Never Show Fear Read online

  Never Show Fear

  Book Ten of Kindred

  Nicola Claire

  Copyright © 2020, Nicola Claire

  All Rights Reserved

  © Cover Art by Cora Graphics

  This book is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places and incidents are products of the writer's imagination or have been used fictitiously and are not to be construed as real. Any resemblance to persons, living or dead, actual events, locales or organisations is entirely coincidental.

  All rights are reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced in any manner whatsoever without written permission from the author.

  www.nicolaclairebooks.com

  ISBN: 978-0-473-52055-7

  Contents

  My Patrons

  About the Author

  Also By Nicola Claire

  Reading Order

  Foreword

  On The Wings Of An Angel

  On The Wings Of An Angel

  The One That Got Away

  The One That Got Away

  Let There Be Light

  Let There Be Light

  Home Sweet Home

  Home Sweet Home

  Review Request

  But Wait…There’s More!

  Nicola’s BestSelling Debut Novel

  Over 1,000 5-Star Reviews

  High Octane Action In Outer Space

  “Dystopian At Its Finest!”

  He’s The Heir To The Fire Throne. She’s The Human He Didn’t See Coming!

  And Finally…The Hugely Popular Historical Romance Everyone Is Talking About!

  My Patrons

  A sincere thank you to my Tier Four Patreon supporters, whose patronage means the world to me and inspires me to write great things.

  Jody Nielson

  Gail Woods

  Karina Treviño

  The publication of this book was made possible with the help of all my patrons.

  patreon.com/nicolaclaire

  About the Author

  Nicola Claire lives in beautiful Taupo, New Zealand with her husband, two teenage boys and a Miniature Schnauzer named Rudy.

  A bit of a romance junkie, she can be known to devour as many as half a dozen books a week if she drinks too much coffee. But her real passion is writing sexy, romantic suspense stories with strong female leads and alpha male protagonists who know how to love them.

  So far, she’s written well over 50 books. She might have caught the writing bug; here’s hoping there’s no cure!

  For more information:

  www.nicolaclairebooks.com

  [email protected]

  Also By Nicola Claire

  Kindred Series

  Part I

  Kindred

  Blood Life Seeker

  Forbidden Drink

  Giver of Light

  Dancing Dragon

  Shadow's Light

  Entwined With The Dark

  Kiss Of The Dragon

  Dreaming Of A Blood Red Christmas (Novella)

  Never Show Fear (Anthology)

  Part II

  Darklight

  Coldfire (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Mixed Blessing Mystery Series

  Mixed Blessing

  Dark Shadow

  Rogue Vampire

  Black Dog (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Blood Enchanted Series

  Blood Enchanted

  Blood Entwined

  Blood Enthralled

  * * *

  Fey Touched Series

  Season One

  Season Two (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Sweet Seduction Series

  Sweet Seduction Sacrifice

  Sweet Seduction Serenade

  Sweet Seduction Shadow

  Sweet Seduction Surrender

  Sweet Seduction Shield

  Sweet Seduction Sabotage

  Sweet Seduction Stripped

  Sweet Seduction Secrets

  Sweet Seduction Sayonara

  * * *

  H.E.A.T. Series

  A Flare Of Heat

  A Touch Of Heat

  A Twist Of Heat (Novella)

  A Lick Of Heat

  * * *

  44 South Series

  Southern Sunset

  Southern Storm

  Southern Strike (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Elemental Awakening Series

  The Tempting Touch Of Fire

  The Soothing Scent Of Earth

  The Chilling Change Of Air

  The Tantalising Taste Of Water

  The Eternal Edge Of Aether (Novella)

  * * *

  Citizen Saga Series

  Elite

  Cardinal

  Citizen

  Masked (Novella)

  Wiped

  * * *

  Scarlet Suffragette Series

  Fearless

  Breathless

  Heartless

  * * *

  Lost Time Series

  Losing Time

  Making Time

  Finding Time (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  The Sector Fleet Series

  Accelerating Universe

  Apparent Brightness

  Right Ascension

  Zenith Point

  * * *

  The Sector Wars Series

  Absolute Zero

  Cepheid Variable

  Roche Limit

  * * *

  The Summer O’Dare Mysteries Series

  Chasing Summer

  Sizzling Summer (Coming Soon)

  * * *

  Standalone Books

  In Sheets Of Rain

  Reading Order

  Over the years, the Kindred World has grown; like an ever expanding universe, the series continues to spread, blazing brightly as new stars are born and old ones finish their journey.

