Kiss of the Dragon (22 page)

"Now, the Nosferatin," the Ambrosia added, settling into his chair again, getting quite comfortable, I think, "has Twin Souls, but
also
a chance to live twin lives because of their Light. Unfortunately though, this is not guaranteed. Whereas a vampyre upon final death does not possess enough Light to create a second chance from their Twin Souls, a Nosferatin does. But a Nosferatin only gets a
chance
at more than one Twin Soul life. It takes power or Light. And lots of it in their Nosferatin life, to receive that second chance."

I froze in my seat, dreading where he was going with this. I was powerful too. Full of Light. Way more powerful than Nero ever was. And he had always said I was the brightest Light he'd ever met. Did that mean when I died, or Michel died and then my Nosferatin soul died too, I would come back as a vampire?

I stood abruptly from my seat, fear and panic racing through my veins and thundering in my chest. I didn't want to die. Whoever did, really? But I had always known, that being joined to Michel meant if I died, he'd die and vice versa. And then we'd both be in
Elysium
together. I could handle death if it meant an eternity with Michel in the afterlife. But if I returned as a Nosferatu to walk this plane, I think I'd lose all hope.

And being Dark, like Nero was when he came back as Nosferatu. And having forgotten all of my previous life, like Nero did when he came back as Nosferatu. I wouldn't know what I was missing, so I wouldn't do a thing to aid my cause and return to Michel in
Elysium
.

The implications were diabolical and I couldn't see an out.

Because as sure as Nero returned due to his power, I knew I would too.

And I would lose the one thing that meant the most to me, above all else in the world. Even above my Light. I would lose Michel. My kindred. Possibly for eternity.

...I burst into inconsolable tears.

What...was wrong...with me? I was bawling about a possibility that may never occur. Michel and I could live this life forever. It may be a moot point. But I felt so emotional, so torn up by this prospect. The pain of loss felt real, even though it was just a vague outline in the distance in actuality.

Natalyia wrapped an arm around my shoulder and hugged me close. I was aware that Sergei stood at attention before me. Protection while I showed weakness. That thought made me angry. I was not a weak person. I was a hardened warrior, a hunter with immeasurable experiences and skills. Yet, right in this second, I was acting more like an immature Nosferatin than Sophie did. Hell more than my scaredy cat ex-protégée, Marie, ever did as well. And that was saying something.

I needed to get control of myself. I sucked in a ragged breath and forced all superfluous emotions down. Denial is bliss. Or is that ignorance? It didn't matter, I'd feign ignorance by denying I'd just had an emotional breakdown. It all worked.

Silence met my ears after the last hitched breath was contained. I really didn't want to lift my head and face any of them. But cowardice was not something I tolerated. I wiped my eyes and nose on my jacket - gross I know, but no one handed me a tissue, so I didn't have much of a choice - then sucked in a deep breath and sat up straighter, head held high...ish.

"Are you done, child?" the Ambrosia asked calmly.

I swallowed the sigh before it escaped my mouth.

"Yes, quite. Thank you," I said instead, somewhat proud of my steady voice.

"It was a wasted effort, I fear," the Ambrosia advised, mysteriously.

OK, I'll bite. "Wasted?"

"Yes. I believe your concern rests around the requirement for power and Light in order to come back using your Twin Soul." I didn't bother to confirm his assessment, he'd been inside my mind, no doubt, through it all. He knew exactly what had led to me breaking down. "This is correct, of course. Otherwise I wouldn't have mentioned it. But, you did not allow me to finish before you presumed the worst."

I bit my bottom lip. Now I felt like a kid being reprimanded by a parent.
You jumped to a conclusion! You shouldn't have interrupted! Bad, bad, girl!

"It also takes something that tethers your Twin Soul to this realm," he said after a pause, which I was thinking was designed to allow me to catch my breath. Or allow me time chastise myself further in my mind.

My eyes found Nero's. He wasn't looking at Sophie anymore. He was looking directly at me. And there was a type of longing there. Not exactly the same as the longing I'd seen on his face when Sophie walked in the room. This one was poignant, not desperate and full of hunger. It was bitter-sweet. Beautiful in its own way. Precious. And quite benign.

Nero and I had had been very close - hence Michel's concerns I suppose - but that closeness had always been platonic. At least for me it had. Centred around my role as the Prophesied and Nero's as the Prophecy’s Herald: the Nosferatin designed to recognise all the components of the Prophesy and call the
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor
forth. Without his participation, the Prophesy would not have ignited. Once he recognised that I was the
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor
, the first part of the Prophesy, it all began.

