The Elemental Mysteries: Complete Series (98 page)

“Are you sure you’re not just homesick?”

The Asian vampire’s face betrayed no emotion when he replied, “Unless we have changed course to San Francisco, I do not understand the question.”

Beatrice snorted and laid her head on Giovanni’s shoulder. “Leave him alone, Gio.”

“I dislike having someone else on the plane.” Particularly someone who looked at Beatrice the way her grandfather’s enforcer did. Beatrice may not have noticed, but the quiet water vampire watched her every move with keen interest.

“You’re overreacting,” she murmured. “Besides, Ernesto wouldn’t send anyone with us who wasn’t on our side.”

He saw an almost imperceptible smile flicker across Baojia’s face, and there was a wry amusement in his eyes when he looked back at Giovanni.

“And it is always beneficial to have another interpreter,” Baojia said in perfect Mandarin.

When Don Ernesto Alvarez, Beatrice’s powerful ancestor whose clan controlled Southern California, had offered to send his child with them to visit the legendary Eight Immortals of Penglai Island, Giovanni could hardly refuse.

Baojia’s prowess as a fighter was almost as well known as Giovanni’s, despite his youth, and the offer was evidence of both how highly Ernesto viewed his granddaughter and how valuable he saw her connections in his world. Giovanni couldn’t deny the offer without alienating a powerful ally and causing a rift in Beatrice’s family.

Though she had initially been intimidated by the silent water vampire, Baojia made every effort to set Beatrice at ease in his presence. From casual observation, the vampire, who was only known by his given name, did not seem particularly intimidating, and his medium build and even features were unremarkable.

But the minute a canny opponent looked into his black eyes, Giovanni knew they would reevaluate. Baojia was one of the most lethal water vampires Giovanni had ever known, including his own sire. His mastery of his element, combined with a natural grace and training in various martial arts, had quickly become legendary. He was known for his ruthless and efficient combat and was also an exceptional swordsman.

The enforcer had monitored Beatrice for her grandfather in the years before Giovanni’s return, and he could tell Baojia’s interest in the young woman had been piqued.

“Gio?”

He looked down at Beatrice, whose eyes had begun to droop. “Yes, Tesoro?”

“I’m going to go lay down. When will we be in Beijing? Do I need to be awake?”

He shook his head. “We’ll arrive mid-afternoon, but we’ll remain in a secured hangar until nightfall. Sleep as long as you like.”

She leaned over to place a kiss on his cheek, but he turned his head and captured her lips. Giovanni heard the small hum of satisfaction she made and the contented sigh when she pulled away. He let his eyes rake over her face, delighting in the slight blush that colored her cheeks.

“I’ll join you soon,” he said with a wink before she turned, gave Baojia a slight wave, and walked back to the secured bedchamber he’d installed in the belly of the cargo plane.

Giovanni watched her go, letting his eyes wander over her supple body and ignoring the instinct to follow her. Then he turned back to Baojia; he still had a few questions for the enigmatic man.

“Why are you really here?” he asked in Mandarin.

The water vampire offered a placid smile before responding in the same language. “As I said, I am here on orders from my father to guard Beatrice. As you have the same goal, I’m sure there will be no conflict. We will… cooperate, di Spada.”

He flinched at the name he had used as a mercenary and assassin. Giovanni had chosen a different name for a reason.

“Please,” he offered a stiff smile, “call me Giovanni.”

Baojia nodded with respect before his eyes flicked to the room where Beatrice had gone to rest.

“So, you are here to guard my woman?”

He smiled again. “Does she like it when you call her that?”

Beatrice didn’t like it in conversation, but he knew without a doubt she liked it in other, more intimate, moments. “She prefers it.”

“That surprises me.”

“Do you think you know her?”

“She’s an interesting human,” Baojia said, avoiding the question.

“She is.” Giovanni paused. “And to what lengths will you go to protect my woman, Baojia? What did Ernesto ask of you?”

“That is between my father and me.”

Giovanni cocked his head. “Is that so?” He looked between Baojia and the door Beatrice had walked through. “He told you to turn her if she is in danger, didn’t he? Ernesto told you to sire her if her human life is at risk.”

A shadow flickered in his black eyes, and Giovanni leaned forward. It was the truth, but Baojia was not pleased by the command from his sire.

“I was instructed to protect her by whatever means necessary.”

Giovanni gave a rueful smile. “Not particularly pleased by that, are you?” He wasn’t either, which was one of the reasons he was so eager to join Tenzin. The reassurance of Beatrice having the protection of another immortal—one he trusted implicitly—was vital to him.

“I have no desire for children,” Baojia said.

Particularly not a human you are interested in.

Giovanni decided he was tired of parrying with the vampire, so he stood up and stretched his tall frame. “I’m going to retire for the day. I hope you’re comfortable on the couch.”

“I am perfectly comfortable, thank you.”

Giovanni grunted and walked to the bedroom door, opening it, then locking it behind him with the multiple deadbolts, safety latches, and bars he used to secure the room. He turned to see Beatrice watching him with a sleepy smile.

“You’re in a mood tonight.”

He shrugged. “I don’t trust him.”

“I think he’s fine.” She yawned, reaching across the bed toward him. He stripped off his clothes and climbed in next to her. Tugging her arm, he pulled her on top of him and began kissing along her neck. Beatrice continued, “As interested in me as Ernesto is, I hardly think he’d send anyone to guard me that wasn’t trustworthy.”

He tugged at the small shorts and tank top she had put on to sleep. Her habit of dressing for bed annoyed him. Sleep clothing was an unnecessary layer, in his opinion, and highly uncomfortable against his skin.

