Dancing Dragon (37 page)

“So, the car," He said, softly. "Think on the car, nothing else. Picture the colour, the feel, the size of that stretched vehicle, the smells inside. Picture Viktor, his mouth moving, words flowing from his lips.”

I did as he asked, his voice low and level, somehow reassuring, when his presence back in the real world would not be. As I thought of that absurd car, me sitting on the padded leather seats, Viktor across from me, I felt Avery brushing my mind. It's not that he hadn't already been doing that, but this one was accompanied by his
Sanguis Vitam
. I immediately bristled, reinforcing my shields, even as his soft, deep voice reminded me he was helping, to let him further in. I couldn't. It was a natural defence, recent experiences of Avery in my mind interrupted the idea that he was aiding me now, all logic was lost.

Avery sighed. "You need to let me in, Ms. Monk. If I can't..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence before I felt a tug on my body. A call I had to respond to. Avery felt it too, being inside my mind. He quickly threw up shields and walls and protection around me and within a minute he had us cut off from that pull. It wasn't my usual pull, the evil-lurks-in-my-city pull. This one felt different. Foreign. Not mine at all, but one I had no hope of ignoring if it hadn't been for Avery in my mind.

“
That was not welcome,” he said, a little breathlessly from the effort he had just exerted. “Viktor has just called you to him.” I hadn't recognised what the pull was, but Avery obviously had. “I have locked him out for now, but I need to know more before I can make it permanent." He hesitated, clearly unsure how I would take what he was about to say.
“I need to delve further in your mind and it needs to be done quickly. I'm not sure how strong Viktor is, what words were spoken, whether he can break my shields. They are not specific enough to hold for long against a master such as him. Will you allow me free rein of your mind?”

“What does that mean?” I asked, dreading his reply.

He smiled reassuringly, but the difference from his normally sardonic smile was too great for me to feel relaxed.

“You will be fine, Ms. Monk,” he said, dismissively.

What choice did I have? I was sure Avery hadn't forgotten the magenta in my eyes, hadn't forgotten the threat from Michel's vampire-within. I told myself this was the only option available and simply nodded, bracing for his intrusion further within my mind.

He nodded back, smirked ever so slightly. And then my shields crumbled, all on their own and Avery, the Plucking Pervert, stormed in.

When I came to I was still sitting on the couch and Avery was over by the fire. Michel was pacing between us looking more like his inner vampire, than his dragon did and Alain and Daniel had arrived. Both vampires standing still in front of the fireplace watching us. Samson was off to the side trying to hide. I had the feeling from him, down that tenuous connection we shared, that Michel had chewed him out.

The shutters were up and a dark clear night was obvious through the window.

“How long have I been out?” I asked in a overly dry voice. I cleared my throat with a cough and glanced across to Avery. He was still out cold.

Michel sat down next to me and ran his hands over my body. My face, neck, arms, sides. Checking me for injuries? Finally his hands stilled on either side of my cheeks again and he looked me in the eyes.

“What happened,
ma douce
?” he asked, his voice a little pained. “Did he harm you at all?” Now his voice was lower, a growl threatening to explode from within.

“How long have I been out, Samson?” Michel wasn't going to answer me and I needed to know. Michel stiffened, but stayed quiet, his eyes drilling into mine.

“An hour, mistress,” Samson replied quietly from the corner and then slunk a little further into the shadows.

“What have you done to my vampire?” I asked Michel, a little concerned at Samson's meek and wounded behaviour.

Michel sighed, but didn't remove his hold on my face. “What do you think,
ma douce
? I came down here to find you unconscious, Avery inside your mind. If you remember,
ma belle
,
my
vampyre is a little close to the surface right now. He felt it necessary to prove a point.”

I pushed him away and crossed my arms over my chest. “Don't blame your lack of control on your dragon, Michel,” I said with force.

His eyebrows raised up quizzically. “My dragon? Is that how my vampyre appears to you?”

I nodded slowly. “Does he not appear as a dragon to you?” I asked, surprised.

“I cannot see him. I only feel him. Sometimes we are as one and sometimes he is separate. Right now he is very separate and very protective of you. What have you done to capture him,
ma douce
?” He didn't seem upset or overly concerned, just interested.

“Don't you remember what happened?” I flicked a glance at the other vampires in the room, not really relishing talking about such an intimate moment in front of them. Michel heard my thoughts and sent a look at Alain and Daniel, who both flashed from the room. Samson followed, not needing to be told at all.

“Is there time to tell me or should we be preparing to face Viktor?” he asked, neutrally.

