Dancing Dragon (31 page)

I replayed our last meeting over in my head, reminding myself what I had promised the ghoul when I set him the challenge of locating the missing Nosferatin. I had asked him;
“You know who I am?”
He had known my official titles and then I had promised him;
“Well, I'm more than that. Not even Pete knows. You find Citysider for me, I'll tell you what else I am.”

I cringed at the exchange. Now I was going to have to pay up for something I no longer valued, with something priceless. The fact that I am also Lutin's
elska
, a
mœðr
to the Fey. This was definitely something I would rather not have too many people know. I could only see it getting me into trouble. I wondered if I could slip a different payment in, in its place. Then sighed. Of course I couldn't, Geoff was a ghoul.

I held my hand out for the cellphone and prepared to bare my soul.

“Geoff,” I said, keeping my voice casual and at ease. Samson raised his eyebrows at me, he could read my body language and it wasn't matching my tone.

“Lucinda Monk. I have tha' information you requested and also a message. You know where I am. The pub will close soon, but I'll be 'ere.”

The cellphone went dead. He expected me to go to
The Genie's Bottle
right now. I glanced at Samson's clock on his computer, it was almost 2am. I did not want to head out into the night, it already felt like a lifetime had passed this evening. First the aborted effort hunting Alastair with a grumpy Avery in tow, then the couple of hours lost to the Russian vampire.

I still had to communicate the discussion, but I guessed Avery wouldn't be up to it yet, so it didn't really matter. But, I didn't fancy traipsing about the city with the Russian vampire out there who could steal more of my time. Plus, how was Michel going to respond to me leaving the house?

Ah crap.

“Come on,” I said to Samson as I stood, shoving the cellphone back in my pocket. “Let's go convince Michel we need to go out.”

Samson had heard what Geoff had said on the phone, he'd already put two and two together and just followed me out the door.

Michel was back in the front room having a stiff drink and when we entered, I found that Avery was there too. Reclining on the couch. I stopped just inside the door and frowned at the sight of him there. I don't know why, but I had just assumed he would be gone. Not done and dusted gone, but at least gone from this house and recuperating elsewhere.

“How do you suppose he be moved,
ma douce
? He is recovering from a silver stake to the heart.” Michel's voice was dripping in anger. I guess he hadn't made it to the impressed part yet.

“Would it have been easier if I hadn't missed?” I asked breezily, as I continued on into the room.
Never show fear.

Michel swallowed the last of his drink and sank heavily into an armchair. Ignoring my question he said, “He needs to feed,
ma douce.”

I just stood there staring at Michel, like some frozen shop manikin in a window. I couldn't quite fathom what he was saying.

“I shall organize some take-out,” Samson offered into the heavy air, not waiting for an answer and just leaving the room to place the call. Take-out to a vampire is just that. Ordering Norm food over the line and when the human turns up to deliver it, glazing them and feeding from them instead. Not something I approve of, but what other option is there? I wasn't going to feed him.

“I need to feed too,” Michel said in a quieter voice.

I noticed then how tired he looked, how drawn and pale. More so than I had seen him for quite some time. Whatever he had to do to remove that stake and prevent Avery from turning to dust, had obviously been extreme. And now he was exhausted.

I didn't hesitate, I went straight to him and sat down on the armrest of his chair, offering my wrist. He looked up at me and let a small amount of indigo seep into his eyes. We stared at each other for a few seconds, my arm hanging between us, then Avery drawled, “If you don't take her bloody vein, Michel, I will.”

Michel growled and pulled me into his lap, turning my body and pushing my hair over my shoulder to bare my neck. He would normally not feed from my wrist, but I had offered it as we had guests and when he fed from my neck, well, let's just say, he could easily get carried away.

He kissed above my pulse point and then I felt the sting of his bite as his fangs slid in. A small moan escaped from the back of his throat before he remembered to temper the pain with something else. He chose love and I was surprised... pride. He could have used the opportunity to punish me. The Michel of recent weeks would have, but I had forgotten I had
my
Michel back again. He wanted me to know he loved me and that he
had
been impressed with what I had done.

I contained the laughter that threatened to bubble up and out and settled for just a smile instead.

