“Do you expect him to lie to you?”
“Of course.”
“Maybe you need to reevaluate your friendships, Tiny.”
“Why?”
Ben shook his head and just kept driving. Far be it from him to question the twisted morality of vampires.
After he made the left at the light, he was forced to stop. The turn had taken him into a bank of warehouses, and there was a human guard standing by a locked gate.
Tenzin popped her head out the window and barked, “It’s Tenzin. Open the gate. Jonathan is expecting me.”
The guard either recognized her face or her name, because the human reached back into the small booth and pressed something that made the gate swing out. Within minutes, they were driving through the warehouses.
“Where to?”
“I have no idea. Just keep driving. I think these are all Cheng’s. Jonathan will find us.”
He didn’t look like a “Jonathan,” but a wind vampire swooped down and hovered next to the truck, motioning Tenzin to follow him. He led them down a narrow alley until Ben could see a figure looming at the end of one row. Tall and lean, the vampire had the glowing pallor of a man who’d been light skinned in life and was almost translucent in immortality. He was definitely not Chinese.
“Is that Jonathan?”
She nodded.
Jonathan wore a black trench coat despite the heat, and a thin blue scarf around his neck.
“He always wears the scarf. Don’t ask,” Tenzin said.
“Got it.”
Vampires were, almost to a fault, eccentric in some way or another. A scarf in tropical humidity was hardly the weirdest thing he’d ever seen.
Then she said, “Don’t speak.”
“Okay. Don’t kill anyone.”
She threw back her head and laughed. “I suppose we’ll both have to just do our best.”
Ben had to smile. And he was still smiling when he stopped the truck and climbed out. Jonathan raised a single eyebrow, the hollows of his cheeks shadowed in the glow of the headlights. He was handsome in that thin, European way a lot of vampires had. Tall and dark haired, the vampire’s eyes were shockingly blue, even in the low light of the industrial complex. He glanced at Ben for only a second before he turned his eyes to Tenzin. Beyond the facade of indifference, Ben could see the wary intelligence in his eyes. This was no overconfident flunky.
“Tenzin,” he said in a perfect British accent. “How lovely to see you again.”
“You too.” She jumped up and executed a few somersaults in the air, stretching herself after the cramped truck. Jonathan looked at Ben. Ben looked back, glanced at Tenzin flipping herself end over end in the air.
Ben shrugged. “She doesn’t like vehicles.”
“I imagine not. And you are?”
“Speechless until she kills someone.”
“Dear Lord,” Jonathan said. “You must be Vecchio’s ward.”
“I couldn’t say.”
Tenzin flew down and landed on his back, wrapping her arms around his neck from behind and her legs around his waist, careless as a kid asking for a piggyback ride.
“He’s mine,” Tenzin said. “Don’t try to steal him.”
Jonathan’s expression didn’t change a bit, but he said, “Tenzin, I’ve heard an odd rumor about some immortals going missing in Kashi.”
“Kashi?”
Ben said, “It’s the modern name for Kashgar, T.”
“Oh! I have no idea what you’re talking about.”
“I do believe that Cheng would agree with you. Most vehemently. You have absolutely no idea what could have happened to them. Any rumors to the contrary are the vampire version of urban legends.”
Ben said, “She probably has a few of those floating around already.” He glanced over his shoulder. “No pun intended.”
Tenzin rested her chin on Ben’s shoulder. “Odd place, Xinjiang. All sorts of people pass through there. Highly uncivilized.”
Jonathan asked, “Didn’t you live there for several hundred years?”
“Of course I did. I love it. But unfortunate incidents happen.”
Frustratingly polite irritation. That was how Ben would classify the expression on Jonathan’s face at that moment. “I distinctly remember Cheng making a request for no ‘unfortunate incidents’ to occur during your travels in Xinjiang.”
Ben said, “She’s very bad at following orders.”
She pinched his lips together. “So are you. It’s done, Jonathan. Get over it. Especially because I have no idea what Cheng could be talking about.”