“I’m going to donate all your night clothes to charity,” he murmured against her neck as his hands slipped under her shorts, sliding them down her hips.

“And you know how much Ernesto is scared of you and Tenzin, so I hardly think—”

“Beatrice?”

“Hmm?”

He rolled them over and pressed his hips into hers, smiling when the sigh left her throat.

“I don’t want to talk about your grandfather.”

His gaze traveled from her dark eyes, across her pale skin, and down the slim column of her neck before his mouth followed.

“Okay,” she breathed out.

“I don’t want to talk.” His mouth moved down her body, and he enjoyed the rush of energy that followed his lips and hands as he explored her skin. “At all.”

“Okay.” Her voice was higher pitched, and he smiled in satisfaction as he nipped at the inside of her thigh.

She may not have kept quiet, but he decided he didn’t mind after all.

Giovanni woke the next evening to see her smiling at him.

“You think you’re so sneaky.”

“Hmm?” He rubbed at his eyes.

“I don’t think you wanted me to be quiet at all, Mr. Possessive.”

He grunted and blinked as she propped her head on his chest.

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

She gave an adorable snort. “I should be pissed off, but—”

“We’re going to a place with far thinner walls and far more vampires, so I suggest you get over any unnecessary modesty,” he said as he ran a hand along her back.

She rolled her eyes at him, and he grinned at the gesture. The previous months had been the happiest in his memory. The move to Los Angeles had gone smoothly for the whole family, and he was satisfied with the security he had arranged for Ben, Caspar and Isadora while they were gone. Matt Kirby and Desiree Riley were aware of the situation, and Ernesto Alvarez had arranged his own security for Beatrice’s grandmother, who had charmed him, to no one’s surprise.

His family was as protected as it could be, and Beatrice was with him. Despite the danger and uncertainty he knew they were facing, Giovanni was content.

“I love you,” he said quietly as he ran his fingers over her skin, causing her to shiver.

She sighed and laid her cheek on his chest. “I love you, too.”

He knew the plane had landed, but he delayed leaving the safe cocoon of their cabin, knowing that an uncertain reality would face them as soon as they unlocked the door. They weren’t meeting the boat to the island until midnight. Her fingers played along his chest, waking him and arousing his hunger. As if she could sense his fangs descending, she moved up his body, tilting her head to the side.

“You’re hungry.”

He growled low in his throat as her scent washed over him. Giovanni loved the fragrance of her skin when she first woke. His fangs descended, but he shook his head.

“I took too much yesterday. I’ll drink a bag later.”

Beatrice frowned. “I don’t like it. You’re not as strong from the bagged blood. I can tell.”

She was right, but he shrugged anyway. “I’ll be fine.”

“I don’t want you ‘fine,’ I want you as strong as you can be.”

“Beatrice—”

“I know you don’t like feeding from other humans, but we’re going to have to figure something out eventually.”

He rolled away from her, annoyed she had brought up the argument that had plagued them for months. “Can we not talk about this here?”

“You’re not going to be able to feed from me forever. Not if you want me to—”

“I don’t want to talk about this when we are about to go into a very unknown situation!”

She glared at him and sat up in bed. “And I don’t want you going into an unknown situation at anything less than your strongest. It’s not smart.”

He snarled, pacing the small cabin, but she didn’t back down. Instead, she rose to her knees, brushed her dark hair to the side, and took a fingernail to her neck, scoring it so deeply she bled.

Giovanni hesitated only a second before he rushed her, licking at the thin line of blood that marred her skin for a second before he latched on. He could feel the quick bite of her nails on his shoulders when he pierced her neck, but the flash of pain was quickly overwhelmed by pleasure as his amnis spread across their skin, and the rich, warm blood flowed down his throat.

She held his head to her neck and arched her body against him, but he took only a few deep swallows before he stopped and sealed the wounds by piercing his tongue. He closed his eyes and looked away from her, angered by her actions.

“Gio?”

He shook his head and walked to the small washroom attached to the cabin.

“Don’t do that again,” he said before he shut the door.

The boat from the mainland left at midnight, ferried by a young water vampire who greeted them with a nod and a polite smile. They climbed aboard the small junk and walked toward the seats the pilot indicated near the bow of the vessel. Giovanni’s senses were on alert, but he could only feel faint traces of old energy signatures and the expected hum of their escort.

“Just us,” Baojia murmured in English, his eyes scanning the water around them. “Nothing in the sea, either.”

He nodded and placed a hand on Beatrice’s back to lead her forward. They had come to an uneasy truce since their argument earlier in the evening, and he caught her eye, giving her a slight smile as they took their seats. As soon as they were seated, the young water vampire held out his hands at the stern, propelling them forward in the dark water and toward the hidden island in the Bohai Sea.

“How does he know how to get there?” Beatrice whispered, looking around the boat, which was devoid of any modern navigation equipment.

She had dressed in her typical uniform of slim black jeans and a black T-shirt before they left, but had failed to bring a coat in the warm summer air of the city. The wind on the water was brisk, so he put an arm around her and drew her closer as he answered.

“Penglai Island has a particularly strong energy signature because of the high immortal population. Even I can feel it, and it is not my home.”

“And you’re sure they’re expecting us?”

“We wouldn’t be going if they weren’t.”

“Tell me what to expect again,” she said. “I feel like I’m going to forget.”

“There will most likely be some sort of reception when we arrive, since we are expected and friends of Tenzin’s.”

“Why is Tenzin so important?”

Baojia chuckled quietly. Even Giovanni had to smile.

“Tenzin’s sire is one of the Eight Immortals, Beatrice. The one I think your father sought out, Elder Zhang Guo.”

He heard Baojia mutter something under his breath, clearly displeased by their destination.