Entwined With the Dark (11 page)

Michel didn't let go of my hand as we ascended the stairs, finally coming to a stop in Samson's master suite. He turned to look at me, his expression soft. His hand came up and he trailed his fingers over my jaw, his thumb coming to rest on my lips.

"We do not have time to shower,
ma belle
, but I believe we have a change of clothes here. Wear your hunting dress and jacket. Arm yourself, although they will no doubt be removed. Marcus and Matthias are almost here. We'll leave in five minutes."

Then he turned and strolled into the walk-in wardrobe and started shifting clothing on the rack to find a suit. I didn't have much choice in the matter, but to follow his instructions. They'd been spoken softly and with care, but I still felt like they were given as orders. I wondered if this would be my life for a while, or maybe a long time if I was indeed pregnant. Michel planning our moves and expecting me to comply without argument to whatever he deemed as the best course of action for us both.

Michel had been overly protective with me in the past, but I was thinking his dragon-within might be on a whole different level. Part of me smiled at that, his fierce protectiveness in light of what it meant. If only it were
our
child. My hand rubbed absently at my belly, unable to contain the fear beginning to rise within. What if I was pregnant? What if I wasn't?

I dressed quickly in one of the dresses Michel had gifted me before he had
died
. In my usual and comfortable colour of black, it came to about an inch above my knee, slightly flared skirt with a fitted top. Scooped neckline and three quarter sleeves. It was all made from a heavy, stretchy material, but looked as though it was cut to measure and made in a top designer's studio. It was certainly slightly more presentable than my usual hunter garb, but equally as accommodating. I had no issues staking a rogue vampire in this and my Svante sword sheathed nicely down my back, under the matching jacket, which came to rest at the hem of the skirt.

I pulled my dancing dragon necklace out from underneath the dress, letting it rest between my breasts. It looked fantastic against the dark material of the outfit and with the jacket made to hang open, it was always on display, adding a bit of
bling
to my outfit - appropriately it would seem for tonight. The dragon itself was made of platinum with a blue diamond for an eye and white diamonds in the shape of a lightning bolt crossing the dragon's heart. Michel's heart and my Light slicing through it.

I turned, after placing my stakes, knife and cellphone inside the jacket pockets to find Michel watching me. He was fully dressed in a new dark, dark grey Armani suit, crisply clean white shirt and navy blue silk tie. I hadn't even seen him dressing, I'd missed the entire show. Either he'd done it in record fashion, or I had been daydreaming and time had passed faster than I realised. He stepped towards me and reached out for my necklace, delicately holding the dragon in his hand. He ran a finger over the lightning bolt and then smiled.

"You have captured both our hearts, do you know that,
ma douce
?" he said softly, still stroking the white diamonds.

"I hope so, because you hold mine," I replied a little breathlessly.

His eyes flicked up to mine, flashes of indigo and violet in their depths. He held my gaze for a moment, opened his mouth to say something, then abruptly shut it again as though he had changed his mind. Was he about to open up? Had his vampire-within stopped him? Or was it something else? Something I had begun to suspect was making it impossible for him to talk about his missions for the Champion. This was so frustrating and there was nothing I could do.

"
Je t'aime, ma douce
," he said simply and then clasped my hand and led me from the room.

Marcus and Matthias were downstairs when we arrived. I was thrilled to see them, I had missed them for the past few weeks. Blond Marcus with his ever present humour and brunet Matthias with his steadfast outlook on life. They had been my vampire guards for some time, before Sergei and Nataliya came along. I had got used to them, they were like family. It felt right to have them back by our sides.

I rushed forward, letting go of Michel's hand and threw an arm around each vampire. It wasn't easy, they're built pretty big, but we managed. Their arms coming around to wrap me in an embrace and both vampires lifting me off the floor. I giggled, they laughed and then Michel let out an almighty warning growl.

"Let. Her. Go!" He spoke each word slowly and clearly, I think because he was finding it hard to speak at all.

Both vampires dropped me like I'd burnt them and took several steps back, bowing their heads as one and fisting their hand across their hearts. I staggered backwards, off balance by their quick release, and started to topple over sideways. Nataliya darted forward to catch me, Michel's growl intensified as he pushed her out of the way and I landed hard on my butt. The butt that still ached from my encounter with Sebastian Cole.

I let a breath of air out in a whoosh and grunted at the same time. Michel was in front of me in an instant, his hands running over my face, my neck, arms, body. Lingering over my stomach - not touching, just hovering there. The insides of said stomach suddenly lurched. I didn't want this. It wasn't right.

"Damn him," was all I managed to say, before the tears came uninvited and I crushed myself to Michel's chest.

I was vaguely aware that the vampires had all retreated into the front room, leaving me somewhat alone wrapped in Michel's arms. He'd sat himself down on the floor and had lifted me onto his outstretched legs, snug against his waist. One hand caressed my hair and down my neck as I rested my head against his chest, the other wrapped around my stomach, holding me securely. Keeping me safe.

"If you are pregnant," Michel started slowly and softly whispering in my ear, "it is
your
child as much as his. We will love him or her no matter what." He hesitated, took a deep breath in and then said, even more quietly so I had to strain to understand, "I cannot give you what you want, but maybe... Lutin has." I could feel him swallowing painfully. "I want you to be happy,
ma douce
. I would do anything to keep you happy."

I just didn't know what to think. Be grateful that he was being so accepting? Be alarmed that he was being so accepting? Want the baby? Don't want the baby? I wrapped my own arm around my stomach just below Michel's. This was getting out of hand, all because a lunatic, delusional fairy fucker said so. Part of me wanted to believe it was true, but the part of me that is all hunter, the part of me that does not fall apart at the seams and
never shows fear, never gives an inch and always stays on guard,
wanted this solved once and for all.

