“So, why so busy all of a sudden?”
Michel took a sip of his wine before he replied. “My line has increased dramatically in a short period of time. Provision for that number needed to be arranged. I have established a base in Wellington. It was... not quite as straight forward as I had hoped.”
“How hard was it? What happened?”
“Nothing for you to fear, ma douce, just politics as they are.” For some reason I didn't believe him. He was hiding something. It wasn't anything overtly obvious, just a gut reaction. I'd been around Michel a lot lately, I had a kindred Nosferatin connection to him, a Bond, but this was all just good old familiarity. I knew Michel, or as well as anyone could know a master vampire, and I knew he was hiding something.
“You know I don't believe you.”
“Yes, I can tell.”
“Then why won't you tell me? We are meant to be together, side by side and all that crap, aren't we?
He cringed. “All that crap? How eloquent, my dear. For something so sacred and revered as a kindred joining and Bond, it really does not do it justice.”
“You're stalling.”
He smiled. “Could it be that I wish to protect you, Lucinda? Keep something of the horrors of my world from you for a little longer? Would you begrudge me that?”
“No. But I think it's more of a case of what you think I need to know or not. And I'm guessing this is a need to know.”
He looked at me for a full minute, not dead still, vampire still. He was breathing and his heart was beating, he was just taking me in, I think. Searching for a reason to give in to this argument. He sighed.
“I have no doubt you will send me to an early grave, ma douce.” I seriously doubted that, but I'd allow him his moment of melodrama if it meant he'd open up about this. “There have been some vampire killings in the South Island. Not many of my line venture that far south, but some have recently felt the need. The killings have now crossed Cook Strait and we had a few episodes in Wellington last night.” Seeing the look on my face; worry, surprise, amazement, he continued. “I believe it to be an isolated event, but, nonetheless, I have arranged an investigation by some of my best. Establishing a base in Wellington seems prudent for more than just accommodating increased numbers in my line.”
He reached out and brushed my hair from my face, where it had fallen forward over my eye and tucked it behind my ear. “It really is nothing for you to worry about. My men have it in hand. Besides, we have more pressing matters to attend. I have heard from Nafrini.”
That got my attention. We hadn't expected to be in touch with the Cairo vampire until we landed, her contacting now could mean only one thing.
“The Cadre have struck in Cairo. Capturing one of the immature Nosferatin. She requests our presence urgently. Nafrini is holding the rest of the Cadre off, but seeking the stolen Nosferatin is of utmost importance, they have not been able to follow the trail. She has requested we assist in the hunt.”
“Can they spare any of their own to assist us?”
“I believe they are cornered. The fight is quite intense. They cannot leave their compound at present, hence they cannot follow the trail.”
That was unheard of. If the Cadre could hold down a powerful joined Nosferatu and her kindred Nosferatin, then they were stronger than I had imagined. Way stronger.
Michel could feel my understanding of what he had said, the consequences of what was happening. “This is not good news, ma douce. They are indeed stronger than we had expected. But I will not endanger you by leaving before your 25 birthday. Nafrini will have to hold them off.”
Hold them off. But, by the time my birthday came around in another three days time, the immature Nosferatin could be joined and where would that leave us?
What did we know about the Cadre? They were a group of vampires hell bent on taking over the world and they saw the Nosferatin as their means to achieve it. They believed it their right to hunt humans unhindered, that their status and power put them in that rightful place of on top. Max had been a member of that group and he had come to New Zealand specifically to get me, when he had heard of my success, my exploits you might say. There's not too many of us left, so we do stand out when we kill a few of their kind. He had intended to join with me, to give him the power needed to vanquish those vampires who opposed the Cadre. Those vampires like Nafrini and Michel.
And now what was left of the group seemed even stronger than Max. Could it be that they were just more organised? Or that there were just more of them than Nafrini's line could handle? Could there be that many?
Or was it something else? I was beginning to get that creepy feeling between my shoulder blades, hair on end, shiver down my spine. Like someone had walked over my grave. This didn't feel right and my body was trying to tell me to stay the hell out of it, but I knew I couldn't. We couldn't leave Nafrini and Nero to their fate, it was not in my nature. If I could do something to help, I would. Besides, what would happen if the Cadre did succeed? It wasn't worth thinking about.
We needed to know more about what was happening in Cairo though, otherwise we could be walking into a trap.
“Did Nafrini say anything else?”
“Communications were cut off. She did not have time.”
“Cut off?”
“Her end, not ours. I'd say the Cadre were preventing her from calling in reinforcements from other vampire lines.”
A thought suddenly occurred to me, the land lines and even cell cover may have been cut off, but not satellite. “I could use my satellite phone to get in touch.”
