Kiss of the Dragon (3 page)

Her long yellow-blonde hair was tied up in a knot on top of her head. A small, almost imperceptible yellow down covered her skin. Her big blue eyes lidded with long yellow lashes. She blinked rapidly as she came to a halt in the middle of the room. The
hyrða
behind her, satisfied that I wasn't going to pounce, shut the door quietly and flicked the lock closed.

I rolled off the bed languidly and stood across from my friend. I'm not quite sure why I called her that, but she had looked after me when I was last here. When I thought Michel still dead and I had no way of getting home. She had taught me everything I now knew about the
Dökkálfa
and the
Ljósálfar
. She had tried her best to make me feel welcome, giving me familiar foods from home, the mandarin bath foam, coffee with fluffy milk. Books, games and company. She may have been instructed to do all of that, I'm not sure, but she had made that week of confinement more acceptable,
survivable
, than it would have been otherwise. For that I owed her my friendship.

I hoped she felt the same way.

"Princess," she said and curtsied low. "Welcome back."

I nodded and smiled, forcing myself not to say thank you, but instead, "You look well, Sora. I like the butterfly on your apron." I pointed to her little embroidered motif and received a beaming grin in return.

"You must be hungry" she stated, being sure not to ask a question acquiring any debt. She still didn't move from her formal stance in the centre of the room though.

"Yes, a little," I replied, uncertain if my welcome back was genuine or not. She seemed happy, but her reluctance to relax sent warning bells off in my head.

"The King has agreed for you to eat." How noble of him. "Food will be brought to your room in due course." I nodded, trying to encourage her to go on, but instead she turned and started towards the door. I frowned in confusion.

"You have nothing else to tell me." I made sure my voice was flat, no inflection to indicate a question. I had a sense that I needed to use every ounce of knowledge I had regarding the Fey, in order to get through the next few days. Sora was playing by the rules, so much so, that I had a very bad feeling about all of this.

There had been a small part of me that thought I wasn't truly going to be a prisoner here. Aliath and I had an alliance. It may have been over now, but surely the
Dökkálfa
King felt something for me? Maybe I was being naive, maybe Queen Sofiq's death at the hands of a Nosferatu would be placed at my feet. If the
Dökkálfa
believed I was to blame, what were the consequences going to be?

But the Queen's death had been Aliath's desire. Part of the obligation to having his aid in the breaking of my joining to Avery Rousseau. But I didn't know what that would mean for me now.

I was so confused.

Sora didn't answer my statement. That's the joy of not being able to ask a question without incurring a debt. If I
did
ask a question, she would be forced to answer with nothing but the truth. But the pay-off for gaining that knowledge would be a debt of some sort. Right now, I couldn't afford debts, therefore I couldn't guarantee she would answer. Sora chose to ignore the implied question and simply left the room on near-silent wings.

I stood motionless for several moments, the realisation of how precarious my position currently was seeping in. Any trust I had built up with Aliath was clearly not a given. The slate had been wiped clean and I would have to start all over again to win him over. The enormity of the situation weighed heavily on my heart. If I didn't get to see him soon, before the joining separation took its toll, my ability to think straight and act decisively would be diminished. Time was of the essence, but I was locked in a room without anything to aid my cause.

Fairies were not stupid. Aliath, I think, perhaps the most intelligent of the lot. Despite the fact that he had spent the better part of his long existence trapped in
Álfheimr
, imprisoned by the
Ljósálfar
, cut off from my world and anything to do with it, he had gained an enormous amount of knowledge since traversing Earth's realm. He knew a lot about me, about vampires, about my life. He knew how I acted, how I responded to a given situation. He could predict accurately how I would behave locked in this room. The old me would demand an audience, knowing my strength would wane soon, determined to find an escape path even if I had to battle my way out of the quagmire I was currently in. I needed to do the exact opposite. I needed to think like a fairy, or more precisely, like a member of the
Dökkálfa
Royal Court. I wasn't convinced Aliath
was
my enemy, but right now he was the gatekeeper and I needed to steal his keys.

