Dancing Dragon (9 page)

“Impressive?” I offered up, finally seeing where he had been going with the plane fixation.

“Yes,” he answered. “Damn impressive.”

Then he was in front of me, his hands running up my body, down my arms and pushing me against the wall of the cabin.

“You did not dress before you came here?” he asked, nuzzling his face into the curve of my neck, over his two newest marks.

“I was in a hurry to tell you off,” I replied, already feeling weak at the knees, then shaking my head to ward off the instant arousal he caused in me.

“Not your normal style, my dear,” he answered, finding my breast and making quick work of bringing the nipple to attention.

A small squawk came from beside us. “Master? Do you require assistance?”

“James,” Michel answered casually, not stopping his pursuit of me. “I am fine. Leave us please.”

Michel's manservant high-tailed back out to his galley, quietly shutting the door behind him. Gotta hand it to the staff, they never question the sanity of their master as he's getting off with an invisible entity in the cabin of his jet at over 40,000 feet.

“Stop it, Michel, you are not distracting me on this.”

“
On the contrary, my dear, I think it is you distracting me. This could be entertaining, I have yet to have you when you are not even here. I am sure I can bring you to climax without even being in the same room as me, technically. Have you joined the mile high club yet,
ma douce
?”

Yeah, I was pretty sure he could convince me to join too, but I pushed against his chest and stepped away. He let me of course, I wouldn't have achieved the move otherwise.

“Why are you going to Paris?” I asked, picking up a blanket from the couch and wrapping it around me, before sitting down. His gaze had been altogether too intense. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair, then threw himself onto the sofa beside me, placing an arm behind my shoulders and pulling me against his side.

“I am not wasting your presence,” he said as I tried to push free of his grasp. “We can talk like this, if you insist on questioning me.”

Yes, I did insist and no, I wasn't opposed to being held in his arms while we did it. He chuckled beside me.

“
Paris,” he stated, stroking my arm. “The
Iunctio
has requested a meeting.”

I stiffened, even though I knew in my heart that that was why he was going there, I still didn't want to hear it.

“Why?” I asked the obvious.

“
I do not know, but it cannot be good.” And before I could ask the question, why he hadn't confided in me last night, he went on. “I did not want to expose you to their powers. We both know they have not forgotten you,
ma douce
. The longer you stay out of their sight, the safer it will be for you. I plan to face them alone, deal with whatever problem it is, without fearing for your life in the process.”

The
Iunctio
and I share a strange co-existence. They mistrust my intentions, thinking I will steal all their Dark and imprison the vampires as a whole, but because I saved their Champion, or leader and therefore the destruction of the council, they have sworn to leave me alone. Unless I fuck up one of their rules. That doesn't mean they haven't stopped keeping an eye on me. Gregor always keeps me abreast of when
Iunctio
spies have crossed his city, but sometimes that could be after they had been in ours. At least I knew the
Iunctio
hadn't relaxed its stance, whenever Gregor confirmed a spy sighting. My guard, had consequently, remained up.

It also meant, I had to keep a constant look out over my shoulder. A few weeks ago I had killed a member of the council. She
had
been trying to kill me in the process and bathe the world in Dark, but still, I'm sure that may have been a breach of one of their rules. So far, we hadn't heard from them regarding it, but I couldn't help thinking this meeting had something to do with that.

“They would have asked for your presence had this been regarding the Pandora,” Michel answered my thoughts. Such a familiar response, it no longer rankled me that he was in my head. It felt right. He squeezed me tighter in reply.

“Then it could be anything,” I said aloud.

“Yes, so can you understand my desire to keep you out of it until we know more?”

“I understand why you don't want me to tag along, but no, Michel, not telling me just does not wash. I need to know what's happening in your life, even if I can't be directly involved. I need to know. Don't push me out, I can't live like that again. I just can't.”

He pulled me up and onto his lap, a quick move belying the strength required to accomplish it and then brushed my hair out of my eyes.

