Tenzin pointed toward the fountain. “Wash up. You don’t want to scare Dez or Ben. And you did well back there.”
“You know, I always thought you were scary, but if I were Livia, I’d be metaphorically shitting my pants right now.” Beatrice walked over and began washing. She was grateful for the deserted fountain and the moment to gather her thoughts. She took a calming breath and lay as much of her body in the water as she could, wrapping herself in the soft comfort of her element. Tenzin sat on the stone ledge.
After a few silent minutes, Beatrice spoke. “How did you leave him alive?”
She saw Tenzin look up at the moon. “I can be patient.”
“You’ll kill him soon enough.”
“Or you will.”
Beatrice shook her head. “He killed your mate. If it was Gio—”
“My girl, he killed your father. Your sire.” Tenzin blinked a few times. “If you have your opportunity, take it. I will not be angry.”
“Are you sure?”
Tenzin stood and held a hand out to Beatrice, lifting her out of the water. “There are more important things than my vengeance. That is why I could leave him alive. That is why you will kill him one day.”
Beatrice frowned. “But, Tenzin—”
“Come, we need to get back to Rome. Lucien will be awake now. You need to talk to him.”
Giovanni heard her approach. Livia swept into the room and shoved the guard back that tried to follow her. She paced, and he could see the water in the air drawn to her as her amnis swirled.
For a moment, Giovanni felt fear. He had not fed and was still weak from the injuries she had inflicted on him earlier in the night. But he braced himself against the stone pillar and remained silent, watching her stomp around the room.
Suddenly, Livia turned to him and screamed at the top of her lungs. Then she flew at him, stabbing him in the gut with a dagger she pulled from her bodice. She kicked his knees and slapped his face. She loosed her rage on Giovanni as he stood utterly still, not understanding what had caused the usually composed vampire to lose her temper.
Livia stabbed him over and over, until his leather jerkin hung in bloody strips, and he began to blink, lightheaded from the blood loss. Still, he said not a word and barely flinched, determined not to give her the reaction he knew she was looking for.
“Say something!” she screamed in his face, her fangs cutting her lips. He felt a spatter of her blood touch his face and she eyed his neck.
She paused, then a sick smile twisted her lips. She sprung on him and tried to latch onto his neck to drink, but Giovanni raised his arms and batted her away, throwing her as far across the room as his weakened body would allow.
He said only one word. “No.”
Livia stood again and screamed, stamping her foot. Giovanni began to think she would finally kill him, but as soon as he thought it, she took a deep breath, pushed the mangled hair from her face, and looked at him with her typical look of contempt. Then she turned her nose up and walked from the room.
Only when he heard her steps retreating down the hall did he allow his shoulders to slump. If he did not get blood soon, he would fall into sleep, his body shutting down to protect his mind.
A few moments later, Giovanni scrambled to his feet when he heard footsteps in the hall. The locks twisted and a human servant entered the room. The young man raised an arm, clearly indicating that Giovanni was allowed to drink. His fangs slid down and he grasped the man’s throat. Then he took a deep breath and backed away, clamping down his control so he did not drain the donor. He could see the fear evident in the young man’s frightened gaze.
Keeping one hand on the man’s throat and letting his amnis flow to calm him, Giovanni pressed his lips to the offered wrist. He took deep, slow draughts of the fresh blood until he felt his wounds begin to heal. Finally, he sealed up the man’s wrist and released him.
“Thank you.”
The young donor blinked, then said, “The mistress says to tell you another will be sent tomorrow.”
Giovanni narrowed his eyes. “What?”
“Another will come to feed you, Master.”
He nodded slowly, then waved the man away. The guard opened the stone door and let the donor out before the locks clicked in place again. Giovanni took a deep breath as the strength began to flow through his limbs and his wounds began to knit together.
He thought about Livia’s strange fury as he healed. Her violence. Her attempts to drink from him. She had looked...
