Entwined With the Dark (7 page)

"Marie, Trevor, can you give us moment," Arthur said quietly and the two other Nosferatins retreated to the kitchen where I had just come from.

I took a sip of my coffee, cringed at the bitter taste and belligerently didn't look up at Arthur. He came and sat down in front of me, resting on the solid coffee table. His butt just missing the empty biscuit plate.

"We have rules in London, Luce," he said evenly. Crap, this speech again. "We work as a team. For our safety, for cohesiveness. Because I say so. There can only be one head of a family, too many in charge and you just have mayhem. Now, I know you are not a follower. You are a leader." Huh? "But, I'm telling you now, you fight me on this, you will lose. This is my city. These are my rules. And if you can't accept them, then you need to leave."

His words had been even and non-threatening, softly spoken so that their intent carried so much more weight. I lifted my gaze up to his, he raised his eyebrows expecting some sort of reply. I couldn't give it, I was speechless. I had fucked up my meeting with the Master Vampire of the City, but
he
had agreed to let me stay and hunt in the end. Arthur, a Nosferatin, someone on my side, had just given me an ultimatum. Play by the rules or get the fuck out.

We sat silently staring at each other and then finally I reached forward and placed the nearly full cup of coffee on the table and stood to my feet.

"Thanks for the coffee," I said evenly and turned my on heel and left.

He let me. I'm not sure why. He didn't argue. he didn't make a threat. Maybe he knew I needed time to think it through. Maybe he understood how difficult this was for me. In any case he let me walk out of his house, out of his weekly Nosferatin meeting, and he didn't say a thing.

Sergei was surprised to see me slip through the door so soon after arriving. His shock evident on his face. Nataliya was too busy scanning the street, a small frown marring her normally smooth brow.

"Let's go, guys," I said without explanation. I really did need to think.

I decided, as I walked toward the Mini, that we'd go to Samson's house in Kensington. It wasn't the location, it was more the fact that Samson's house was airy and light, nothing as oppressive as Michel's Victorian monstrosity. I needed light, actually I needed
Light
, but Samson's house would do. It would give me space from some of what ails me right now. It would bring me closer to Samson, whom I missed more than I had thought I would, and bring me some Light.

I was already sitting in the car before I noticed Nataliya and Sergei conferring out on the street. Sergei looked alarmed and Nataliya looked worried and slightly confused. Finally after another furtive glance around by both vampires, they both got in the vehicle.

"What's up?" I asked as I pulled away from the side of the street.

"Nataliya thought she saw a fairy," Sergei answered matter of factly. There is one thing to be said about my vampires, they don't try to sugar coat a thing. If something is amiss they tell me. Knowledge is a weapon, Sergei often says.

"So?" I prompted. Fairies were everywhere, was it cause for alarm?

"I thought I recognised him, but I am now unsure," Nataliya replied, but then turned to gaze out the window and refused to say anything more.

I shot Sergei a glance, he shrugged, but said under his breath, "Make haste, mistress. I have a bad feeling about this."

Great. Just what I needed, a return to the old days when fairies hunted me and I was constantly running for my life. At least with Sergei and Nataliya here, there was little a fairy could do. I think that's why Sergei was somewhat relaxed about the sighting, but the fact that Nataliya hadn't voiced who she thought she had seen, left me a little cold.

We made it to Samson's house unhindered and found a car park right outside. The house was in a delightful one-way street. Lovely wrought iron fences, green leafy trees and wide footpaths. It was equally as stunning as Michel's street in South Kensington, but I knew what awaited us inside would not compare. I flipped through my keys until I found Samson's, he'd insisted I had full access to his London home. It was only fitting, I had given him full access to mine in St. Helier's Bay.

Inside I flicked on the lights and Sergei made sure the house was completely secure and safe. Nataliya hung by the front window, brooding and staring into the night. I watched her for a moment, then decided I really needed to eat. There wouldn't be much, but Samson had filled the pantry with non-perishables and the freezer last time we were here. I walked into the kitchen and began to forage. Several minutes later I had a plate full of steaming canned lasagne and a bottle of Merlot with three glasses on a tray in my hand. I set it down on the coffee table and proceeded to hunt out the remote for the stereo system.

