Dancing Dragon

by Nicola Claire

  I will never let you go again, ma douce. Never. Je t'aime.

  I sighed against him and sent my own thoughts of love back.

  It was Michel who broke the spell first, but that didn't surprise me, I could still feel a little tension thrumming through him. Someone had harmed me, he would want to seek revenge.

  “We need to know what you discussed whilst in Viktor's car. Since Antonio and Ricardo followed you, I will question them, see if they observed something vital we have missed. And I have asked Avery to attend.”

  I stiffened, of course, why would Avery have to be here too? He wasn't part of our line. Had he hung around me as well, after the rooftop incident? Had he not left when he flew up into the night sky? Could he add something to Antonio's and Ricardo's observations of the events? Or was his aid something else? Something I didn't want to think about at all.

  “Avery is capable of powerful mental persuasion, ma douce.” And then before I could answer with the rude retort that rested on my lips, Michel kissed me, hard. When he was sure breathing was more important to me than talking, he went on. “He can help you communicate.”

  Bugger. And there goes the attempts to not think about Avery's insidious talent. I gave up on breathing and pushed away from Michel. He sighed and sat back against the couch to watch me pace the floor of Samson's lounge.

  “Just what exactly will he do to help me communicate?”

  Michel didn't hesitate, maybe he knew the best way to get through this was to just give me information. Armed with that, I might just be prepared.

  “He will enter your mind, like before. Only he can do it, no one can be in there with him at the time. He will walk you through the past hour, since Antonio and Ricardo saw you climb in the limousine. When it is done and he leaves your mind, you will be able to communicate whatever had been said.”

  “And you trust him to do this and nothing else?” I asked incredulously and a little angrily too, I might add. How could Michel even consider this?

  “No. I do not trust him, but I will bind him before he enters your mind. He will be blood bound to me, he will not be able to harm you. And this is the only way to help you express your conversation with Viktor, we are lucky to have Avery as an ally right now.”

  Oh, and didn't that just make me feel peachy? Lucky my arse.

  Michel stood then and came over to me, wrapping me in his arms. His forehead came down against mine, in a position so familiar, so intimate, so us.

  “What will you have to agree to, to get him to be blood bound to you?” I asked, breathing his scent in.

  “I cannot say, but Avery will ask for something. It is always a negotiation with vampyre. It is what we are,” he replied, still not moving from resting against my head.

  “What if it is something we can't afford to give?” I persisted.

  “Hush,” he whispered, then moved his face to kiss me. I was beginning to think he was using his kisses as convenient silencers. He laughed against my lips.

  There was a knock on the door to the room and I cursed inwardly. I really had no intention of letting Michel go. He laughed again and deepened the kiss.

  When we both came up for air Antonio and Ricardo were standing just inside the now open lounge room door, waiting patiently for their Master to acknowledge them. Michel turned to face his shadow guards, his arm going around my waist, pulling me close against his side.

  “Where did the limousine go?” he asked, cutting right to the chase.

  Antonio answered. “Straight to your house. The traffic was atrocious, it took the whole hour.” His voice had been surprisingly mellow, almost a lullaby. For a big guy, it was quite unusual. Not the normal gruff and rough sound I was used to from Michel's guards. Especially a guard the size of him.

  “How did Lucinda appear when she exited the car?” Michel asked, his voice level and calm. I don't think he was, but he was hiding it well.

  “Normal, no injuries, she didn't appear glazed,” Antonio answered. Ricardo just stood there at full military attention.

  “What else can you tell me?” Michel demanded.

  “The Mistress only stayed a minute in your house, then exited and hailed a cab, coming straight here. She was with the other vampire an hour, the trip back here taking less than twenty minutes after that time.” Michel tensed, not from Antonio's use of my alternate title in his line I should think, but more from the fact that I had spent an hour with Viktor. “We had no reason to believe she was in danger, Samson had shaken the vampire's hand as he left this house. All seemed calm inside the vehicle and once again when she exited. We missed the signs.” The signs that I was in danger, I supposed.