But although the Prophesy had only ever been made up of three individual Nosferatins before, this time there was just one. Me. So the bond that tied Nero, the Herald, to each individual component - or Nosferatin that made up the Prophesy - was
all
concentrated on me. That made for a mighty decent connection and I was thinking, an unbreakable tether to this realm when he died.

"He came back because of me," I surmised, my eyes still holding the copper, cinnamon and gold flecked gaze before me.

"Yes... and no," the Ambrosia said in his soft voice. "The connection you share allowed for this possibility, but the final decision to let Nero live his Twin Soul's life will always lay at Nut's feet. She decided, for whatever reasons a Goddess may have, that his return to this realm was warranted. There is a reason why you, Lucinda Monk, are the Prophesied. And there is a reason why Nero has returned."

"Like pieces on a chessboard. She moves us where she needs us to be in order to win." I'm not sure why I said that aloud, let alone why I thought it. But sometimes, being at the beck and call of a Goddess, having your destiny mapped out for you with little control, left me feeling rebellious. I was never very happy about losing control.

"We are all pawns in the gods' game," the Ambrosia said matter-of-factly. The fact that he mentioned gods, in plural, didn't go missed by me or anyone else, but I was so exhausted, and emotionally spent. I just didn't have it in me to ask the questions that sprang to mind at his words.

"So," the Ambrosia said, standing fluidly. It took me a few seconds to realise I needed to stand because he was preparing to leave. It took a few more for me to actually do it. He waited that entire length of time before going on. "Nero Al-Suyuti is back. An independent Master Vampyre with considerable power and Light." His attention was solely on Nero now, who stood tall under the ancient vampire's gaze. "Honour this second chance, Master. For the Goddess can take away even faster than she gives."

I didn't like the sound of that, but I understood the sentiment. The Ambrosia was warning Nero to not waste this chance. To do the right thing. I just hoped the right thing was joining forces with the Champion and providing us a powerful ally.

"This has been a most entertaining evening," the Ambrosia announced, all smiles again now that his message had been made. "I have enjoyed myself immensely." He turned for the door, his long cape swirling in his wake as he glided across the white marble. "Do let me know how you are getting on, Prophesied," he threw over his shoulder towards me. "Things will progress much faster than anticipated. Light is potent when it creates."

With that cryptic parting statement he simply disappeared. Not as though he'd flashed through the doorway and out of sight, but like a fairy. He stepped through a rip in space and vanished from sight.

Ancient and powerful. There was no other vampire like him and for a moment I thanked the Goddess he was on our side.

We all stood silently for a few seconds and then I turned to look at Nero. My breath left me as the realisation again hit. Nero was back from the dead. My friend and Nosferatin confidant was alive and well.

I threw myself into his waiting arms.

Not a day has gone by that I have not thought about him. Most days those memories now are all of the good times and wonderful experiences we shared. But I would be lying to say I had forgotten how he died. How he looked as he bled out on the concrete before me, clinging to his Dream Walk in order to remain at my side. One arm almost completely severed, a gash in his torso that without the aid of his kindred to heal meant sure death.

I railed at him to return to Nafrini to heal. I asked why he didn't go back to his body to save his life. He tried to tell me something. Something that was so important to him that he faced death in a Dream Walk, rather than the possibility of life at his kindred's side. His death meant Nafrini's death. I never fully understood why he didn't leave me and go back to her.

And the last thing I said to my friend was,
just shut up and go!

Oh, how I have wished for a chance to change that last sentence. To go back in time, if not to prevent his death, than at least to say
something
else. I have had to live with not only the guilt of his death being on my hands - he had died defending me - but also that I had not been big enough to tell him what he needed to hear, in order to make him leave. Had I said those words, would he have returned to Nafrini and lived? That question has been a constant since that fate filled day.

But I did not love Nero as he had loved me. And so I didn't say those words.

But here he was, in my embrace again. And I had a chance to say them. To tell him, that although I did not love him the way he wanted me to, I loved him all the same.

"Nero," I said with wonder. Then because I still couldn't say the words, I just repeated his name, again and again and again.

I try to be courageous in all that I do. But the thought of telling Nero I loved him, in any capacity, turned me into a yellow streaked coward. What was so hard about those words that I couldn't voice them? Why did I always hold back with him?