“I am sorry,
ma douce
, I have forgotten how to communicate effectively it would seem.” He kissed me gently on the lips, finding them unnervingly accurately, despite the hazy state I must appear to him in this realm.

“I think I may be reminding you of a few more things before this is all forgotten,” I whispered against his mouth.

“Promise?” he asked, a dash of indigo and violet swamping his deep blue eyes.

“Ah-ha,” I managed to get out between his nips and kisses.

He moved me quickly but gently into a better position, this time straddling his lap, the blanket falling away and my completely naked body flush up against his shirt and trousers, his hands running all over my back, down my sides, around my rear. His lips finding my nipples and alternating between nips and bites and kisses and licks, first one side and then the next.

I threw my head back, closing my eyes in bliss and thought numbly, I should be telling him off a bit more than this, where was my self control? Deny me a good lay for a couple of weeks and I'm insatiable.

He chuckled, that manly chuckle against my breast and then pulled back to flash me magenta swirls in his eyes.

“
Now, about that mile high club,
ma douce?
”

Oh boy.

I'm not sure if it can be called joining the mile high club when your body is still back in Auckland, but as far as Michel was concerned that was just a mere technicality. Who was I to argue when he made it his soul purpose for the next hour to convince me of that?

I finally managed to sink back to my body when his plane began its descent into
Charles de Gaulle Airport
. I didn't want to, but I was starting to feel the effects of prolonged Dream Walking and the emotional roller coaster of the past 24 hours. I didn't, however, wish to sleep as soon as I came to in Michel's chamber at
Sensations
, so after a quick shower in his uber-luxurious bathroom, pretty smelly shampoos and body washes later, I felt marginally revitalised, if not still a little achy and sore in all the right places.

I dressed in my usual garb, luckily I always keep my
uniform
here for those times we'd get caught out and not be able to make it back to the house at St. Helier's Bay, the only thing missing was my Svante sword and that was in the boot of my car. Armed with two silver stakes and a silver knife in my jacket I felt ready to face the last of the night.

I needed answers and I knew just who to get them from. Opening up the chamber door I jumped at the sight waiting for me.

“What the hell are you two doing skulking out here?” I demanded of the two bulky vampires casually leaning against the wall outside the room.

Marcus was flipping a knife over and over in his hand; hilt, blade, hilt, blade, hilt, blade, in a frenzy of speed that made it look like one continuous flash of metal in the dim lights of the hallway. Matthias was busy surfing the net on his smart phone, but stopped his perusal of whatever site he had been on, to fix me with a knowing smile, it was he who spoke first.

“The master wanted you protected while you Dream Walked to him.” His smile broadened into a cheeky grin.

“So, did you join the club?” Marcus asked, not stopping his knife flipping at all.

“What club?” I asked as I pushed past, trying to ignore where this conversation was heading.

“You know, the mile...”

“Don't even go there, Marcus!” I cut in, piercing him with my best Nosferatin glare.

“Ah, come on, Luce!” Matthias, coming to his partner's aid. “You can't blame us, we've been standing here for well over an hour now and the tone of Michel's voice in our head, well... you know, it wasn't hard to put one and one together.”

“And come up with mile high club,” Marcus finished for him, Matthias still grinning in the background.

“Michel's voice has a tone when in your head?” I said, purposely ignoring Marcus's words.

“Well yeah, but this tone is only when he's talking about you and otherwise distracted by you,” Matthias offered.

“And you recognise this how?” I asked, stopping in my tracks towards the bar and having both vampires come to an abrupt halt behind me.

“You don't wanna know,” Matthias said, looking away and turning a slight shade of pink.

I stood there for a moment and took that all in. Michel had a tone when communicating telepathically with his line, one they recognised as being because of me distracting him. No, I decided. I really didn't want to know how they knew that. I shook my head and pushed through the door to the club, scanning for Jett.