  The last was said with a good dollop of anger and shame. I was guessing Antonio was not used to misreading a situation and Viktor had got the better of him this time.

  “I am sorry, Master, we have failed you.” Both vampires fell to one knee, heads bent, right hand fisted across their chests in the vampire equivalent of a respectful bow.

  Michel didn't say anything, just let them remain on the floor in submission. After a few minutes he still didn't release them but asked, “What of their forces?”

  Antonio went on, Ricardo still hadn't uttered a word. I was beginning to think he probably couldn't. Or at the very least, he was the less dominant of the two and Antonio always took charge.

  Antonio's head was still bowed to the floor, but his voice carried. “A human driver and two vampire guards; both level two, well armed. An acceptable security detail."

  I liked Antonio's choice of words, he was avoiding any inflammatory statements. An 'acceptable security detail' was better than two highly trained potential threats, wasn't it? Michel flicked me a glance at that thought and I just raised my eyebrows at him. Surprisingly, I felt pretty relaxed about it all. So, a vampire had spoken to me for close to an hour but I couldn't communicate a word of what we discussed, I was still in one piece and back with my kindred. It could have been worse.

  “We have no way of telling what will transpire because of this episode, ma douce. It is premature to think all is well.”

  My quizzical-challenge look changed to a frown. Damn Michel, but sometimes he could rain on my parade. He turned his attention back to the kneeling vampires.

  “Anything else that may be of assistance to us, Antonio?”

  I think Antonio's stance eased slightly at the use of his name, perhaps it was a signal to Michel's vampires that he wasn't about to pounce and chew their heads off, when he started calling them by name. I knew for me, when he used ma douce, instead of Lucinda, things were looking up. Maybe those of his line knew him just as well as I and had familiar tells that let them breathe a little easier.

  Am I really that predictable, ma belle? Michel's thoughts drifted through my head.

  Only to those who love you, Michel. Your enemies just quake in fear.

  He burst out laughing, startling the vampires on the floor in front of him enough to almost glance up. When he recovered himself he said, “Get up. You look ridiculous down there and as my kindred has just pointed out to me, you are now aware I am not going to chew your heads off.”

  Both Antonio and Ricardo stood swiftly and smoothly, flicking me a glance in unison and then returning their unemotional gazes to their master. No tonal colours were flickering in the depths of their eyes, just a neutral shade of brown.

  Antonio answered Michel's question as though there had been no interruption to the conversation at all. “He didn't force her physically into the car and there was no increase in obvious Sanguis Vitam in the air, before or after.”

  Michel turned to look at me, I felt a little trapped by his gaze. I couldn't tell if he was disappointed or concerned. I did fell a little sick again though, at the thought of Viktor having somehow blanked out the words we had shared. Antonio had not been able to add any information that could shed light on how Viktor had done that. We were right back at square one again. Which meant, that Avery was now my only chance of recovering the missing co
nversation.

  I blew a strand of hair off my face in frustration.

  “We need to know what was said, ma douce,” Michel offered simply.

  My heart sank at his confirmation. It looked liked I'd have to face the Plucking Pervert for sure.

  I was getting tired and hungry - God I hoped Samson had something to eat - and this was getting us nowhere. I ran a hand through my hair and cleared my throat.

  “I'm starving. I'm going to get a bite to eat.”

  “Samson will have something in the kitchen, ma douce.” I knew why Michel had said it and I knew he regretted it immediately too. He wanted to make sure I wasn't going out of the house and then he remembered; he trusted me.

  I just smiled at him and winked. He smiled slowly back.

  Samson wasn't in the kitchen, I couldn't tell exactly where he was, our connection doesn't work like that, but he had stocked the fridge for me. All ready made sandwiches and slices of cakes. Some poor bakery had been raided all for my benefit. I grabbed a salad sandwich and spied a filter coffee machine on the bench, all ready to go. So switched it on and waited for the sweet relief of caffeine to fill the air.

