“Options,” he almost sang as he picked up a long, wooden pole and tossed it toward her. “Always good to have options. Now, let’s talk about the staff.”
Chapter Nine
Mount Penglai, China
September 2010
“The water vampire is interested in Beatrice.”
Tenzin snorted. “Which one?”
Giovanni glared at her as they walked through the palace grounds. “You know which one I’m speaking of.”
“Well, Baojia is interested in her. Lorenzo is interested in her. I think half the palace is fascinated by the strange American girl, so you might want to specify.”
He stopped and watched her as she hopped along the top of a carved stone wall. “You know, I forget how irritating you can be when I don’t spend time with you for a while.”
She flew over him, stepping on his head once before she lit on top of one of the giant, limestone pillars. “I hate it here.”
“I know you do.”
“You know how you feel about Rome?”
“Yes, Tenzin.”
“That’s how I feel here. Everyone looking at me with expectations.”
“I know.”
“And my father is the worst one.”
“He cares about you.”
“That is… debatable.”
He continued walking as she flitted from one stone to the next. Finally, she set herself down on the grass to walk beside him. “You’re not jealous, are you?”
“Of Baojia? Not really, it’s just irritating.”
“She loves you very much. She wants to be your mate for eternity.”
He eyed her tiny form as she walked next to him. “And what of you and Stephen? I confess, that—”
“Stephen and I are none of your business. Just because you confide in me does not mean I confide in you, my boy.”
He paused. “Who do you confide in, bird-girl?”
It was often hard to imagine how long she had lived, but when Tenzin turned her deep grey eyes on him, Giovanni saw millennia in her stare. “No one. I confide in myself alone.”
He had the strange urge to embrace her, which he had never once done in all their years as friends. “Are you lonely sometimes?”
She cocked her head and smiled. “I don’t remember.”
Giovanni shook his head and continued walking. “I am glad that Beatrice and Stephen have this time together.”
“He missed her very much. Family is very important to him.”
“It has become important to me, as well.”
“Family was always important to you. Why else would you look for your uncle’s books for so many years?”
“I suppose that is true.”
“You were always looking for a family. Now you have one. It is good for you.”
A familiar drift of amnis wafted on the breeze, and he turned his head. Lorenzo was walking with Zhongli Quan and a group of six guards. The Elder nodded toward them with an unreadable expression in his eyes before he turned. Two of the guards followed him while four stayed with Lorenzo as he approached Giovanni and Tenzin.
“If it isn’t my father and his miniature companion.”
The black-clad guards halted abruptly. They looked toward Tenzin with wide eyes, but she only waved at them and shrugged.
“Lorenzo,” Giovanni said, “you’re becoming even more foolish as the years go by.”
“Why? Is she going to attack me here? I have been promised protection, just like you. Penglai is neutral ground; we both know it.”
Tenzin’s eyes were impassive as she stared at Giovanni’s son. “You are irritating, and it will be good when he kills you.”
Lorenzo’s fangs flashed in the lantern light. “Do you think so? I think we are a long way from my father killing me. After all, we both know I have information he wants.”
How much Giovanni was willing to put up with to get his sire’s library back was debatable, but he wasn’t in the mood to confide in the blond bastard in front of him.
“Go away and do something useful, Lorenzo,” he said. “Never mind, that’s probably not possible.”
“So sullen, Papà. Where is your toy human? Has she taken another lover again?”
With one sweep of her arm, Tenzin blew the four guards halfway across the grounds before she rounded on Lorenzo. She lifted the vampire by the collar and shot into the air.
“Be careful what you say about my friend, little boy. You may think you are safe here because it is customary to respect the Elders, but do not forget that my sire is the oldest of all. And while I may bow to his wishes at times…” She dropped Lorenzo a few feet before grabbing him again. “…in general, I am a very disrespectful daughter.”
She spoke just loud enough for Giovanni to hear. He noticed that Zhongli’s guards were taking their time walking back across the grounds, and Lorenzo’s dangling form was beginning to attract attention.
Giovanni smiled and sat on a bench to wait.
“Let me down.” Lorenzo was trying to sound nonchalant, but Giovanni could hear the quiver in his voice.
“Fine,” Tenzin said and she dropped him. His son landed in a heap at his feet before he shot up and walked back toward Zhongli’s guards, never sparing Giovanni a glance. Tenzin flew down and sat next to him.
“You really need to get rid of him.”
“I know.”
“What were you thinking?”
“It’s a long story.”
Giovanni watched Beatrice pace their bedroom, recounting in detail the different weapons she had tried in practice that night. It was a few hours before dawn, and he could tell she was exhausted. But still, her heartbeat was jumping.
“—and then I tried the other spear, and it kind of had this hook on the end, too. Like on the side? And it was a lot lighter than it looked, something about the way the shaft is balanced or something, and then there was the shuang gou. Oh, Gio, I can’t wait to learn those. Baojia said that once I turn—”
“Which may be unnecessary. We don’t know yet.”
She only rolled her eyes and continued. “Yeah, so once I’ve turned, I’ll pick up the hook swords no problem.”
