Baojia nodded stiffly and pulled away, turning to leave the room. And with the loss of his presence, Natalie felt a hint of panic. “Baojia?”
He paused at the door. “I realize you’re probably correct. Please… I’ll return shortly. Just stay here.”
He left, and Natalie sat down on the couch, suddenly exhausted. Giovanni and Beatrice exchanged a few words, then he and Tenzin left too while Beatrice settled next to her.
“He’ll be fine. He’s not mad at you, Nat.”
“I told him I loved him, but he didn’t say it back.” She squeezed her eyes shut and wished she could take back the words. “I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be talking about this right now.”
“Of course you should. And I think he loves you very much. I think he loves you so much he doesn’t know what to do with it yet.”
She swallowed and blinked back the burning at the corners of her eyes. “So why leave?”
“He’s hurting, and you want to help because you love him. I don’t think he’s used to that. It doesn’t mean he doesn’t need it, just that he’s not used to it.”
“Is it worth it?” she asked quietly. “Are you happier now? Did you become a vampire to be with Giovanni?”
Beatrice sighed. “I became a vampire for a lot of reasons. And yes, he was one of the main ones. But not the only one. And he didn’t really want me to turn as soon as I did. I did it without him knowing. You think Brigid thd yes, hand Carwyn were fighting? He was furious. It doesn’t even compare.”
“So why—?”
“I was in this world, and I knew it was my life. I knew it. And…” She frowned a little, a crease forming in her otherwise perfect forehead. No wrinkle or line would ever mar it, Natalie realized. She was slowly aging, but her friend would not. “I didn’t want to be the weakest one. I wanted to be something feared, not protected.”
“Did you ever want kids?”
“No, but that’s an important question. I think Gio wanted me to. I think he wanted me to have kids and then turn later—he likes kids, even though he’s kind of cranky sometimes—but I didn’t want that.” She took a deep breath and leaned back. Natalie mirrored her movements; her eyes felt like they were weighted. “I don’t think Matt or Dez would ever become vampires. They don’t want that kind of life. They want a normal lifespan. To watch their kids grow up and watch each other get wrinkles. It’s different for everyone. You have to make that decision for your own reasons.”
“It’s a lot to think about.”
“I know.” Beatrice leaned over and gave her shoulders a squeeze. “Love is never easy. Not the real kind, anyway. Look at Carwyn and Brigid. They fight all the time. They adore each other, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have problems. They’ll figure it out. You and Baojia will too.”
“Thanks for the vote of confidence.” She wished she felt as optimistic. “I really can’t go back to my old life, can I?”
Beatrice eyed her cautiously. “Harsh truth?”
“Harsh truth.”
Her friend slowly shook her head. “No. You’re a reporter, Natalie. No vampire would believe you’d never write anything about our kind. I can protect you some, but unless you want to be under my personal aegis, which means I’d drink from you and you’d basically live here, I can’t truly keep you safe. If you went back to San Diego, Ernesto would take you. He’d try to wipe your memories. If that didn’t work, I don’t know what he’d do.”
“He’s your great-grandfather.”
“Doesn’t mean I trust him.” The look in her eyes was grim. “He’s a very cunning vampire, and his interest is his own.”
Her head fell against the back of the couch and tears came to her eyes. “Shit. How did I end up pulled into this?”
Beatrice said, “I’d stop trying to figure it out. There’s no way of knowing. But I do believe things happen for a reason. Maybe Baojia is yours.”
“My what?” she snorted. “My vampire? My… boyfriend seems like a ridiculous term. He’s my what?”
“Your reason.”
Natalie blinked and turned her head. “That sounds crazy.” Still, she couldn’t help remembering how she’d felt earlier in the evening, leaning against his side as they munched on popcorn, brainstormed about the case, and swapped jokes. She felt the most uncanny sense of peace. The look on her face must have given her away, because Beatrice gave her a knowing grin.
“Trust me, I’ve heard crazier.”
She must have fallen asleep in the library because the next thing she remembered was strong arms lifting her from the couch. She nuzzled into Baojia’s familiar scent and wrapped her arms around his neck.
“Where did you go?”
“The training studio,” he said softly. “Let’s get you to bed.”
“"18e dNeeded to hit something?”
“Yes.”
“Did you?”
“Many times,” he said, sounding amused. “It was highly satisfying. We need to be better about you sleeping. Your body needs more rest than you’re getting. And food. You haven’t been eating enough. You’re getting too thin.”
“I’m fine.” She could feel him walking down the stairs. “Really, don’t worry about me. Do you believe me about Rory?”
Natalie felt the minute hitch in his step. “I do. I did. Please don’t think I doubted you. That’s not why I left.”
“Okay.” She sighed and burrowed into his chest. “Why do you smell like smoke?”
“Long story.”
She heard the door creak and the familiar scent of his room. Maybe she was becoming a vampire by osmosis. She seemed to notice how things smelled all the time. Or maybe she was just more conscious of it. Or maybe… she was exhausted and a little nuts and needed to go to sleep.
Baojia laughed. “I think sleep is a good idea.”
“Did I say that out loud?”