  When it started dripping happily into the waiting jug at its base, I unwrapped the sandwich and took a grateful bite, already feeling my shoulders relax, the tension in my spine ease.

  I stretched against the cupboards, smoothing out the knots in my back and felt the cool hand of a vampire behind me rest upon my neck, at the base of my head. I didn't jump immediately, I don't know why, I just froze. It was only when he whispered in my ear, his hot breath against my skin, that I yelped out loud in fright.

  “Miss me, Ms. Monk? Couldn't get me out of your head?”

  Avery was back.

  Chapter 26

  Mind Games

  “Relax. I mean you no harm, Ms. Monk.” Avery cocked his head to the side and allowed his gaze to trail my body suggestively. “Are you always this excitable?”

  I swallowed the half chewed bite of sandwich in my mouth, forcing it down my now very dry throat and narrowed my eyes at him. I hadn't even heard him come into the room. I have enhanced hearing, since I joined with Michel, he should not have been able to do that at all. I frowned at him and tried to get a handle on his aura.

  I'm not good at reading auras, even Nosferatin auras which apparently are meant to be second nature to a Nosferatin to read, have always been a challenge. But, vampires are even harder. Sometimes I can see the hazy outline of their mood, their health if you like, but more often than not, I have to rely on my Sanguis Vitam Cupitor powers to gain an understanding of just where a vampire is in the good-versus-evil stakes. Avery was practically all Dark.

  I'd already known this little bit of information, from my first meeting with him, but it still caught me by surprise, because he just didn't act all Dark. At least he didn't when just standing there. It's not like he was chewing on the throat of an innocent, but then Dark can take many forms. His tormenting me could be construed as a Dark act. Certainly the mind manipulation he played on me was.

  I decided it didn't matter if Avery was not the normal Dark vampire I was used to, I would still stake him when this was all done and dusted. I couldn't allow a vampire with this degree of Dark to roam the world. Goddess knows what devious deeds he would get up to and subject innocents to. I had a picture in my head that Avery enjoyed the mayhem his mind manipulation games caused.

  Evil wasn't necessarily just something bad. Evil was something that enjoyed being bad. Avery enjoyed what he did.

  His lips quirked slightly at the sides. The semi-smile didn't reach his eyes though. They were still a combination of amber and ochre, but they didn't shine with mirth. They just existed as a colour combination and nothing more.

  “I am sure we will have the chance to test your theory, Ms. Monk. I believe Michel requires my talent for manipulating minds. Is that not why I am here? Your kindred wishes for me to play with your pretty little head.”

  The small bite of sandwich I had eaten began to rebel in my stomach. I hadn't realised I'd already squashed the remainder of it into a clump of soggy bread and salad in my fist. I threw it in the rubbish bin and wiped my hand on a towel, to avoid answering, or even acknowledging, Avery's statement. Then forced the sandwich bite back down where it belonged. Vomiting in front of Avery would not look good.

  “I don't like you, Avery,” I said, putting on my best Nosferatin scowl and taking a step towards him.

  I've had plenty of practise dealing with aggressive and nasty vamps, I might be feeling a little worse for wear after Avery's last attempts at mind manipulation on me, but I knew how to play the game. Never show fear. Never give an inch. Always stay on guard.

  I let him think I was just merely going to get up and in his face, I waited for the look of amusement to flood his features. The look that usually accompanied a vampire's face when confronted with what they considered a pathetic opponent. I knew Avery thought little of me. I counted on that prejudice. When his features flashed amusement and then returned to a snarl, I spun Nosferatin fast and placed my stake against his chest. Right above his heart.

  There hadn't been much room in the kitchen to achieve the move and I hadn't even had the stake out or my hand anywhere near my jacket when I approached him. So he had been completely caught off guard. It had never occurred to him that I could pull the manoeuvre off in such a limited amount of space.

  He didn't even move to defend himself, he simply started laughing.

