have a modicum of resistance to a vampire glaze, but he could still try. But more importantly, it actually hurt to see the similarities between this vampire and Nero, my friend. Why had Michel not warned me? Surely he had seen it too?
Maybe that was why he hadn't forced me to greet the new Master of the City. He had simply frowned whenever it was mentioned, but not insisted I play by the rules. It was a form of protection I was sure, but I couldn't make out if it was to protect me or him. Michel had always been jealous of Nero's relationship with me.
"Come," Amun said, "Let us sit and talk."
It hadn't escaped my notice, that as yet I had received no welcome into his city. Which meant I was still being assessed. I had to continue to play the game. I straightened my shoulders and followed him to one of the couches. My two vampires were instructed to remain on the rug, several feet away. I wasn't comfortable with Amun's proximity and the fact he was now closer to me than Sergei and Nataliya were. It would take a split second for him to strike. Too long for them to react, maybe even too long for me to defend as well. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the turn of events. But really, what had I expected?
He turned in his seat to face me, his body now sideways on the couch, his knee bent slightly, a mere few inches from my thigh. I sat as passively as I could, my Light thrumming a beat inside my head. He wouldn't have been able to see it, this close perhaps he could have felt it, but I needed it alive and ready. I needed my Light to remain on full alert.
"Would you care for a drink?" he asked, his eyes boring into my cheek.
He didn't wait for a reply, drinks appeared on a tray in front of us, one of the brutish vampires handing first a glass of white wine to Amun, then a replica to myself. I took it, nodding my thanks, but didn't take a sip. I could tell Amun was flashing that wry amused grin again, I could see him out of the corner of my eye. I took a breath in and turned my body to face him, still keeping my eyes slightly adrift of his face.
"You are very cautious, Hunter," he noted, I remained silent - what could I say? "A worthy trait. How is it, that your caution failed to bring you before me until now? Four weeks you have hunted in my city without permission. How many vampires have you killed in that time?"
Oh hell. Was this what it boiled down to? I had been killing off some of his friends and he wanted revenge? What to say? He expected an answer, I wasn't sure if naming a number was going to help me or not, so I went instead for a slight distraction.
"They were all Dark rogues, Master of the City. Killing innocent humans without care."
Any Master of the City would want rogue vampires kept under control. They were disobeying their rules, as well as the rules set by the Iunctio . I was hoping Amun would agree.
I felt his Sanguis Vitam before I felt him. It rushed out in a menacing, piercing wave, butting up against my Light shield, denting it, crushing it, but unable to make headway. His fingers wrapping around my neck followed and there wasn't a blind thing my Light could do in passive defence. To get him off me, I would have to attack. I wasn't prepared to play my cards like that just yet. I let his fingers close around my throat, I let him bring his face in against my cheek. I did nothing, just held my breath and continued to deny his Sanguis Vitam an inch.
"You could fight me, could you not, Hunter." His voice was a soft whisper, laced with unbridled rage. "I do believe you could defend yourself with ease." He paused as if considering something. "The errant Hunter does know how to play the game, it would seem."
Suddenly his fingers were gone from my throat and I swallowed painfully in relief. My heart was beating erratically, my lungs had been denied air for too long. I couldn't hide my gasp for much needed oxygen, even though I really needed to hide any reaction at all. I did manage to not reach
Maybe that was why he hadn't forced me to greet the new Master of the City. He had simply frowned whenever it was mentioned, but not insisted I play by the rules. It was a form of protection I was sure, but I couldn't make out if it was to protect me or him. Michel had always been jealous of Nero's relationship with me.
"Come," Amun said, "Let us sit and talk."
It hadn't escaped my notice, that as yet I had received no welcome into his city. Which meant I was still being assessed. I had to continue to play the game. I straightened my shoulders and followed him to one of the couches. My two vampires were instructed to remain on the rug, several feet away. I wasn't comfortable with Amun's proximity and the fact he was now closer to me than Sergei and Nataliya were. It would take a split second for him to strike. Too long for them to react, maybe even too long for me to defend as well. I was becoming increasingly uncomfortable with the turn of events. But really, what had I expected?
He turned in his seat to face me, his body now sideways on the couch, his knee bent slightly, a mere few inches from my thigh. I sat as passively as I could, my Light thrumming a beat inside my head. He wouldn't have been able to see it, this close perhaps he could have felt it, but I needed it alive and ready. I needed my Light to remain on full alert.
"Would you care for a drink?" he asked, his eyes boring into my cheek.
He didn't wait for a reply, drinks appeared on a tray in front of us, one of the brutish vampires handing first a glass of white wine to Amun, then a replica to myself. I took it, nodding my thanks, but didn't take a sip. I could tell Amun was flashing that wry amused grin again, I could see him out of the corner of my eye. I took a breath in and turned my body to face him, still keeping my eyes slightly adrift of his face.
"You are very cautious, Hunter," he noted, I remained silent - what could I say? "A worthy trait. How is it, that your caution failed to bring you before me until now? Four weeks you have hunted in my city without permission. How many vampires have you killed in that time?"
Oh hell. Was this what it boiled down to? I had been killing off some of his friends and he wanted revenge? What to say? He expected an answer, I wasn't sure if naming a number was going to help me or not, so I went instead for a slight distraction.
"They were all Dark rogues, Master of the City. Killing innocent humans without care."
Any Master of the City would want rogue vampires kept under control. They were disobeying their rules, as well as the rules set by the Iunctio . I was hoping Amun would agree.
I felt his Sanguis Vitam before I felt him. It rushed out in a menacing, piercing wave, butting up against my Light shield, denting it, crushing it, but unable to make headway. His fingers wrapping around my neck followed and there wasn't a blind thing my Light could do in passive defence. To get him off me, I would have to attack. I wasn't prepared to play my cards like that just yet. I let his fingers close around my throat, I let him bring his face in against my cheek. I did nothing, just held my breath and continued to deny his Sanguis Vitam an inch.
"You could fight me, could you not, Hunter." His voice was a soft whisper, laced with unbridled rage. "I do believe you could defend yourself with ease." He paused as if considering something. "The errant Hunter does know how to play the game, it would seem."
Suddenly his fingers were gone from my throat and I swallowed painfully in relief. My heart was beating erratically, my lungs had been denied air for too long. I couldn't hide my gasp for much needed oxygen, even though I really needed to hide any reaction at all. I did manage to not reach
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