But time was not on our side, we were already late and keeping the Master of any City waiting was not a healthy plan at all. Michel helped me to my feet and I gave him a small smile. He shook his head and frowned down at me, worry etched around his eyes.

"Just give me a minute?" I asked, kissing him on the cheek. He held on to my hand for a few seconds and then with what looked like a monumental amount of effort, slowly let my hand go.

I rushed off to the downstairs bathroom and splashed water on my face as quickly as I could, then went in search of Kathleen. She was in the kitchen with Matthew. Both heads popping up from the papers they were reading at the table and smiling wide, then their expressions slowly fell at what was obviously not my best game face, it would seem.

"Hi," I said unoriginally. "Can you do me a favour?" I addressed Kathleen - and Matthew, with his innate sense of understanding, stood quietly from the table and exited the room.

After asking my favour and receiving a concerned but loving motherly embrace I returned to the impatiently waiting vampires in the front room.

"OK, let's go!" I instructed before anyone could complain. Michel was beside me in a flash of dark colours, his arm wrapping possessively about my shoulders.

"Everything all right?" he asked in a low voice.

I just nodded, unwilling to dwell on those things right now.

We all piled into the Range Rover, which happened to have extra seats in the rear. Marcus and Nataliya looked a little ridiculous in the back of the vehicle, but they didn't utter a sound of
complaint. A wise move, considering Michel's mood. He was entering his austere, disassociated, political space, wherever it is he goes when he has an
Iunctio
meeting to attend. This dinner wasn't with one of the council members, but it was with a powerful - both physically and politically - vampire. Although not as powerful as Michel, Amun could make our lives a living hell.

I also wasn't sure what to make of the Egyptian vampire. He'd appeared a little unstable last night, but then I'd been a challenge no doubt. I fished my cellphone out of my pocket and thumbed through my contacts. Michel didn't even blink in my direction, too far gone wherever it is he needed to go. Finding Amisi, I did a quick mental calculation and realised it was about midday in New Zealand and she was probably going to be asleep. I bit my lip and sucked in a breath. This was important, I'm sure she'd forgive my interrupting her beauty sleep.

The phone rang once, twice, three times and I thought it was bound to just go straight through to her voice mail box, but then was finally answered with a whole lot of banging and crashing and swearing in French. Oh crap.

"What?" Gregor woken from a deep sleep, not a very appealing thought. Michel's head slowly turned to watch me, a small smirk twisting the edges of his lips.

I blew a long breath out and then launched into my defence. "Hey, Gregor! It's Luce. I'm sorry to wake you but it's important."

"Are you sure,
ma petite chasseuse
? I shall be very disappointed if it is not," came his sardonic reply, but all I could think was thank God he had used his old nick-name for me. Things were looking up.

"Yeah, it is... um... can I speak to Amisi please?"

"What makes you think she is here?" he asked warily.

I sighed, he hadn't quite woken up I think. "Gregor, you answered
her
phone. Put her on. Please?"

"Hmm," came down the line and then a little more muffled. "The cat is out of the bag,
ma ange
.
Je suis désolé.
"

"You don't sound sorry," Amisi muttered and then down the phone line asked in a groggy voice, "Luce? What's wrong?"

"Um, nothing," I answered automatically and she humphed back at me. "Have you found out anything about Amun Nadeem?"

I could hear Amisi shuffling down the line - maybe sitting up in bed? I wasn't sure. I could also hear Gregor's protests, which he wasn't attempting to hide at all. Michel chuckled softly beside me, clearly quite amused.

"Awan knows him, but could offer nothing that would really help. He's ambitious, powerful, was in line for the Cairo Master of the City role, but deferred to Awan at the last minute. He has a fairly large entourage and favours the flamboyant over the restrained." She hesitated briefly, then added, "Awan did say that he was surrounded by sycophants. He
needed
their attention. Those are Awan's words, not mine."

Not anything I hadn't already figured out for myself, but at least Amisi hadn't mentioned something to be alarmed about just yet. Amun was an attention seeker and craved it like a drug addict craves their next fix. I shook my head, unsure what knowing this would do to help us.

"Thanks, sweetie," I said instead. "Sorry to wake you," I added and then louder said, "I've known for a while, Gregor, so don't lose any sleep over it!"

"I don't intend to,
ma petite
," came his voice from some distance away. And then obviously to Amisi, "Now that we're awake,
ma ange...
" he said in a softly suggestive voice.

"Um, is that all, Luce? 'Cause I... um... need the bathroom. Yeah, gotta pee."

I started laughing. "Whatever lets you sleep at night, Nosferatin. You know, you should just join with the man and get it over and done with, " I added as a last minute thought.

She choked a sound out in reply and hurriedly rang off. I was left staring at the phone quietly amused. After a few seconds I slipped it away inside a pocket and when my hand came down to rest at my side, Michel scooped it up and started running his thumb across the back.

"Are they compatible,
ma douce
? Gregor was not sure last time we spoke."

Huh, I hadn't thought about that. I'd just assumed they'd tested the theory already. When a suitable kindred vampire says the name of our kind to one of us - an unjoined Nosferatin - they receive a response which would indicate whether they are in fact compatible kindred or not. With Michel, I had fallen asleep at his feet. An unusual response, but one unique to us. He'd been visiting my dreams for some time by then and I always felt safe when he met me there.

"I don't know, I just assumed," I answered suddenly feeling I'd overstepped the mark. I hoped Amisi would understand. It would be truly awful if they didn't match. In my mind they were destined for each other.

"Gregor is too scared to try," Michel added unexpectedly. He didn't usually betray someone's confidence like this. It was not something I needed to know and Amisi would tell me if she wanted me to be aware. Michel speaking out of turn was something new, he was a better politician than this.