Forbidden Drink (30 page)

I was a lost Nosferatin, but now I belonged. And it was not anywhere that I had ever suspected I would feel that kinship. Vampires are what I hunt, evil vampires are what I kill, yet here I was surrounded by vampires, save one Nosferatin and it was home.

You are home, ma douce. We are your home.

I couldn't see where he was in the room, but I felt him. In me, around me, with me. Is this what claiming someone as your own felt like? This utter calmness, this acceptance? Or was I just happy to share a part of me only with these vampires, with Michel? How would I know when I had given all of me? If I ever did.

You will know.

I felt his slight sorrow, when those words were whispered in my mind. It was familiar. I had felt it before. I couldn't place where or when, but I had a suspicion that when I did, I'd know I had made that final move and given myself completely to Michel.

I prayed I could. I wanted to, but I also knew part of me was still holding back. I just didn't know why yet.

I was just reaching for another sip of my drink when I felt it. It seems that any significant sense of mine creeps up on me, taking me by surprise. I had forgotten all about my new found power. The
Prohibitum Bibere.
But here it was, flaring its ugly head and roaring through my mind. Not just one vampire, but several and they were close. So close. They had crept up on me as the last one had, surprising me, ambushing me almost. Trapping me.

I felt my heart rate quicken, my throat go dry and the awful sense that this was not going to be good at all flood through me.

Michel was beside me in the next instant, his hand on my shoulder. “I shall come with you. You will not be alone.”

Simple words, but tonight they seemed to mean so much more. I relaxed slightly against his body, as he stood next to my chair. Only to have a jolt of adrenaline rush through me as his cellphone went off and I knew, without a doubt, what it would be about.

He answered it crisply. I heard his sharp intake of breath and stiffened for the hammer blow.

He rang off with a few curt words and slipped his phone away. I had already stood to face him and knew what he would say before he opened his mouth, just not how bad it would actually be.

“The Taniwhas are at Albert Park and they have hostages. Humans. Your neighbours, your work colleagues, everyone you know in the city, save from mine.”

Rick had finally crossed the line and I wanted so badly to face him, but they called with a sense of knowledge for my predicament, although how they could know I was at a crossroads is beyond me. But, the six vampires waiting for my Drink were laughing and rubbing their hands together with glee.

I turned to Amisi and said, “Phone Nero.” She was on it immediately. I needed back up and it couldn't be Michel.

He spun me back towards him, a look of pain on his face. “I will stay with you.”

I was already shaking my head at him. “No. You must avenge Bruno's death, you must lead your line against Rick. You know this.” I saw the acknowledgement in his eyes, mixed with fierce denial. He wanted to protect me. He needed to protect me. But, his line needed him to lead.

“Let me do my job, Michel. This is what I am.” If I couldn't face those vampires that came calling, then what was the point of me being the Prophesied.

He nodded, slowly, painfully, gripping my shoulders tightly. He pulled me into a close embrace and whispered, “You are my Light, Lucinda. You call to me. I will always hold you dear.”

I let a breath of air out in a rush, he could not have chosen anything more perfect to say. No doubt he had heard me think those words in my thoughts.
I am the Light to your Dark. I call to you, as you call to me. I will always hold you dear.
It's the Prophesy. Or part of it. I guess, you could say, it's the part that is me.

Michel kissed me on the lips lightly and then vanished out the door with most of his vampires in tow. A dozen of so were left behind and they all looked at me. Great. He'd left a contingent of guards at my disposal, one of which was Erika. The moment my eyes met hers, she shook her head.

“He has commanded me to stay at your side. I cannot disobey. And he asked, respectfully, if you would not counter his command with your glaze.” She held my gaze for a moment and then added, “For him.”

I have been able to overcome commands given by Michel to his line before, with my own glazing power. In particular, Bruno. The thought of Bruno made an ache creep into my heart, but also made me wish to honour this request from Michel. He had enough of his line with him to face the challenge the Taniwhas laid down, but I didn't want to scare the vampires I was going to meet with a huge entourage of people, so I nodded agreement to Erika and turned to Michel's vamps.

“Erika can come with me, but the rest of you stay here. If we need you, we'll call, but I have to see if we can meet these vampires half way and not scare the shit out of them with you lot first.” They all nodded, they were quite used to my turn of phrase by now, these were Michel's regulars. All vampires I knew fairly well.

Just then Nero flickered in to sight.

“I trust I am not too late, Kiwi.”

I turned and gave him a smile. The last time I had seen him I was barely conscious and the time before that, I had told him to rack off back to Egypt. I suddenly felt like an utter twit.

