He stared at the fine strands that grew along her hairline. The pores of her pale skin. The minute creases next to her eyes. He looked at her and saw everything in a way his human eyes never could. And he still wanted to be closer.
He drank her scent and felt like drowning. “You took my blood too.”
Tenzin looked up and boldly met his eyes. “Yes, I did.”
“Why?”
Fine lines appeared between her eyebrows. “Why do you think?”
His chest felt like it was cracked open. “Just tell me.”
Tenzin floated up his body, and Ben forced himself to remain frozen. He felt her lips an inch away, running along his jawline and down his neck, pausing where his vein lay shallow beneath the skin. If she opened her mouth, her fangs would draw blood.
“Why would I tell you what you already know?” She warmed her breath before it touched his skin, sending pinpricks of pleasure in a wave down his body.
“I told you everything that night,” he whispered. “I bared my soul.”
“Yes,” Tenzin said simply. “You offered your love to me, then you demanded that I watch you die.”
Ben’s breath stopped; he couldn’t speak.
Tenzin’s voice held pain. “I knew you had cruelty in you, Benjamin. I didn’t think you would use it on me. Not like that.”
“That’s not what I did.”
“That” —she pulled away and there were tears in her eyes— “is exactly what you did.”
She put a hand on his chest and pushed him away. Ben didn’t resist. He couldn’t. He backed into the hallway, his arms still crossed over his chest while his blood screamed at him to reach out and take her, hold her, keep her close.
“I’m leaving tomorrow at nightfall.” Tenzin stared over his shoulder, the tears still visible in her eyes. “Goodbye, Ben.”
Then she closed the door.
He heard nothing for a long time, only the sound of her breath moving slowly in and out of her lungs, then her footsteps receded from the door and there was silence.
19
Chloe caught Tenzin before she left the next night. “Where will you go?”
“Back to Bucharest.” She stuffed a new video game console in her backpack next to her gloves and a Cara-enabled tablet. “Can I stay in the same place?”
Chloe nodded. “You have the code?”
“I do.”
Gavin had his regular apartment over the club in downtown Bucharest. He also had a safe house where Tenzin had stayed that few knew about. It was only accessible by air, built into an old Soviet-era warehouse on the outskirts of the city.
“How long will you be in Romania?”
Tenzin said, “No more than a few nights. I need to contact a few people; then I will probably disappear for a time.” She pulled an envelope from the pocket of her tunic and handed it to Chloe.
“What is this?”
“I emailed instructions to you about the safe in New York. The letter is for Ben.” She met Chloe’s shocked eyes. “If a year has passed from this day and I have not spoken to you, give this letter to Benjamin.”
Chloe said, “You’re scaring me.”
“Don’t be scared.” She touched the woman’s shoulder. “I don’t expect anything to happen to me. I’m quite hard to kill. But I think this is necessary. It shouldn’t take more than three to seven months.”
“Three to seven months? That’s oddly specific.”
“I think the snow will come in October.”
Chloe let out a strangled laugh. “Yeah, this is weird and cryptic even for you.”
“I know.” She frowned. “I am not going to stop working on my New Year’s resolutions, but for now I may have to pause my progress.”
“Okay.” Chloe nodded. “Again, nothing about that makes sense.”
“Hopefully I’ll be able to tell you in three to—”
“Seven months.” Chloe waved the letter. “I got you.”
“Are you and Gavin going to return to New York soon?”
“I think he said last night that he needs one more night to work here, then back to Romania for Ben’s meeting with Radu, then back to LA to drop off the plane, and then we’ll head home from there.”
“I see.” Tenzin thought rapidly. “I can’t decide if Gavin should accompany Ben to meet Radu. I think maybe he should.”
“I don’t think he was planning on it. Radu has no leverage on Ben at this point. He prepaid for the icon with all that gold, so all Ben needs to do is drop it off. Pretty straightforward.”
“Yes, all that gold…” Tenzin turned to Chloe. “Tell Gavin there is nothing about Radu that is straightforward. I warned Ben not to underestimate him, but I ended up doing it myself. Ben won’t take me seriously.”
Chloe fisted her hair in her hands. “You need to start making sense, Tenzin!”
“I know.” She quickly leaned forward and kissed Chloe’s cheek. “You are a true friend to both of us and I love you.” She hugged Chloe quickly. “You know that, correct?”
Chloe’s expression told her she hadn’t known it. “I love you too. Please be safe.”
“Of course.” Her fangs peeked out when she smiled. “I’m finally having fun again. But don’t tell Ben I said that.”
“That you’re having fun with something that’s obviously life-threatening? Yeah, I think I’ll keep that to myself.”
“Ben likes to pretend that he doesn’t also get excited by dangerous situations. I don’t understand that about him, but I have decided not to challenge his sense of self for a while.”
“Okay.” Chloe shrugged. “Sure.”
“I’ll see you in three to seven months.” Tenzin slung her backpack over her shoulder. “Hopefully.”
* * *
Ben woke from his day rest and he was starving. He hit the intercom inside his sleeping chamber.
“Yes, Mr. Vecchio? Can we help you this evening?”
Gavin’s household staff was amazing. “Can I get a thermos of preserved blood heated and sent to my room?”
“If you’ll give us ten minutes, we can have fresh delivered.”
“Sweet.” He swallowed back the burning in his throat. “Just leave it on the table. I’m going to stay secured
