Entwined With the Dark by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

Being involved with a vampire certainly had its ups and downs. The downs we had traversed most recently. But it never failed to surprise me the extent Michel would go to show he cared. I felt myself smiling; no doubt a dumb, love-filled, I'm-the-luckiest-woman-in-the-world smile. Michel was amazing and he was all mine.
    I heard the tell-tail sound of the shutters on the house whirring up for the night, having missed the sunset completely, being dazzled by Michel's new gift. Sergei and Nataliya appeared on the doorstep, dressed, armed and ready for the night. Was I? I didn't know, but I had little choice. At least I'd be driving to my confrontation in style. I got out of the car and greeted my vampires. Nataliya's face was scrunched up in disgust.
    "You don't like my Mini?" I asked incredulously.
    She huffed a breath in reply and then in her deep Russian accent said, "It won't be you squeezed into the pocket sized boot, will it?" Then under her breath, "He could have chosen a Lada."
    "Ha ha!" I replied, smiling at the ridiculous thought. I still had the smile on my face when I slipped into the driver's seat next to Sergei. Nataliya did look a little cramped in the back, but she had the whole rear seat. She couldn't really complain.
    The on-board GPS was a God send. I had been studying hard, whenever travelling in the Rover or in a cab, or with Marie. I had made it my priority to learn the main routes as quickly and thoroughly as I could. But nothing compares to actually driving them. Everything looks different from the driver's seat and without the soothing instructions from the very British sounding female guiding me through the GPS, I would have been lost. As it is, it took a good hour to make it to the new Master's main place of business.
    Like most Masters of the City, he operated from a night club. A popular night club in a popular part of town. The Vibe was just near Trafalgar Square. Parking was a bitch, of course. This was the centre of London, a tourist Mecca, an overpopulated and densely filled-in area of the city. I eventually found parking in an incredibly expensive and surprisingly humorous street called Cockspur Court. I really was grasping at any little thing to lift my spirits right now. Sergei and Nataliya looked positively glum.
    We walked towards our destination in silence. I allowed myself the indulgence of taking in my surroundings whilst seeking all the vampires in the area out. There were hundreds, not to be unexpected, but the idea that so many existed in this part of town only made me jumpy. Even the splendid sight of the Square itself did little to allay my fears. Water fountains and colonnaded buildings all lit up for the night. Huge paved expanse littered with people, colourfully dressed, walking arm and arm. Unaware of the creatures who stalked them from the shadows. We crossed the square, my hand brushing against one of the bronze lions and taking a swift look up at Nelson's Column, then approached the flickering light display that heralded the Vibe.
    Multi-coloured lights danced along its façade. A queue wound down the front steps and zigzagged away from the entrance. It would take over an hour to stand in line before you reached the bouncers at the door. We could be patient, but then what would that say? One, I had two vampires with me, who would not normally wait in a queue for anyone, let alone in amongst humans waiting to enter a club. And two, I was expected. I didn't think for a minute that Amun Nadeem, the All Mighty Master of the City, didn't know I was already here. There were simply too many well placed Nosferatu out and about right now, for him not to be aware.
    I rolled my shoulders and walked determinedly past the queue, ignoring the loudly whispered negative comments from the club goers as I approached the vampire on the door. He ignored me for about thirty seconds and then finally gave me a head to toe appraisal. With a sneer, he said, "There's a queue."
    I laughed daintily,