“Avery has shielded me from him.” Michel tensed, I reached out and stroked his arm, it seemed to be enough to make him breathe again. “First the dragon then the evil Russian and his dastardly plans.”

I could see Michel wanted to ask, he literally bit his lower lip to stop himself, but just nodded at me to go on instead.

I swallowed under his gaze. “After you fed from me, your vampire kind of paid me a visit while you were...” I sent him an image and flushed. He smiled widely remembering no doubt the feeling of taking me from behind. He shifted slightly on the seat next to me and I made myself
not
look down at his groin. I didn't need confirmation and it would only distract from the task at hand. “OK,” I said, steeling myself further. “While you were latched on to my shoulder, he somehow pulled me from the moment... into a beautiful garden and then... took advantage of my neck.”

Michel did look surprised at that. “Really? A garden?” he asked. I nodded. Then after a brief pause, "Oh."

“He also showed me his true form. I got the impression it was a special gift, not something he would have shown someone normally. And then, after he fed,” - Michel's hand came up protectively onto my neck, right where his dragon-vampire had bitten. Was he jealous of his own vampire-within? - “he told me that I was both of yours. And then he told me the place we were in was a part of you both. And then..”

“There's more?” Michel asked with a little amusement.

“Just one more thing,” I answered and took hold of his hand to quiet him. “When I negotiated with Avery before I let him into my mind to retrieve the conversation, my eyes shone magenta. I think I'm somehow connected to your vampire now. When I threatened Avery that you would stake him if he did anything untoward whilst in my head, your vampire's magenta shone through my eyes.”

Michel thought about that for a second, then said softly, "Vampire-mate." He didn't elaborate further, instead he asked through gritted teeth, “
Did
Avery do anything untoward?”

I shook my head and smiled. I was betting it was the same smile I had worn on my face when I realised how powerful Michel was, to have such a foreboding vampire-within that others, such as Avery Rousseau, paled in fear at the mere mention of him. Michel must have heard my thoughts, his eyes flashed amethyst and violet and his head came down and rested on mine. He inhaled deeply, the motion one of complete contentment.

When he didn't say anything for a while I drew in a breath and asked, “Have you never had your vampire claim someone before?”

“
I have never claimed another before,
ma douce
, let alone have my vampyre rear its head so.” I felt a thrill at the fact that Michel had never claimed another before me. I don't know why, but I had always assumed he would have, at some time in his very, very long past. He paused and pulled back to look at me. “A dragon,” he said, slightly mystified. “I guess it makes sense.”

“How?” I asked, reaching for his hand again. I needed to touch him, I didn't know why, but I saw, magenta this time, flash in his eyes, the one that told me the vampire-within was pleased.

“I chose the dragon; the dancing dragon, as my shield; my coat of arms, when I first was turned. I have long since believed the characteristics of the dragon worthy of a vampyre. I guess it was only natural that my vampyre would agree.”

“Dancing dragon,” I said, reaching up to touch his face, he turned his head to kiss my palm and then rested his cheek against my hand. “You're
my
dancing dragon,” I announced and he growled in appreciation.

Avery stirred at that point, bringing us back to the present and my current predicament. Namely a Russian vampire called Viktor Davydov.

Michel stood as soon as he saw Avery stirring and moved back towards the fireplace, turning to face the waking vampire, placing himself between Avery and me.

Avery's eyes came open and spotted Michel first. His eyes widened slightly and he stilled, then flicked his head towards me.

“You beat me back, Ms. Monk?” he drawled. “Most intriguing.”

I just smiled, knowing now how much Avery puts on a front, a show of nonchalance and bravado, which is entirely false.

He held my gaze for a moment, realised I wasn't buying his act and so turned to Michel. “So, have you chased down Viktor and demanded retribution yet, Michel?” he crossed his legs and attempted a relaxed pose. I don't think Michel was fooled either. A smile taunted the edges of his lips.

“I've not been awake long,” I offered and got up from the couch and walked to Michel. Michel's lips quirked into a full smile at that and he wrapped an arm around my shoulders and kissed me lightly on the forehead once I reached him.

“Why don't you both tell me what our new enemy desires,” Michel said, casually.

Avery was the one to give Michel the over-view of my conversation with the Russian. That he would call me to him as soon as night fell so I could lead his two vampires, Nataliya and Sergei, directly to Alastair. And t
he wording of the alliance I had made with him itself, i
n particular Avery stressed the words:
beyond the observation of others
. I groaned silently, knowing before they even extrapolated a meaning from the sentence I had so willingly spoken, that I had made a grave mistake.