Samson had all the gadgets a geek could desire. Top of the range plasma TV, Blu-ray, stereo with surround sound, X-Box - you name it he had it. In a lovely bright white room with splashes of colour here and there. I really did like his house. When I turned back from the stereo, Sergei had opened the wine and poured us all drinks. This felt right, domesticated, normal. This brought back nights at St. Helier's Bay. He handed me a glass and gave me a rare smile. He was relaxing here too. Maybe he found Michel's house a little oppressive as well. I hadn't thought my Russian duo would have minded about such things, but you never knew. Beauty was in the eye of the beholder, I'm sure they were capable of appreciating beauty too.

I was well into my lasagne and wine, Sergei surfing on a tablet computer and half way through his glass, when Nataliya muttered suddenly, "I thought as much." We both turned to look at her as she swung back from the front window, her glass of wine had not been touched at all. "Fairies," she said with disgust, but surprisingly not alarm. "I hate the fuckers!"

Sergei was on his feet, a sleek shiny gun in his hand, braced for attack. Nataliya waved him down. "We know him, it's Aliath."

"Aliath!" I exclaimed, pushing my tray off my knees and coming to my feet. "Is that who you saw outside Arthur's?"

She frowned in reply and shook her head.

"He's at the door," Sergei announced. "What do you wish to do, mistress?"

Aliath, Prince of
Dökkálfa
,
Herra
of the Grey Lords, nephew to Queen Sofiq, next in line to the Dark Court's throne. I had a tenuous alliance with this fairy, but I hadn't seen nor heard from him in months.

What the hell could he want with me now?

Nataliya came to stand beside me as Sergei went to the front door at my command. I didn't fear Aliath, like I feared Lutin. I knew he operated within the parameters of certain rules. The Dark Fey were unable to lie, they could avoid telling the truth, but they had spent too long isolated, too long apart from this and the fairy world, they had not evolved to include that skill set. They were honour bound to not lie.

There were many Dark things a
Dökkálfa
fairy could do though, that made them dangerous. The
Ljósálfar
would just play with you, cause unimaginable mischief for their own entertainment. Steal away
mœðr
, lie and deceive. But the
Dökkálfa
would steal your happiness, your courage, your ability to love, your hope. Even though this sounds atrocious, Aliath had tried to make me believe that their feeding off human emotions was no worse than that of a vampire feeding off human blood. I had my doubts, but despite even those, I felt more akin with Aliath and his kind, than I ever did with the
Ljósálfar
.

To me, the
Ljósálfar
had seemed false, wicked to the extreme. I never knew what to expect from one second to the next while I was in their court. Lutin had tried to claim me as his
mœðr
, his
elska
- or one true love. I had also been forced to
marry
him through a
kvángask
. They force their will, the
Ljósálfar
, but what you see with the
Dökkálfa
is what you get. I'd take the Dark Court over the Light any day.

Surprising, but true.

Aliath walked into Samson's lounge as though he had been there a million times before. He didn't glance around at the technology, he didn't seem reticent to touch. From the time I had last seen him, Aliath had acclimatised to our world well. His shoulder length hair was a pale white blond, not the silver he usually wore. His god-like features were toned down to such a degree, that he merely appeared mildly handsome. Some may have looked twice at those beautiful green eyes, but I was sure his glamour was enough for him to blend in without causing a stir.

I couldn't help smiling at him, he had learnt how to blend in remarkably well. I wondered what problems his former dazzling appearance had caused. I could just imagine the riots and tabloid headings he'd had to endure. His lips quirked slightly at the edges, he wasn't sure if I was laughing at him or not. Yeah, he'd got to know me pretty well in a short amount of time too.

"Aliath," I said, nodding my head slightly.

"Princess," he replied, bowing low. The smile now one of full force. He was well aware of how I disliked being called
Princess
. The
kvángask
had made me a Princess of
Ljósálfar -
at least according to the fairies. I was having none of that.

I pursed my lips in a thin line and waited for him to come out of his bow. He took his time, he was enjoying himself, I think.

"What brings you here?" I asked, cutting to the chase. Direct questions, always the way to go with a member of the
Dökkálfa
Royal Court.

