Page 6 of The Devil and the Dancer
Ben and Tenzin would be in Puerto Rico looking for pirate treasure for about a month. While they were gone, Chloe wouldn’t have much to do other than watch the house, pay the bills, and do any research online that Tenzin wasn’t able to do herself. Half the time that research would involve whatever mysterious artifact or treasure they were following.
The other half would be how to make a cake in a microwave or why Americans called the back of a car the trunk instead of the boot.
This was her life.
A few more minutes with Ben didn’t reassure Chloe that he was headed anywhere productive for himself personally, despite the fact that her friend had actual human relatives on the island.
She walked downstairs to the training area to find Tenzin, her employer and her oddest friend, staring at a group of weapons spread across the training area.
“What are you doing?” Chloe asked.
“Trying to decide what to take.”
Chloe blinked. “You’re bringing a sword to Puerto Rico? Why?”
“I always carry at least one sword with me at all times. Usually two.” She looked up. “Arthur made me a new coat.”
“I don’t want to know.” Arthur probably knew deep down there was something wrong with Tenzin. He just found the ancient vampire too hilarious to examine the instinct closely. “Is that… allowed?”
Tenzin turned to Chloe with a frown. “Is what allowed?”
“Can you just bring a sword into a foreign country? Is that allowed?”
Tenzin narrowed her eyes. “Who exactly do you think would be inspectingme?”
“Okay. I hadn’t thought about that.” Becauseof courseno one was inspecting Tenzin. If Gavin flew to Puerto Rico, no one would inspect him either. It wasn’t as if there was a wind vampire hanging around in Puerto Rican airspace to TSA the vampires coming onto the island.
“Right.” She looked at the collection of swords Tenzin had pulled onto the ground. “I’m going to say the one with the curved blade and the brown leather handle—”
“The Ottoman pala saber. Good choice.”
“—because it’s relatively short and looks kinda like a pirate sword, which is cool. And then… the triangular grip sword thingy with the jeweled handle.”
“It’s an Indian punch dagger or a katar. Excellent choice.”
“It looks very lethal and is probably pretty easy to hide except for all those crystals on the handle.”
“Those are emeralds.”
Of course they are!Chloe shook her head. “Okay. So I guess those two.”
Tenzin patted her shoulder. “You give excellent advice.”
“I try.” She turned to the small vampire, who was already putting away the dozen swords she wasn’t taking to Puerto Rico in her new jacket. “I need you to promise me something.”
Tenzin froze. She turned slowly. “I do not make promises lightly.”
“I know you don’t.”
Humor had fled Tenzin’s expression. “What is it?”
“I know neither of us can make Ben do anything he doesn’t want to do. He acts all easygoing, but he’s like a mule sometimes.”
“I’ve mentally compared him to a donkey many times in my head.”
“Yeah, so…” Chloe took a breath. “You know he has family there.”
“Yes.”
