Kindred (Kindred, Book 1)

by Nicola Claire

  “Why do you think he came?” OK, I was starting to get a little concerned now at that even and light tone, not to mention the slight glow that now shone from his amethyst and violet eyes.

  “I don't know, he just appeared right when I thought I was done for. Right when I realised I'd just signed your death warrant.”

  He softened at that, his whole body relaxing from his face, to his breathing, to his firm but still hold of my side. He started stoking my hip, his thumb running circles along its edge, “Ma douce, I would not have let that happen. I had already mortally wounded Maximilian, I was simply waiting for the right moment to strike the final blow.”

  Now, I'm not sure if that was the entire truth, Michel was quite capable of lying to me and part of me thought that perhaps he didn't want me putting too much stock in Nero being my saviour, that he himself would have been able to end it all and set me free. On the other hand, this is Michel and even now after everything I had seen, I could not believe that he wouldn't have been able to overcome Max and save the day. He just had that presence about him, he always had.

  He pulled me closer, wrapping his arms about me and covering us with the simple flick of his wrist, making the coverlet encase us in its warmth. He nuzzled in and kissed my neck, over the spot he had bitten me when we joined. It was as if he knew exactly how to find it, like it called to him.

  “It is over, ma douce, you are safe. We are together, as we should be. Nothing can hurt you now.” I kind of got the impression he was saying that as much to himself as he was to me, as though he needed that reassurance too.

  “Of course, I am interested in how Bruno did not stop you from sleeping. Care to enlighten me how one of my own could refuse a direct command?” His voice was even, soft, he had started kissing me again. Was it to distract me from his true emotion to that question? I didn't know, all I knew was it was doing a damn fine job of it. Part of me registering that this could be very bad for Bruno, but unable to hide the answer from Michel at all. And really, what would be the point, he'd figure it out eventually anyway, by simply reading Bruno's mind.

  “It seems I can glaze vampires now.”

  There's really no easy way to say that to a vampire, is there? It's going to be a shock. How could it not be? They have lived millennia without having to suffer the indignity of another's influence. Sure, they have to obey the commands of their master, even if it means they would die, that's gotta suck. But no-one, or no thing, that simply passes them on the street, could have that sort of control over them, could invade their minds. To a vampire his ability to glaze humans is his crutch. How do you think they managed to feed in days gone by where consent wasn't even an option? It's not like they could bully a victim or kill every one they fed off, it would have led to their discovery in short time. So, they used their influence. And no matter which way you look at it, finding out a human and a Nosferatin who could kill them at that, has their sacred talent to glaze too, would not be welcome.

  So, it did kind of surprise me that Michel didn't even stiffen, no short intake of breath, no power level flicker, no eyes glowing a different shade of blue or purple, not even a raised blood vessel in his beautiful face. He just kept layering light and delicate kisses along my neck. Oh, he was good all right.

  “Interesting,” he murmured, in between a few more kisses. Was that the understatement of the century, or not? “Two of your powers before your 25 birthday. It seems you really are an enigma, my dear.”

  I'd had enough of the Mr Cool attitude, so I cupped his face with both my hands and raised it up in front of me to look him in the eyes. He didn't blanch, even though it must have occurred to him by making eye contact with me now, I could have tried to glaze. He either trusted me, or much more likely, was showing no fear. Gotta love that show no fear rule.

  “You're hiding your true feelings to this, Michel. I can't read your emotions, like you can mine. Help me out here. Is this going to be a problem?”

  His hand reached up to run the length of my face, softly stroking right down to my jaw. “Nothing you could ever be capable of doing could be a problem, ma douce. I always knew you were different from your kind, your potential unsurpassed by any other. I knew it the moment I saw you. Does it surprise me? No. Am I concerned you will it use it on me? Perhaps. Although we are joined and I would assume you cannot.”

  That was a turn up for the books. I had asked if this was a problem, but I hadn't really expected to get a straight answer, not really.