Jett is Michel's second in command and although he wasn't turned by Michel, but joined the Durand line via blood bond when his previous master was killed in a fight helping us, he is still the most trusted of Michel's servants. I wondered if he had been subject to Michel's recent trust issues and I also wondered how he had handled it. Michel would no doubt deal with a few of the concerns regarding his absence on his return, but there was no time like the present in making a statement and letting those of his line, who might be considering a coup, know they were now shit out of luck. Michel's kindred was back.

I spotted his big bulk over in the corner finishing up a meeting with a minor vamp of the line, I made a beeline for him, ignoring the obvious glances from the rest of the line scattered throughout the club. I hadn't been seen here for a while, last night was my first visit to the premises in over two weeks. I knew they were curious, but I kept getting a feeling they were looking at something else. It wasn't until I slipped into the seat opposite Jett, uninvited, that I realised what all the fuss was about.

Jett's black eyes focused on my neck, a grin creasing his handsome face, making the slightly crooked nose not as noticeable. He cocked his head and his mass of black curly hair fell over one broad shoulder. The eyes, however, never left Michel's newest mark. I resisted the urge to run my fingers over it, but it was hard. Now he'd spotted them and called my attention back to the two minute fang scars that represented Michel's unique signature, I felt them tingle and buzz beneath my skin, calling to me, whispering to me, teasing me. I shifted in my chair to suppress the feelings and he just chuckled.

“Good to see you, Lucinda,” he offered, pulling his eyes away from his master's latest conquest and piercing me with his gaze.

Jett is a level two
Sanguis Vitam
Master and although I felt quite comfortable and safe in his presence, his
Sanguis Vitam
was now very much alive. The
Sigillum
on my neck had a direct effect on Michel's vampires. Jett wasn't the only one, I could feel the power level in the room escalating as more and more vampires were apprised of their master's latest possessive mark. If only they knew where Michel was wearing mine.

I shrugged in response, not only to his comment, but to the obviously unsaid acknowledgement of Michel's mark.
Never show fear. Never give an inch. Always stay on guard.
A
Bacardi and Coke
appeared in front of me and I picked it up to take a fortifying sip, never losing eye contact with Jett. He could glaze me if he wanted, he's strong enough to maybe get away with it, but I could also glaze him too, and he knew it. It was a pissing contest we seemed to have, who'd look away first. I had a hell of a lot of ground to make up with my recent absence, there was no way I was giving in before him.

“So, how stable is the line?” No need to beat around the bush, he'd known the instant I sat down opposite him what I was here about. He's not a fool.

He took a slow sip of his own drink, something dark and sparkly, keeping eye contact and said, “There have been some rumblings, but I have dealt with them. For now, the line is stable.”

“But not for much longer,” I surmised.

“No. How is Michel?”

“Strong enough to kick anyone's ass who thinks they have a chance,” I replied with as much conviction as I could muster. “And if they want to jump the gun before he gets back,” - I slipped my hand in my jacket and pulled out my stake, slamming it down in the table, making it stand on end, tip a few centimetres into wood, silver glinting around the room - “they'll have to get through me.”

I felt the buzz go through the room, then Jett looked over my shoulder and nodded to someone, probably giving them the signal to go glaze the Norms. I knew what I was doing was bold, but it needed to be.

“Good,” he said simply, glancing down at the stake and then returning his eyes to mine. “How long will he be gone?”

I hadn't expected that. I had at least thought Michel would have confided in Jett his itinerary. This was a little worse than I had feared. Michel, you idiot, what the fuck? I couldn't mentally ask him if he trusted Jett, that would just cause no end of problems, Michel may be on his way back, but he still required handling with kid gloves. I'd just have to make a judgement call of my own.

“
Could be as short as three days, maybe as long as a week. It depends how long business with the
Iunctio
takes.” I let that sink in, registering the flash of concern in Jett's eyes, then powered on, leaning forward slightly to make my point. “If the
Iunctio
is using this as an opportunity to weaken us, separating Michel from me, then we need to be prepared.”

He nodded. “I'll increase your guard and also bring in more of the line to the city. I'll send my best coverts over to Paris to watch from afar. If Michel needs them, they'll at least be within helping distance.”