“Yes. And I’ll join you. It’s almost dawn.”
He stripped off her jeans and the soft shirt she was wearing, peeling back the layers until she was naked and tucked under the covers, pressed against his long, cool body as his amnis washed over her like an embrace.
“Baojia?”
“You should sleep.”
“I’m sorry about your brother.”
His arm reached around and hugged her. “I’m still hoping there is another explanation, but I think you’re correct. I’m worried about Paula, mostly.”
She hadn’t even thought about that, but he had. Of course he had. It was just who he was.
“I love you,” she whispered. There was silence in the room. She hadn’t expected him to say it back, but it still hurt a little. The hurt was wiped away when she heard his voice.
“Thank you,” he said, almost reverently. As if her love was the greatest gift she could give him. A prize beyond worth. Natalie blinked back tears when he kissed the back of her neck. “Thank you, Natalie.”
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
The irritating former priest was singing—actually singing—in the car on the road to Ensenada. The fact that it wasn’t off-key was somehow more annoying than less.
“You seem to be in a much better mood tonight,” Baojia remarked as he steered the car south.
“I am, thanks. Being in my wife’s presence tends to do that. I’m in a better mood even when I’m mad. Odd, that…” The singing stopped for a blessed moment before it started again. Baojia gritted his teeth and tried to ignore it. They were headed south to speak to Father Andrade, whom Carwyn had confirmed was part of the network of priests the Vatican used. The members of that network were well aware of the existence of vampires. The fact that the church in Rome used clergy around the globe to keep tabs on the immortal population didn’t surprise Baojia in the least. It had impressed him.
Finally, a few miles south of Tijuana, he’d had enough. “Can you stop the singing, please?”
“You’re more prissy than usual,” Carwyn said with a gleam in his eye. “I’d have thought your lovely human companion would have loosened
you up a bit.”
“Natalie is none of your business. And I’d simply prefer time to think.”
“You don’t like being away from her, do you?” There was a smug tone in his voice. The priest continued, even though Baojia ignored him. “I met her when the girls were in school. Did you know that? She’s a fun girl. Very smart. Not surprised she caught your attention.”
Fun? What did fun mean? Baojia felt his lip curl up. Had the blasted priest—
“A harmless flirtation,” Carwyn said with a laugh. “Nothing more. Very focused on her studies, Natalie was. And she didn’t know anything about our sort, of course.”
“No.” He tried to will his fangs to retract. “She was completely unaware until she was pulled into this mess.”
“She’s doing all right, though.” Carwyn nodded. “I like the two of you together. She’s a bit wild, always has been. A bit of a crusader. Doesn’t think about her own safety at all.”
“I’m well aware of that, thank you.” Would this trip never end? And how did he get nominated to drive Carwyn? And what was Natalie doing while he was gone? If she left the house—
“So, you’ve had more than a bit of change, haven’t you?” Carwyn had slumped down in his seat, trying to cross his leg over his knee in the cramped car. The man was huge, well over Baojia’s average height, and he seemed to fill the car. No wonder he preferred a motorcycle. “Have you had time to process all this? Thought about where you’ll go? What you’ll do?”
Relieved to have the subject switched from Natalie, he said, “No, not really.”
“Gio mentioned Katya in passing. I’ve known Katya for years. She’s calculating, but fair. One of my daughter’s children lives near Portland. Very happy there.”
It shouldn’t surprise him that Carwyn knew the vampire leader of the Pacific Northwest. At over a thousand years old, the immortal knew practically everyone, at least in the Western Hemisphere. “What does she do? Your daughter’s child. Does she work for Katya?”
“No no. Well out of politics. She owns vineyards. Excellent winemaker.” Carwyn grinned. “Very good occupation, in my opinion.”
He nodded. It was always good to hear from those not involved in politics; it gave a more balanced impression of what it was like to live in a certain immortal’s territory. “And not much intrusion?” Some vampire leaders could be nosy about the others who lived on their land. Ernesto was not, and Baojia imagined he would grate under too much scrutiny.
“Practically none. Quite a hands-off kind of leader from what I can tell. She keeps to herself. Has a very close circle of confidants—not unlike your sire—but mostly leaves others alone. I’ve only met her socially, and she seems lovely. Been mated to a Dutch water vampire for years. Can’t remember his name…”
Baojia took it all in. What would it be like to live somewhere he could make his own way? Where there would be no expectation of loyalty because of blood? He could be… an employee. Or simply a resident. The idea appealed to him. He would need some occupation to keep busy, but perhaps a real job in security consulting would be entertaining. Perhaps he could even lure Luis away from Ernesto. The human had been an excellent assistant. And any of the major cities would have newspapers where Natalie could work. Yes, an introduction to Katya would be worth asking the Italian for a favor.
“Thinking about taking Natalie with you?”
“She can’t remain in Southern California. She’s not safe here.”
Carwyn chuckled. >Carwynkletalie Does she know that?”
“I think she’s figuring it out.”
“Best of luck. I have faith you’ll work everything out. After all, if Brigid and I can learn to live with each other, then you two should be able to manage. You seem quite well-suited.”