  “Will it stop me loving you? Never.”

  Now, you may think I would have been prepared for that statement. I mean, I hadn't put into words what I felt for Michel yet, but I knew it was strong. Part of me believed the connection and attraction we had was all down to the joining, being his kindred Nosferatin and all. But I was also aware that I could not live without Michel in my life and that was not a new emotion. I had felt that way before we even started dancing this dangerous, but delicious, dance. I was also acutely aware that it was just words and Michel is nothing, if not a good talker. He could talk his way out of a paper bag if he had to.

  So, I didn't react to his declaration of loving me, I just nodded, kissed his forehead and rolled over to sleep. See? I can show no fear too when needed.

  Michel paused, ever so slightly, anyone else probably wouldn't have picked it up, but I knew him pretty well by now. So, not always good at hiding his feelings then. But he recovered quickly and started kissing the back of my neck, my shoulder, my back and murmuring the odd word or two. It had been a long night and I was tired through, I felt my eyelids droop slightly, despite me wanting to stay awake and listen to Michel's soft and low voice forever, feel it wrap around me and savour the sensation it aroused inside my soul. But I couldn't fight it, not in the warmth created by the blankets, by his body against the length of mine, by his breath brushing my neck. Before I even realised it, I had drifted of to sleep, so safe, so warm, as Michel softly stroked my side and kissed the curve of my neck, murmuring in a soft, slow string of French I didn't completely understand.

  I woke to sun streaming in the windows, the curtains hadn't been closed at all. I panicked slightly that Michel might be lying in the sun, but when I reached out, the bed was, disappointingly, empty next to me. I rolled over and groaned, reaching for the pillow and the smell of him there. I felt something fall against my face as I pulled the pillow towards me and opened my eyes to see a single perfect red rose resting on the bed. I allowed myself a smile, this one I think I'll keep.

  I felt surprisingly rejuvenated, flushed with a healthy glow, like my batteries had been recharged and my soul filled with happiness it almost overflowed. I could get used to this feeling, if this is what it meant to be joined to a Nosferatu, then it wasn't half bad. I had just come out of the bedroom, after showering and getting dressed, when I sensed someone was in my home. I had grabbed the knife resting on my computer desk, just inside the door to my room, before my eyes had even rested on the visitor.

  He was sitting at my dining room table, all relaxed and quite at home. He smiled at me, all teeth and full soft lips, impressed at the smooth and fast movement of my reaction to the threat.

  “You show such potential, Kiwi. It is exactly as I had hoped.”

  “Nero. What are you doing here?” Today he was dressed as casually as last night, this time his clothing though, was all black. Similar in style, but the overall effect so very different. He oozed sexual appeal, like it was a dripping hot wax.

  “I said we would meet again and so we are.”

  I recovered myself quickly, being around vampires so much, you learn to adapt to new and crazy situations with speed, lest you get yourself killed. “Yeah, but you said soon and this is not my definition of soon. This is in a couple of hours, not soon.”

  He laughed and the whole room lit up with him. Low and throaty and so damn sexy. How dare he.

  “Time is of the essence, as they say and I could not afford to wait any longer. You were impressive last night, but yo
u need further training. You lowered your guard by being distracted. A Nosferatin cannot afford that luxury. I will train you.”

  Huh. All the time I had known Nero, talked to him through the chat room of the website, spoken to him on the satellite phone, he had never hinted I could have training. Something I had longed for right from the start. He had left me to flounder and find my way, practically all on my own, offering a small titbit of information here and a glint of instruction there. He hadn't even told me what I was, until that last satellite phone call, where he had lowered his guard and been distracted and cut off. So much for not allowing himself the luxury of distraction. So, despite having had the contact with that small group of Nosferatin, I had always felt very much on my own. And here he was, all of sudden, offering to train me like it was perfectly reasonable and par for the course. Call me a sceptic, but I just didn't buy it. What was he really after?