"
Lexicant,
" Michel said softly.

"I agree," Avery offered, watching Michel's face. "I have not heard of one being used in a binding since the time of the Tsars. Viktor is clever."

Michel just nodded and flicked his gaze down to me.

“
You really do make things interesting, do you not,
ma douce
?” Michel said, kissing me on the forehead again. “An alliance with a vampire you just met, one that prevents you from repeating what was spoken. Have I taught you nothing?”

I bristled, of course, no one likes to be made to look a fool. I threw a series of images at him of Lutin. Showing him how easily the fairy prince had influenced my body over the past week, how much I felt out of control and manipulated because of that. How close I had come to giving Lutin what he wanted. I hated the imp for that.

Avery sat very still through the entire episode. I wasn't sure, but I thought he was perhaps still in my head. More so than before. No longer just plucking thoughts at random, but because of how far he had entered my mind, now able to read me like a book. If he could, he didn't show it. I think he was playing it close to his chest.

Sometimes, the choices I have to make are hard. I never seem to have enough time to figure out the consequences of each one. Knee jerk reactions are run of the mill in my line of work. The best you can do is deal with them as they happen. I've begun to think, it might be better not to be forewarned. I'll bury my head a little longer, as far as Avery is concerned.

Michel had turned me in his arms to face him, as the images speared his mind and now had both arms around me, his forehead resting on mine. He inhaled deeply and brushed me with his
Sanguis Vitam
. I don't normally let him have influence over me with his power, but I felt vulnerable thinking of Lutin, so just lowered my shields and let him in. A little of Michel's warmth and love and safety, in the shape of his vampire blood life force, wouldn't go astray. I relaxed as it wrapped around me, making me feel so safe and loved and right. My body moulded into his, his arms closed further around me and for a moment, no one else existed in the world but us.

By the time I felt strong again and we both turned back towards Avery, he had moved from his armchair by the fire to the drinks cabinet across the room and was pouring himself a Scotch. His back was to us and if I wasn't mistaken, he looked a little tense.

“So,” I said to break the silence and let Avery know we were no longer having a PDA moment, “what's the plan for tonight?”

“You take me to Alastair and I will confirm the amulet is fey,” Avery said formally, turning around to pierce me with a hard look.

So, Avery was sticking to his usual façade of snide comments and outrageous demands. Despite the fact that he knew I was aware it was all an act. At least it was familiar.

“I will not let four more humans die tonight,” I said and let a little of my Light follow that statement up. I was sick of cowering to the big bad stronger-than-me vampires in my life. I had made my mind up, I would not back down.

“It is not wise,
ma douce,
” Michel said quietly, no doubt sensing my strong emotions, or simply reading my mind.

“
It
is
wise,” I answered, hotly. “Think about it. Lutin is injured, he probably won't even be there tonight to protect Alastair. That stupid accord they have - the Fey make sure Alastair can feed unhindered, so he will help them keep the portals open when he's recovered from wherever he's been hiding – has continually got in our way. But, it is now or never. I don't want to have to find Sergei and Nataliya if I can help it. They would be useful, if Lutin returns, but tonight I don't think he will. Alastair will dine alone. Now is the time to strike.”

“
She has a point, Michel,” Avery said, taking a swallow from his tumbler of Scotch. “Tonight would be the best chance she would have.” Then turning his attention to me. “Are you up to it, Ms. Monk? Or will we see a repeat of last night's efforts?”

“Don't worry about me, vampire. Just keep up.”

“Oh, I can keep up,” he said simply, taking another healthy swig of his drink.

I ignored him and turned back to Michel. “Are we going to have a problem?” I asked, quietly. “Or are you going to let me actually do my job?”

He stared at me for a moment, that preternatural calm vampires do when they're pissed off. Then slowly nodded his head. “Antonio and Ricardo will accompany you also.” It wasn't a bad suggestion. All the more the merrier.

I had time to eat something, make a coffee and even catch up with Samson and reassure him that Michel wasn't going to banish him from my side. Then, right on cue, I felt the pull. Alastair was hunting, I just hoped he'd be hunting alone.

Avery and I headed out, leaving Michel behind with Samson, Alain and Daniel. Michel still believed if he came too close to Alastair, he would feel compelled to finish the job himself and then invoke the
Dökkálfa
charm. He couldn't risk it, or lose me. Antonio and Ricardo melted into the shadows. It would probably be the last I saw of them until the shit hit the fan. Hopefully, I could disable the fan before it hit high speed.