The Force of Wind
Page 79

“Yes.”
“My father’s guards are here. They are numerous, and I have sent for more.”
Beatrice could only nod.
“Rest, my girl. Let your mate care for you.”
“You’ll be nearby?”
“Yes.”
After a few more minutes, Beatrice could feel her eyes start to droop as the sun rose in the sky. Tenzin slipped away, and she felt Giovanni come to her, lying down and gathering her in his arms as the dawn took them both.
He was there when she woke, his arms wrapped tightly around her. Beatrice blinked for a moment in confusion.
“Where are we?”
He paused. “The library at the monastery.”
In a harsh second, it all flooded back. Lorenzo and the four vicious guards. The current that radiated up her arms when she cut the head off one vampire. The sickening realization that Lorenzo had felt the same when he cut off her father’s head.
Her father.
She began to shake, burying her face into Giovanni’s chest; he stroked her hair until she was spent. Though her body was refreshed from sleep, her mind was still weary with grief.
“Wait here,” Giovanni said. “Zhang’s men brought blood.”
“I’m not hungry.”
His grip tightened on her shoulders.
“You must not stop eating.”
Just then, Tenzin appeared in the hallway bearing two mugs of blood. Beatrice’s fangs descended as she caught the sweet smell.
“Eat.” She handed both to Beatrice.
Beatrice nodded and drank as Tenzin turned to Giovanni.
“Go get Baojia. I want to speak to him about yesterday.”
Giovanni rose and walked down the hallway. Beatrice finished the first mug and started on the second as Tenzin sat across from her.
“You must not refuse to eat. He is worried because it is a common reaction of our kind to grief, but a dangerous one, especially for a new vampire.”
“Okay.”
They both fell silent as Beatrice drank. Though the burn in her throat lessened, she felt no satisfaction from her meal. After a few minutes, Giovanni returned with Baojia. She saw her mate inspect the cups she drank from. “I finished them both,” she murmured. He sat next to her and took her hand as Baojia sat across from them. The deep cut across his neck had healed and the only evidence was an angry red line and his grim expression.
All four were silent until Tenzin spoke.
“Explain.”
He nodded. “I was on my way back to the river when I caught the scent of vampires and human blood from another corridor. Thinking there were more humans being drained, I followed the passageway. It was similar to the one you had sent the boys down, but on the opposite side of the mountain.
“The northern route.” Tenzin said. “Continue.”
“The further I followed, the more scent I picked up. I smelled Lorenzo and the river, so I knew where he was going. I didn’t want to turn back and waste time.” His eyes narrowed. “I met six vampires at the exit.”
“That must be the route Lorenzo took back to river,” Giovanni said. “That’s why we did not detect him.” Tenzin only nodded as Baojia continued.
“I killed them… eventually. It took longer than I had hoped. These were not raw warriors. They had training and most of them, I would guess, were my age or older.”
Beatrice whispered, “You killed six on your own?”
Baojia’s eyes softened when he looked at her. “I have had many years fighting, Beatrice. You and your father did well against your opponents. Four against two. One of whom was your father’s sire? Do not blame yourself for his death. Others bear that responsibility.”
But Beatrice did. It was unavoidable. Her mind kept replaying little things she could have done differently. If she hadn’t panicked. If she had been faster. If she had better control of the bloodlust that had ambushed and distracted her.
“When I got to the river, Lorenzo was already gone. Stephen was dead. B was pinned—”
“Pinned?” Giovanni squeezed her hand.
“He pinned me to the ground with his sword. I tried to pull it out, but it was so deep. He broke off the handle so I couldn’t… And then, I’m pretty sure it cut my spine and—”
She broke off when Giovanni grabbed her and pulled her into a fierce embrace. She heard Tenzin and Baojia quickly leave them as Giovanni rocked her back and forth.
“Tesoro,” he whispered as he rocked her back and forth. “Beatrice, I should never have left you.”
“You can’t say that. You were trying to find Lorenzo. You were trying to protect the monks. I’m not the only person in the world, you know.”
He said something low in Italian before he cleared his throat.
“Do you want to rest? Do you want to help Tenzin with your father? What would you do?”
“I’ll help Tenzin. What… what will happen to his body?”
He paused. “It will linger for two more nights. On the third night, we return to our element. We will take him to the river.”
She nodded. Beatrice was glad they were near a river. Some instinctual part of her recoiled at the idea of her father’s remains dissolving into the earth. She peeled herself away from Giovanni, rose, and went to find Tenzin.
Giovanni and Baojia were silently sorting and replacing the scrolls on the shelves while Beatrice and Tenzin sat next to Stephen’s lifeless body. Giovanni kept an eye on his wife even as he worked. He also watched in fascination as Tenzin performed the ancient mourning ritual over her mate.