  “Why now?” My temper had risen slightly, I don't know exactly why, but I didn't trust him. So my sentences had become short, to the point, something that I needed to work on, as it had always been a clear signal to Michel in the past of where I was heading, even before he could read my emotions.

  Of course Nero sensed it, he had that strange aura to him that indicated he was more than just human, more so than me. He just seemed so otherworldly, as though he had lived a dozen lifetimes, to the one of mine. As though his wisdom, his knowledge, knew no bounds. His gaze levelled on me and I noticed a flash of bronze in amongst the deep brown, it sent a shiver down my spine I tried to ignore. God dammit, what was with this man?

  “Do you not wish to know more about who you are? About what you are capable of?” His voice was soft, silky, sensual.

  “That's not answering my question.” Another smile, another jump in my pulse.

  “Very well, my little Kiwi.” He said my little Kiwi as though he really meant it. No one other than Michel had ever used that connotation, that tone before. “I have long been watching you develop, marvelling at your success, your natural talent. None other, for so long now, has shown such potential. I had hoped I could wait until your powers came in full before approaching you, allowing you to adjust to them on your own. But things have unfortunately changed and we are running out of time. You are one week from your powers, we will train everyday until then.”

  OK, part of me so wanted this, the opportunity to hone my skills, to get some answers. I mean, Michel had told me everything he knew, but I got the distinct impression that there were answers that only Nero would be able to supply and I longed for them. Besides, from what I had seen of Nero in that courtyard last night, the sheer beauty of his movements, the speed and grace of each step, each kill, I knew he had what I needed, what I craved. Perfection.

  But he still hadn't answered my question. “All right, thank you, I accept.” He inclined his head to me, in a slow nod, like he had done last night before he disappeared. “But I still don't understand the urgency. It's over, Max is dead.”

  He blinked slowly, those beautiful captivating bronze and gold and deep, deep brown eyes holding me in their grasp.

  “It is not over, Kiwi. It has only just begun.”

  Ah crap. I was so hoping he wasn't going to say that.

  Chapter 23

  Kindred

  I had been standing in the middle of my lounge during this entire conversation, rigid, unmoving. I hadn't shifted, neither had Nero. He had remained in that relaxed and casual position, arm resting on my table, legs crossed but comfortable. I didn't think this was over by a long shot yet, so I decided to not show my discomfort, or any reaction to his presence at all. I'm a big girl, I could do this. I just nodded and then walked into the kitchen to my coffee machine and began to get it whirring.

  Nero watched my every move like a hungry predator. Jeez, I thought he was on my side? Turning his body as I walked past him to the kitchen, eyes never leaving me once. I could feel the weight of his gaze on me as I filled the bean hopper and set it grinding, then filled the portafilter with ground beans, tamped it and securely slotted it into its spot. Cup underneath, it began to force the hot water through the grinds and out into the waiting receptacle. The heady smell of caffeine beginning to permeate the room.

  I didn't look at him, but said, “You're creeping me out a little. Your gaze is very intense.” Fight fire with fire and all that.

  He smiled, I think he liked the forthrightness, the challenge my words held.

  “You are an enthralling creature. You fascinate me. It has been a long time since my interest has been piqued. I am enjoying it.” Okey dokey then.

  I swallowed, I hadn't meant to, but come on, this guy just had a way about him. An intensity you couldn't ignore, as though every single thing he did or said was planned, was intentional and it was directed straight at me, hunting me like an eagle hunts its prey.

  I chose not to verbally acknowledge his statements though. I simply picked my coffee up and took a sip. I hadn't offered him one, he was Dream Walking, if he was anything like me he wouldn't have wanted anything to eat or drink. I'd been Dream Walking too, for me so far, the thought of food and beverage was just not right, so I was going with that being the same for him.

  “So, it has only just begun. Please explain?” Mustn't forget my manners, even if I am forgetting to breathe.