When he was finished and had sealed his bite marks closed, he pulled back and kissed me with such fierceness and with such commitment to the task I couldn't breathe. I could taste my blood on his tongue, an unusual sensation, not something humans enjoy, but when Michel kissed me, still tasting of me, it never seemed gross. It was always erotic.

He hadn't made the bite anything more than the purist of loves, he hadn't let it escalate into anything I would be embarrassed by in present company. But, he forgot about the kiss.

My hands went to his hair and immediately got tangled in it, my tongue went half way down his throat and if
he
had made a small moan before, mine was impossible to mistake. I was practically climbing into his body through his lips and would have taken it further if Avery hadn't managed to spoil the moment and thankfully bring me back to the present.

“Damn. I wish I
had
insisted on her vein after all.”

Avery, the Plucking Pervert, the Dark One, and now
the bucket of ice cold water.

Michel was grinning like a Cheshire cat. Public displays of affection have always been welcomed by Michel. Well at least, public displays of affection with me. He wouldn't let me get up off his lap, tightening his hold when I began to move. That may have been because he was somewhat aroused. And he wouldn't let me turn my head away, to flash Avery a glare. He grabbed hold of my face, using both of his hands along my jaw and kissed me again with a demanding need.

Michel!
I chastised in his head.

Quoi?
he replied in my mind.

Stop it, you're embarrassing me.

Arrêter ce que?
came his ridiculous reply. Ridiculous because he was clearly not thinking straight, everything was in French.

English
,
I moaned the thought back at him. Yes, you can moan in your head. His kiss had taken on a whole new meaning. That and his hands now up and under my top.

He laughed against me, like some drunken teenager.

He'd heard my thought.
I am drunk, ma douce. On my love of you.

Oh, now you're just being corny
,
I shot back at him, not bothering to stop where his lips had trailed to. Then I had an idea. If Avery could be a cold bucket of water, then surely I could create one too.
I have to go out to meet a ghoul.

Oh yeah, cold bucket of water. He pushed me back to look at my face.

“You are jesting,” he said, evenly.

I couldn't help the smile that graced my lips. Not necessarily the healthiest of responses, but his sudden change of mood was quite entertaining. Nothing could turn a vampire off more than their hatred of ghouls.

“Pete's informant has news of
Citysider
.” I didn't mention the message, I had no idea what it would mean.

“Do you think it wise to be out on the streets?” he asked calmly. Almost too calmly.

“No, but I'll take Samson and the shadow goons.” Michel forehead creased at my tag-name for his shadow guards. “Besides,” I went on, “we need to know what
Citysider
knows. It may help us.”

He didn't acknowledge that, but I knew he wouldn't disagree. I had thought finding out where
Citysider
had got to wouldn't be useful any more, but in retrospect it probably would be worthwhile to find out what the Nosferatin knew.

Instead Michel said, “We
need
to find out what you and Viktor discussed. Acting on anything else without first discovering what has happened is not only dangerous, but reckless. You could be walking into a trap.”

I turned in his lap to look at Avery. He looked like crap. Staking a vampire anywhere can be detrimental to their health, staking them within millimetres of their heart was just plain bad. He was pale, sweating, gaunt and had shadows and hollows in places no normal human would ever have. He looked like he had just been released from one of those prisoner of war camps, after a good twelve months of captivity. He wouldn't be helping me any time soon.

“Shit,” I breathed out quietly. Avery's eyes opened and looked directly at me. There was a slight look of amusement in them.

“Don't ruin the effect your actions have had with sympathy, Ms. Monk. It will only lower my opinion of you and you worked so hard to improve it.”

I huffed and turned my back on him. Michel raised his eyebrows at me in a question. “So,
ma douce
? You will not go see this ghoul?” He had asked it, not demanded it, so I didn't get all stroppy on him, I just stood up and straightened my skirt. Brushing myself all clean. It wasn't necessary, I wasn't dirty, just a spill over from my hunting days. A self conscious move designed to prepare myself for further battle.

“I have to, Michel. I entered into a verbal agreement with him, I can't go back on my word.”