“What was that, Livia?” He paced his stone cell. “What was that in your eyes? What was—” He halted when the answer occurred to him. She hadn’t been angry. Livia had been... frustrated. Like a child whose mischief had been thwarted.
Giovanni began to smile. Then laugh. Soon, his deep laughter echoed off the stone walls that held him. Someone had spoiled Livia’s plans.
It appeared Tenzin was back in Rome.
Chapter Twelve
Residenza di Spada
Rome, Italy
June 2012
When Tenzin and Beatrice reached the house in Rome, they dropped into the courtyard to see an unfamiliar vampire sitting near the fountain talking to Carwyn and drinking a glass of golden wine. The immortal may have appeared to be young, but his long, angular face and deep-set eyes gave him an ancient stare.
Carwyn smiled and waved them over.
“Beatrice, meet Lucien Thrax.”
“Finally.” She smiled and held out a hand.
The vampire rose. He was lean and weathered. His shaggy brown hair fell over his forehead when he bent over Beatrice’s hand and clasped it with both his own. “Many thanks for your hospitality, Beatrice De Novo. I am sorry I retired before we could be introduced last night. Your household has been gracious to me.”
She found herself clasping his fingers, which were unusually warm for a vampire. His energy felt different from any she had ever sensed, but his eyes were open and honest.
“You’re very welcome. I understand you’re a friend of the family, in a manner of speaking.”
Lucien closed his eyes and smiled slightly. “I was honored to call Ioan ap Carwyn one of my dearest friends. Carwyn and I were taking a moment to catch up on news. I met your lovely friends Desiree and Ben earlier this evening while you were...” His smile broadened. “Otherwise engaged.”
Carwyn snorted as he rose, motioning Beatrice to his seat while he and Tenzin gathered more chairs from the other side of the courtyard. “Speaking of that,” Carwyn said, “I don’t suppose you saw Gio?”
Tenzin shook her head. “No, but we did get to kill some guards.”
Carwyn patted her small shoulder. “That’s my small, ferocious girl.”
Beatrice smiled. “You missed it, Father. She scared the proverbial shit out of Livia.”
“I miss all the fun.”
Tenzin only looked him up and down. “If you weren’t such a behemoth, I’d fly you, too.”
Carwyn just shuddered while Beatrice and Lucien laughed.
“We earth vampires,” Lucien said, “aren’t terribly fond of air travel, if you haven’t noticed yet, Ms. De Novo.”
“Please, call me Beatrice. And yes, I’ve noticed.”
“Horrid, unnatural way to travel,” Carwyn muttered.
“Yes, it’s far more pleasant to tunnel underground like a giant rat.”
Beatrice shook her head. “You two really do bicker like siblings.”
Lucien burst out laughing. “Beatrice, you haven’t seen half of it!”
“Both of you, stop.” Carwyn waved a hand at them and looked back to Tenzin, suddenly serious. “Really though, what is the mood in the court?”
“Livia knows she’s backed into a corner, which means anything is possible. We need to get him out of there. She’s become more unstable than the last time I saw her. She’s still frightened by me, but she’s keeping Lorenzo at her side like a favorite pet, which means that he’s valuable to her right now. We have to assume
it’s because of the elixir.”
“Or something to do with Geber’s book,” Carwyn said.
“No doubt, but that’s not the point. We need to get Gio out, and we need to do it in a way that she’ll not be able to point to us. My introduction should be arriving any night now.”
Beatrice said, “Your introduction?”
“Yes. Despite the way I charged in today, I will be very properly received the next time we’re there. It should drive her crazy.” Tenzin grinned. “One of Elder Lu’s children is coming in the next week to discuss mutual textile interests in Southern China, and Livia will be forced to acknowledge him as they have business. He’s naming me as a member of his retinue as a favor.”
“What?” Beatrice looked around. “Really? And she’ll just have to welcome you back? Even after the stunt we pulled tonight?”
“You mean the stunt I pulled? Remember, B, you did nothing but defend yourself. She’ll have no excuse to keep you out of court. With their natural sympathy for Gio and the Roman fascination with the new girl, you might be our most valuable asset.”