He cocked an eyebrow at her. “Really? He said, ‘no problem?’”
“Well, he said something about my body catching up with my amnis… or my amnis catching up with my mind. Something like that, but after that, he said I’d pick it up easily.”
Giovanni thought she was probably being optimistic, but he had to admire her enthusiasm. He smiled. “Well, even if it takes some time, it sounds like you’re getting a good idea of what options you’ll… what?”
She had turned red in the face when he said the word “options.”
“Beatrice?”
“What?”
He didn’t know what. It was strange, but she almost looked…
“Why are you blushing?”
“I’m probably just… tired. You know, I should take a bath and go to bed, I’ve—”
“You’re not just tired.” He frowned. For a brief flicker, she had looked… “Why do you look guilty?” He felt his temperature begin to rise.
Her mouth dropped open, but there it was again. Just a hint in her eye.
“I do not look guilty.”
“You do.” He sat up. “And your heart is racing. Why? Did Baojia do something inappropriate?” While he knew the vampire was interested in Beatrice, Giovanni could not imagine him acting inappropriately toward Ernesto’s favored granddaughter. Nor did he think that Beatrice would be unfaithful, but…
“No! No, Baojia was just… kind of flirting. That’s all.”
He cocked an eyebrow. “Flirting?”
“Yeah.” She waved a hand. “He was joking about ‘knowing your options’ about weapons and, you know, there’s some kind of obvious jokes and… yeah, just being silly.”
“Silly?”
“Why do you keep repeating the last word of everything I say? That’s annoying.”
He couldn’t
keep the smile from his mouth. “Annoying?”
She picked up a pillow and threw it, hitting him dead in the face as he started to laugh. “We were just joking around!”
“I believe you, so why are you throwing things at me?” He couldn’t stop chuckling at her consternation. “You’re very cute when you’re embarrassed.”
“I’m not embarrassed. I’m irritated.”
“At Baojia?”
“At you!”
He kept laughing and pulled her onto the bed as she tried to walk past. “Did he ask if you wanted to play with his sword?”
“Stop,” Beatrice said as she began laughing, too. Soon, they were wrestling on the bed and he had her arms pinned above her head so she had to stop slapping at him. “I’ll have you know,” she said, gasping, “I told him that I only liked European spears.”
Giovanni burst into laughter again and leaned down to kiss her. His head fell forward as he buried it in the crook of her neck. “Beatrice, I’m not jealous.”
“Why not?”
He lifted his head and met her mouth, stealing her breath when he kissed her. “Because no one, tesoro mio, will ever love you the way that I do. Of this, I have no doubt.”
A sweet smile spread across her face. “No?”
“No.”
The next evening, Giovanni passed Baojia in the hallway. The water vampire nodded at him politely. He paused. “Baojia?”
“Yes?”
He turned toward the water vampire. “I just wanted to thank you for all the time you have spent training Beatrice.”
“I am at her disposal.”
“I have never been able to quell my protective instincts enough to train with her as she deserves, but I know she is progressing, and it pleases me. I also know you usually do not train humans.”
Baojia curled his lip. “I’m not doing it as a favor to you, di Spada.”
“I know. I appreciate it nonetheless.”
Giovanni saw Baojia smirk a little. “And she has good things to say about her weapons practice?”
“Weapons practice?” Giovanni nodded. “Oh yes. She quite enjoys weapons practice.”
Baojia’s eyes narrowed. “Yes… she’s very skilled.”
Giovanni chuckled and continued walking. “You really have no idea.”
Chapter Ten
Mount Penglai, China
October 2010
Despite the slow pace of life on the island, time seemed to slip away with a whisper. It had been three weeks since Lorenzo made his appearance, but Beatrice had scarcely noticed. Her nights were occupied training with Baojia, and her days were occupied with Tenzin or her father, who had absorbed Tenzin’s ability to stay awake almost effortlessly through most of the day. Stephen scarcely needed sleep, so the long separated father and daughter spent hours hidden away in the library of Tenzin’s quarters, getting to know each other again.
Other than her training, Beatrice’s nights were spent with Giovanni. He was doing his utmost to keep her occupied during any hours Lorenzo might be active, keeping her away from the practice room, as well.
“Come back to bed.”
She rose from the silk pillow, intending to take a quick shower at nightfall before she met Baojia for practice with the sword. She’d taken an afternoon nap and woken to Giovanni’s lips again.
“I need to go practice.”
He stretched with a lazy smile and hooded eyes, knowing what the slip of the silk sheet did to her as it crept down his sculpted chest.
“Tesoro mio,” he purred, “come back to bed. You’re not dressed yet; we have time.”
His hand crept out, fingers slipping around her thigh as he drew her back to the luxurious bed.
Beatrice allowed herself to be pulled. “I know what you’re trying to do, possessive vampire.”
“Yes?” he asked as he laid a kiss along her bare hip. “What is that?”
“You’re trying”—she sighed and gave in, falling into the curve of his arms—“to distract me.”
“How am I doing?”
