Read Online Kindred (Kindred, Book 1) by Nicola Claire - Free Book Online
Authors: Nicola Claire
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plates, piled high with delicious pork and puha, salad and more veggies. Mine was enormous, brimming at the edges, but nowhere near as big as the others and I knew they'd go back for more.
I sat down next to Rick and we leaned into each other, a sense of familiarity and friendship settling between us. I slipped a glance at Celeste, she was watching us closely, but just offered a smile when my eyes met hers and then turned her attention to the rest of the Hapū. I wasn't sure how Celeste felt about me and Rick. I knew we were just friends, nothing more, but Celeste had obviously laid a claim on my best mate and I briefly wondered if I was now in the way. How do Taniwhas deal with unwanted opposition? It didn't really bear thinking about. I pushed those uncomfortable thoughts aside and settled in to enjoying the company, food and feeling of being with people you loved.
Jerome's voice started out quite deep and resonant, a little otherworldly too in the flickering light of the fire. After a plate that full, I almost wanted to drift off to sleep listening to it. A gruff, but warm bedside story voice, one made to ensure a sense of safety and peace. Not something you would expect a shape shifter to possess at all. But, I forced my eyes open and sat up a little straighter, in order to ward off sleep. I had a feeling, from what Jerome had said, that this bedside story would be significant. Besides, never miss a chance to educate myself, me.
“In the beginning there was only us. We were the chosen ones of the Long White Cloud. We roamed the land from the top of Te Ika-a Maui to the bottom of Te Wai Pounamu . The North Island and the South were our Hapū's right, our land. We shared that right with the people, we lived along side them as one, we fought with them when needed. We were blessed with such a beautiful and plentiful land.
“ Then came the Nosferatu . They did not share the land as we did, they took it. But we endured, we hid, we took refuge in the forests, on the desolate plains, away from towns and villages. We made our life alone, without the people, without the Nosferatu .
“ Finally, word reached us that another had arrived on our shores. A kindred spirit, a guardian of the people and places, a Kaitiaki , but not from our kind.”
He looked at me as he said this and I felt goose bumps rise along my arms. The crackling of the fire was the only sound of the night, the heat I felt in my face had nothing to do with the flames though and everything to do with the Taniwha who stared at me with deep brown, almost black, eyes. I had a feeling he could see right through to my core, to the deepest, darkest, most secret places within. To places I didn't even know existed, let alone knew what they hid.
“They were here to protect the innocent, their powers as great as those of the night. They fought hard and long and finally the night was ours again. All of ours.
“ We returned to the towns and villages, to our fellow countrymen. We heeded their call. They had vanquished Nosferatu's hold on our land, but they could not stay.
“ They left one of their kind behind. To safeguard against the creatures' return. The Nosferatu would come again they said and alone the Kaitiaki would fail. Too strong the pull of the Dark night. They asked for our allegiance in return for our land's freedom and a pact was sworn. Whenever the Kaitiaki should call on us, we will fight along their side. We would be proud to serve.”
He smiled at me then, a friendly smile laced with something else - a sadness. I tried to return the smile, but failed. Rick rubbed my arm, where the goose bumps had risen and one by one the Hapū began to stir and talk and laugh with one another. Life returned to normal, from the other plane of folklore fantasy.
My life, I felt, would never return to normal again.
Nosferatu were of course the vampires, then what did Nero mean when he started to call us Nos- ?
Chapter 6
Gotcha!
No matter how I tried to make sense of
I sat down next to Rick and we leaned into each other, a sense of familiarity and friendship settling between us. I slipped a glance at Celeste, she was watching us closely, but just offered a smile when my eyes met hers and then turned her attention to the rest of the Hapū. I wasn't sure how Celeste felt about me and Rick. I knew we were just friends, nothing more, but Celeste had obviously laid a claim on my best mate and I briefly wondered if I was now in the way. How do Taniwhas deal with unwanted opposition? It didn't really bear thinking about. I pushed those uncomfortable thoughts aside and settled in to enjoying the company, food and feeling of being with people you loved.
Jerome's voice started out quite deep and resonant, a little otherworldly too in the flickering light of the fire. After a plate that full, I almost wanted to drift off to sleep listening to it. A gruff, but warm bedside story voice, one made to ensure a sense of safety and peace. Not something you would expect a shape shifter to possess at all. But, I forced my eyes open and sat up a little straighter, in order to ward off sleep. I had a feeling, from what Jerome had said, that this bedside story would be significant. Besides, never miss a chance to educate myself, me.
“In the beginning there was only us. We were the chosen ones of the Long White Cloud. We roamed the land from the top of Te Ika-a Maui to the bottom of Te Wai Pounamu . The North Island and the South were our Hapū's right, our land. We shared that right with the people, we lived along side them as one, we fought with them when needed. We were blessed with such a beautiful and plentiful land.
“ Then came the Nosferatu . They did not share the land as we did, they took it. But we endured, we hid, we took refuge in the forests, on the desolate plains, away from towns and villages. We made our life alone, without the people, without the Nosferatu .
“ Finally, word reached us that another had arrived on our shores. A kindred spirit, a guardian of the people and places, a Kaitiaki , but not from our kind.”
He looked at me as he said this and I felt goose bumps rise along my arms. The crackling of the fire was the only sound of the night, the heat I felt in my face had nothing to do with the flames though and everything to do with the Taniwha who stared at me with deep brown, almost black, eyes. I had a feeling he could see right through to my core, to the deepest, darkest, most secret places within. To places I didn't even know existed, let alone knew what they hid.
“They were here to protect the innocent, their powers as great as those of the night. They fought hard and long and finally the night was ours again. All of ours.
“ We returned to the towns and villages, to our fellow countrymen. We heeded their call. They had vanquished Nosferatu's hold on our land, but they could not stay.
“ They left one of their kind behind. To safeguard against the creatures' return. The Nosferatu would come again they said and alone the Kaitiaki would fail. Too strong the pull of the Dark night. They asked for our allegiance in return for our land's freedom and a pact was sworn. Whenever the Kaitiaki should call on us, we will fight along their side. We would be proud to serve.”
He smiled at me then, a friendly smile laced with something else - a sadness. I tried to return the smile, but failed. Rick rubbed my arm, where the goose bumps had risen and one by one the Hapū began to stir and talk and laugh with one another. Life returned to normal, from the other plane of folklore fantasy.
My life, I felt, would never return to normal again.
Nosferatu were of course the vampires, then what did Nero mean when he started to call us Nos- ?
Chapter 6
Gotcha!
No matter how I tried to make sense of
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