She just shook her head. “This makes no sense.”
Carwyn said, “You have to remember, as powerful as Livia is, she’s not the only member of the Roman court. There are many others with their own interests, and she has to placate them, too. She can’t piss everyone off and remain in power. Tenzin, what did you think of Conti?”
Tenzin paused for a moment to think and Beatrice thought about the quietly confident water vampire. Like Carwyn, she was curious what Tenzin would think of him.
“Conti may be poised. With the right push, he could take power. He’d be far better than Livia and his connections are more consistent.”
Beatrice asked, “More consistent? What does that mean?”
Carwyn leaned forward. “Emil Conti is a bit older than Livia. He was born during the Republic, not the Empire, so he has more... democratic ideals. He’s an elitist, but he tends to keep the same friends over the years, unlike our favorite empress. He’s also a much better businessman, which means he likes stability and avoids drama. If Livia was pushed out of power, it would be best for everyone if someone was poised to take her place so there wasn’t a vacuum.”
Beatrice said, “And, Tenzin, you think he’s ready?”
She nodded. “He’s positioning himself in all this. He senses an opportunity. He could be an ally, so you should get to know him.”
Beatrice said, “But does that help us get Gio out?”
“Oh,” Tenzin said, “none of us can get Gio out. We’ll need to be in her presence when he escapes. That way, Livia can’t point to any of us.”
“But then how—”
Carwyn broke in. “Leave that to me.” He gave her a quick wink. “Just a few days and I’ll have something worked out.”
Beatrice looked over to Tenzin, who was exchanging some kind of wordless communication with the priest. All of a sudden, her friend nodded. “Ah, yes. Send him to me when he gets here, and I’ll fill him in on what I know about the castle.”
“Good.”
Beatrice felt her anger spike. “Will someone clue me in, please? It is my husband we’re talking about.”
Carwyn reached over and patted her hand. “Not just now. I’ll fill you in, but I have a feeling our friend here is tiring.”
Beatrice looked at the sky, which was still pitch black. Then she looked at Lucien, who had been listening silently to their conversation while leaning his head back and letting his fingers brush through the tangled ferns that lined the edge of the fountain.
“Oh,” he murmured, “don’t mind me. I’m quite comfortable and quite happy to stay out of all of it.”
“Lucien,” Tenzin said, “you’re neck-deep in all this, and you know it.”
He opened his eyes, looking around the courtyard for a moment before he locked his eyes on Beatrice. Eyes that could never belong to a mortal man. They were stone-grey and ringed by a deep brown. Like bits of rock emerging from the earth. Despite the lack of lines on his face, she knew Lucien Thrax had seen many centuries.
As if guessing her thoughts, he said, “I’m almost as old as this one.” He winked at Tenzin.
“Where—”
“I come from the mountains, like my mother. But farther north. Not all that far from here, as the crow flies.”
Beatrice took a deep breath. “Not that you’re unwelcome, but why are you here? I know you’re not one of Geber’s four if you’re an earth vampire. You’re old enough, but Geber’s earth immortal was a woman.”
“What a wonderful mind you have, Beatrice.” He smiled and drifted in the cool night air. “And you ask an excellent question. Ever since Tenzin found me near my home, I’ve been hoping I might be able to help you. You see, in addition to being a good friend, Ioan and I were colleagues, as you would say now.”
“Colleagues?”
“Yes, though we trained centuries apart, the healing of vampires and humans was our shared interest, and we often corresponded. I’ve brought some letters and papers that might be of use to you.”
“Letters? From Ioan?”
“Yes, there were number of books and papers he sent some time ago that he asked me to look over. They concerned his research into vampiric blood and his theories on what might alter it. His ideas were interesting, even going back to our origins, as mysterious as those are.”
Beatrice sat forward, enthralled by Lucien’s quiet voice. “What do you mean?”