“Perfect timing as usual, Nero. We're just heading out.”

He smiled back and bowed slightly. It had been a while since I had seen him do that old slow bow of acknowledgement. I hoped it didn't signify a return to stiff formality between us, but if that was what he needed to be to remain around me, I'd let him have it. It was the least I could do.

The six Dark-filled vampires were waiting in Myers Park, which was closer to
Sensations
than Albert Park and smaller. As we headed out I sent my senses down the line to Michel, he had clamped himself shut. I couldn't gain an idea of what was happening, but just that he was OK, focused and on high alert. Perhaps, they had already confronted Rick and were negotiating, or perhaps they were surveying the scene before rushing in. I couldn't tell and he didn't want me to be distracted by it. His shields were held tight.

I decided to do the same with mine and fortified my walls accordingly. I turned to Amisi and Nero, determined not to have a repeat of last time.

“We go in as one group and no one moves unless I say so, OK?”

They both nodded immediately. I don't think they wanted a repeat of last time either. I let my senses seep out as we neared the entrance to the park. All the vampires were in the middle, in the open, no humans, just them. They hadn't needed to go to that extreme, they knew I was close and they knew I was coming. They were just waiting. I still hadn't got used to this.

“They smell of evil,” Amisi whispered, fingering her stake.

I always think it's a smell too, usually that they reek of it, but maybe Amisi just doesn't know that English word yet. Her nose was scrunched up in disgust though, so I'm guessing it was more a reek than just a smell. These guys were bad boys, through and through. Just what the hell was I supposed to do with all that Darkness? How was I to help them toward the Light and not kill them? I crossed my fingers and took a deep breath in as we walked up to confront them.

They had fanned out in a straight line. All of them dressed similarly. Dark clothes in good order. Their hair was a little wind swept, differing colours and lengths, but they all looked like they had travelled a distance to get here and not paused for a rest. They had been determined to see me without delay.

Six vampires together, unless they are of the same line, is unusual. Especially if hunting. Vampires are solitary hunters and if this lot wasn't here to hunt, then what? They didn't look hungry, not for blood anyway, well not for blood of humans, maybe just a little hungry for mine, I'm not sure. They kept steady eyes on me, aware no doubt of the group surrounding me, but only interested in its leader.

OK.

“What do you want?”

I couldn't deny the sense that they wanted something, I just couldn't quite fathom yet what.

The one in the middle, standing forward slightly, was obviously the spokesperson for the group. He had beady little eyes, all black with a hint of red and long brown wavy hair. His accent was European, perhaps Turkish, hard to say.

“So, you are the
Prohibitum Bibere
.” He looked me up and down.

“I know, I'm shorter than you thought I'd be, right?”

He laughed, a little darkly, but his words were darker still. “I am sure you will still taste as good as we believe.”

Okey dokey.

“Just what do you hope to gain by
tasting
me?” I was curious, why the attraction?

He rocked back and forth on his heels, his hands held loosely in front of him, he looked quite relaxed actually.

“Eternal happiness.”

Riiight. I just wasn't buying that one.

I glanced at Nero for inspiration. I may have been pissed off with him recently, but he
is
my only connection to the Prophesy and what it means. Of course, the vampires couldn't see him, he was Dream Walking. For all they knew it was just me, one other Nosferatin and a short blonde female vampire with a sword. Nero didn't exist.

“
I do not know what to suggest, Kiwi.” He shook his head. “There is no guidance on this, save that the
Lux Lucis Tribuo
is meant to complete the exchange of Light. Somehow easing their burden.”

“
And how does the
Lux Lucis Tribuo
achieve that?”

By now the vampires had started shifting uneasily. They knew Nero was here now, they could hear him, but still not see him. That's enough to put anyone on edge.

“I do not know," Nero said softly. "I am sorry. The Prophesy only says that
the Light will capture the Dark and hold it dear.
”

Yeah, yeah, I knew the Prophesy word for word, but still, how the fuck was I supposed to do that? Anyone?

Well, there was no way I was going to let them
taste
me, I had a sneaky feeling that once their fangs got in my flesh, they weren't going to let go until they had consumed all of me and a fat lot of good it would do them. It's not like Michel gets extra Light from drinking my blood. No, Light comes from in me and is directed by me. Well, most of the time.

So, here goes. I tried to gather my Light up inside me, I tried to  bring it all together, build it up, ready for release. I was going for a burst of Light to cover all six of them hoping it would do the job and we'd be done. But, they could tell I was doing something, maybe I start to shine or something, or maybe I just give off lots of Nosferatin mojo, but they became restless and started to fan out more around us.

