Kiss of the Dragon (7 page)

I entwined my fingers with the fingers of one of his hands, noticing exactly where my latest
Sigillum
had been placed. Directly over his ring finger on his left hand. I wore a plain white gold wedding band with inlaid blue diamonds around the internal circumference, hidden from sight, as a representation of what we shared. Marriage. A joining. A Bond. Michel had no such ring.

Until now. My new
Sigillum
, in another colourful iridescent tattoo-like design, wrapped around his finger like an intricate wedding band, making him mine. I smiled down at it, then flicked my gaze up to Michel's face. He was looking at our hands, at our fingers intertwined, at the new
Sigillum
on his wedding finger. He looked ecstatic.

I tried to contain my own elation and returned my attention to the previous conversation.

"OK, explain," I demanded softly, he squeezed me quickly against his side.

"We are in a little
commune
, ah... parish, outside of Lyon, a few kilometres from my birthplace." Oh wow. "Kathleen and Matthew found it for us. I think they did quite well." He lifted his head and glanced around the room we were in. I agreed, it was lovely. Homely and familiar, but quite clearly grand. I would hazard a guess it was a couple of hundred years old, but nicely refurbished.

"You called it a castle. Is it really that big?" I asked, getting a little excited despite myself.

"It will take you several days to explore. There are over twenty bedrooms, fifteen bathrooms, a full scale industrial kitchen, various utility rooms, a library, office and several entertaining parlours for various requirements. There are also several outbuildings, some refurbished, some not. Oh, and a moat and drawbridge, so yes, castle would be an apt description."

Holy hell. Kathleen had bought us a castle. Somehow not quite on the same level as our last holiday home.

"This is not just a holiday home," Michel said. "It is our sanctuary, our haven outside of our political obligations in Paris. We will be here as often as we can. As often as our business allows. For the immediate future."

I nodded my head slowly. So much information vying for attention in my mind, making it difficult to focus on the individual words he said. "How long does it take you to get back to Paris?" I asked, the first question to make it to my lips, my mind stuck on the thought that Lyon was not exactly next door to the City of Lights.

"Just over two hours by helicopter. We have one housed on the premises, ready at a moment's notice if need be, and can fly directly to the
Palais
."

They'd thought of everything, including my need to have a home away from the machinations of the
Iunctio
. Tears welled up in my eyes, burning and threatening to spill. Michel's hand came up and the pad of his thumb wiped beneath each eye in a pre-emptive gesture that seemed to work. None of the threatening tears spilled over. I reached up and held his hand in place, not wanting the contact to be broken. For several moments we just stared at each other.

"I should say hi to everyone," I said, for some reason it sounded a little breathless.

"
Non
," Michel said, his French accent in full force. "Tonight you are mine only. I will not share."

I could handle that. He'd said they were all OK, reacquainting myself with the family could wait, I wanted to reacquaint myself with my kindred first.

"That's more like it," he murmured, a small twitch at the corner of his lips. I couldn't pull my gaze away. Then the smile widened and stole my breath completely. "I think we both need this," he said softly, pulling me down on top of his body, the mohair throw falling silently to the side.

For the next few hours Michel showed me how much I meant to him and I returned the favour. He managed to surpass his earlier efforts, which considering how good they had been, surprised us
both I think. I fell asleep, tired but happy - a completely different exhaustion from when I was in
Álfheimr
- in a sumptuous bed, in the middle of an equally sumptuous room, wrapped up in the beautiful arms of my kindred again.

Finally.

Kathleen found me in the enormous herb garden behind the
Château
the next day. The building was impressive, only two stories high but the footprint was huge. Four different wings off what had to have been the original 18th Century structure, made of a pale sandstone type brick, the corner stones and window trims in a contrasting white brick, the roof tiled in terracotta. It looked slightly Italian, not French, but I loved it anyway. The herb garden, part of a greater vegetable garden - Goddess knows what vampires will do with that - was attached to the side of the building, accessed by a door from the enormous kitchen, but within the confines of the moat.

I'd walked around the entire property before coming to rest on a stone bench in the beautifully scented garden I was in. I'd investigated the garages - complete with four late model black Range Rovers
and
my Mini, proof that this was now our home - several of the outhouses which consisted of further accommodation, offices and workshops - no doubt all designed to assist in the upkeep of the
Château
itself. And skipped over the short drawbridge, which was a simple wooden structure, the beams all slightly worn and not entirely safe looking. I still skipped.

Now I was sunbathing, while Michel worked from the office behind the shuttered windows inside the
Château
. The sun was high in the sky, I'd slept most of the morning away and it had taken a couple of hours to explore outside. Michel had seemed very relaxed when I had mentioned I was going for a walk, so I was sure there were human guards nearby, but I didn't see any. I was under no illusions though, he was the Champion now, his safety was paramount and knowing Michel, my safety to him was too.