Vampires may not have a lot to do with ghouls if they can help it, but they knew how ghouls worked. Michel just stared at me for a moment, then said, “I trust you know what you are doing as far as the ghoul is concerned, Lucinda. But,
I
will be coming with you, not Samson.”

I didn't ask him if he was well enough. You just don't ask a vampire that in front of another, so I just said, “OK.”

Michel stood up with all the grace of a five hundred year old vampire having just fed. So, that was beautifully and smoothly and altogether too sexily, but I was guessing he was putting that last one in for me and not for Avery's benefit. Samson came back in the room and quickly cottoned on to the change of plans. He didn't look surprised, so I guess he expected Michel to have wanted to come with me all along. Avery just watched us like a hawk.

We left Samson to nursemaid the sick vampire and went out to a Range Rover in a steel grey with dark tinted windows. It looked and smelled brand new. Michel opened the passenger door for me and was around the driver's side before I had finished buckling my seatbelt. Chocolate brown leather seats, walnut wood trim dash board and every button and gadget a boy could desire lit up as he started the engine.

“Test driving a new car?” I asked, as he pulled out onto the one way street that Samson's house was situated in.

“The Discoverys need replacing.” He flashed me a smile.

I'd always quite liked the Land Rovers Michel's crew drove back home, but there was something a little special about Land Rover's top of the line Range Rover, that was for sure. Somehow it just matched Michel to a tee.

“
Tell me,
ma douce
, what do you intend to trade with the ghoul?” Michel had been with me when I had bartered information with my ghoul contact in Auckland, Pete. He knew how the game was played and if I gave away my price now, I was sure Michel would find a way to stop me. He wouldn't want too many people knowing I was Lutin's
elska
. But, I had agreed to tell Geoff what I was, besides the
Sanguis Vitam Cupitor
and the
Prohibitum Bibere
and the
Lux Lucis Tribuo
. What else was there besides that?

I hedged with, “I'll think of something.”

Of course I should have known Michel better. “You already have, Lucinda. You never go to a meeting with a ghoul without being prepared.” He didn't sound angry, having caught me out in a bluff, just normal, neutral.

“I offered to tell him what I am.” Maybe, he'd let it go.

“He would already know you are the Prophesied. So, what exactly are you intending to tell him?” Now there was a hint of anger and a flash of magenta to boot. Great.

“
I need to know where
Citysider
is. OK, Michel? I need to find out what he knows.”

“
That wasn't an answer,” he said, simply. “You plan on telling him about your relationship with the Imp Prince.” His attention was all for the road, just the odd flash of magenta and the way he held on so tightly to the steering wheel let me know how close to the edge he was. But he was controlling his
Sanguis Vitam
well.

“A deal is a deal with the ghouls, Michel. At the time of striking the bargain, I didn't have anything else to trade.”

He was silent for a while, negotiating the late night traffic that always seems to be as busy as the middle of the day in London.

I expected him to argue further, maybe just to offer an alternative to give in exchange for the information, but he just remained silent. After a while I let my mind wander, taking in the flashes of bright lights that passed us and little else. What would Geoff do with the
knowledge that I was a Fey Prince's chosen
elska
? I still felt like I didn't have all the information to answer that question accurately. It could be harmless letting him know this, or it could come back and bite me on the arse. Pete, my ghoul on the ground in Auckland is also somewhat of a friend. I could trust Pete to a certain extent not to abuse the information. At the very least he would charge an enormous amount to pass it on to another, he'd practically price it out of the market.

But, I didn't know Geoff and he didn't know me. Could I rely on his relationship with Pete to keep things above board? I doubted it, but what else could I do? And right now, given all the information at hand, it didn't seem that bad a risk to take. Yeah right. Knowing my luck, this was going to be a very bad move indeed.

Michel's hand came over and took hold of mine, rubbing small circles on the back to calm me. Letting me know he was there, I wasn't alone. We'd deal with whatever came our way together.

We found a car park near the ghoul's pub in Notting Hill and headed the short distance to the front door. It was closed, well past closing hours for pubs in the city, but a short rap on the door proved successful and we were soon inside a well cleaned, but slightly yeasty and greasy smelling bar. All the chairs were up on tables, the floor recently mopped, but still the soles of my shoes seemed to stick as we followed Geoff over to a corner area, where chairs had been left down and waiting.