“Right.” Jonathan glanced back at the truck. “What a delectable scent, my dear. I’ll have our people clean it out and pack the crates in the container. The ship leaves in two days and will be in Long Beach twelve days after that. I trust you have people on the other side who can take care of things there?”
“I’ve already talked to Ernesto.”
“Excellent.” Jonathan was all business. “Then we will have everything ready for you to inspect tomorrow evening. The container will be sealed in your presence and then loaded that night. Do you have your own inventory?”
“My human does.”
Jonathan nodded. “Then I’ll take you to Cheng as soon as the truck is secured.”
“No.”
A shiver crept down Ben’s spine when Jonathan turned. “No?”
“I’m tired and I stink. I want safe lodging for me and my human tonight. I’ll meet Cheng tomorrow. At sunset, if he wants. But surely he won’t want to greet me when I still smell like rotting vegetables.”
Jonathan didn’t say anything. Clearly, this was not the plan. But Ben was guessing Tenzin outranked Jonathan and Cheng in whatever intricate political and social construct was in play here. They could hardly refuse her request without offending her.
“Of course,” Jonathan finally said. “We will make arrangements—”
“I have my own accommodations arranged,” Tenzin said, still perched on Ben’s back. “I simply want to know that my human can move freely within the city during the day if he wishes.”
“You may depend on it,” Jonathan said smoothly. “Cheng’s hospitality is renowned. I hope your human enjoys Shanghai. Shall I arrange a vehicle?”
“Please.”
Within minutes, Ben was driving a car that Jonathan had procured for them. He didn’t speak, just took the keys and sat in the driver’s seat while Tenzin got in the back. She was far more comfortable in a vehicle now. Not a bad thing.
“I’ll show you where to go,” Tenzin said as she settled into the plush bench of the black Mercedes sedan. “This is much nicer than the truck.”
“Most cars are nicer than that truck.”
“Hmm. Curious.”
“Tiny, you realize this car—”
“Will be tracked somehow. Yes, I know. We’re not going very far.”
“You do remember I can’t fly, right?”
She laughed. “We’re in Shanghai, Benjamin. There are far better ways for you to travel.”
CHAPTER EIGHT
Ben woke to the sound of lapping water under his window and the voices of old women in the courtyard, laughing as they hung the laundry. It was early. Way too early.
They’d arrived in the small water town late last night after dumping the car not far from a freshwater lake west of the city.
Tenzin and Ben had walked to a boatyard near the lake and “borrowed” a narrow wooden vessel reminiscent of a gondola that Tenzin piloted across the still water. Night birds called and the moon was high. As they navigated the dark canals and tributaries on the outskirts of Shanghai, Ben felt as if they were the only two beings on earth.
They approached the water town from the lake and turned down a wide canal, slipping under an arching bridge before they made their way into the village. Lights grew fainter and canals narrower. There were no cars. Few humans. It was deep in the night. No one gave them a passing glance.
They docked the bo
at near a bridge and climbed the stone steps. Ben heard fish jumping behind them. He said nothing, thoroughly exhausted by days of travel. He followed Tenzin as she led him down one street and across another bridge. On the other side, she stopped in front of a square set of doors and knocked softly. Blocky characters hung over the door. It was a boarding house or hotel of some kind, but when an old woman answered the door, Ben realized it was no ordinary hotel.
The old woman bowed deeply to Tenzin and stammered something in a language Ben didn’t recognize. Tibetan, perhaps? Like Tenzin, her hair was worn in many braids. When she bowed, there was a slight tilt of her head to the left as she bared her neck. A subtle gesture Beatrice had explained to Ben before he left for Asia.
A tilted bow was a mark of respect and an acknowledgement of a vampire’s immortal status. The human who bowed that way was acknowledging the vampire and also submitting to his or her bite, should the vampire need to drink. It was meant to be respectful and welcoming, but the tilted bow of the woman with silver-threaded braids made Ben shudder. She was old. She looked like someone’s grandmother. Surely Tenzin wasn’t going to bite her.