There was only ever one answer to that. Michel. I didn't want to hurt Michel. And most definitely, I didn't want to belittle the love I felt for my kindred either.

But a lot has happened since then. Michel and I were still getting to know each other at the time of Nero's death. Trust was still being made. We were kindred. We were Bonded. I wore his
Sigillum,
although he did not wear mine
.
But it wasn't until I became his vampire mate that our souls were truly aligned. Despite everything we had been through. Separations. Reversed joinings. Me being joined to someone else. Being Michel's vampire mate has been constant. Unbreakable. Untouchable. It has survived all else.

I realised I could say those words without jeopardising my relationship with Michel now. Even if Michel still felt the odd twinge of jealousy from time to time, he
knew
I was his and no one else's. Just as he was mine.

"I have missed you," I said, pulling back from Nero finally. His hands came up to cup my face, but he was lost for words. Gold flashed in brilliant flecks across his coffee coloured eyes. He looked beautiful. Sophie was going to be a lucky girl. I smiled at that thought. "You know," I said still smiling. "You left before I got a chance to tell you how much you meant to me. I was angry with you for a time." He looked infinitely sad at that. "And then miserable with guilt." He started to shake his head, but my hands came up and braced either side to still the motion. "Let me finish." He hesitated and then nodded stiffly in my tight grasp. I eased up on my grip slightly. "I may not have loved you the way you wished at the time," - his eyes closed as if in remembered pain - "but I loved you like a brother and always will. That is not a love to be mocked." His eyes opened again and I saw understanding there. "Nut has said we all have our destinies mapped out for us. I know you believe this too. It helped me to accept your death in the end. I hope it helps you to understand you were never meant for me. There is someone else for you."

Nero's eyes automatically sought Sophie over my shoulder. They flared a brilliant gold, then settled to a burnished copper. I heard her suck in an audible gasp.

I leaned forward to brush my lips across his cheek and whispered in his ear, "If you don't claim this Nosferatin, brother, I will kill you myself."

I pulled back and smiled brilliantly. The vampires would have heard my whispered words, but Sophie as an immature Nosferatin, had not yet come into her enhanced senses. My instruction and threat would have been lost on her.

Nero chuckled. It was sweet music to my ears.

"Kiwi, how long do you think I have?"

"Twenty-four hours. Give or take. I hand her back to her Parisian family as soon as I leave London then. If I were you, I'd spend every second convincing her, securing her hand, until that moment. Once she's back in Paris she will be cloistered."

"Cloistered?" he asked. We were speaking at normal volume, Sophie would be hearing every word. She was intelligent. She'd no doubt be putting two and two together and coming up with 'matchmaker', but time was not on our side.

I gave Nero a purposeful look, hoping this part of the conversation would go unvoiced. Sophie didn't need to know I was letting Nero in on her grave circumstances. And I wasn't betraying a trust, as I was only hinting and not saying anything aloud.

Nero's eyes flashed gold again. He understood. He'd always been on the same page as me.

"Now, Master of the City. We have much business to discuss. But I'm famished. I don't suppose you've got any orange chocolate chip ice cream lying about the place?"

Nero looked at me strangely for a second and then flicked his gaze to one of his vampire guards. The vampire disappeared out of the door and within a few seconds returned. I'd only managed a couple of steps away from Nero to take a seat back on the white couch, when the guard flashed back in the room. Tall tub of orange chocolate chip ice cream in one hand and long handled spoon in the other. He leaned down and presented me with my prize.

I snatched it up with a mumbled thank you and dug directly into the tub. Orangey chocolate goodness coated my tongue before I realised everyone in the room was watching me avidly.

"What?" I said, mouth full of delicious ice cream. "Choc-lit," I added, then dug right back in.

Sergei shook his head, dumbfounded, but wisely none commented.

"So," I said after three quarters of the tub was gone and I was starting to wonder if I'd been over zealous. I pushed the tub away on a low lying table and leaned back in my seat to get comfortable. "Seen any rogue armies lately?"

Matthias started chuckling in the background, but my eyes were on Nero. He looked guilty, shifting his weight from side to side. I felt a pang of hurt, ridiculously, that he knew of something related to the army coming against Michel and the
Iunctio
. It was an unfounded hurt, because Nero would have been Amun at the time any alliances were made. And on top of that, he would have been under the influence of the crazy, mind manipulator, Viktor Davydov. Which only proved, that Viktor was indeed behind all of this.