Page 143 of Night's Reckoning
Tenzin handed him the screwdriver, stepped back, and looked at the large glass structure she and Gavin had constructed on the roof. It was nearly complete—the door was the last piece—which was a good thing because her plants were starting to take over the loft.
Once the door was finished, they could turn on the heater and move the plants that had been living in the apartment all winter into the glass house. Tenzin had watched numerous online videos and was satisfied that she was nearly an expert.
She knew how to use the roof panels to allow air in during the day and close them at night, trapping the warmth in the glass house so it created a tropical paradise like Ben had loved in Puerto Rico. She had installed fans and humidifiers that would keep the plants from overheating in the sizzling New York summers.
Plus the birds would be much happier in the glass house among the trees than stuck always in their cage in the loft.
“Do you think he’ll be annoyed that we built this without him?” Tenzin muttered, “Actually, I don’t think I care if he’s annoyed.”
Gavin huffed. “You took him to your sire to change him into a vampire without his permission, Tenzin. If he manages to forgive you for that, I really don’t think the glass house is going to be much of a stretch.”
“Good point.” She refused to think about Ben not forgiving her. He would. Eventually. “I should have gotten a bigger one.”
Gavin uttered one of the long and delightful Scottish curses that sounded like complete gibberish to her. “No, you fucking shouldn’t have. This one is complicated enough.”
“But you didn’t even need to read the directions.”
Gavin couldn’t hold in his laugh. “Woman, you’re a menace.”
“I know.”
He closed the door, and Tenzin listened for the click.
She turned to Gavin and grinned. “You did it.”
“Thank fuck, we did.” He pointed to the glass tiles on the ceiling. “I’d have never figured out the roof panels on my own.”
“You’re becoming more modest,” Tenzin said. “Is it because you’re in love with Chloe?”
“Fuck if I know,” he muttered, using one of Tenzin’s favorite American curses. “Probably.”
“Did she talk to him this week?”
“We both did.” Gavin cleared his throat. “He told Chloe about learning how to fly better and how he didn’t have to use his hands to close doors now. She warned him about getting a fat arse because he was turning lazy.”
“And what did he tell you?”
Gavin hesitated for a moment. “He hunted last week. First time with a human. Zhang was with him. No one was hurt, but he’s feeling conflicted anyway. He asked Zhang about animal blood.”
“Not as healthy for his amnis, especially when he’s so young.”
“I know. He knows too. I talked to him.”
Tenzin nodded. It was those harder lessons she wanted most to talk with Ben about, but in the months he’d been in Khentii, he hadn’t asked to speak with her once, even though Chloe had told Ben she was back in New York.
Gavin walked inside and closed the glass door before he turned on the heater, giving the house a few moments to warm up before they started moving the plants from the loft.
“Hey, Tenzin?” Chloe walked out on the roof and clapped her hands. “It’s so great! He’s gonna love it.” She ran into the glass house and looked around. “It’s huge.”
“It won’t feel so big when all the plants are inside.” Tenzin spotted a thick envelope in Chloe’s hand. “What is that?”
“Oh right.” Chloe walked over and handed the envelope to Tenzin. “This came to the pub today. Nearly forgot about it.”
Tenzin glanced at the wax seal and lack of postage. “Courier?”
“Yes. Didn’t recognize her, but she had an accent. Maybe Russian?” Chloe shrugged. “I’m not sure. Just asked for Ben’s assistant and dropped it off.”
Tenzin had already spotted Ben’s name on the front, but she was pretty sure she recognized the seal too.