“You have a satellite phone, ma douce? Why would you need that?” His eyebrows were raised in a questioning manner. He looked genuinely intrigued, like he hadn't had any idea at all that I had one. OK. So, Michel hadn't left the satellite phone on my bed, but who had? And if Michel hadn't have left the phone, entering my apartment when he shouldn't have been able to, then did he even leave those orange roses? But then, the roses had a card with his writing on it, so it had to have been him that time, right? But the phone, that was obviously a different matter.
Now wasn't the time to get bogged down by it though, we needed answers, and we needed them quickly. Going home to grab my phone would take too long, but I knew another way to find out what was happening.
“Forget the phone, I'll Dream Walk.” I was already laying myself down on the bed, having quickly placed my glass of wine on the bedside table. Michel was above me in an instant.
“No, you will not!”
I sighed. “Michel, we need to know what's going on over there. We need to make sure we're not walking into a trap.”
“I can handle whatever we are presented with, you do not need to endanger yourself by Dream Walking.”
“I won't be in any danger.” - I wasn't entirely sure about that, I mean I knew I would be invisible to other vampires, but Nosferatin could see me, that was kind of the point though. I wanted to talk to Nero, but also, I had been captured by vampires when I Dream Walked in Sydney and that thought hadn't entirely been swept under the rug just yet. - “I'll pop in, get an update from Nero and pop back out. It'll be only a few minutes. I promise.”
“No. I cannot protect you when you Dream Walk,” Michel replied agitatedly.
“I don't expect you to.”
“You are vulnerable without me there.”
“I can take care of myself.”
“I need to be there! You need protection!” All but shouted.
I didn't get this. I'd Dream Walked before and granted Michel hadn't known about it until after the fact, but he hadn't seemed too upset by it, well not really. But there was something else going on here. His eyes were wide, his pulse at the base of his neck was thundering, his breath rapid and face slightly flushed, if I didn't know any better, I'd have said he was truly scared. But even that didn't make any sense. Michel had not interfered when I hunted locally, he might have followed me more closely recently, turning up when I hadn't expected to see him, but he
still hadn't appeared as desperate as he did now.
“Look, I don't know what the problem is,” - then feeling his tightened grip on my shoulders and even more desperate look in his eyes - “but, this is what I do, Michel. It's one of my powers for a reason and right now, we need to know what's happening over there. Trust me. I can do this. Please?”
He looked a little strangled there for a moment, he didn't move, just kept staring at me with an unusual look on his face. He was obviously battling something deep within, but I had no idea what it was. We were running out of time, we needed to do this now.
Slowly he rolled off me and sat rigid on the side of the bed. “Be quick,” was all he said and it was barely a whisper at that.
I settled myself back down and worked to clear my mind. It was a little difficult after seeing such emotion fluttering across Michel's face, but I had to block that out. I concentrated on my breathing, my heartbeat and then felt myself relax into that black nothingness, then once surrounded by the thick deep darkness, I sent my senses out to Nero. It was easier than I had expected. I had never really consciously sought another while Dream Walking until now, but it seemed to come instinctively.
I found myself appearing in a large room, the walls were all made of stone, whitewashed and bright. Fabrics hung along the lengths, making what would have been a stark setting, warm and comfortable. The pictures were of ancient Egyptians, the type of images you see in text books talking about Pharaohs and the Sphinx, white loin clothes, brown skin and cobra-like headdresses. Cushions were scattered at my feet; bright reds, blues, yellows and greens, tassels tickling my legs. I had landed right in the middle of them and they nearly made me lose my balance. At least my landing would have been soft, I thought abstractedly.
There were groups of humans all around, hugging each other closely, crying and shaking, trying to sooth the younger ones, cringing at the noises coming from the bordering room. There were no windows here, but a skylight let the hot sun in, shining down on those gathered beneath, making their white clothing and brown golden faces stand out in stark relief against the coloured wall hangings. It was daytime, but I could feel vampires fighting nearby. Why were they fighting in the light? This was not good.
It seemed, naturally, that the humans; elderly, middle aged, even children, couldn't see me, so I left them where they were and headed towards the only door at the far end of the room. I didn't hesitate, just wrenched it open and jumped through, stake in hand. I was met with a scene from hell.
Vampires were fighting hand to hand, flashes of power dancing off windowsills and walls, a kaleidoscope of colour from amber to rose, apple green to aqua, blue-violet to burnt orange, it was a melting pot, blinding and yet so compelling, it was difficult to look away. I could smell burnt fabric and a much more acrid smell underlining it of burnt flesh. I swallowed and tore my gaze away from the strobing lights.
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 a
nd 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.
Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) Page 33
