Tenzin walked toward Chloe and knelt in front of her. “No one can manipulate him now. His mind is his own. He was sired by one of the most powerful vampires on the planet. That was the point, Chloe. For Ben to not be afraid.”
Chloe brushed back a piece of Tenzin’s hair. “I know that’s what you wanted. But fear is one of the things that keeps us humble. It makes us human.”
“It can also make you dead.”
Seeing Ben afraid had broken something in Tenzin. His fear broke open a rage she had not felt in thousands of years. That rage had burned her from the inside out, hollowing her out until something new was forced to grow.
Chloe smiled, but it was sad. “I can’t force him to see your perspective. And neither can you. He’s going to be angry for a while, and he’s probably going to do a lot of things you don’t understand.”
I love you. I love you so much. And I’m dying, so you need to know that.
Tenzin turned away from Chloe and watched the waves rise and fall in the midnight sea. “I am trying.”
“You mean your New Year’s resolutions?”
Tenzin—in her new spirit of openness—had tried to explain to Chloe that she was becoming something new, but most of it hadn’t translated very well.
“Yes. My resolutions.”
When Ben’s human body had died, a part of Tenzin had died with it. The mercy he’d demanded of her had forced Tenzin to look inward.
Which she hated.
She was a weapon, a blade in her sire’s hand. A creature created to be used by others.
Over millennia, she had sheared away the parts of herself that could be hurt. If she was a weapon, she would be a weapon only for herself. She wouldn’t only be feared, she would be worshipped.
Now Tenzin wanted to be more.
She had humbled herself before her father. She’d crawled across cobblestones on her knees. She’d pledged fidelity to a sire she hated in order to save the life of the one human who had never seen her as a weapon or a goddess.
He had only seen her.
You’re lovely. Lovable. You’re worthy of that.
She was trying to awaken parts of herself that had been strangled by the past. It was irritating as shit.
“Humans are so infuriating.”
Chloe said, “He’s not human anymore.”
“Then vampires are so infuriating! I don’t know what he wants from me.”
Chloe sighed. “The problem is, he may not want anything from you. Not for a long time.”
She tapped her foot on the marble tiles. “I can be patient.”
Chloe nodded. “Uh-huh.”
Tenzin turned to Chloe and narrowed her eyes. “You said something that means yes, but your face says the opposite.”
“You’re just… not the best at waiting for things you want.”
Tenzin flopped back on the lounger and scowled at the stars. “Why should I wait for something to happen when I can make it happen faster?”
Chloe reached down and stroked Tenzin’s hair. “Because you can’t change someone’s heart.”
“I can try.”
“Well, yeah. I guess that’s the whole point, right? Just remember, hearts can be stubborn things.”
Ben had loved her once, so Tenzin was counting on his heart being very stubborn. Stubborn enough to keep loving her even when he was angry.
Chloe kept stroking her hair.
“You’re petting me like your cat.”
“I know. I really miss Pete. I kind of wish we’d brought him with us.”
“Glad I could help.”
15
Ben landed on the roof of Gavin’s club in Monte Carlo, absently noting the muffled noise of the casino in the building below.
Vampires, Ben had learned, enjoyed gambling as much or more than humans did. There must be something about centuries of life, vast amounts of money, and boredom that caused them to dabble in games.
Go figure.
He walked to the hostess, who hadn’t batted an eye as he landed on the balcony. She was human, though Ben could see more than one vampire working in the club. Unusual, but then not all vampires were rich.
“Bonsoir, monsieur.”
“Bonsoir,” he replied, also in French. “Is Mr. Wallace in the club tonight?”
“May I tell him who is inquiring about him?”
“Ben Vecchio.”
“Thank you, Mr. Vecchio. I’ll let him know you’re here.”
There was no use trying to be anonymous in Europe. He’d already spotted several vampires he knew from Rome and more than one he’d seen in New York and London.
Come to think of it, most of the vampires he spotted hadn’t seen Ben since he’d turned. He’d been more than a bit of a hermit in Asia. He was attracting a few looks, and he hadn’t even thought about it.
Oh well.
Gavin walked out from the interior of the club and onto the open-air patio where Ben was waiting. “I see we’re not being circumspect anymore.”
Ben shrugged and kept his hands in his pockets. “Let them stare.”
Gavin glanced at the open stares many vampires in the club were sporting before he led Ben to a smaller alcove with a table and two deep benches. “The stares used to drive you crazy.”
“People are going to look their fill whether I want them to or not,” he said under his breath. “Better to let them get a good eyeful, smother the rumors, and be done with it.”
Gavin was clearly amused. He leaned back and stretched an arm across the back of the bench. “You picked a fairly prominent location for your coming-out party, my friend.”
Ben assessed the club with a critical eye. “It’s fancy.”
“I like the weather.”
“Gotta love the Mediterranean nights. They’re never too hot.”
“Very true.” Gavin nodded. “So, any developments?”
Ben glanced around. “Is talking in the club—”
“We worked sound masking into the audio system.” Gavin kept his voice low and even. “I mean, don’t shout, but you haven’t been hearing everyone’s gossip, have you?”
“I can’t really concentrate on much over the casino noise.”
“Exactly.” Gavin tipped his glass toward a speaker embedded in the wall next to him.
Huh. Clever. Ben nodded. “Cool.” He was craving a drink. “As for developments, it’s looking like Hungary.”
“Are you sure?” Gavin waved over