I took a deep breath in, settled my nerves and began to scan my environment, searching for anything that could aid my escape. Half an hour later it was obvious the room would offer up no solutions. I gazed out the window for a few minutes, familiarising myself with the view. Escape within
Álfheimr
was useless. The
Dökkálfa
were still at war with the
Ljósálfar
, even if the portals were now all closed, that fact would not be changed. If I escaped the castle here, I could be captured by the
Ljósálfar
. That was the worst thing that could happen. My involvement in Prince Lutin's death would mean Queen Isoleth would want my head for sure. No confusion there.

No, my only option was to battle the
Dökkálfa
. And by battle, I mean wage a political assault to win their confidence and gain back their trust. To do this I needed to see Aliath, something he was obviously not going to agree to any time soon. But the shadows in my room had eyes and ears. Everything I did and said would be relayed to Aliath. I may not be standing before him, able to gauge his reactions or response, but he would not be able to avoid
me
. The fact that I was being watched was a relief - surprisingly - because I could use it as a tool.

The
Dökkálfa
had thought me weaponless when confined in this room. They had thought wrong.

I worked hard to establish a routine. The only way to survive this captivity, this time locked in my room, was to break the day down into segments. Each section of my drill passed, was a step closer to my goal. And my goal was getting an audience with Aliath.

The first step on that path was to dress appropriately. But the only suitable outfit in my fairy wardrobe was underwear; tight fitting corsets and knee length drawers. I felt ludicrous, but I also knew whoever was monitoring the shadows in my room would be alarmed enough to pay attention. I wanted their attention. I wanted them to consider what I was doing and to feel compelled to let Aliath know.

I wasn't about to huddle in a ball on the bed crying. I wasn't going to stare out the window lost in deep thought, pining for my kindred. I wasn't banging on the door demanding release. I was going to spend my days training. Establish an impressive routine, whilst passing the time and maintaining my sanity. Not to mention luring my prey to me.

Aliath craved courage. I was displaying courage in spades.

The first day dawned and set the tone for those to come. I'd wake to the sound of a tray of food being delivered and the hasty fluttering retreat of my fairy friend. I was guessing Sora was under strict instructions not to interact with me. I didn't feel hurt, this was all part of the game. As ridiculous and senseless as the game was, I
was
able to detached from the negative emotions of abandonment her actions provoked.

I'd then get up and make my bed. Followed by eating my breakfast slowly, savouring the meal and spending a good hour in the bath afterwards to start my day. I knew I had hours and hours of tedium ahead of me, my only chance of passing them was to establish this routine, to stave off depression and the Dark that inevitably threatened.
Where there is Light, there is always Dark.
I knew better than to let it gain any purchase.

After my morning bath came weight and fitness training. Lamps, chairs, anything I could lift I used. Anything that offered resistance I worked with. Two hours of gentle exercise and training made the morning pass with ease.

Lunch was served while I was again bathing, then the long stretch of afternoon would loom ominously ahead. I broke that down into spin fighting. Pretending to evade or to capture an enemy whilst dancing through the air in a spin. Something that I have perfected, but only with regular practice. I was determined that skill would not disappear.

Then I followed that impressive performance up with Nosferatin-fast Kendo and Weapon Dance moves to bring me into the late afternoon. Excitement permeated the shadows of the room when I
danced
my routine, even though I didn't have a sword in my hands, the motions were fluid and beautiful. Captivating to those who appreciated such things.

Fairies love beauty in any shape or form.

Both of the afternoon activities always created that heightened sense of awareness from the shadows in the corners of my room. I knew without actually knowing, that Aliath had been made aware. And as I had established an impressive, captivating routine, and wrapped it up in a good dose of courage as though my gift was beribboned and begging to be revealed, Aliath was having trouble ignoring it, I was sure.

Afternoon activities were followed by a third bath. When you exercised as much as I was and had little else to pass the time, bathing becomes an essential detail of your day. Dinner would arrive while I was dressing and I'd draw my meal out to an hour, making the darkness of night finally win out over the day.

Surprisingly, although tired, I was not exhausted or nauseous by the end of ten days of this routine. As I should have been, because of the separation from my kindred. I couldn't puzzle it out, I was definitely still joined to Michel, I felt the connection even though I couldn't follow that connection to my other half. I
should
have been suffering. But I wasn't, at least not yet.