  “Maximilian was only one of many. They call themselves the Cadre of Eternal Knights. Their intention is to take over the night, to return it to the vampyre, to hunt with abandon unhindered by the Nosferatin, but aided by them instead. They would join with us and subjugate us, use our powers to further their own needs. It is not the first time this has happened, however, it is the first time we have been so weak, so outnumbered, so ill prepared. It was a mistake to hide, to weaken ourselves so, we should never have turned our back on our responsibility, no matter how noble the reason to do so was.”

  He had said all of this with his usual intensity, hardly pausing for a breath. I had been so wrapped up with what he had been saying, how he had been saying it, I hadn't noticed that I had stopped drinking, stopped breathing, stopped everything, but had been pulled into that beautiful bronze and gold and brown of his eyes completely. He held my gaze. I was the first to look away.

  Cadre of Eternal Knights. Michel had referred to a group of vampires who wanted to take over the night. This was them then, they had a name. Any group that thought so highly of themselves to use a name like Cadre of Eternal Knights were definitely confident bastards. And I was guessing, not one of them was less powerful than Max had been, but had Max been the only one successful enough to find a kindred Nosferatin?

  “Have any of the others succeeded in joining?”

  “No, thankfully not, but they are getting more and more desperate, taking risks and forcing our hand. You may not be aware, but Egypt is a powerful centre for supernatural power, we have several Ley Lines intersecting across our land, we are a magnet to the supernatural, a stronghold for those who seek power.” He paused for a moment, as if gathering his thoughts, sifting through them to pick out just what he wanted me to know and not more. “We also have a large number of Nosferatin, a community we have hidden from the world. The Cadre has discovered their existence and they are hunting for them now.”

  Whoa. A community of Nosferatin. I had known my kind had gone into hiding, but I'd had the impression they had scattered in the wind, trying to make it harder for them to be detected. A community. Kin. People like myself, not having to hide who they were from each other. My heart suddenly ached for that familiarity, that closeness to something I had long been denied.

  “How many Nosferatin?” It had come out in barely a whisper, my breath all but stolen from my lungs.

  He smiled, a sympathetic smile. “You are no longer alone, Kiwi, you shall never be alone again.” He understood what I was feeling, the heartache that had now consumed me. “There are perhaps twenty of our kind, with extended family of course. Three mature, two immature Nosferatin. I am one of the mature.”
/>   Oh boy. Oh boy. Oh boy. This was too much to hope for. People like me. My kind. The emotion this created in me was overwhelming, I felt tears stinging my eyes. I hadn't realised just how alone I had felt, from the moment I had discovered what I truly was, realised my Aunt and Uncle, whom I loved as you can only love a parent, weren't the same as me. They'd had no idea who I really was and had denied me contact with those who did. The sense of isolation that notion had given me, had more than once threatened to make me fall.

  Then it dawned on me, they had mature Nosferatin, those who could only survive with a joining. They hadn't let their first borns die. They had gone against the decision to hide, to deny the vampires power. They had done what I knew in my soul was the right thing to do. Although frightening, it was also so very, completely, right. I hadn't realised how much I needed that confirmation, that justification of my own decision to join. I had been chastising myself for letting my kindred down, for giving a vampire the powers we had so long denied them.

  “You must have many strong vampires in your country, if you have three mature Nosferatin.”

  “We have a family of vampyre, headed by one who is queen. Some of those of her line have joined with our kind, but not surpassed her. She is the strongest in our land. The most revered.”

  I knew the answer before I even asked it, but found myself forming the words all the same. “Who is she joined with?”

  “Nafrini is my kindred vampyre.” Pretty name, I vaguely thought, then felt an unexpected stab of jealousy. Where had that come from?

  “So, you fear for your two immature Nosferatin?” I felt I was getting to the real reason he was here. He had hidden his community for so long, protecting it from discovery, I couldn't help feeling that disclosing its existence to another Nosferatin now, did not seem likely to be something he had ever done before. “You need my help.”

  “Yes. We need yours and your kindred's help. Nafrini is strong, but the threat is greater than even she can combat alone.”