“Hold still boys. I've got a little something for you to
taste
.”

Perhaps warning them wasn't the best idea, because by the time I released the Light towards them, three flew straight up in the air, two more flashed behind us, so that only one got the full benefit of my Light. I needed more practice at this. But even then, the one that got the full frontal of Light, didn't seem that much Lighter, if anything he seemed Darker, just a little unsteady on his feet with a look of someone who had just had awesome sex. Yuck. I'd not tried to make my Light anything other than its normal manifestation, which embarrassingly, is my desire and lust and a metaphysical orgasm to boot. Damn. I really was going to get a name for myself at this rate.

“Hot damn,
chica
, that's some awesome magic you got going on there.” Erika was already holding a couple of vampires off with her Svante, but looked equally awash with post sex glow. The two vampires she was holding at bay, also seemed to have received a throwback from the Light blast. Not quite as potent as the one in front of us had, but a fair indication of what I could do.

Of course Nero and Amisi hadn't felt anything other than a warmth from the Light, a recognition of what they already are. They were also battling vampires themselves, one apiece. That left two for me. The one still recovering from the main blast and another who landed back on the ground about three feet away from me. I still wanted to figure out some way of getting through to these guys, rather than just staking them. It seemed cruel that they had just come here like love-sick puppies, unable to resist the call, simply to fight for their lives. Despite being full of evil, there had to be a way to save them. There just had to be. They hadn't been chewing on humans, they hadn't been breaking the rules, they simply were threatening us.

Enough to fight back in self defence you might say, but still. I felt uneasy about the situation, there had to be an answer. There just had to be. I couldn't think of one though, so I circled my main threat, keeping a wary eye on the other one and settled my stake firmly in my hand.

“How do you think this will end, vampire?” I asked, studying him.

“With my fangs in your neck.”

“And if I get my stake to your chest first? Is that odds you're prepared to accept for a chance to taste me?”

“Absolutely. I will have my drink.”

I saw it then, in his eyes. A complete conviction that this was what he had to have. I was fairly sure in that second, that he had been denying himself blood in the days leading up to finding me. To answering the call. Nothing else would have done, nothing else would have satisfied the crave. He wanted my blood and no one else's would do. Shit. Even if I could think of an answer to this problem, a way to use my Light to help them, it wouldn't be tonight, not now, not facing off against this lot. I was at a loss and the best I could hope for was to come out of this alive.

And to make it quick for them. No more banter, no more delays resulting in torment. Time to end this.

I noticed the others; Amisi, Nero and Erika, had been holding the vampires off, but not striking. They had taken my request to heart, they were waiting for my signal. Good little soldiers. Bless them. But, my decision had reluctantly been made. I would live to fight this battle another day and so would they. I would work on a solution and the next time we faced off with the disciples of the
Prohibitum Bibere
,
we would be prepared.

But not today.

“OK guys, enough is enough. Let's just end this.”

The second the words had left my mouth they moved. Svante slashing, now on attack, Nero spinning staking a vampire with ease and Amisi moving in for a strike, but being thrown backwards. I couldn't see what happened next, because the vampire in front of me smiled slyly and jumped. And the one who had been enjoying post coital bliss, sprang at the same time too. Two for the price of one. Yippee.

I rolled out of the way of number one and managed a slice on the arm of number two, then sprang up from the crouch I had ended in and braced for the comeback. Number one got to me first, a swipe of his hand, a simple flick, which I dodged, but he followed through with a swift roundhouse kick to my head. I'd dodged the swipe of the hand, but set myself up completely for the kick, so couldn't avoid the impact. I went with it, letting the momentum roll me backwards and flicking my feet out as I went head over arse, landing in a half crouch.

By this time number two came back, like some evil tag team twin at Fight Night - WWE style. These guys knew what they were doing. And then he landed a brilliant side kick to my chin, spinning my head around and making my brain go to mush. Those sideways movements are the worst, it's a twist the brain just doesn't appreciate. Mine was complaining loudly.

Nero must have helped Amisi dispatch her vampire, because he quickly made short work of number two, or at least took his attention away from me and that was enough to get me back on my feet and facing number one again. He came at me low, one of my favourite attacking positions. I love it when they assume there is nothing that can be done to them if they take out your legs, but I jumped, not quite getting enough of a forward motion to flying head over heels above him, but splitting my legs wide - who knew I was so nimble, Michel will be pleased - avoiding the vamp's outstretched arms, but allowing a fantastic open spaced opportunity to gain access to his back.