“Why do we live as we do? Why do we have an affinity for the elements? Why must we drink from the blood of living humans or beasts to remain as we are? Why do we heal from injury?”
“And why,” Carwyn asked in a quiet voice, “is our blood unable to heal humans as it heals others of our kind?”
Lucien nodded. “Ioan and I both researched this question over the years. We both had our own theories. He was convinced that there must be some way that we could harness the power of our blood to make humanity stronger. A trade, if you will. That we might drink from them, but that we could offer something good in return.”
“Just like Geber.”
Lucien offered her a sad smile. “You speak of the elixir.”
Beatrice blinked. “Yes! How do you—”
“Oh, my dear Beatrice.” Lucien nodded and slumped in his chair, staring into the burbling fountain. “I’m very well acquainted with Geber’s elixir. You see...” He looked back to meet her eyes. “I’ve taken it.”
By the time Beatrice noticed Ziri had joined them, she was immersed in Lucien’s story. The old wind vampire drifted around the edge of the courtyard, watching Lucien as he spoke.
“I looked over her charts, spoke to her doctors, but there was nothing more that I could do. Pancreatic cancer is one of the most vicious, you see. And very fast moving. By the time Rada was able to reach me, she was almost gone. Her family was devastated. And I knew that she would never accept immortality. We had discussed it many years before, but she...”
Beatrice spoke softly. “She was a friend?”
Lucien smiled wistfully. “A research assistant. For many years. And a... a dear friend, as well. She left me to go to medical school, marry, have children. It was good. It was what she wanted. But we kept in contact over the years, though her family never understood, as she did, what I truly was.”
“And she died?”
For a moment, a gleam of joy lit Lucien’s face. “No, she didn’t.”
Beatrice frowned, “But—”
“I was sitting in a cafe in Plovdiv, sipping a glass of wine and mourning her. You see, I thought that I had seen her for the last time that evening. I felt sure she would not last the next day. Her body was ravaged. Then, Lorenzo walked through the door.”
“Lorenzo?” Beatrice whispered, her fangs dropping in instinctive alarm. She could feel a brush of air soothing her shoulder, but didn’t know if it came from Ziri or Tenzin.
Lucien shook his head. “I remember thinking later that it was as i
f an angel appeared. Oh, I knew his reputation, of course, but you never know exactly how much of anything is true in this world. We started to chat. He was sympathetic when he heard of Rada’s illness. Who among us has not lost a multitude of human friends?”
Beatrice was willing to bet that there were no humans Lorenzo mourned, but she didn’t interrupt.
Lucien continued, “He seemed to sense that Rada was special to me. And then, he made his offer.”
A creeping suspicion took root in Beatrice’s mind. “When was this?”
“Eight months ago. October of last year.”
She whispered. “Almost a year after he took it.”
Lucien smiled bitterly. “As Tenzin informed me a few weeks ago.”
“He had the elixir.”
He nodded. “A form of it, anyway. He said that he was developing it for the pharmaceutical industry. That it was experimental, but would have miraculous effects.” Lucien shrugged. “What could it hurt? I thought. She is dying already. Practically a ghost in my arms. I took the elixir for Rada without hesitation. I gave it to her within hours of talking to Lorenzo.”
“And?”
“It was just before dawn on a Monday morning. I went to my home to rest and meditate, trying not to retain too much hope. I didn’t really think it would work, despite the gold I’d paid for it.” Lucien paused and brought a hand up to rest on his chin before he spoke again. “But that night, when the sun set, I still ran to the hospital. To her room, and there she was.”
Beatrice could see his red-rimmed eyes, and her heart ached.
“She had cheated death! She was still thin, but the color had returned to her face. The doctors called it a miracle. The cancer was completely gone. Her blood tests showed normal results.” He sighed and looked up at Beatrice. “I was convinced. How could I not be? It was a miracle. Lorenzo had developed the elixir of life.”
“Tell them,” Tenzin said gently. “Tell them the rest, Lucien.”