Shadow's Light Read online

  Shadow's Light

  Book Six in the Kindred Series

  By Nicola Claire

  Copyright © 2012, Nicola Claire

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN: 978-0-473-22103-4

  nicolaclairebooks.blogspot.com

  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.

  Cover Art by Nicola Claire & Minette Hanekom

  Image credit: 123RF Stock Photo

  Image # 9276883

  Font credit: Last Soundtrack "EpoXY histoRy"

  My special thanks to Minette of Red Cherry Graphic Design for her expertise, unfailing support and precious time, making the Kindred Series look as sexy as it deserves.

  More books by Nicola Claire:

  Kindred Series

  Kindred

  Blood Life Seeker

  Forbidden Drink

  Giver of Light

  Dancing Dragon

  Shadow's Light

  Entwined With The Dark

  Kiss Of The Dragon (Late 2013)

  Mixed Blessing Mystery Series

  Mixed Blessing

  Sweet Seduction Series

  Sweet Seduction Sacrifice

  Sweet Seduction Serenade

  Sweet Seduction Shadow (Late 2013)

  Elemental Awakening Series

  The Tempting Touch Of Fire (Late 2013)

  For: Tony, who casts Light

  on all my shadows

  Definitions

  Accord – A blood binding agreement, often between two parties of equal power; cannot be broken.

  Álfheimr – (Fey) Faerie. Home to the Fey.

  Alliance – A word of honour agreement; has varying degrees of binding, some alliances cannot be broken.

  Bjóða – (Fey) A challenge.

  Bjórr – (Fey) Fey beer.

  Blood Bond – A binding connection between master and servant, requiring the exchange of blood to seal. It can only be broken by someone more powerful than the master who created it. A blood bond establishes a close relationship between the blood bonded. The master provides safety and protection, the servant offers obedience and loyalty.

  Bond – The connection between joined kindred Nosferatu and Nosferatin; reflects the emotional and psychological relationship. Enables both parties to find each other over distance; to perform whatever is required to get to that person, overcoming any obstacle; to direct thoughts to each other; to feed off the life force of each other. It is always an equal exchange.

  Command – A directive given by a Master vampire to one of his line. It requires Sanguis Vitam in order to enforce obedience. It cannot be ignored.

  Dökkálfa – (Fey) The Dark Fey.

  Dream Walk – A Nosferatin power, enabling the Nosferatin to appear in a different location. The Dream Walker is invisible, cannot be sensed or smelled, and only heard if they talk when in this realm. They can, however, interact and be harmed. The only exception to a Dream Walker's invisibility is another Nosferatin. Two Dream Walks in a 24 hour period results in prolonged unconsciousness once the Dream Walker returns to their body. A very rare power.

  Elska – (Fey) Literally love. An elska is a mœðr. A member of the Fey can only ever have one elska in their lives. They are in tune with the Light or ljós within their matched fairy and potentially will become their one true love.

  Fīfrildi – (Fey) A type of winged fairy. Yellow Dökkálfa Fey.

  Final death – The true death of a Nosferatu. There can be no survival from the final death.

  Glaze – The ability to influence another. It requires direct eye contact and Sanguis Vitam to insert the influence. Usually a Nosferatu skill, allowing a vampire to influence a human.

  Grey Lords – The Dökkálfa law keepers.

  Herald – The Nosferatin who recognises the Prophesy. It is the Herald's responsibility to acknowledge the Sanguis Vitam Cupitor and thereby initiate the Prophesy.

  Hapū – (Maori) Tribe; sub-tribe – e.g. the Westside Hapū of Taniwha is the local Auckland sub-tribe of New Zealand Taniwha.

  Hyrða – (Fey) Fairy guards. Green Dökkálfa Fey.

  Iunctio – (Latin). The Nosferatu connection and governing power. All vampires are connected to one another via this supernatural information exchange highway; enabling sharing of rules, locations of safe havens and hot spots to avoid. It is powered by both Nosferatu and Nosferatin Sanguis Vitam, but is operated by the Nosferatu in Paris. There are twelve members of the Iunctio council, headed by the Champion. The Iunctio is tasked with policing all supernaturals throughout the world.