  Some of these stories overlap in the timeline originally set down by Kindred, so it makes sense to have a list somewhere, that helps the dedicated traveller (I mean reader) to see where each instalment fits.

  The list is getting long, and constantly needs updating, so rather than take up precious pages here, head on over to the website and see what’s what in Kindred…

  Kindred World Reading Order

  Description

  Join familiar, much-loved characters and gain an insight into the KINDRED WORLD with this enthralling anthology of short stories!

  Included in this collection of exciting tales from the kindred are the following titles and points of view:

  ~ ON THE WINGS OF AN ANGEL (Amisi’s POV)

  “Nosferatin,” he says, and imbues it with power, with his Sanguis Vitam. It calls to me. I dance and spin, and he laughs, and something in his aura sings; a song it has sung before but not for centuries. It is sad and joyous, lonely and complete. It changes everything. . .

  ~ THE ONE THAT GOT AWAY (Michel’s POV)

  “I lost our daughter,” I say with as much dignity as I can muster. Which, in the face of an irate Nosferatin, is very little dignity. I can sense the silver in her jacket’s pockets. I can sense Lucinda’s need to reach for it. I do the only thing I can think of. I step closer to the danger and swallow the distance between us. “Ma douce,” I say softly. . .

  ~ LET THERE BE LIGHT (Luc’s POV)

  I watch for a few more moments and then step out of the shadows. If Zahra is not aware I am here, then I will eat my stake in a heartbeat. Delaying this meeting only makes me appear weak. Never show fear. Even if it’s fear of the woman who entwines your soul with hers, and who threatens to entwine your heart along with it. . .

  ~ HOME SWEET HOME (Yves’ POV)

  I am alone, but not unarmed. I carry two sil
ver stakes — my most prized possessions — which I wrap my sweaty palms around inside their pockets. My heart beats too fast, and it takes everything in me to remember what I have been taught and to slow it. I stand still in the shadow of a patisserie’s stoop and breathe in a measured cadence. The vampire stills too, all but invisible in its shadow. It waits; a patient hunter. . .

  NEVER SHOW FEAR bridges Part I of KINDRED which ends with DREAMING OF A BLOOD RED CHRISTMAS and Part II which begins with DARKLIGHT.

  For: My Kindred.

  Foreword

  The KINDRED World, or I guess we could call it a Universe now it’s got so many sub-series in it, started out one rainy day in Auckland when my kids were toddlers and their dad was at work and I was hankering after a coffee and some adult company.

  I went to the mall to surround myself with big people and ended up barely speaking to any of them as I just had to write the dream I’d had the night before down before I forgot any of it.

  Copious notes on napkins later, two surprisingly well behaved kids, and I had the first four books in the KINDRED series outlined.

  I went home and told Hubby what I’d done and he said, “Start writing it.”

  So, I started the next day and didn’t stop for something like three or four months, not even to do the dishes. Thanks, babe.

  That was all the way back in 2012 when self publishing was still a little new and finding cover artists was a hard slog.

  Fast forward eight years and there’s an enormous industry out there to help out a discerning indie author like me, and KINDRED has spawned three sub-series, sold over 100,000 books and had a whopping great 4,500,000-plus pages turned in Kindle Unlimited.

  And don’t even get me started on the best seller lists. You guys have repeatedly found new and fantastic ways to let me know you love these characters. Thank you so much!

  I couldn’t have hoped for a better debut series, or a better bunch of fans who continuously encourage me to keep writing about Luce and Michel, or Gigi and Samson, or Luc and Ellie, or all the rest of the people in this Universe that resides inside my head but seems so real.

  FEY TOUCHED was the latest series to be added to this still expanding Universe, and now this collection of short stories will slip into the KINDRED line-up, too, and hopefully fill in a few gaps along the way.

  That’s the plan, anyhoo.

  So, my lovelies, I will forever be grateful for that day back in 2012, for the dream, and the well behaved kids, and the endless supply of napkins the cafe allowed me to pilfer. For Hubby and his unconditional support. For the first few readers on Goodreads who took a chance on a novel with a terrible cover. For the fan group that started up. For the people who purchased or read a story about a vampire and his kindred vampire-hunter, and the love they shared that simply would not shatter.

  Love does conquer all, and dreams do come true.

  Thanks, guys. Thanks for loving them and making it easy to keep falling back into this world, this universe, and getting lost along with Luce.

  ♡ Nicola

  Never show fear.

  Never give an inch.

  Always stay on guard.