The old woman smiled up at him, and Ben realized he was being introduced. He stepped forward and held out his hand. The old woman took it and pulled him through the gate and into a courtyard lit with candles. There was a large pond in the middle with channels cutting through the cobblestones that led under the house. Ben realized the pond must connect with the network of canals that ran through the town. Gold carp darted in the shadows thrown by the candlelight.
The old woman showed Ben to a small room where a maid was already turning down the bed.
“You can stay here,” Tenzin said. “Jinpa is a relative of Nima’s and her house is under my sire’s protection. We are completely safe, so you’ll be able to rest.”
He eyed the dark windows in his room. “And you?”
“There are light-safe rooms for me.” She gave him a slight smile. “Clean up and get some sleep. You look exhausted. There are many shops here. Some that cater to Westerners. We’ll try to find some clothes for you tomorrow.”
He’d been wearing the same set of clothes, alternating with a pair of too-short sweatpants and a few T-shirts he’d bought in Xi’an, for days on end. New clothes would be more than welcome.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Have Jinpa show you to my chambers before sundown. We need to talk before we seen Cheng.”
“Right.” He didn’t want to think about that meeting. He was hoping to skip it altogether. Why on earth did he need to be there for Tenzin’s meeting with her old boyfriend? He blinked as the exhaustion started to really hit.
“Sleep, Benjamin.”
She didn’t need to use amnis. As soon as he’d taken a quick shower, he slept, and he didn’t wake for hours. He felt the sun come up, warm stripes cutting across his back. He heard the water lapping below the house and the old women laughing as they worked. He roused himself enough to close the blinds before he stumbled back to bed.
He slept. He dreamed. And in his dream, he flew over mountains like none he’d ever seen, soaring into a black-dipped night. He saw the moon shadows of white birch groves from the sky, swooping down to trail his fingers in the frigid stream that cut through them.
He heard her laughter behind him. Above him. At his back.
Her lips were on his. Cool. He tasted honey and tea. Her mouth was at his neck. Her body brushed his. Her mouth… He could feel her. Feel the pointed pressure. His heart raced in anticipation.
Her mouth was at his neck—
“Benjamin.”
He woke with a gasp, Tenzin hovering over him as he lay tangled in the sheets. The heated dream caused his face to flush as he pushed her away.
“Dammit, Tenzin.” He shoved up to sitting and gathered the bedclothes around his body. He’d been so exhausted the night before, he’d tumbled into bed naked. He didn’t even own a pair of pajamas anymore, because he’d left everything at the hostel in Kashgar. “Get the fuck out. I didn’t invite you in my room.”
She frowned. “It’s almost nightfall and you still hadn’t come to me.”
“Yeah, I was tired.” And turned on. And he really didn’t want her to see the evidence. Could he have no privacy? Just a little was too much to ask?
“Did you sleep all day?”
“Yes, I did.” Dammit, but she was irritating sometimes. “Apparently I’m a weak human who hasn’t had a good night’s rest in weeks. I can’t imagine why the hell I’d want to actually sleep when I finally got into a comfortable bed.”
Tenzin’s face screwed up in confusion. “If you slept so much, then why are you so cranky?”
“I’m not cranky!” He took a deep breath. “Boundaries, remember? I’m... naked. And still waking up. And you were just”—he held a hand inches in front of his face—“right there when I opened my eyes. You surprised me. I’d appreciate a little privacy. Will you leave, please?”
“We need to talk before we go.”
“Yeah, I remember. Give me a few minutes.”
“I’ll need to bite you. And then find you some clothes, since you didn’t go out today and yours are all wet. Jinpa washed them not realizing you didn’t have any others.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll hit the shops—wait. What?”
Did she just casually mention biting him like he was some kind of bowing servant?
She shook her head. “No, I have to go to the shops. You don’t have any clothes, remember?”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
“But you need clothes.” She looked confused. And kind of adorable. She was going to drive him insane.