I was blissfully happy. There was no other description for how I felt at that moment. Michel had loved me for hours last night, and this morning waking in his arms had been pure heaven. Not to mention where I had woken up. The
Château
was unbelievably beautiful and in little more than half a day, I was in love with the place.

"You did well," I said as Kathleen took a seat beside me on the bench, her movements slow and laborious - clearly her arthritis was playing up. She spread her floral skirt out around her and gazed off over the herb garden that surrounded us on all sides for a moment.

"We were lucky it was for sale," she said softly beside me in her lovely Kent accent. "The location couldn't have been more perfect" - she was referring to it being near Michel's birthplace - "and the farmland surrounding it reminded me of where you grew up." I looked out over the herb garden to further afield and spotted the odd white fluffy animal - sheep I was guessing, perfect - in amongst vineyards. Almost, but with those vines, not quite the same as where I grew up.

I smiled at her. "I love it!" She let a breath out on a happy sigh. "You weren't worried I wouldn't, were you?" I asked.

"Mistress, I was petrified."

I stared at her, she shrugged back and then we both burst out laughing.

When we calmed down a little, she asked, "Do you think you could live here, Mistress?"

"Absolutely, as long as the rest of the family is here too."

"Oh, there is plenty of room for everyone."

"You and Matthew will be here also?"

She nodded, "We'll share overseeing care of the property with Christopher."

I perked up at that. The thought that Michel's vampire, who had been subjected to his London based Victorian monstrosity of a house for centuries, would be living in this uplifting and beautiful environment was appealing. I couldn't think of a better reward for years of living in purgatory than that.

"He will be available for the night hours, " Kathleen continued to add. "And Matthew and myself will cater to the daylight ones."

"Perfect," I announced, still beaming.

Kathleen watched me for a moment, taking in my over exuberant smile and no doubt healthy glow. Nothing beats spending time with your kindred when you're joined. Michel and I would always be stronger together than apart from now on. We would grow weak and possibly die if forced to live separate from each other though. The closed portals had helped to ease that, but as soon as they opened up again to
Álfheimr
all that separation damage came crashing back in. Thankfully, I saw no reason for us to be apart for lengthy periods again. He was the Champion now, the most revered and feared vampire of the lot. Anyone taking him on would be insane.

"You look well, Mistress. Well enough for a celebration, I think."

I smiled wider. "Sounds intriguing."

"I have work to do then," she announced, standing up slowly, brushing herself down and taking a step away. She turned back suddenly, her face a little uncertain. "Not that you wouldn't already be aware, Mistress, but he worked tirelessly to have the portals opened again. There were moments where I think he feared he would not succeed."

That didn't sound like Michel, he was always so sure of himself and his ability to achieve his goals. If there was a question of failure at all, then it wouldn't have been from lack of him trying or lack of his abilities. I wondered just what he had to face to get them opened again and what the consequences would now be. I nodded to Kathleen and watched her walk off towards the vegetable garden and then slipped back into the house.

I found Michel in his office. It was much larger than his home office in St. Helier's Bay. You could almost mistake it for a library, although I knew the
Château
had a larger room with shelved books and roller ladders, green glass covered lamp shades and comfortable chairs. This office only had two walls of bookshelves, but a large antique partner's desk, leather clad chairs and beautiful green leafed plants filling the space. The floor was parquet, like the rest of the house, with a large intricate rug covering the centre of the room. The lights were on as the shutters were still down and the fireplace was set, but not alight.

"Hey," I said softly, my head poking around the door.

He stopped what he was doing immediately and smiled. "
Ma douce
, come in." He lifted his hand and held it out to me in invitation. I walked straight to him and let him pull me onto his lap.

His kiss was soft and gentle, a brush of his lips against mine, a soft inhale of my scent to ground him, the stroke of his hand over the small of my back. He pulled away and gazed up at me, his eyes skimming my face as though he hadn't seen me in months, not just a couple of hours. He seemed hungry for any glimpse, trying to memorise features as if he was scared I'd run away.

I smiled reassuringly down at him and traced a line from his temple down his neck with a finger. We both sighed.

"Was it bad when I was away?" I asked, surprising him I think.

"In what way?"

"Getting the portals back open?"

"Ah," he said and my stomach plummeted. He squeezed me tightly for a split second and then leaned back in his chair and stared up at me. "Politics, nothing more,
ma belle
."

I raised my eyebrows at him and cocked my head. That answer was not going to wash. He chuckled.

"All right," he conceded. "I shall confess all. But lets do this over a drink."

He helped me to my feet and walked over to a drinks trolley that had been hiding behind a particularly leafy pot plant in the corner of the room. He started fussing with ice in one crystal glass and then adding the appropriate liquor into two. Scotch straight for him. A
Bacardi and Coke
on ice for me.