“Very, very well.” She gasped when he ran his fangs along the curve of her shoulder and his hands teased her body, sparking as they pulsed with amnis. Beatrice leaned her head to the side and moaned when his tongue teased her pulse.
“Well, I wouldn’t want to disappoint.”
They decided to make use of the luxurious marble tub much, much later.
Tenzin watched Beatrice as they practiced.
“You’re getting much more limber.”
“Thanks.” She panted as she executed a complex series of kicks and punches from the wushu technique Tenzin’s father had developed hundreds, maybe thousands, of years before. Her legs were aching, but she reveled in the stretch in her hamstrings as her leg lifted in almost a full split.
“Maybe Gio’s libido is good for something.”
“Tenzin, please!” Stephen called from the side of the practice room where he was studying.
“Your ears are just as good as mine!”
Beatrice may have unconsciously held the pose longer than she intended. Tenzin ignored the crimson flush on her face and batted her leg down to the floor.
“Let’s work on flips.”
“Tenzin.” She shook her head. “There’s no way I’m going to be able to do most of those until I turn.”
“You can still practice. Don’t be lazy.”
Beatrice heard Stephen snort. “Why don’t you give her a break so she can help me with this Latin passage?”
“Lazy De Novos!” Tenzin stormed toward the door. “Fine, take fifteen minutes while I go find someone to eat. And, Stephen, don’t pretend you need her help.”
Stephen only looked up and winked at Tenzin before she left the room. Beatrice grabbed a towel and a glass of water before she sat down next to her father.
“Do you really need help?”
“No.” He grinned. “I’m not even reading Latin. This is a Greek manual on alchemy from Alexandria. Have you learned any classical Greek yet?”
She shook her head. “No, it’s so dense.”
“You’ll learn fast enough when you put your mind to it. Especially after you turn.” He glanced up, and a serious expression blanketed his eyes. “You’re sure about it?”
“What?” She patted her face with the towel. “About turning? Yeah. I mean, Gio and I… well, you know we’re serious, and I wouldn’t commit myself to him without being sure about the vampire thing.”
“But do you want it? Or is it just because of him?”
She leaned back against the cool wall. “Dad, I know you’re being the good dad here and looking out for my interests, but you realize that there’s no way I can answer that, don’t you?”
“Why?”
She frowned, trying to think how she could explain. “I have no idea what my life would be without him. Without all this. I can’t even imagine. This is reality now. My dad became a vampire through no fault of his own. I was drawn into it by virtue of being your child. And no.” She held up a hand. “I won’t allow you to apologize. It’s not your fault either.”
“I still feel guilty.”
She rolled her eyes. “Well, get over it. Life happens. You were taken. I was targeted. I met Gio. We fell in love. We have a family. I wouldn’t have said this even a year ago, but… all this happened for a reason. God, fate, destiny. Somehow, it was meant. Our lives are so intertwined, I can’t even imagine it any other way at this point. And I want it.”
She leaned forward and grasped her father’s cool hand in her own. “Do you understand? I know there are sacrifices. I know there are limitations. I still want it. I’m tired of always being the one that needs protecting.”
Stephen looked at her for a long moment. “Okay.”
“Okay?”
“Tenzin told me exactly what you’d say. She says you’ll be an extraordinary vampire. Greater than me, no doubt.”
Beatrice smiled and shook her head, still patting sweat from her face. “I have no ill
usions. I know I’m still going to be the slow one.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that.” He chuckled and flicked his wrist, and she felt a cool spray of water at her back. “There, that better?”
She closed her eyes and grinned. “Much. Thanks.”
“Controlling water does come in handy occasionally.”
“You’re really powerful now, aren’t you? From exchanging blood with Tenzin?” She saw him glance away and squirm in discomfort. “I’m not asking about… anything, really. It’s none of my business, I know. I just… I’m happy that you’re stronger now.”
“I am,” he said quietly. “I’m very strong. Tenzin has been… well, she’s—”
“Back.” Beatrice turned when the door opened and Tenzin strode in. “And you need to practice your flips, lazy De Novo.”
She wrinkled her forehead and turned back to her father.
“Don’t look at me,” Stephen said with a smile. “You said you didn’t want to be protected.”
Beatrice stuck her tongue out at him, but Stephen only laughed.
“You really… I have to…” Giovanni cut her off by sinking into their kiss. They were tangled in bed, and he was distracting her again. He moved over her, his iron arms boxing her in as he kissed down her body.
“Beatrice,” he whispered before muttering something unintelligible in rough Italian.
“I really need to learn that language.” She sighed as her eyes rolled back.
“Hmm.” He lifted his mouth and gave her a wicked smile. “I’ll just switch to another language you don’t know then.”
“I’ll catch up with you eventually.”
“You don’t need to catch up.” He moved up her body so he could whisper in her ear. “Just stay. Stay with me. Stay here.”
“I can’t… oh”—she arched her back in pleasure—“stay here forever.”
“Yes, you can.”
Giovanni set about proving why staying in bed with him really was the best plan, but he was interrupted by a loud knock at the door.