Baojia tried not to squirm. It wouldn’t do for the other immortal to see how uncomfortable the topic made him. His feelings for Natalie were clear in his own mind. She belonged with him. She had even said she loved him. But it was no one’s business but their own. He tried to change the subject.
“This priest, Father Andrade, his church is located very near the clubs and bars in Ensenada. Many of the girls who come to the city from the country don’t do well. He and his church help many of them. If there are girls who have gone missing, he is likely to have noticed. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s aware of what’s going on, or at least suspicious.”
Carwyn nodded. “I doubt he’d be aware of the Elixir, though. Most vampires don’t even know what it does. But if any of the girls have had it and they haven’t been killed—”
“Would they be sick?”
“It depends on when they started taking it. From what Brigid and I have found, it puts a human in excellent health for a few months, even up to a year. It varies from person to person. But inevitably, they seem to fall ill with a wasting disease. Doctors have no idea how to treat it. We don’t know much more than that. I’ve been trying to get Lucien Thrax involved.”
“The physician?” Lucien Thrax was an extremely old vampire—rumored to be the son of one of the ancients—and a noted scientist. If he had studied the formula for the Elixir, he might be able to find a cure for the humans who had been affected.
“He had it, you know?” Carwyn noticed Baojia’s widened eyes. “A couple of years ago. He drank from an infected human. Was ill for months. His sire is still alive and could heal him, but he lost a human who was dear to him. He’s been recovering in North Africa for some time, but Beatrice and I have been trying to tempt him to join us. We need someone who has the scientific knowledge—and the knowledge of alchemy—that he has. Maybe this will motivate him.”
“So the cure for vampires is blood from their sire?”
“Or enough of their direct line. But a sire’s blood is best.”
Good to know. Considering his relationship with Ernesto, he’d better avoid elixired blood.
“But no known cure for humans?”
“None that we’ve found so far.”
Baojia’s thoughts swirled around the human Tulio was protecting. Rosa. He was young enough to remember the confusion she must be feeling. Thrust into a world that made no sense. Fearful of everything and everyone. And he knew Natalie must still be feeling as Rosa did at times. And yet, she was brave enough to love him. Her courage floored Baojia.
Carwyn said, “So, you’re no longer under Ernesto’s aegis.”
“I’m not.” And it still stung. Just a little.
“If you were…” The priest stared straight ahead at the passing lights. “How would you handle this situation? If you were still the head of security in Los Angeles—had all his resources—how would you handle this?”
“I’d take six or seven of my best people, along with three humans, and go down to Mexico. Stake out the hunting grounds and kill them. I’d need at least one earth vampire and preferably one wind.”
“You="18"an>, and gove thought about this more than a bit.”
“Yes.” He’d been thinking about it for days.
“Only seven people?”
“The less the better, in this case. There are too many political implications. We wouldn’t want to alert the Mexican cartel of our movements. My guess is they don’t know what Ivan is doing. We don’t want to start a war, we just want to take care of a problem. I’d go down with the equivalent of a special forces team.”
“Why the humans?”
“Whoever is coming is going to be expecting them. Maybe they’re already mad with bloodlust when they get there—they certainly seemed that way from what I saw—but you still need some humans there. If they don’t catch the scent, they’ll know something is wrong.”
“So you definitely need a few humans,” Carwyn muttered.
“I’d stake out the hunt and remove the drugged women after they’ve been dropped off. Tulio said they left them for an hour. More than enough time to hide them somewhere. That’s only one of the reasons I’d need an earth vampire. After the elixired girls are gone, I’d put my own huma
n security in place, then wait for the ambush. As long as you had the element of surprise, it would work with minimal risk. Not none, of course, no operation is risk free, but it would be manageable.”
“And no one would be the wiser.”
“We’d make a very quiet statement. Everyone would know what had happened, but no one could prove anything. It would be a good show of power on Ernesto’s part—others would know not to cause trouble along his borders—but we wouldn’t make a public statement, so the cartel could ignore it and not be forced to retaliate.”
“That’s a well-thought-out plan.”
Of course it was. “Thank you.”
“Ernesto was foolish to have fired you.”
His heart beat. “I am the one who asked to leave his aegis. He refused to listen to my warnings and…” He glanced over at Carwyn once. The vampire was staring at him intently. “He wanted Natalie. I would not allow it.”
Carwyn said nothing as they took the exit that would lead them to the small church only a few blocks from the lively tourist district. The night was lit up. Humans filled the streets, and music blared from the clubs. A cruise ship must have been in port.
The former priest scanned the sidewalks as they drove. Then he said softly, “You must love her very much.”
Baojia stared into the traffic as he thought about what the priest had said. Love Natalie?
Well… of course he did.
Father Andrade seemed to have been expecting them. The gray-haired priest shook hands with Carwyn and led both vampires back to the kitchen in the small house behind the church. It was a modest home, decorated with pictures of saints and a few children’s drawings. The father was obviously loved by the people he ministered to. He put a kettle of water on to heat and joined them at the scarred table.
“I have been expecting one of you people, but I didn’t know if it would be to help me or kill me.”
Carwyn said, “Why would anyone kill you, Father?”