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

portals open for the safe return of his kindred Nosferatin." I knew this was simply the start of negotiations, not too much defined in the initial proposal, just enough to get Aliath to lay down some desires of his own. I hated politics.
    Aliath took a sip from his glass. "There needs to be a guarantee."
    "The Champion speaks as leader of the Nosferatu. Our words are more." Which was true, words to a vampire had meaning, to say them you had to mean them. But...
    "I am not Nosferatu."
    "He is the Champion." I guess that meant Michel's words weighed even more than words from any old ordinary vampire.
    "It is not enough. I seek reassurance that is foolproof."
    "You seek an accord or Fey charm."
    "Correct."
    "The Champion would agree to an accord."
    "I would insist on a Fey charm."
    "Then the portals will close and the Iunctio will attack to free the Champion's Nosferatin at their leisure." Oh hell. Meaning they would use their access to the portals to mount an attack to free me.
    "And I would simply kill her."
    Sanguis Vitam filled the air, crackling and hissing in a defiant show of power. Aliath didn't bat an eyelid, just continued to sip his wine. But I didn't miss the obvious. Sergei had been a level two Sanguis Vitam Master Vampire when I last saw him, and now he was quite clearly level one. He didn't look at me, but I couldn't stop looking at him. When had he gained this additional power?
    Vampires could continue to increase their Sanguis Vitam over time, but usually by the time they reach Sergei's age, somewhere around two or three hundred years old, it was pretty much all done. If they lived to the type of ancient age that the Ambrosia was at, then power could again grow. But Sergei should have been well contained within his power level for some time, yet here he sat across from me with more than what he formally had.
    Sanguis Vitam levels are rather like the Richter Magnitude Scale. For every point up that scale, the strength of a vampire increases tenfold. From level two to level one the vampire increases their power level by ten. Sergei was ten times more powerful than he was before. It was magnificent and frightening. But more than anything a little puzzling too.
    I ignored the whys and hows and concentrated on the deterioration of negotiations before me.
    "No one is going to kill anyone or attack anyone," I stated firmly. Both sets of eyes turned to me. "Rein it back in," I commanded Sergei. He immediately obeyed, his Sanguis Vitam smoothly retreating on the air.
    "Aliath," I went on, "I presume you want the portals to remain open." Not a question, but he answered with a nod anyway. "I would like to return to my kindred, so this is really very easy."
    Two sets of eyebrows raised up at that somewhat simple statement. I raised mine in a challenge back at them.
    "The Champion will not go for a charm that would threaten to take me away from him again, should things outside of his control activate it." I looked directly at Aliath. "You must understand that." He nodded slowly. "I also understand your reluctance to rely on an accord as insurance too. Someone has to compromise though, but I'll say just this... I consider you a friend, Aliath. I consider you my ally. I would hope you would enter this discussion with all of those points foremost in your mind."
    I had nothing to offer up as a bargain, I would help Aliath where necessary, to ensure the portals remained open and that his people were assimilated into our realm. I'd come a long way from the first few days when the Dökkálfa were freed and began to feed on humans. They did have honour and rules, and I now could see their feeding as little more than what a vampire did. Aliath, as the Herra of the Grey Lords, had been adamant about that. I couldn't imagine as the King of Dökkálfa that his standards would have slipped.
    But my reassurances would never be enough, and the bottom line was, I was not the Champion. The Champion would always have the final word. I just