Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) (54 page)

“
Lucinda?” A male this time, filled with concern.

I took a steadying breath and felt my stomach roll, I went with it and up chucked all my breakfast all over the floor next to Nero.

“Sorry.” It was small, a little weak.

Rough arms grabbed me up and wrapped around me, a hand through my hair, a stroke down my back.

“I thought you were dead. I thought I had lost you.”

I sighed and leaned against the warm expanse of his chest, savouring the smell of him, the feel of his muscles, the shape of his body against mine.

“Did we win?” It still didn't sound like my voice.

“
Yes. You won. You did it, Kiwi. It's over.”

Good.
I thought I'd said it aloud, but I'm not sure, the blackness came then and I let it take me. It didn't scare me like before, it just wrapped around me and promised peace.

I woke to the constant sound of humming, an engine, air conditioning, something like that. I felt the warmth of a body holding me, the soft wrap of a blanket over me, the slide of leather beneath. It was so comfortable, so safe. My eyes blinked open, a dark material in front, a shirt, a man's chest. He smelt nice, like spring mornings on the farm, fresh and bright and promising such wonders for the day. I tilted my head back and looked into the most startling indigo and blue eyes. So full of something, warmth? Light? Happiness? Relief? All of the above.

I couldn't help it, I had to reach out and touch that perfect skin, the golden touched cream, so smooth and faultless, classical.

“
Beautiful,” I whispered, then felt the pull of sleep calling. As I sunk back down into its feathered bed of safety I felt a kiss upon my forehead and murmured words against my skin.

“
Je t'aime trop, ma douce. Je t'aime trop.”

I slept the entire flight back to Auckland only waking briefly as we transferred to a waiting car. It wasn't until the next day, some 72 hours after leaving for Egypt, that I finally stirred from my sleep completely. I'd woken a few times, even managed to eat something and have a shower, but sleep kept luring me back. Now I felt the final edges of its handle slip away and glanced around my surroundings, taking them in for the first time in days. I was in Michel's chamber, at
Sensations
, the room lit lowly by candles, the smell of mandarins in the air.

When I looked around there was a table with two chairs, a dinner setting, candles, a red rose, something smelt divine. My mouth watered and I licked my lips.

I heard a low chuckle. “You are hungry,
ma douce
? Or perhaps you would like a bath first, I have drawn one for you. It is your birthday after all, you should get to choose.”

He was sitting in an armchair reading from his tablet computer. Legs crossed, dressed in his now trademark black trousers and casual black shirt, open at the neck, sleeves rolled up. His eyes shone a beautiful shade of violet, with deeper hints of blue, he looked relaxed, he looked well. He looked gorgeous.

I thought about his question for a moment and decided I really didn't want to sit at that beautiful table setting in a crumpled T-Shirt, which is what I appeared to be wearing right now. “A bath first.”

He smiled, a little wickedly. “As you wish,
ma douce
.”

Before he had a chance to accost me I sat myself up, made sure the world wouldn't tilt and then headed to the bathroom. The bath was still steaming, he must have run it only moments before I woke up, probably sensing my sleep pattern, my shift towards consciousness. It was filled with an enormous pile of bubbles, they covered the tap and spout, I knew when I stepped in the water would overflow. Exactly how I liked it.

I stripped down and sunk into its welcoming warmth. I felt myself relax and let out a soft sigh. Michel came and sat next to the bath on a small chair. “Would you like me to scrub your back,
ma douce?
” He had that little boyish look to him, all sweet innocence and charm. I knew better.

“
Let me just soak for now.”

He leaned back and stretched his legs out in front of him, making himself comfortable while I luxuriated in mandarin bliss.

“So, tell me, what happened?” I'd closed my eyes and tilted my head back, but I didn't want to sleep, I wanted to know what had happened after I'd passed out.

“
Well, it seems, you burst into light, twice, dusted about thirty vampyres and a very powerful Master vampyre by the name of Charles, all in the space of a few hours. Quite impressive really.”

I found myself biting my thumb nail while I digested that little piece of information. “Are they all dead?”

“Yes, the
Cadre
is no more.”

“
How did it go for you and Nafrini.”

He leaned forward then, rolled up his sleeves a little further and grabbed the soap and sponge from the side. Lathered them up and began to wash my arms and legs, moving onto my back when he gently pulled me forward. Soft strokes and circles, warm and smelling so nice.

“We worked well together,
ma douce
. It seems Nafrini was impressed. We may choose to form an alliance, one that will be beneficial to us both in the future. We left with her best wishes. I think, I could be wrong, but she is a little scared of you, my dear. They all are.”

“
Of me?” It came out as a squeak, I hadn't meant it to. How could that powerful, beautiful, regal woman be scared of me?

Michel laughed, making it impossible not to smile with him, so warm and welcoming. “Well, you can hardly blame them. You were a right little tinder box, from all accounts.” He was washing my feet, taking his time, not rushing, making sure every toe was individually cared for, my arch, my instep, my heel. His focus was absolute. It made me smile even more.

He glanced towards me, raised his eyebrows. “Are you scared of me?” I asked.

