words though, unsure if he actually meant them. Only vampires were on the Council, so I gathered they were a symbolic gesture at best. Although there was a little part of me, that acknowledged it wasn't fair. The Iunctio was designed to provide direction and protection for both the Nosferatu and the Nosferatin. Both our powers fuelled its engines. Yet, only the Nosferatu were considered Master enough to rule. Nosferatin had for centuries hidden in the shadows, offered our support to our kindreds, boosted the Iunctio's coffers and received little in return.
Sure the Iunctio made our jobs easier. Without the rules and regulations, the ability for vampires to find safety and help, they would have rebelled. Their natural Dark taking over. Nosferatu far outnumber the Nosferatin, if the Iunctio was not here to keep things in line, then our jobs as hunters would be too hard. Impossible even. It wouldn't take long for the Dark to win and the Light to be snuffed out.
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