Maybe it was the power boost the Ambrosia had given us at the joining ceremony. Maybe it was the way we were joined, the fact that our Light had been drawn from us, combined and then returned. Maybe it was something to do with the portals being closed, cutting off that effect before it could reach me. I didn't have an answer, so I chose to just accept this helpful outcome. I'd worry about it if, or
when
, I was forced to face it.

For now, my patience and dedication to the task I had set myself eventually paid off. On the tenth day of captivity Sora fluttered through the door to my room in the middle of a Weapon Dance move. I knew she was there, but continued the ritual, until it was complete. Coming to stand before her with a low bow a full minute after she had entered the room. The door was still open behind her. My heartbeat tripled and thundered through my veins.

"Good afternoon, Princess."

I had to swallow twice before I spoke. Over a week of not talking makes your voice a little weird.

"Good afternoon, Sora."

"I will choose a dress for you," she said holding my gaze with a placid one of her own. "Perhaps a quick wash would be advisable. His Majesty commands your company this evening at dinner."

I forced myself not react, just nodded briefly and turned on my heel towards the bathroom. My hands shook as I drew a bath, my face was flush with excitement, I willed my body to relax. Used cool water to shock myself out of the heightened anticipated state I had fallen into. By the time I entered the dressing room, I had myself more or less under control. This was what I had wanted. A face to face with Aliath, a chance to negotiate a truce, improve my imprisonment. My ultimate goal, to win his trust and be considered an ally, not a captive at all.

And it had only taken ten days.

Ten days of solitude and boredom, interspersed with a self-inflicted vigorous routine designed to dazzle. I knew I was altogether too excited about this change of events. How could I not be?

I wasn't sure if it was wishful thinking, but I was certain I needed Aliath if I was to survive in this world. Or escape it. I didn't have anything to barter with, except myself. Be that my emotions for him to consume -
ick
- or what I could offer the
Dökkálfa
should the portals be opened again. And I was sure they would be. Michel would move Heaven and Earth to make that happen.

So, this dinner invitation was paramount to a portal opening up in my room back to Earth. A lot rode on its outcome.

Sora helped me dress in an intricate and beautiful outfit. This one was slightly more elaborate than the original dress I had clothed myself in that first day. Since then I had only worn underwear. This was the first
dress
I had worn since arriving ten days ago and it was exquisite. Black, but with tiny crystals stitched all over the tight fitting bodice and flowing skirt. The crystals caught the light in the room, making prisms of colours reflect off any available surface nearby when I moved. It was magical. I couldn't determine an image from their positions, I think it was just a random pattern covering the entirety of the dress. The skirt was floor length, but failed to have the copious amounts of petticoats beneath it, making it seem more modern, in an ethereal way. The black fabric was light-weight, almost sheer, and swirled around my legs when I walked.

It fitted like a glove, as I suspected the rest of the clothes in the dressing room would. The
Dökkálfa
couldn't have expected my arrival, but then they could have used magic to fill the closet as soon as I turned up in their Court. I'm not the sort to play dress-up, so I hadn't tested that theory, but I was sure it was right.

Sora fussed with the buttons, I was vaguely relieved not to have to twist uncomfortably in on myself to achieve it, and then she attended my hair. I usually wear my hair down, I always have. It was what landed me in hot water with Queen Sofiq. Among other things. She was the only one who
was permitted to wear her hair down when in her presence. I'd waltzed on into the throne room, ignoring Sora's warnings, with my hair loose and down past my shoulders. When I left the throne room and the
Dökkálfa
Royal Court, my hair was half the length and brutally blunt. I was sure Aliath wouldn't be as picky, but for some reason I allowed the
fīfrildi
fairy this small moment. Maybe it was an apology for last time, I don't know, but she seemed to want to play with my hair. And truth be told, I was craving contact. Any contact would do.

The finished product was equally as elaborate as the dress, my hair curled delicately in thin strands to frame my face, but the bulk of it was swept up making my neck look longer than it usually did, accentuating my cheekbones and finishing off my appearance with an almighty full stop. Wow. Even I didn't know I could look this good. I wondered briefly, what Michel would think if he saw me now. How hard would it be for him to ignore my neck? Michel liked me to be covered up, with just a hint of flesh showing here and there. It was the enticement, the possibility, the fact that his imagination could fill in the blanks, that did it for my beautiful vampire. I was thinking this outfit, my hairdo, everything about me right now, would feature in his fantasies for sure.