He'd glanced at Michel when we first entered through the door, but dismissed him as a problem immediately. Either Geoff really didn't have an issue with vampires, which was rather hard to believe, or he hid it well. Or, he had a platoon of ghouls hiding in the wings waiting to intervene if necessary. Yeah, that seemed more likely. I glanced around the bar but couldn't see, sense or scent another ghoul nearby.

T
hey're out the back
,
Michel's thoughts caressed my mind.
Ten or more.
I wasn't sure how Michel could sense them, but I was glad he could. Better he knew that now, than did something he would regret later. Ghouls are tough and extremely rough. I'd back a vampire in a one on one, but ten to one, my money is on the ghouls. The number alone let me know Geoff had suspected I'd bring a vampire. Maybe even suspected I'd bring Michel.

I hoped I wasn't walking us into a trap. I told myself that Pete trusted Geoff, but truthfully, I really didn't know how well ghouls trusted each other. Maybe Pete had just trusted that Geoff would get me any information I needed, not that he wouldn't carve me up and serve me for dinner. Pete had always said I could take care of myself. It probably hadn't crossed his mind to warn me Geoff was still playing by the old rules. That's the hunt-the-humans-and-eat-them-raw rules. It had been a long time since ghouls had done that, they behave themselves now. Eat raw, but not humans. Not that I'm aware of anyway.

We sat down on the chairs provided. I was surprised Michel had forgone the seat with his back to the wall, in favour of the seat slap bang next to me. But then, the wall seat would have proven a hindrance if he'd had to come to my aid. He was sacrificing his natural defensive instincts, in order to protect me.

I levelled my gaze on Geoff, time to get this over with.

“So, what have you found out?” I asked, keeping my voice level and calm.

He hadn't offered us a drink, so I had nothing for my hands to play with. It felt wrong, I'd always had a glass of beer in my hand when dealing with Pete. It's surprising what a simple repetitive motion can do for your nerves. I substituted the beer glass with a stake from my jacket. Probably not the most reassuring thing for the ghoul to witness, let alone the vampire at my side, but I tried to make it look a natural, sub-conscious movement. As though I did it all the time and didn't even realise I was. I think he bought it. At the very least, it reminded him of who I was.

“You first, Hunter. I see your lust charm has been removed.” So, one of the ghouls out back had been the chap I met last time and he had already ascertained the lust charm had been removed.

“The charm was inconvenient,” I answered, for want of something better to say.

“I bet it was,” Geoff offered and received a low growl from Michel. Sometimes it was like taking your dog along to business meetings. I kind of wished I had a bone to give him to chew, at least then he might not react to every unwanted comment thrown my way.

“All right,” I said, straightening my shoulders. No point delaying the inevitable, but still, I could set a few ground rules. “Are we alone Geoff, or do the walls have ears?” I knew damn well the walls had ears, but if you asked a ghoul for a private meeting, they were honour bound to give it.

He blew a huff of air out. I don't think he expected me to know so much about how to negotiate with a ghoul. I was lucky, Pete had taken me under his wing when I first arrived in Auckland. He'd made sure I knew the right way and the wrong way to deal with a ghoul. Like he said, it wasn't guaranteed that he'd always be the head honcho of ghouls in the city. One day I may be faced with another. I was glad he had prepared me tonight.

Geoff got up and went out the back door, said a few words which even Michel couldn't pick up, then closed the door firmly behind him as he returned to our table.

“On my honour we are alone. The walls have no ears.” He didn't sound pleased about it. I knew why he would have wanted ears in the walls though. Even exchanging information between ghouls requires payment. The more ghouls he had hearing the news first hand that I offered, the less payment would have to be made to spread the information later on. Now, he would have to accept only suitable payments for what I had to say, if he wished to pass the info on at all. He could not accept less than it was worth either, it would tarnish his reputation. So, it could prove a lengthy process for all the ghouls in his network to become apprised of this news. If it did prove useful to him, I could at least be happy that its spread to others would be delayed.