Kiss of the Dragon by Nicola Claire Read Free Book Online Page A

feet. "The Champion asks for your understanding, but allowing you to curb my talents is not possible in light of the fact you hold his kindred Nosferatin."
    Aliath glared at my vampire, who simply stared impassively back.
    Michel had thought of everything, including the fact that with Sergei here all fairy magic in the vicinity would be moot. I wrapped my returned Light around me and relished the feeling of wellbeing seeping back into my frame. It wasn't a complete elixir, although I had expected it to be, but then it occurred to me I wasn't suffering from food poisoning at all.
    The joining separation had caught up with me as soon as the portal Sergei had used opened up.
    I smiled to myself, I could handle a little joining sickness. And then I sent my thoughts of undying love out to Michel through my mind, receiving in return, the most exquisitely beautiful and longed-for words in my head...
    Ma douce, welcome back .

Chapter 4
Negotiations
    The silence that surrounded us in the throne room was complete. No one moved, not even me, despite the need to jump up and down with delight. Sergei flicked me a small glance, his eyes taking in my entire frame in vampire speed before returning his attention to Aliath. I was sure he had noticed my pale pallor, the sweat that coated my skin. I probably had dark lines under my eyes, but the tiredness had come on so suddenly I hadn't had a chance to check myself out in a mirror yet. I still felt like crap though, so no doubt looked like it too. And Sergei wouldn't have missed a beat.
    He didn't show any reaction, his vampire mask was well in place.
    We all waited for Aliath to speak. It was his Court, his throne room. Sergei had appeared unannounced, but despite this transgression, no one in this room could doubt what he brought to the table by being here at all. A portal had been reopened. If one was reopened, then they all could be and then the reason to keep me captive would no longer stand. The charm had already been broken though, so the incentive to keep the portals open also no longer stood.
    Aliath was not going to simply hand me over to the Champion without securing some form of insurance first.
    "I think we should eat," Aliath announced and I let a little breath out in both relief and frustration. Eating was not something I could envisage managing right now. My Light back had warded off the worst of the fatigue, but the nausea was still threatening to return. I needed to get back to my kindred, delaying it was not welcome news.
    Within minutes though, the throne room had been transformed into a banquet. It was quite remarkable to witness. Several fīfrildi fluttered about the space laying out settings along a long table that blue Dökkálfa fairies had hurriedly brought in. Once the fīfrildi had set the place settings out, food was quick to appear. This time carried by fairies with red skins. The colourful procession of fairies was only matched in hue by the colourful food they presented before us. Before long the entire room was bedecked with a beautiful feast, most definitely fit for a King.
    I was helped to a seat on Aliath's right hand side, opposite me sat Sergei, who held my gaze for several seconds after the King sat at the head of the long banquet table and we followed suit. Dinner was served, none of which Sergei could eat, nor I could stomach. But we both made gestures as though we would.
    For several minutes the fairies ate, then as stomachs were filled, conversation started to interrupt the clang of cutlery on china, the scrape of a chair over the marble floor or the glug of a carafe of sweet wine.
    "Let us get down to business," Aliath announced quietly, in between sips of his drink. Not so quiet that others nearby wouldn't have heard though, but they didn't eavesdrop. Perhaps it too was against Dökkálfa rules. "You have an offer from the Champion." A statement, we were on fairy ground and I prayed Sergei knew all the rules.
    "Yes. He is prepared to leave the