  Laughing was not what I had expected, so it threw me for a moment. Long enough for him to disappear and then reappear behind me, his fangs resting above my pulse point on my neck.

  I could have admitted defeat. I could have just walked away and scowled some more, but stuff it. He was pissing me off. I spun back around behind him and rested my stake against his back, above his heart. This time I let it go in a centimetre, just to make my point.

  He growled, then disappeared. When he reappeared his arms came around me from behind and his fangs entered my skin. Not fully, just enough to say; anything you can do, I can do better. Funny, this guy. A laugh a minute.

  I knew that this could go on for quite some time. His arms were firm, but my stake could still find flesh. I could just scrape it against his thigh, or down the length of his arm. I could flash some Light to distract him and then stake him through the chest, moving my body slightly to the side to achieve it, in his Light-induced loosened arms. Or, I could be the adult here and call a cease fire.

  I wasn't feeling particularly grown up, so I went for the Light. I washed him in a blast of pure white Light, full of my normal twist, because acting on impulse always means I never temper the form my Light takes. So, Avery experienced a wave of euphoria, followed by post coital bliss and I gritted my teeth through the collateral exposure. Twisting my body, as his arms relaxed and making my stake sink in through his chest.

  “Stop!” Michel's voice carried all the weight of a joined level one Sanguis Vitam master vampire.

  Normally, although impressive, that can't touch me, but the Bond must have decided I needed a lesson too, so the command smashed into my mind and my hand stilled. The stake now over three centimetres inside Avery's chest, resting against his heart, but not piercing it.

  “As entertaining as it would be to watch Avery turn to dust, Lucinda, we do require his help. Has the stake pierced his heart at all?” Michel's voice was even and neutral, but still contained a huge dollop of power.

  I blinked rapidly, trying to free myself from Michel's command. The desire to answer him was overwhelming, my body wanted to act in a robotic response. Simply answer the question and no more. Has the stake pierced his heart at all? The question kept rebounding around my brain. The longer I took to answer it, the louder it got.

  I could feel trickles of sweat running down my neck. I knew they were running directly into Avery's mouth, where his lips still rested on my skin. His fangs just inside my flesh. He didn't budge. He didn't acknowledge they
were even there. He was still under Michel's command too. I felt my mouth open and the words begin to form on my lips, but I refused to utter them.

  I don't know why it was so important to me to show Avery I could resist Michel's command. But it was. I can only guess it was part of that; Never give an inch. I was damned if Michel was going to win this one, in front of Avery. I was bloody sure I wasn't going to let him.

  I felt my Light build slightly inside me, not enough to blast it out, but enough to clear my head. I smiled and let a slow breath of air out, feeling my body relax down the length of Avery's. I also knew he was aware of what I was doing and had noted my relaxing frame, because he pulled me ever so slightly closer to his chest and body. Letting me feel his warmth.

  I wasn't sure if he was trying to help me rebel against Michel, maybe he saw it as a way to throw a spanner in the works between my kindred and me. Or maybe, he was trying to distract me. It didn't matter, I was already free of the command.

  “Give me a second, Michel and I can make sure the stake does pierce his heart.”

  Not the answer he was going for, definitely not an indication of obeying his command to stop. I turned my body inside Avery's loosened arms until I was face to face with him. The motion had made his fangs come free of my skin, but he hadn't had a chance to lick the wound, so a small trickle of blood began to run away from each fang mark. Not much, he hadn't penetrated a vein or artery, but enough to fill the air with the metallic scent of blood.

  My stake hadn't moved an inch throughout the manoeuvre. I felt his hot breath against my cheek and I twisted the stake a little to watch his breath catch. Wasn't I just saying that evil enjoyed being bad? I think I was enjoying this a little too much. Avery smiled and a flash of jade joined the amber and ochre in his eyes. Now they were sparkling.

  “Ma douce. Please.” Michel's voice was back to normal, no Sanguis Vitam, no power at all. Just smooth and rich and deep.