Mixed Blessing (Mixed Blessing Mystery, Book 1) Read online

  Mixed Blessing

  Book One in the

  Mixed Blessing Mystery Series

  By Nicola Claire

  Copyright © 2013, Nicola Claire

  All Rights Reserved

  ISBN: 978-0-473-23564-2

  http://nicolaclaire.blog.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

  Image credit: 123RF Stock Photo

  Image # 8987360

  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: My niece.

  Thanks for the use of your name.

  I promise to take care of it.

  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.

  Amor certamen - (Latin) Literal translation: Love Contest. In the Nosferatu world, it means the challenge for the right to mate a vampire. It can include two or more vampires challenging for mate rights.

  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.

  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.

  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.

  Herra - (Fey) Lord or Elder.

  Hundr - (Fey) Hound.

  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.

  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.

  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 the Dark in Dark vampires out 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.

  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 heart beat. They are considered the undead.

  Nothus - (Latin) Dhampir. An illegal combination of two species, for example Nosferatin - Nosferatu Dhampir 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.

  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.

  Shadow Walker - A vampire capable of hiding in the shadows, covering their presence, including scent and Sanguis Vitam signature.

  Sigillum – (Latin) A permanent mark of possession.

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

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

  Empathic Sensory Range:

  Alarm/Concern - bold grapefruit and lime

  Amusement - sticky toffee

  Anger - stringent ammonia

  Compassion - calming chamomile tea

  Confusion - apple mixed with lime

  Curiosity - ink and crisp parchment

  Desire - sweet passion-fruit

  Determined/Decided - strong rosemary and garlic

  Disappointment - decaying leaves and grass

  Fear* - bitter-sweet dark chocolate

  Guilt - uncomfortable mouldy cheese

  Happy - cotton ca
ndy & caramel popcorn

  Hatred - burnt coffee and out-of-date milk

  Lie/Untruth - sharp citrus/tart lemon

  Lust* - indulgent chocolate mud cake

  Regret - mouthwatering white chocolate and strawberry cheesecake

  Relaxed/At Ease - calming sweet tea

  Satisfaction/Pride - smooth and dry Merlot, laced with a floral bouquet

  Surprise - wash-room bleach

  Uncomfortable - soggy wet wool

  *Fear and Lust are similar as they are both desirable to a vampire

  When we lose one blessing,

  another is most often, unexpectedly given in its place

  C.S. Lewis 1898-1963

  Chapter 1

  Hunger

  Hunger licked through me like the flames of Hell; potent and deadly. It had been six days since I last heeded the call. Three days too long. But an eternity too short. I swallowed past the increasing amount of saliva in my mouth and ran my tongue over my too long fangs. Willing them to retract.

  Not now. Not here. I promised the Dark Shadow I would feed. But, not from those I worked with. Not here in this place I called home. I'd find a dark alley with some low-life jerk selling drugs to the desperate, then the fire would quieten. Then the Dark Shadow would retreat. Then I could pretend it was all a dream.

  Or a nightmare. They are one and the same to me.

  My break was nearly over, soon I'd have to face the throngs of humanity on the clubroom floor. Watch the pulses underneath their sweat soaked skin. Smell their life, their blood and fight the urge to strike. I don't hunt at Sensations. Apart from the fact my boss would slice me in two if I did, you just don't dine at work. It's bad for business. I'd have to hunt on the way home and considering my shift doesn't finish until four, the only food left available on the streets is either drunk or stoned.

  My face twisted in a grimace at the impending task ahead. I hated what I had become. The only saving grace was that I was good at killing too. Being what I am, meant living a life bridging two worlds. Half one thing, half another. A hybrid, a mixture of two creatures that shouldn't have ever existed. I may have craved blood on a semi-regular basis, but I also never ventured out without my stake. A gift from Lucinda. The only thing I took readily from her. The rest: the advice, the offered help, the kindness, she could keep. I was not a charity case to experiment on. To ease her conscience. I was not here to make her sleep better at night.

  If she thought I wasn't capable of killing her, then she wasn't as good at this game as she made out.

  I took a deep breath in and squared my shoulders. Then checked myself in the staffroom mirror. Doug, my boss, insists we all wear black. I never used to wear black. I was more of a yellow and green kind of girl. But Sensations has a black dress code for staff. It doesn't matter what you wear as long as it is black. I rebel sometimes. Wear bright coloured bangles, a necklace with a bright logo hanging down between my breasts. Or, like today, bright yellow happy faces hanging from my earrings. They make me gag, but I can tell they have an even bigger effect on Doug and Jett.

  Doug runs the bar, he's OK, in a quiet head down kind of way. But Jett scares the hell out of me. He's the Master of the City and you can feel it. I know when he is in the room. I know when he is close. My whole body tingles with the power of his office. The urge to bow and scrape undeniable. Well almost. I fight it. Like I fight Doug. And Lucinda. And Samson. I fight them all, but they put up with me, because Lucinda has told them to. I don't know quite what sort of hold she has over the vampires in this city, but it's big and powerful. It's not that they fear her, it's something else. Something deeper. I don't get it. I don't really want to.

  I undid my pony tail and ran my hands through my long blonde, wavy hair. Pulling it back into a tidy tail, fastening it high up on my head. Even tied up it came well past my shoulders. I liked my hair tied back when wearing earrings I needed noticed. The happy faces dangled merrily against my jaw. I studied my face. Pale white. I didn't normally get a tan in summer, but even if I had tanned in the past, I was turned in the middle of winter. A winter that had followed on from a very wet and uninspiring summer the year before. So, no tan, just a translucent white that coupled with my platinum blonde hair made me look almost albino.

