Kiss of the Dragon (39 page)

Thankfully Michel ignored my inappropriate tone and got down to business.

I am unsure where you will exit the building, ma douce. But to orientate you, we are fighting the majority of ghouls on the driveway, across the drawbridge. There is a group of vampyre fighting near the tree line on the eastern side. And some sporadic scuffles at the side of the property close to the herb garden. As yet I have only seen Viktor Davydov, who is commanding the ghouls.

It didn't surprise me at all that Viktor would be the one to control the ghouls. His ability to manipulate minds would make commanding an army of ghouls much easier than for the average vamp. But the unsaid in Michel's words were grounding, in face of the knowledge that Viktor was indeed here and allied with Avery. Where was Avery? If he wasn't confronting the Champion, the leader of the organisation he wished to punish, then where was he?

Michel didn't need to voice it, neither did I. Avery blamed his entire demise on me. If Avery was here, he'd be looking for one thing and one thing only. A chance to avenge himself against me.

"We're getting close, Luce," Samson said, formality giving way under the pressure of the moment. I didn't mind in the slightest. If we were about to face our final deaths, I'd far rather my friends called me by my name and not some arbitrary title.

I took in a couple of deep breaths, and then despite the close quarters, withdrew my Svante. Natalyia glanced over her shoulder at me, her eyebrows raised in obvious question.

"I've got a bad feeling about this," I admitted, biting my bottom lip as my hands repositioned themselves nervously on the dancing dragon hilt of my sword.

"What part?" Natalyia asked, voice deadpan as usual. "The part where we've been buried for half an hour in the rubble of your home, or the part where we're about to emerge into the middle of an epic battle between vampires and ghouls?"

Until that second I hadn't regarded the
Château
as
my home. But considering we'd turned our backs on Auckland, and Michel's Gothic monstrosity in London was never a place I'd call home. And that the
Iunctio's
Palais
was a building I didn't much like and now could never give it the chance it deserved. Meant the
Château
was the obvious choice for that title.

And now I was mad. Really quite fucking incensed, in fact. Kathleen and Matthew had chosen this for Michel and myself. Much thought had gone into the decision and they had chosen well. They were also buried here. This was their final resting place. And yes, the
Château
could be rebuilt. As could the
Palais
, which I considered was Michel's plan. But
my home
,
Le Château,
had been destroyed by Avery Rousseau and for some reason it seemed to be the straw that broke the camel's back.

People were more important than buildings, I knew this. But right then, realising just how much Avery destroyed around him, how much devastation lay in his wake, the
Château
became a representation of his destructive influence on all that he touched. And I'd had enough. Enough of being tied to this vampire for one reason or another.

Initially it had been because he could aid us, in our own battles in London at the time. And then that tie was because of his connection to Michel after he had been lost to me, that kept Avery in my life. Followed quickly thereafter by the forced joining to him, which eventually failed and led to now. The tie being his revenge for all he had lost because of that failed joining. Which wasn't my fault at all.

But I was paying for it, because Avery Rousseau was hell bent on destroying everything that crossed his path. My luck was that I had crossed it and now lay in Avery's cross-hairs. But no more. Tonight I'd face him and end this once and for all. Because even though he was taking it out on me, I knew it wouldn't stop there. Avery was Dark, probably Darker than I had ever seen him. And the insidious nature of his Darkness would mean he would continue to destroy everything around him long after I was gone.

The balance of Light and Dark is so precarious. I couldn't let him win his revenge. I couldn't let him destroy me. Because he would surely destroy all Light in the process.

He'd crossed one too many lines, but this was no longer just avenging Kathleen and Matthew's murders. Or avenging the destruction of a place I now called home.

This was Light versus Dark at its most basic. And for my Goddess, I could not let Avery Rousseau win.

"I see stars," Samson announced and my heartbeat escalated. Not out of joy at realising we would soon be free. But in anticipation for what lay on the other side of the rubble above us. Lying in wait, watching us emerge from the sanctum of our cocoon. Crouched to pounce.

"Be ready," I instructed, fingering the hilt on my sword again to settle my nerves.