  Joining – The marriage of a kindred Nosferatu with a kindred Nosferatin. Upon joining the Nosferatu will double their Sanguis Vitam and the Nosferatin will come into their powers, but for the Nosferatin, their powers will only manifest after reaching maturity; the age of 25. The joining will also make the Nosferatin immortal. A symbiotic relationship, should one member of the joining die, the other will too. Without a joining, the Nosferatin would die one month past their 25th birthday. The joining also increases the power of the Iunctio and Nosferatu as a whole.

  Kaitiaki – (Maori) New Zealand Shape Shifter (Taniwha) name for Nosferatin. Meaning protective guardian of people and places.

  Kindred – A Nosferatu or Nosferatin sacred match, a suitable partner for a joining. To be a kindred there must exist a connection between the Nosferatu and Nosferatin; only those suitably compatible will be kindred to the other.

  Kvángask – (Fey) A marriage ceremony between elska. Involves a public sharing of silver, sustenance and Light.

  Line – The family of a master vampire, all members of which have been turned by the master, or accepted via blood bond into the fold.

  Ljós – (Fey) Light.

  Ljósálfar – (Fey) The Light Fey.

  Lux Lucis Tribuo – (Latin) The Giver of Light. The third part of the Prophesy. The Lux Lucis Tribuo is charged with balancing out the Dark in Dark vampires with their Light.

  Master – A Nosferatu with the highest level of Sanguis Vitam. There are five levels of Master, from level five – the lowest on the Sanguis Vitam scale, to level one – the highest on the Sanguis Vitam scale. Only level one Masters can head a line of their own. Some Nosferatu may never become Masters.

  Master of the City – A level one Master in control of a territory; a city.

  Mœðr – (Fey) Mother or mate. A human capable of parenting fey offspring.

  Norm – A human unaware of the supernaturals who walk the Earth. They also do not have any supernatural abilities themselves.

  Nosferatin – (Nosferat–een) - A vampire hunter by birth. Nosferatin were once of the same ilk as Nosferatu, descendants from the same ancestors, or God. The Nosferatin broke off and turned towards the Light. Their sole purpose is to bring the Nosferatu back from the Dark, this can include dispatching them, bringing them the final death, when they cannot be saved. They are now a mix of human and Nosferatin genetics.

  Nosferatu – A vampire. The Nosferatu turned towards the Dark, when their kin, the Nosferatin turned towards the Light. They require blood to survive and can be harmed by UV exposure and silver. They do not need to breathe or have a heartbeat. They are considered the undead.

  Nothus - (Latin) An illegal combination of two species, for example Nosferatin - Nosferatu mix. Considered illegitimate by the Iunctio and a kill-on-sight order stands for any Nothus uncovered.

  Prohibitum
Bibere – (Latin) The Forbidden Drink. The second part of the Prophesy. The Prohibitum Bibere is a siren to the Dark vampires throughout the world, calling their Darkness towards the Light.

  Pull – The Nosferatin sense of evil. Guides a hunter to a Dark vampire; sometimes, but not always a rogue, who is about to feed off an innocent.

  Rākaunui – (Maori) Full Moon.

  Rogue – A vampire no longer controlled by a master, full of evil and Darkness, feeding indiscriminately and uncontrolled.

  Sanguis Vitam – (Latin) The Blood Life or life force of a Nosferatu. It represents the power they possess. There are varying degrees of Sanguis Vitam.

  Sanguis Vitam Cupitor – (Latin) The Blood Life Seeker. The first part of the Prophesy. The Sanguis Vitam Cupitor can sense and find all Dark vampires throughout the world.

  Síðastr Portal – (Fey) A one-way portal that perpetually remains open despite the closure of other portals to Álfheimr. It allows access from the mortal realm to Álfheimr.