His smile slipped and his eyes raised to meet mine. There was a wealth of unsaid words in his look. Anger. Annoyance. Embarrassment. Regret.

"Whoa there, fairy. Best you take a seat and let us know."

Sergei replaced Nataliya at my side, while she went in search of an additional wine glass for our guest and Aliath took the armchair opposite me, crossing his legs and looking right at home.

He didn't speak until Nataliya returned and after filling his glass with Merlot, handed him his wine. He took a grateful sip, which was a little alarming, I had never seen the fairy eat nor drink before, he had always managed to do so without calling attention to himself. But here he was downing red wine as though it was a lifeline. Something was up with my fairy friend and I was guessing it would concern me.

I sat fidgeting on the couch and it was only when Sergei took hold of my hand to calm me that I realised how agitated I had become. It wasn't just Aliath's unannounced appearance, it was my
whole damn life. I knew without the fairy speaking that there would be one more thing for me to contend with before the night was out. Just once, I would like to catch a break. Just once, I would like to have a quiet time with my husband and not think of evil fairies, Dark vampires, Masters of the City,
Nathair-Sgiathach
and Arthur Pencarrow.

"On behalf of the
Dökkálfa
," Aliath began in a steady voice, almost half of his wine already consumed, "I offer my sincerest apologies, Princess." He paused and leaned forward, placing his glass on the coffee table between us. "Actually, it is
my
apologies I offer, Queen Sofiq has not sanctioned this visit." His lips twisted in a sneer as he said his Aunt's name. There was no love lost between these Royals. Sofiq tolerated her deceased brother's son and Aliath suffered her cruel reign.

I took a deep breath in at his words. I was already forming a conclusion to this conversation and I was not liking it one bit.

"Just spit it out, Aliath. Why are you here?"

He bristled slightly at my response, then all fight seemed to evaporate from within. I was momentarily alarmed. Aliath was cocky and sure, powerful and competent. Sofiq had obviously had quite an effect on the Grey Lord. I was betting she had practised some of her unique fetishes to punish her nephew for what he was about to divulge. I wasn't going to make it easy for him, I waited for him to say the words.

Finally he reschooled his features into a more familiar haughty mask and said, as though announcing a formal dinner, "Prince Lutin of
Ljósálfar
has escaped."

"Oh fuck," Sergei muttered.

"I thought I saw that fucker!" Nataliya exclaimed.

I just sat stunned. I'd come to the right conclusion, but it didn't mean I was prepared to hear it aloud.

Aliath swung towards Nataliya. "Where did you see him and when?"

She sat up straighter at his tone and answered in a clipped military fashion. "Outside the Nosferatin's house. Notting Hill. Two hours ago."

Aliath stared at her for a moment and then glanced at me. "The Princess was in the house?"

Nataliya nodded in agreement. "I only caught a glimpse of him, I was initially unsure. I think he saw my brother and I, and decided to retreat."

"You will not be alone for a second, mistress. We will keep you safe," Sergei added, but all I could hear was a buzzing in my ears.

Aliath watched me for a moment, then stood slowly from his chair. "He will track you, Princess. He will do anything in his power to have you back. He will not be working alone. The war with the
Ljósálfar
has not gone well." The
Dökkálfa
and the
Ljósálfar
had been at war since I had escaped the
Ljósálfar
Court. The
Dökkálfa
had aided in my getaway. But the war was not because of that. For millennia the
Dökkálfa
had been held prisoner by the
Ljósálfar
. When more Light began to appear in our world, from the joining of more and more Nosferatins, the Portals to
Álfheimr
opened and the
Dökkálfa
broke free. They were now seeking their revenge.

I was merely a pawn in the game. Bait designed to catch the
Ljósálfar
Prince, a way to hold something over the head of the
Ljósálfar
Queen, Isoleth. I rubbed my face with both hands to try to bring some feeling into it. It didn't work, I felt numb. Almost like this was happening to someone else.

Aliath took a step towards me, concern evident on his face. Sergei stood in a protective move, mirrored by his sister. Aliath paused, his eyes, however, never left me. He was running his gaze all over my body, not just my face. It was a little unnerving and my security detail were not in the slightest amused by his perusal at all.

Finally I couldn't stand his scrutiny any longer, I lifted my face up to his and glared. "What is it? What aren't you saying?"