The last of the debris went flying, the dark sky dotted with brilliant shining stars met our eyes, and the cool breeze of freedom caressed our cheeks. Samson scrambled up onto the top, turning quickly to check our surroundings, taking my instructions to be ready for anything to heart. Natalyia crawled up and out of our hole to stand beside him, then quickly turned back to offer a hand to me. I grasped her palm and let her lift me out of the Light dome, watching as it disintegrated as soon as my feet left its inner sphere. The protection lasted for as long as I was within it, and for all I knew, would have lasted indefinitely until I walked out of its confines.

We stood back to back on top of what was left of the
Château
and took in the multiple horrific scenes before us. A small part of me enormously relieved that Avery hadn't been sitting there patiently waiting for our arrival, that was soon crushed by the sheer enormity of it all. Blood coated the grass and driveway. Roars of rage and battle met our ears.

It was just as bad, maybe worse, than Paris, because it was obvious from the start that we were outnumbered by far. We'd been so sure of our superior positioning, luring Avery to us, setting the scene of the battle thinking it would benefit us and not them. But Avery had turned the tables on us. He had ghouls, but he also had more vampires, as so many of ours were still trying to dig themselves free of the rubble Natalyia, Samson and I now stood upon.

"Holy fuck," I muttered under my breath. Natalyia offered her own Russian expletive to mine.

Carnage lay before us. Coated in desperation and a dawning realisation that we couldn't win this. We didn't stand a chance.

"Can you pick them off with your Light?" Samson asked hopefully.

"I could manage a few, possibly even as much as half. I'd be useless afterwards though," I admitted, fully prepared to do it if I thought it would make a difference. But I was already forming a different plan in my mind.

The key to tipping the scales back towards us, was to cut off the head. I couldn't
seek
Viktor, he lay outside of my
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor
skills. But I didn't need to, because Viktor was fighting Michel, with his army of ghouls.

But, I could
seek
Avery. It was a very simple thing to do.

So, Avery hadn't been lying in wait for me, hadn't in fact sought me out to find his revenge. That didn't mean he didn't want to. And who was I to deny the Dark vampire his chance.

If the mountain won't come to Lucinda. Then Lucinda must go to the mountain instead.

Bastardised ellipsis proverb aside, I knew I could do this. I was unsure, though, if I could sustain a selective Light blast, picking off each of those vampires consumed in the Dark. But
seeking
out Avery and confronting him. I
could
do. I just needed a little backup in order to pull this one off.

"You guys ready?" I asked, the vampires at my side.

Natalyia just nodded her eagerness to get down there and start fighting, but Samson, maybe knowing me a little better than the Russian, asked, "To do what?"

"To cut off the head," I announced, letting myself sink into that black nothingness and
seek
Avery out.

Both vampires'
Sanguis Vitam
accumulated on the air beside me, well aware of what I was planning now with those simple words. Maybe Natalyia did know me pretty well, because like Samson, she didn't try to talk me out of this. I had thought they would. On instructions from Michel to keep me safe, but Natalyia was a trained Russian killer. Had been all of her long undead life. And Samson, like most vampires, prided himself on his prowess - which also included the prowess of the Mistress of his line.

Vampires like a show of power, and although they would lay down their lives to protect me while I undertook this, they would also respect my desire to do what was right. And they would do everything in their power to ensure I had the space to achieve it, by watching my back, while I attacked a Dark vampire.

Finding him was easy, like calling his name on the air and watching to see which vampire turned towards the voice. But the calling was all done in my head, using my powers to
seek
out his
Sanguis Vitam
. Even if I hadn't have been joined to Avery at one stage, I would have been able to find him with ease. I knew his signature inside and out, the only difference being the level of Dark it now displayed.

"He's almost all Dark," I said under my breath to no one in particular. It wouldn't change what we were about to do, it meant little to Natalyia and Samson at my side, but saying it aloud made it real. And right then I needed reality to ground me, in face of all that seething hatred and power.

He wouldn't have known I was
seeking
him, he might have guessed I would once free of the
Château’s
rubble. And perhaps he was watching us standing here and knew what was coming. I would, no doubt, not have the element of surprise. But he couldn't run from me either. And he couldn't hide.

"Over by the trees," I announced, still
seeking
. "He's got twenty vampires around him, varying levels of
Sanguis Vitam,
from four up to one." Masters in every degree. "Can you handle twenty Masters?"

"I'm sending a text message to Sergei," Natalyia announced, instead of answering my question. "He'll meet us there."

"I've got one out to Matthias," Samson said, not surprising me he had my other vampire guard on speed dial.

