Roots and branches. Beginnings and endings.
His human life had ended. A branch cut off.
Ben stood and walked through the garden, over the bridges, and up to the teahouse, climbing to the Zen garden and the bonsai garden beyond.
“Where one branch is cut, a bud will grow.”
“So this life is a bud?”
“In a sense. If you want new growth, the old must be cut away.”
Ben didn’t feel new. He felt shackled by his roots, but he was unwilling to pull away. He’d worked hard to find people and places that were his own. Cutting them off wasn’t an option.
“All branches grow from the same root.” Zhang was pruning his grape vines in Penglai. “Cut off this branch, and the new bud comes. But it all comes from the same root. The root never changes. Will this branch have different grapes than the old one? Of course not. The root stays true.”
Ben walked along the path above the creek, through the dark canopy of camellia bushes, toward the Chinese garden in the distance.
“You are still you.”
She didn’t know. How could she? She was so old, the idea of her mortal life so remote it was a myth. The man Ben had been was dead, and the vampire he was now…
He didn’t know who he was.
Ben passed through the camellias and walked under the cloudy sky again, the night sounds muffled by the clouds and the trees and the gurgle of running water.
He ducked under the round gate leading to the Chinese garden and took his shoes off, flexing his toes on the intricately patterned pebble mosaics that made up the garden.
A flash from the corner of his eye.
Ben froze as his eyes followed the moving shadow. He held his breath and listened.
Something was overhead. Something other than bats. Something…
A hint of amnis trickled through the air, the taste of cardamom and honey.
“Tenzin.” Rage punched through him and he rose into the sky, arrowing toward the shadow, but it was gone.
The scrape of tile near the teahouse.
“Tenzin!” Ben snarled as he raced in that direction, only to see the shadow fly from the curving roof and toward the pavilion that overlooked the lake. The shadow darted under the bridge, the water rippling out from the speed of her flight.
“Dammit.” She was too fast. “I know it’s you!”
Why haunt him? Why follow him?
The shadow flew over the gates of the garden and through the night. Ben followed, the wind tearing through his hair as he raced behind. He wasn’t fast enough; his control was too shaky. He felt the wind fighting him.
He thought he heard the echo of laughter as he passed through the alley of giant camellias leading toward a trickling stone fountain.
Ben hovered over the garden, listening to the water and the wind sweeping through the palm trees. The bats were back, flapping through the night as they feasted on insects.
“I know you’re there.” He didn’t need to speak loudly. “And I don’t know what game you’re playing, but I’m not interested. Leave me alone.”
Ben landed softly on the wet grass, realizing too late that he’d left his shoes back in the Chinese garden.
Shit.
* * *
Tenzin watched from her perch in the king palm tree near the desert garden as he took flight. He was getting faster and faster. His control was growing. She was glad he’d finally left Asia. Keeping tabs on him had been exhausting. He was far more adept at disappearing than she’d imagined.
It both frustrated and delighted her. Ben had never been boring in his human life, and he was proving to be a skilled opponent in his immortal one.
Very enjoyable.
Opponent for now, partner eventually.
She glanced at the bat eating a piece of fruit next to her. “He insists he wants to be left alone, but if that was truly the case, why did he chase me?”
The bat didn’t answer her.
“Agreed.” She drew up her knees and rested her chin on them. “He doesn’t know what he wants.” She glanced at the bat. “No, you’re right. He does know, he just doesn’t want to admit it.”
He wanted her. For what, he was probably unsure. But he wanted her, and that was a place to start. Maybe at first he would only want her help. Maybe he thought he wanted revenge.
He’d see the truth eventually. She would be patient.
She had all the time she needed now.
7
Gavin was drinking a glass of whiskey in the front yard when Ben landed back at the house.
“I always forget how warm it is here,” he said. “There’s still snow in New York. Snow.” He curled his lip. “I’ve got to convince Chloe to move. Houston. Los Angeles. Capri. I have a new bar in Spain she’d like.”
“She loves New York.” Ben fought to get his emotions under control.
“I know.” He finished his drink. “How are you?”
“Fine.”
“Yes, clearly.” Gavin raised an eyebrow. “Funny, you have that enraged look you usually only get when you’ve been around your partner.”
“Tenzin isn’t my partner anymore.”
“And yet you knew exactly who I was talking about,” Gavin said. “She’s still your partner, and you’re fooling yourself if you think you can just avoid her.”
“Did she fly to LA with you?”
“With me?” Gavin frowned. “Of course not. Do you know how fast she flies? It’s ridiculous and irritating.” He muttered, “You’ll probably be as fast as her eventually, you irritating knob.”
“Missed you too.” Ben stalked past the Scottish vampire.
“Giovanni wants us in the library,” Gavin yelled. “You need some background on Radu.”
“I already got the briefing on the icon.”
“The icon?” Gavin smiled. “You still amuse me, sweet lamb. You think this is only about an icon? Everyone underestimates Radu.” Gavin joined him. “It’s not a mistake I’ve made.”
“So?” Ben shook off the irritation Tenzin had provoked and