“You’re not biting me, Tenzin. You can, however, buy me some clothes.” He turned and tried to tuck the sheets around himself. He scanned the room. Yep, they’d taken everything. Even his underwear. Couldn’t they ask? Or did they just assume Tenzin called the shots and he was a servant, so there was no need to ask his opinion about anything?
Thousands of kilometers of driving. No sleep. Stupid dreams, and then Tenzin talking about biting—
“But Cheng will think you’re my human lover,” she insisted. “That’s what we want him to assume so he’ll ignore you. One bite would be sufficient. It won’t hurt.”
“I don’t care! You’re not biting me.” He didn’t know why he was so angry. It probably had something to do with weeks of culture shock, uncomfortable beds, and being really really hungry.
Not just for food.
“Forget it, Tenzin.”
Her mouth curled down into a frown. “But if you were my lover—”
“Are we going to have sex because Cheng thinks I’m your lover?”
And fuck. That train of thought was not helping the situation under the sheets.
“Of course not.”
“So we’re just going to lie and expect him to buy it?” Ben reached out and grabbed her hand, pulling her hard into his chest. “Even though you obviously don’t smell like me?”
“What are you doing?” Her face had gone totally blank.
Ben rolled them over so that Tenzin was lying on the bed under him. Now they both looked pissed. That seemed fair.
“You’re saying you need to bite me because Cheng would assume a human lover would feed you. Well, I’d smell like you too, Tenzin.” He lowered his face to hers. Ben could feel her gather in a breath. He was frankly amazed she hadn’t punched him yet. “And you’d smell like me. Not just my blood, but my skin. My sweat. Everything.”
“You’re being an ass.”
“Am I? Did I break into your room while you were sleeping?” The sheet was still wrapped around his waist, but that was pretty much the only thing separating them. She had to feel him.
Tenzin glared. “I don’t sleep. And if you broke into my room, I’d hurt you.”
He lowered himself so his chest was pressing against hers. “Isn’t turnabout fair play?”
“A bite isn’t the
same as—”
“I don’t give a shit what you think or don’t think it is. You’re not biting me. You want to pretend we’re lovers?” He propped himself up with one arm and reached for the knife under his pillow. “Here’s your pretend bite.”
“Benjamin!”
Her hands came up, but Tenzin didn’t stop him when he pierced the skin of his neck with the tip of the blade, just where her mouth had been in his dream. Two quick flashes of pain and he could feel the blood well.
Tenzin’s eyes dilated. Her mouth fell open and her fangs glistened. The piercing pain at his neck did nothing to quell his reaction. It was automatic. He grew harder. His pulse roared.
He could feel the outline of Tenzin’s slim legs trapped between his own. Could feel the gathering power of her anger. Her grey eyes flicked to the wound on his neck and a drop of blood fell, staining the sheet next to her.
“There’s a pretend bite for your pretend lover,” he whispered. “Go ahead. Have a taste. But do not ever casually mention sinking your fangs into me again.”
Tenzin bared her teeth. Before he could blink, her mouth was at his neck. Ben felt the light pressure of her lips. Closed his eyes when he felt her suck his skin into her mouth. Her tongue swept out, licked the wound clean, then it was gone.
She was gone.
Ben rolled over, the sheet still tangled around his waist, his back against the pillows, and his body showing no signs of settling down. Sweat dotted his forehead, not only from his anger and arousal, but also because it was late afternoon and the room was sweltering. His heart was pounding and he could barely catch his breath.
Tenzin stood at the door, her face impassive.
“I closed the wounds. Cheng would only expect scars anyway.”
“Fine.”
“I’ll go out and get some clothes for you.”
“Good.”
She glared, clearly displeased that Ben wasn’t cowering before her obvious anger. Well, too bad. She could learn to knock.
Ben sat up and let the sheet fall, stretching his arms across the carved wooden headboard and crossing his long legs at the ankles. He didn’t look away when she glanced down. Let her look. He was sick of it. He wasn’t a teenager anymore, and it was time she realized it.