He sat back, the sponge still in his hands, his arms resting on the side of the bath, letting the water drip back inside. “Yes.” He was serious, it surprised me. “But, not for the same reasons as Nafrini.” His voice was soft when he said that, tender, as if he couldn't bring himself to say it any louder, as if it was already too hard to admit.

He reached back and grabbed a thick white towel from behind the door and I stood and let him towel me dry, wrap me in it and then pull me to him. His arms wrapped around my shoulders, his chin resting on my head. I used to think I didn't like it when men did that to me, I'm short, I don't need reminding, but there was something so close, so precious in this moment, that I had no desire to be anywhere else at all.

“
Come, you must eat.” I dressed quickly and when I came out he was removing the metal covers to my dish. Lamb roast, baby peas, carrots and potatoes, with a delicate sauce on the side. Perfect.

He drank his wine while I ate and then when I couldn't possible fit another bite in - oh maybe just one more baby potato - then he rose and came round to my chair, taking my hand and flicking his wrist, making music come out of the very walls. I couldn't see any speakers or a stereo for that matter, but it was soft and sweet and so romantic.

“May I have this dance,
ma douce
?”

How could I refuse? Michel danced with the practised grace of someone who had danced for centuries. His steps so fluid, his body moulded to mine. I didn't need to think, or act, but simply allow myself to curve to him, letting him lead around the room. It was magical. A more perfect birthday I could not have imagined.

The song came to a stop, another starting straight away, but Michel stilled us, tipped my head back gently with his hand on my chin and let his mouth brush against mine, then deepened it into the most exquisite kiss, all lips and tongue and heat and desire and promises of so much more. It was wet and warm and oh so lovely, I never wanted it to end.

But that's not how my life goes, is it? Nothing ever goes the way I plan it. Even as he was kissing me, stroking my arms, my back, up into my hair, holding my neck,  I felt a slow sense of  humming in my mind. It started out as a musical whisper, almost in tune with the music playing through the room, then surpassed it and took over all other sound. The crescendo of noise wasn't awful, far from it, it was clear and crisp and beautiful and pure and so full of light. And that's when I noticed, there was light, every where. Not like when I lit up the vampires on the roof or when I faced Charles in the museum, but within me, through me, it felt so contained and yet so powerful. I felt like I could reach inside me and pull it out, mould it, use it, give it away.

I looked down at my body and noticed it glowed. All the times I had been told by others, Rick and Nero, that I had a glow and could not see it, finally I got to see. And it was spectacular; fresh violets, majestic purples, comforting mauves, and dazzling amethysts. All blending together to create a shine and light not exactly blinding, but so intense it made you blink.

The colours began to thrum in time with the crescendo of whispers in my mind. I felt a surge of power shift through me, making me stumble forward and collapse against Michel. I blinked and tried to stay focused, but the noise and colour were so distracting, so all-consuming, I couldn't see anything else. It lasted a good five minutes, not at all painful, but unfamiliar and a little scary. I was finding it hard to catch my breath.

So much for a little tingle then.

Michel was holding me in his arms when the glow diminished and the buzzing stopped, the look on his face when my eyes met his, said it all. This is what he had been waiting for, this is what he had expected all along.

I felt crushed.

Then I was distracted again by the power accumulating within my veins, it filled every corner of my mind, every cell of my body. It was calling to me, caressing me, enfolding me, in such a rich blanket of sheer brilliance it blinded.

I became aware of something else then, a sense, or perhaps just an awareness of power and not just any power, but
Sanguis Vitam
, near me, in the city, through the country and I realised with a start, throughout the world. It was as if the more I followed that source of power, the more I could see. Initially, I was confused, it just didn't make sense, why was I sensing all this power? But then it dawned on me, I was actually
seeing
all the vampires throughout the world. I could
seek
them and find them all and it was... frightening.

There were more vampires than I had ever considered possible. They were spread around the globe and growing.

I knew without a doubt that although we may have eradicated the
Cadre of Eternal Knights
from our world, evil still lurked within; festering, growing, kneading at humanity. I could see it, I could feel it. It was a tangible entity right before my eyes.

But what to do with it?

I forced myself to breathe, to let that
Sanguis Vitam
flow back into the world, away from me, away from now. I looked up then, into the softly glowing indigo and amethyst eyes of the man in front of me and shook my head. I could see it there, but I didn't want to believe it. He had planned this, to what end, I did not know, but he did not look surprised and that alone scared me.

Despite his beautiful smile, his soft caress of my cheek, despite the kiss he rested on my lips, I was scared of what this power would mean to him, of what it would do to him. Despite everything we had been through I still wasn't completely sure he would turn toward the light.

I took another deep breath in to steady my nerves.

“
This changes nothing, Michel, nothing at all.” If I said it aloud, perhaps it would come true.

He just smiled at me, that damn knowing smile of his, and leaned in to kiss my forehead.

“Of course, my dear, of course. Anything you say.”

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It never fails to amaze me the lengths certain vampyres will go, to prove their idiocy. I lean back in my chair and force myself to reply to the idiot on the other end of the line.

"Manuel, you know as well as I, that my interests do not stretch to your land. Why would I be interested in America, when I have the South Pacific to myself?" I pinch the bridge of my nose in an effort to dispel the headache forming behind my eyes. I feel out of sorts this evening, an unsettling that is making my vampyre-within growl.