I didn't question his suggestion of an alcoholic beverage, I was sure it was now past 5pm, so although the sun was still shining outside, it was well over the yardarm. Besides, if he said I needed a drink to hear this, I believed him.

He turned back to me, offering the glass and then led the way to a leather two-seater sofa in front of the fireplace. Despite it not being lit, the pine cones and dried setting inside the hearth was still appealing. I took a sip of my drink to fortify myself and then turned to face him on the couch.

He had been watching me. I got the feeling he was going to be doing that every time I walked into a room for some time to come. The separation, and maybe as Kathleen had said, the fear he wouldn't get the portals open again, had taken its toll. That worried me.

"What happened?" I asked, reaching over and taking his hand, the one with the new
Sigillum
. It was instinctive to reach for him, but the
Sigillum
increased that desire tenfold.

He took a sip of his Scotch. "The
Iunctio
is split," he announced without further preamble. It was something I admired about Michel, if he had decided to involve me in a topic, he didn't hold back. "A third of the Council believes the Fey will not cause us too many issues and access to their realm could actually be beneficial. A third believes they will be our downfall and should be locked out of our world. And the last third are either undecided or have no personal investment in the Fey staying in our realm or not. It took time to convince the last third to vote in my favour." He took another sip of his drink and let his words sink in.

"Was it bad?" I asked, unable to drink any more of mine.

"Yes. Alliances had to be made and they are always... demanding. But it was those who opposed who caused the most trouble. I am afraid I have enemies, my dear. Some of which are very powerful and have now reason to seek revenge."

"Because you succeeded in opening the portals?"

"Yes, I won the vote. Their beliefs are strong. They haven't simply foregone them because the Council has voted in a particular fashion. And..." He hesitated, swirled the amber liquid around in his glass. Then amethyst eyes lifted to hold mine. "The
Iunctio
is still cloaked in Dark. Changes need to be made, but they will take time. Not to mention, winning those who oppose not only me, but my ideals, over."

"Who?" I asked. And perhaps this was the most important question. To know who we are against, is to be prepared. Or as prepared as we can be.

"The Diviner, the Imposter, the Nemesis and the Interrogator."

I let a slow breath out. I had expected Avery. He would vote against anything that aided me. His anger at having our joining broken was palpable when the ceremony was performed at the Council Chambers before I was taken to
Álfheimr.
He had also thought he had been the previous Champion’s favourite, until our joining started to fail and we both fell out of favour with the leader of the
Iunctio
. He blamed that on me, of course, despite it being well out of my hands - just one of those things, a joining that simply was not meant to be. But he would seek revenge and what better way than through Council ballots. He was going to be a thorn in Michel's side.

The Diviner had never liked me. I don't know why, but he just hadn't. The Nemesis was just the same, but I didn't know the Imposter, other than what he was capable of; appearing as anyone, changing his looks to make you believe he was someone else. Not a good Council member to have as an enemy.

But what surprised me the most, was that the Keeper wasn't on that list. He had been extremely close to the former Champion. I was sure he blamed me for her death. She had been trying to save me when Queen Sofiq landed the killing blow after all.

"What about the Keeper?" I had to ask.

"He was one of the swing voters. I managed to persuade him that we would lose your power if you remained too long in
Álfheimr
." That actually made sense, the Keeper was first and foremost concerned with the
Iunctio's
power base. It was his job to protect it and maintain it. No wonder he wouldn't want to lose me. Power was more important to him than revenge. Good to know.

"The only other swing voter was the Foreteller," Michel went on. "And that was simply because he hadn't
seen
the future to be able to pick a side. In the end he chose logic. I am the Champion, you are my kindred, without you I may perish. He is loyal to the
Iunctio
above all else. I am sure though, that he would be happy to have the portals closed now you are back at my side."

I took a deep breath in and let that one out slowly too. Vampire politics. More specifically,
Iunctio
politics. I so hated it all.

Michel squeezed my hand and took another sip of his Scotch. "Drink up, I have more to tell you."

I glared at him for a second and then decided maybe I did need a little Dutch courage after all.

"OK, fire away," I said after I had downed half my drink in one go. Michel smiled back at me, white teeth and all.

"I am utilising all of my assets right now. Alain and Daniel are busy in France keeping an eye on various
Iunctio
Council members. Antonio and Ricardo are providing much needed shadow protection for myself. I cannot afford to become complacent." That pleased me, not the
cannot afford to become complacent
part, but the fact he was using his best guards to keep himself safe. That meant more to me than anything. "But something is happening in London. The
Iunctio
has already got their investigators looking into it, but they fall under the Nemesis and I cannot trust the outcome completely. I need my own men there."