  On The Wings Of An Angel

  On The Wings Of An Angel

  Amisi

  The vampire who killed my father’s brother had been from the Old Country. Which is a misnomer, because the Old Country is not as old as Egypt. He’d been ancient to my eyes; more than two centuries old when I first met him. Powerful, which is not always a given for those who reach such an age.

  He’d also not been a rogue. Which was difficult, when I was unable to stop myself thinking of it, for me to acknowledge.

  My uncle had been my first trainer. From the age of three, I’d been taught to recognise evil. He’d sat me down and explained the way of things. Until then, my life had been simple. I’d spend my days playing at the creche with all the other children and spend the evenings with my family.

  That is the part of my family who didn’t walk under the light of the moon.

  It was only when my brother was born that we moved to the palace. I remember thinking it was so grand and magnificent compared to our humble home. The wall hangings were rich in colour; I could spend hours staring at the scenes they depicted. It took longer for me to understand them. The smell of the hookah pipes and the incense that pervades the tall-ceilinged rooms is burned into my memory forever.

  And the moment I met Nafrini.

  She swept into the room like a goddess, and for a brief moment, I thought her Nut; our goddess of the sky. She wore heavy makeup like the pharaohs of old; her hair was cut like Cleopatra’s. She told me once, that she had known the ancient ruler; that she’d had an affair with Marcus Antonius.

  I never truly believed her. Nafrini was old, but I didn’t think she was that old.

  And she was also evil.

  My first lesson was to recognise the two faces of evil. Those that looked us in the eye, and we marginally trusted. And those that would sooner tear out our throats and sup on our blood.

  Nafrini was not scary to me. She was majestic and beautiful and powerful and just.

  The vampire my uncle showed me after my meeting with Nafrini was none of those things. And soon he was only dust.

  It took a long time for me to reconcile Nafrini and the rogue my uncle had shown me. It wasn’t until I was introduced to Nafrini’s kindred that I was able to come to an understanding of sorts.

  Nero is all that is good and Light and wonderful in our world. His tie to our vampire queen keeps her on the right side of the Dark. Keeps her trustworthy.

  Without him, I fear, she would rule like Julius Caesar and not like Cleopatra Philopater.

  I cross the grand hall and barely look at the tapestries. I can count them off inside my head from memory. The battle of Kadesh. The battle of Pelusium. The battle of Delta. The second battle of Al Alamein. And so on and so forth. The occasional wall hanging depicts less violent things, but there are not many.

  Vampires are violent beings, and we are part of that intricate tapestry.

  I step through the archway that leads into the gardens. The moon shines down and paints the world silver and white. I can smell the lotus and the chrysanthemum. I can smell apple tea. I can smell other things but I force myself to push those scents to the side.

  Nero knows I am here and I know he is here. It is a simple fact that a Nosferatin can never walk alone when their brethren are near.

  “Are you sure about this?” he asks without turning to face me.

  He stands tall and regal, rather like his kindred vampire. He is more than worthy of the title of Kindred Nosferatin to Nafrini Al-Suyuti; the most powerful vampire in all of Cairo City. Even had he not been kindred joined to such a one as she, Nero Al-Suyuti would be a noble sight indeed.

  Dark hair and warm skin, copper and brown intermingling in eyes like melted chocolate. I had long ago stopped thinking up ways to describe his beauty. Nero is beauty personified to me.

  “I am sure, Nero,” I tell him.

  He turns to face me. I meet his eyes and drink him in. I wanted this. I wanted to spread my wings and fly high, but to do so means leaving everything I know and love and cherish behind me.

  Cairo is my home. This palace my haven. This man before me, my teacher, my trainer, my everything.

  “We are only a phone call away,” he says softly. “Night or day, little lotus. I will come, should you need me.”

  Nero can Dream Walk. He means he would come to me as a ghost. I would be able to see him, but only because we are of the same flower, him and me. A vampire would not see the stake before it slid home. A Norm would see nothing.

  I nod my head, working hard to hold the tears inside. Working hard to show I am ready. At nineteen, I’d needed special permission from my family to leave Cairo. And also Nafrini’s blessing.

  New Zealand is not such a bad place to start my new life. Lucinda, the Nosferatin based in Auckland City, is more a friend to me now than an acquai
ntance. We’ve trained together. Luce can Dream Walk, too.

  Sometimes I feel inadequate. But I have talents burgeoning. None I have admitted to anyone. Talents are a private affair, and even Nero is not that intimate with me. Perhaps, in time, I will tell Lucinda. That is if I stay in New Zealand.