  Sigillum – (Latin) A permanent mark of possession.

  Starkad – (Fey) The Ljósálfar law keepers.

  Taniwha – (Maori) New Zealand Shape Shifter. Dangerous, predatory beings. The Taniwha have an alliance with the Nosferatins.

  Taufr – (Fey) Talisman. A charmed amulet or object.

  Tego Texi Tectum – (Latin) To cover, protect and shield. Referring to a vampire power of guarding and sheltering themselves and others from certain magical powers.

  Turned – The action of changing a human into a vampire.

  Umskipti – (Fey) Changeling. A member of the Fey used to replace human children who were identified as mœðr. The changeling takes on the form of the stolen child and fools the human parents until adulthood, when they simply disappear. Fey stole human children to improve fertility in Álfheimr. The stolen human child is raised in Faerie as one of their own to breed fey.

  Vampyre – Old term for vampire; used rarely in modern language.

  Vinr – (Fey) Vanguard. The first of the Fey to cross a portal. Their job is to ensure it is safe for other fey to follow.

  For there to be shadows,

  There must also be Light.

  Avery Rousseau

  Prologue

  Vampires celebrate death. They don't mourn it. They don't commemorate life. It's how the vampire dies that matters. Michel had died in battle. He had taken his enemy's life and given his own for those he loved. I guess that would mean me. He had died saving me. Amicus would have drained me, would have seen to it that Michel watched as life bled from my face. But, Michel died saving me from that fate. The fact that I should have died with him was irrelevant to them. It wasn't to me. Lutin, the Prince of Ljósálfar, had reversed our joining, broken our Bond. It was shattered, just like my heart was shattered. But to the vampires, here tonight, that didn't matter. Their master had given his life to save me.

  They celebrated their Master's death for three days.

  I'd been to a vampire wake before. When Nero died, funnily enough, saving me too. Michel and I had attended Nero's kindred, Nafrini's, wake in Cairo. So, vampire wakes aren't restricted to just those of the dead's line. All of Michel's vampires were in attendance. Far more than I had ever seen before. But so were several prominent vampires who had known Michel, or had had an alliance or accord with him.

  The Iunctio was there too. Well, at least, a few of the council members were. The Champion, in all her tiny refined splendour. Her long curly hair in rivers of black down her spine. Dressed, this time, in a Kimono. Bright red satin with elaborate birds and fish intertwined with gold and black flowers. She had on thick traditional Japanese thonged sandals, with white tights made to fit around the thong between the toes. The Ambrosia was also there, otherwise known as the Giver of Life. He's the oldest vampire I have met. He reeks of knowledge and power, but thankfully is full of Light.

  The third member of the Iunctio council to attend was the Keeper. In charge of all the Iunctio power. The Iunctio receives its power from both the Nosferatu and the Nosferatin. When we went into hiding, the Iunctio became weak. It is only now recovering with the Nosferatins' return. The Keeper oversees the power's distribution. He keeps it contained and protected from harm. He seems younger than most of the council, but with a vampire it was sometimes hard to tell. His Sanguis Vitam, though, was phenomenal. I don't think you get to handle all that accumulated power at the hands of the Iunctio without being able to protect it somehow. He had striped light brown and blonde hair. The blonde streaks don't look natural, they're too precise for that. But, his hair is striking. It's his most striking feature.

  It hadn't escaped my notice the choice of those who attended from the Palais. The Ambrosia would be the only one who attended out of genuine compassion. I don't know why, but he liked me. The Champion was here because she wanted something and the fact that it was the Keeper at her side let me know exactly what that something would be.

  I knew I couldn't avoid them forever. Despite Sergei and Nataliya forming a close guard shadowing my every move, I knew I couldn't avoid the confrontation. So, I took a deep breath in and prepared to face the music.

  “Champion. You honour us with your presence,” I said in what I hoped wasn't too dull a voice and bowed low. Hand fisted over my chest in a vampire sign of respect. It always paid to show respect, even if you didn't feel it.