I nodded in return, I'd expected the increase in guards, I didn't want it, but I'd come a long way from those days where I could pretend I was unbeatable, invincible. These were the big guns, they knew what they were doing and they outnumbered and could out manoeuvre me in an instant. I was no longer naïve.

Now to send the message home.

“If someone were to plan a move on Michel's leadership, taking advantage of the
Iunctio's
distraction, now would be the ideal time to accomplish it. I want you to make it clear to the line that that would be extremely unwise. I am the
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor,
the
Prohibitum Bibere
and the
Lux Lucis Tribuo.
”
I let my Light begin to accumulate around me, casting an eerie glow about the table and booth we were sitting in, I could feel Michel's vamps frantically glazing, working hard to keep this supernatural occurrence from the Norm's eyes, but I could also feel the underlying fear.
“
A
nd if they need further reminding I have already taken on the Champion's Challenger, the Tempest and destroyed the Pandora as well. I have it in me to annihilate every one of the vampires in this city and so help me, if one of them tries a move on my kindred I will gladly show them how.”

Jett held my gaze for a moment longer, showing no fear, just an intent appraisal, then finally gave one short nod.

“Consider it done.”

Well, that was fun. Not. But, it had to be said, Michel had placed himself in a dangerous position, he had told me exactly how precarious he was on the plane. We did manage to have a decent conversation after joining the mile high club and he knew what my intention had been on returning to the bar. I sent him a silent thought to advise it had been done and sat back in the booth waiting for the hammer blow.

Jett stiffened a second later and then a small smile tipped the edges of his mouth.

“The master has reminded us how precious you are to him and commanded us to protect you against harm at all cost.” I knew Michel would be doing that, sending a resounding signal home that he backed me and he expected his line to as well. It was probably the first command in a while and a powerful one. It not only told them he was back, but he was back with a powerful sidekick. Me.

I may have been a little slow in answering the challenge, but when I did finally make it, I sure as hell did it with style. I pulled my stake out of the table top and replaced it in my jacket, a signal that my job here was done. I was suddenly feeling bloody tired. I looked back over at Jett, trying to decide if he could be trusted. This latest mess would have provided him an ideal opportunity to take command. He had respect from the line, he practically ran it when Michel was unable to, like now, he would have been the obvious choice as next Master of the City. And although only a level two
Sanguis Vitam
Master, his power was begging for that next rise and I knew without a doubt he was capable of taking that next step. So, why not?

Jett must have been able to read my mind from what emotions were playing over my face. I was tired, it had been a hard three weeks and an even harder 24 hours, I was getting a bit slack at keeping a neutral mask on my face. I wanted my bed and I wanted it now.

“Luce,” he said, voice whisper quiet, so only I would hear. “Michel has my undying loyalty and allegiance. I swear this to you.”

“Why?” I asked, crossing my arms and letting him know I wasn't entirely convinced.

“I owe him.”

“Because he took you in when your previous master met the final death?” I just didn't see it.

“No. Because he let me kill her.”

It took me a split second to work out who he was talking about. Erika. She had been his girlfriend, possibly even his mate, I'm not sure, but in any case he had trusted her enough to sleep with her and she had attempted to have them all killed. Him included, not just Michel, his master. He felt guilty as well as hurt.

I didn't get a chance to say anything before he went on.

“He had her by the throat, he was ready to end it, but he trusted me enough to get the job done when I asked to be the one to kill her. He trusted me, even though she was mine.”

He didn't need to say anything else, I understood. And now, he was returning that trust when Michel needed it. I thought, maybe, I could just about trust Jett too. I nodded and slid out of the booth, stretching my muscles in my shoulders. I'd obviously been a little tense, a massage wouldn't have gone astray. Michel, get back here pronto bud, I need a back rub!

I am working on it, ma douce,
came the sardonic reply in my head, making me jump slightly at the thought that he could read my mind from across the other side of the planet. Bloody hell, this connection was strong.

“Well, I'm off,” I said, going to turn back towards the garage door.