Page 119 of Night's Reckoning
Metal room.
Benjamin.
She reached for the shirt she’d taken from his room and put her face up to inhale the familiar scent. She took a deep breath and let it out.
Ship. She was on the ship, and she would need to search Johari’s compartment that night when the sun went down. She glanced at the battery-powered clock on the box by her books.
5:41 p.m.
Tenzin blinked. “Cara?”
“Welcome, Tenzin.”
“What time is sunset in… wherever I am right now.”
“Sunset was at 5:40 this evening.”
She sat back on her knees. She’d slept for over an hour. Anhour. And she’d woken at sunset. “How did this happen?” she whispered.
“I’m sorry,” Cara said. “Can you repeat the question?”
She’d slept. She had closed her eyes and lost time that hadn’t been spent in meditation or zoned out doing another task like weaving or playing music.
What was happening to her?
You took his blood. He took yours.
Once. She’d taken his blood once.
You took from the vein. He took from yours.
“That shouldn’t matter,” she muttered.
She rose and smoothed a hand down her clothes, straightening the tunic and leggings she’d put on the night before. She needed to visit Johari’s room. She needed to find out if Sina had any news about the sword or the vampire who had sealed Ben’s fate.
That was you.
“Cara, call…” She stopped before she finished the question. “Cara, call Andrew Leu.”
“Calling… Mister Stuffy.”
“Who—?” Oh, that’s right. That’s what she’d nicknamed her father’s friend in her address book. “Cara, he can’t see his nickname when you call him, can he?”
“No, Tenzin. Nicknames in your address book are private.”
“Probably a good thing.”
A few rings and Andrew picked up. “Hello, Tenzin.”
“Andrew. I am assuming my father has told you.”
Andrew’s voice was cautious. “He has.”
“There is no need to express any personal thoughts. I will likely need to speak to Benjamin later tonight once I go through Johari’s room. Please make sure he is in the phone room at the palace.”
“I will convey your message to Zhang.”
“Thank you. End call.” Better to not let Andrew express opinions. He tended to be far too insightful. Not unlike Cheng’s annoying butler, Jonathan. Or Giovanni’s Caspar.