  She looked down her little girl's nose at me and smiled in a overly wide toothy grin.

  “Nosferatin. Our condolences.” She didn't mean it, but I tried not to think that too strongly. The Champion could read minds.

  I stood up and waited for her to proceed. She'd get there in her own time. Or not at all. She liked to play little games.

  “Michel will be missed. It is always sad when one of our eldest is lost to us. But, we cannot let nostalgia stand in the way of safeguarding who is left behind.” She sipped her Merlot and leaned forward in her seat. “It is a dangerous time, Lucinda. The portals are opening and we must find a way to keep them shut. We need all the power we can get to achieve this. I'm sure you would agree.”

  I nodded. I wasn't really listening. I was thinking about how I could find the strength to face Michel's chamber here at Sensations and clear out my clothes. How I could possibly go in that windowless room and inhale his scent, permeating everything within. How I would survive that. There's not much room for conversation when you're contemplating climbing an emotional Mount Everest.

  “It is not only the responsibility of the Nosferatu to aid in this most precarious of times. It is all of our responsibility, Lucinda. We must work closer together than we have ever worked before. Time is not on our side. We do not have the luxury to mourn. We must do whatever is necessary to keep the peace. Harmony is important, is it not?” Her voice was musical, like a lullaby. I almost wanted to drift off to sleep.

  She reached out and clasped my wrist. It hurt. She's very strong. But, I kind of liked a little pain right now, so I didn't fight her. I just let her pull me closer until I was sprawled across her lap. She brushed my hair off my face and exposed my neck. Of all the meals to pick from here – and there were quite a few walking around prepared to offer a vein – she chooses mine. I couldn't find the energy to be repulsed. Or angry. I was just so damn sad.

  “He was addicted to you. I wonder, sometimes, why?” she whispered in my ear. “I have never felt the need to join with a kindred. Perhaps I should reconsider. It would solve many problems and keep you under my control.”

  She cocked her head like a snake about to strike and then abruptly went in to inhale my scent.

  “Hmm,” she murmured. “A little sweeter than I like.”

  She pushed me away so I could stand on my own two feet. A little unsteadily, like a sapling swaying in the breeze.

  “What say you... Nosferatin?” She said the Nosferatin with a good dollop of Sanguis Vitam.

  I didn't move from where I stood, swaying gently to a rhythm only my body seemed to hear. But I also didn't fall into her lap. W
hen a suitable kindred vampire uses their Sanguis Vitam to say the name of my kind, it has an effect on us. Or at least on those of us who are not joined. As Michel was dead and Lutin had reversed that joining, I was guessing I was now up for grabs.

  “Well,” she said, obviously piqued that I hadn't responded favourably to her test. “Perhaps she is broken.” That was said to the room at large. Then more quietly, “We can't afford to be without her powers. It has crippled us. She must be joined.” She could have said those words to the Keeper in his head, but she wanted me to overhear. Every time a Nosferatin is joined with a Nosferatu they contribute power to the Iunctio. I was guessing my un-joining had taken my formidable Nosferatin powers away.

  I sighed and ran a hand through my hair. “I'm not joining with anyone. So, why don't you just get back on your broomstick and fly on home.”

  The room went deadly quiet. Which was saying something, because there were human donors present. They can't do the preternatural calm that the vampires had just now effected. But they were motionless, as much as a human can be.

  The Champion's azure blue eyes pierced mine. “I will excuse your lack of manners just this once. You are grieving for your kindred and as there is no precedent for this - being the only Nosferatin to have survived the death of their kindred - I will allow you some grace. But, be warned, Nosferatin, my patience is not limitless and I am not opposed to reminding you who I am.”

  I didn't doubt that she would and it would be painful, but she couldn't kill me. Nut had seen to that. Part of me wished the Champion could end my life. And then the thought that my efforts to antagonise now would not lead where I wanted them to go, seemed too much to bear. Why was I even bothering to bite back?

  “Whatever,” I said unemotionally, then added as an after thought, “You decide, Champion.”