Somehow that gave me confidence and bolstered my courage, so much so, that I knew the instant I walked into the dining hall to meet Aliath, he would be mine. I am not a vampire, I don't focus on prey. I hunt, sure, but I have never really considered a rogue to be my prey. I am capable of those thoughts, but it is not natural for me like it is for a vampire. Tonight though, the Fairy King was most definitely my prey.

I followed behind a silent Sora, with four
hyrða
guards as escorts, as she led the way. Tapestries hung on the walls, colourful and detailed. Depicting battles and landscapes, pretty women and men. A mixture of strength and serene beauty. The
Dökkálfa
might dress in black, but with their colourful skins and their vibrant interior decorations, they could not be confused with something Dark. There is a brightness to their lives. They are the Dark Court of Faerie, but they have as much Light as the
Ljósálfar
. And more honour than their lighter brethren could ever have. That was why I had aligned myself with Aliath. Even though at the time it appeared I had little choice, I wouldn't have done it, if I hadn't seen some good in the
Dökkálfa
Prince. I hadn't considered an alliance with Lutin. It had simply never entered my mind as a possibility at all.

I tried to focus on those thoughts now. I needed to believe Aliath would not be like the former Queen. She had been cruel and sadistic, I couldn't see my Grey Lord being as bad as that. But
power can corrupt. I've seen it before. It's like a festering wound, it eats into the psyche of the one in power, until very little of the man - or woman; think the Champion here - is left. I prayed Aliath was stronger than that. He was definitely more intelligent, so there was still hope.

We entered the room to an amazing chorus of chimes. The Fey chime when using power, but I couldn't feel any magic on the air now. It was simply an announcement of my arrival. Beautiful, captivating, entirely uplifting and I soon realised, already trapping me in its enchanting grasp.

So much for no magic.

I stood swaying slightly in the centre of the room, aware that none of the multitude of black clad, colourful fairies present were moving at all to that compelling and intriguing sound. I wanted to dance, to throw my arms out and twirl. It would be so easy to spin here, to fly around the room on winged feet. I felt the thin material of my dress move; a swish, a flash of reflected light off the crystals...

...and then I was spinning.

Laughing and spinning in a dizzying flight around the room. My dress flew out behind me, sparkling, flapping in the breeze created by my movement. The chimes escalated higher and faster, so I made myself increase speed to match that musical peal. The room was a blur, the fairies all watching transfixed on the outer edge of the large expanse of space we were in. I was vaguely aware they had been positioned intentionally. Rimming the perimeter, leaving an open space free for me to perform.

And I was performing. Like a puppet on a string, Aliath was directing my moves from where he sat, vivid green eyes blazing, watching me with an intensity I had not witnessed on the Grey Lord before.

There was more space here than my chamber, more room for me to fly. I was impressive in my bedroom when I practised my spin, but here I was on fire. My joining to Michel shouldn't have given me an obvious boost in speed. I already had gained so much when I matured at 25. It wasn't my connection as such to a vampire that made me flash in such a fashion. It was all Nosferatin. But whatever my recent re-joining to Michel had created, it
had
given me a boost, I was sure. I was moving faster than I had ever moved before. The world a hazy blur of magical colours and wonderful sounds. My heart rate matching my speed, my breaths coming in such quick succession I was sure I would faint.

But the true beauty of it all, was I was
aware
.

I could see every single detail that flashed past me as though I was standing entirely still. I could tell exactly what Aliath was wearing; black trousers and shirt, undone at the top showing a little too much cream perfect skin at the base of his neck. How he looked; silver hair flowing out as though picked up by a breeze, framing his perfectly god-like face. Not to mention where he was sitting, what he was sipping in a tall stemmed glass, held in the long delicate fingers of one hand. I could even smell his scent. Ginger and caramel. Huh. I'd never really noticed his scent before, but I must have. Because although all the other fairies had their own individual scents, it was Aliath's alone that I recognised now.