  My eyes didn't help. Normally a cerulean blue, when hungry the red creeps in from the edges, tingeing them a strange unnatural purple. At the moment they would be more red than purple, but contact lenses put paid to that. Now they were nothing more than a boring dark, dark blue. You can't hide red with lighter colours, so I have to go dark. It's a tell I hate. Doug knows when I haven't fed for a while, because my eyes are suddenly dark blue instead of light.

  I swiped my lips with a bright red lipstick. The colour would draw attention to my full lips and away from my tell-tail eyes. Usually I like people noticing my eyes. They're big and bright and I have been told, beautiful. But no one likes blood-shot eyes, so bright red lips it is.

  Brushing my black tank top down and adjusting my black skin tight jeans I pasted a smile on my face and pushed open the staffroom door.

  The smell of humans engulfed me and made me suck in an unnecessary breath of air. I paused and struck my hand out against the wall to stop myself from collapsing. I felt so weak in the face of all that life force. So tiny compared to the enormous size of humanity. A fly to be swatted away. A bug to be crushed under a rubber soled boot. I licked my lips, undoubtedly removing some of my well placed lipstick, then shook my head to clear the pounding of heartbeats that had taken up residence in there.

  I needed to feed. I needed blood. My eyes closed as I forced those thoughts aside and straightened up to my full height; five foot eight inches, out of heels. I could do this. I could last another two hours in Hell and then break free of the devil's hold for a little longer.

  I'd have to sell a little more of my soul to do it. But what's my soul worth in the light of all those innocents?

  I pushed the remaining door open that led to the clubroom floor. The thumping music filled my ears immediately, clashing with the heartbeats for a moment and then winning the war. I started humming along to the song: Black Eyed Peas I Gotta Feeling, sinking myself into the music and not the call of the blood.

  I could do this. Just two hours more. I could cope.

  The first human in my face was young. Maybe only just legal in an establishment like this. Being New Zealand, the legal age for drinking alcohol was eighteen. He looked like he might still be in school. Last year before hitting college. Last fling with his best mates, out on the town at the infamous Sensations. Living life on the wild side.

  I breathed through my mouth. I don't need to breathe, I'm undead. Well, half of me is. But, the Norms notice if your chest fails to rise, your pulse fails to beat at the side of your neck. If you fail to blink. It took a full month for me to master the practice of pretend living. The older vamps do it in their sleep. I don't think I do. I don't know. I haven't had someone sleep beside me through the day, since I turned, to tell me otherwise.

  I smiled at his innocent, beguiling face. A small smattering of dark stubble brushed his cheeks and jaw, making him seem more cute, than rugged. He didn't carry himself like a man who had seen a bit of the world. His innocence permeated the air between us. His life force, his blood, screamed victim. Prey. It would be so easy to glaze him. To draw him in. To lure him into my web and then feast until he was no more.

  So easy.

  Yet another reason why I wear contact lenses when I am so hungry. You can't glaze past the silicone hydro-gel. There'd be no on-the-spot hunting here. I couldn't satisfy my Dark Shadow's urge. It would have to wait until I disrobe from this shell I wear. Leave Sensations, remove the lenses, open myself up to the Dark. A transformation as beautiful and horrendous as a butterfly from a chrysalis.

  “What can I get you to drink?” I asked, ramping up the smile a bit. If I could dazzle him with my pearly whites, then he wouldn't notice the wrongness of my eyes.

  “Jim Beam and
Coke.” Ah, a wannabe. Not quite one of the big boys, but giving it an honest go.

  I poured him a triple. If he lasted the next two hours I might just allow myself to hunt him home.

  He handed over his money, holding onto the note a little longer than necessary. My lips finally made a believable smile. You're mine, they said. He smiled back already trapped in my web and going nowhere fast.

  I turned to the cash register and noticed Doug watching me from the other end of the bar. He knew, but he wouldn't say anything, as long as I started the hunt outside of Sensations's door. I didn't meet his eyes. I knew what they would show. Relief. Relief that I was playing at being a good little vampire at last. That I was willing to feed again.

  I returned the change to pre-college boy and slammed it home with another wattage-overloaded smile. He crumbled, licked his lips and hesitated before being called back into the false security of his crowd. Safety in numbers, it does work. But, only if you haven't already swallowed the bait. It would take little for me to separate the now weakest from the herd.

  I returned my attention to the next victim in line, but he lacked what I wanted. I couldn't say why it was I hunted the younger of the species. Maybe it was their will to survive. They're not so jaded. They still believe in happy endings. Like I used to. I tried to ignore that side of me. I tried to feed from only scum. But, my Light-filled side was not as strong when I hadn't eaten for six days. I knew I should have fed closer together, then my Light would have more control over the Dark Shadow inside. But, that part of me that didn't want to feed at all was so strong too. This week it won.

  And now my Dark Shadow would get what she craves. Young, innocent, full of life. Blood. If I was a demon I'd be stealing their souls too. The younger, the better. More power for the evil in the world. But I'm not a demon. I'm a half-vampire, with a penchant for the young and beguiling. A taste only for their blood. Their souls would be safe tonight, perhaps even their lives. I did have some control over the Dark Shadow, at least where killing was concerned.