"Keep this from Michel," I instructed, not wanting Michel to be distracted by my plans when battling Viktor Davydov and his ghouls, and needing Samson to make sure Matthias kept the news to himself and didn't share with his Master.

"Done," Samson returned.

"Good," I replied, rolling my shoulders and fingering the hilt of my sword. "No time like the present. He's waiting." And he was. He could see us from where he was standing. He'd be well aware of what was about to go down.

We flashed towards them. My speed unparalleled from previous efforts on my part. I'd flashed to Michel at Amisi and Gregor's joining. I obviously had the ability now, but until then had never been that fast before. Maybe because I knew I could call on that kind of speed, I was more able to do so. I don't know, but within seconds we were there and my sword was coming down against that of one of Avery's vampires.

The clang of metal on metal shot through the air, mingling with the growl of vampires and the crackle of
Sanguis Vitam
on the air. Natalyia and Samson flanked me, I could see Sergei flashing in from the side, but as yet no Marcus or Matthias. Perhaps they were still buried. We hadn't thought of that when the text went out, and I forced myself not to think of that oversight being our downfall now.

I renewed my efforts to get through the throng of vampires protecting Avery. Slashing and parrying each sword blade that met my strikes. Precious seconds were being wasted reaching him, as he stood perfectly immobile, watching with hooded jade and amber eyes. He looked immaculate, as he always did. Perfectly dressed in the latest fashion, auburn hair combed neatly, goatee beard trimmed to an exacting standard and just right.

He watched on, as I battled furiously, without a care in the world. An almost bored expression on his face. His own
Sanguis Vitam
held closely, within reach should the need to strike out occur, but completely contained for now. He didn't need to expend energy fighting, his vampire guards were doing that for him. And wearing me down.

I knew then, that he'd wait for me to tire, then step through the last of his vampires and finish me off. He was also counting on my illness to drain me, I was sure. He'd planned this to the end. He knew how to weaken me. He knew too much about how I would act and how I would fight. It was like battling an all-knowing god. Someone with insurmountable powers who knew absolutely everything there was to know about me.

It wasn't a trap I had walked willingly into. It just was what it was, so I continued to dig deep and swipe out with my sword. My body jarred when an opposition's blade blocked mine. Bruises started to blossom across my flesh from fisted strikes with clawed hands. My knees scraped painfully when I lost my balance and landed hard in the dirt. Skin was torn open as I rolled away beneath the lengthened fangs of a vampire trying to take advantage of my compromised position. My shoulder wrenched painfully, pulling a curse and barely muted scream from my lips, as I was spun out by someone's crushing grip on my wrist. Bones threatened to fracture under the continued and unrelenting onslaught from the other side, but I still fought on. Determined and desperate to get to
him.

And finally my blood ran freely when a vampire's dagger came too close as my tired arms lowered my sword. I rallied, with the bitter sting of the slice in my flesh, and called on my Light and a fraction of the
Iunctio's
combined power. But Avery was calling on that same
Iunctio
power too. And the more I called on it, the more he did.

He didn't need it, he wasn't fighting. But if he called on it, it wasn't there for when I did as well. He was simply blocking my access to what little remained of the available
Iunctio
power. All the Councillors here fighting tooth and nail against an enormous enemy, requiring power boosts such as I. The
Iunctio
only had so much to give, monitored to make sure it was never drained completely. Sharing it based on length of service and position held on the Council. The Champion would get first take, followed by the Keeper - who wasn't even here, but for all we knew may be needing it right now - and then the rest of the Councillors depending on how long they had served the
Iunctio
.

Avery had been a Councillor longer than me. So, he got first shot at the share of power, blocking my attempts with ease.

I gave up on calling on it. It had never been designed to be shared with so many at once. The others could need it more than me, and if I stopped calling on it, then maybe Avery would too. Freeing it up for the Ambrosia, the Creator and the Foreteller. Who all had battles of their own, whether still trapped in the rubble or fighting for their lives right now.

Instead, I used the Bond to Michel. Avery and I had never had a Bond when we'd been forced to join. Maybe that's why he didn't expect me to rebound so effectively right now. He had never experienced a true kindred joining. He didn't understand the depth of perfection, the solace and
comfort one could seek from the connection kindreds shared. It offered unconditional support, boosting weaknesses, strengthening assets. Using whatever was necessary to protect the other, to make them stronger.