"You look well," he said quietly, taking us all by surprise. "But I would have expected you to be showing by now. Perhaps when you stand it is more obvious. I did not look when I arrived." We all
stared at him dumbfounded. He was making absolutely no sense at all. I arched my eyebrows at him, trying to think of something to say. But what do you say to that? It wasn't really a compliment, was it?

"Um..." was all I managed, but Sergei had had enough.

"What the fuck are you talking about, fairy?"

Aliath flicked his glance towards Sergei, but with an indifferent shrug of his shoulders returned his gaze to me.

"The baby, of course. The heir to the
Ljósálfar
throne."

I felt the half eaten lasagne threaten to rush up my throat. My arms wrapped around my stomach and I leaned forward panting to work through the nausea. Nataliya was at my side in an instant, her hand rubbing my back. Sergei was in front of Aliath threatening to do bodily harm. And all I could think was
No!
No, I couldn’t be pregnant. I couldn't be carrying Lutin's bastard heir. Despite having performed a
kvángask
, one in which fey magic could quite possibly have been used. Lutin and I had not had sex, he had thought we had, but it had been an illusion created with the aid of Michel's
Sanguis Vitam
. We had shared Light at the ceremony, but that hardly constituted sex. Plus it had been at least three months since then. Even if my body functions in an altogether different way from a normal human's, I would have noticed if I was pregnant. Wouldn't I?

And to top it all off, I was a Nosferatin, we are unable to conceive. No matter what.

It was impossible, but something was nagging at the back of my mind, something was causing me unbearable fear and concern.

I looked up at Aliath and shook my head. "You're wrong," I said, but my voice wavered. "We never had sex." All I could do was cling to the obvious.

"You performed the
kvángask
, Princess. You shared Light," he replied, his voice soft.

"What's that got to do with anything?" Nataliya answered for me, still rubbing my back.

"
His Light to her Light, mixed together through scared rite, will create longed-for life."
Aliath's voice took on a different timber as he quoted that verse.

I recognised the words, they were the intangible something that had been nagging at the back of my mind. Lutin had spoken them at the
kvángask,
Arthur had them written in a Fey book of prophesies, but hadn't understood their meaning. As soon as Aliath spoke them, the fear and concern ratcheted up several degrees, until I was barely able to breathe at all.

"I can't be pregnant." I said it like it was a mantra. If I kept repeating it in my mind, it would be true.

Aliath crouched down to look at me, his face full of compassion, not a haughty Prince mask to be seen. "The prophesy is quite clear. Lutin believes it to have come true at your
kvángask
."

"But I'm a Nosferatin," I insisted, determined to get this fucking fairy to understand.

"Lucinda," he said with what looked like tremendous patience. "It is Fey. Anything,
anything
, is possible. Even conceiving a child through a sharing of Light at a
kvángask
."

I don't remember much of what happened next. I think I mewled a strange strangled sound, then the world got incredibly hazy, the room tilted sideways and the softness of the couch met my cheek.

When I awoke I was in bed, in Samson's master suite at his London house. It took me a moment to register that fact, but the knowledge that he was now living in my master suite in St. Helier's Bay seemed to help make this new situation make sense. But how I got here, did not. I rolled over and groaned, I felt decidedly sick.

"Do you need anything, mistress?" Nataliya's soft voice came from a bedside chair.

I don't know why, but I wanted to cry as soon as I heard it. Why hadn't Michel come? Why wasn't he at my side?

I lifted my head and stared at my vampire. Her eyes glowed a slight chestnut colour, with a hint of maroon. She was on high alert, her
Sanguis Vitam
ready and waiting to be used.

"What happened?" I asked, then regretted it immediately as it all came crashing back in. "After I fainted," I added to clarify. I didn't need a re-run of the bomb Aliath had just dropped.

"I brought you up here. You've been out for an hour or so."

"Where's Aliath?" I asked, sitting up gingerly.

"He has gone in search of the
Ljósálfar
Prince, he did not want to waste any time following his trail from the Nosferatin's house in Notting Hill." Nataliya sat forward in her chair, resting her elbows on her knees and clasping her hands. "He said he will return here before the night is through. Perhaps he has more to add," she suggested.