A true kindred joining is meant to do that. Together we are stronger, apart we grow weak. Avery didn't comprehend this, so when my strikes became more focused and the force of each thrust started to make a dent in the wall of vampires around him, I saw the look of shock on his face. He'd thought to count me out with the illness he'd subjected me too. But even that, in the end, was counter balanced by the Bond connection to my sacred soul mate. To my kindred.

I'd known how beautiful a kindred joining was, but in that moment I truly saw it.

Exhaustion left me. Nausea fled. Even the bruises and cuts and scrapes I'd accumulated disappeared from my mind. My Light thrummed and started to shine brilliantly around us, and I suddenly realised, I
could
blast each and every one and not fall down flat on my face afterwards.

Within a split second of realising that, I drew what I could through the Bond - such a strong, vibrant and healthy kindred joining - and shot out with my Light, targeting each and every Dark vampire on Avery's team.

It's a harsh way to do battle. I'm not even facing my enemy when they fall from my strike. Like Dream Walking, they don't see what hits them, until they feel the slice through their heart. When I Dream Walk, I stake them; unseeing, not sensed, unheard. But when I target so many with my Light, the slice is a little supernatural and a whole lot metaphysical.

They fell to the ground, then burst into dust...
in five seconds flat
.

All that was left to battle were the ghouls, and our vampires could handle those with ease. Oh, and Viktor. As per usual, he'd been left out of my
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor
search. But I was sure, without the distraction of the Dark vampires, Michel and his men could handle the Russian vamp.

It will be my pleasure,
Michel whispered in my mind, allowing me a glimpse of his pride in my abilities and his joy in the strength of our Bond.

The Bond had allowed this to transpire. Without a perfect joining with my kindred, I wouldn't be facing off against Avery right now and feeling so healthy and full of Light. Despite wearing a bedraggled satin dress, being covered in dust and dirt, and bleeding from several scrapes and cuts. I felt alive. And powerful. So full of Light I could have lit the night sky for miles on end.

"Why not strike me like you have them?" Avery spat, from his crouched position. Ready to defend or attack, whichever would serve him best. His fangs were down, his eyes had passed that amber, ochre and jade state, and moved on to an unattractive rusty red. I was sure, had he known how hideous his eye colouring was right now, he'd be mortified. But he really had bigger issues to deal with than his less than perfectly presentable state.

"I have a few questions first," I said reasonably, allowing my Light to continue to thrum between us, feeling the comfort of the Bond holding me steady and strong in the face of such anger and hatred rolling off Avery just then. His
Sanguis Vitam
pulsed, threatening to attack, but even he must have known the futility of doing that. Sergei, Samson and Natalyia had their swords to his throat. One twitch of their blades and his head would be lost.

"I won't answer them," he said with derision. As though I was crazy to consider he would humour me in the end.

I begged to differ. Avery loved the sound of his own voice and gloating was always something he could never refuse himself.

"Fine. I would have thought, though, that you'd be at least curious as to how I combated the illness," I said, twirling my Svante sword in my grip nonchalantly.

I had been right, he couldn't stop himself commenting. But what he said, was not what I expected at all.

"What illness?"

The Svante stopped spinning, giving away my unease. A rookie mistake I hadn't made in years, but the honesty in his reply was undeniable. I can't sense lies, some vamps can. None of my line are expert at it, so I couldn't check with them. But I was sure he wasn't lying, so sure in fact that I showed my alarm by gripping my sword and lifting the tip to his throat. Avery Rousseau didn't even know I had been ill.

Then who had cast the spell?

A smirk formed on Avery's lips; a twist at the edges that turned his reluctantly handsome features into a grotesque mask of evil intent.

"It appears you have pissed off more than just me, Ms Monk," he said in a self satisfied purr.

Could it have been Viktor? Acting alone and Avery had not been aware?

"Whoever did this to you was not one of mine," Avery offered, clearly wanting to talk now because the more he said the more panic swelled inside. And I had forgotten the Plucking Pervert could randomly read thoughts, obviously just reading mine.

"Get out of my head, Avery," I shot back, falling into old habits as my grip on my Light slipped with the dawning realisation I had yet another enemy to combat. The Bond had been doing a brilliant job at bolstering my energy, keeping me strong when I clearly should have passed out from overuse of my Light by now. But with the panic came cracks in its efficacy. The exhaustion and nausea of before starting to seep in.