Page 12 of Dawn Caravan
“Ben?”
“Yes?”
“Are you staying home for a while?”
He considered how to answer. “I may need to go away for work next week, but then when I finish with that, I promise I won’t stay away for so long again.”
“Ever again?” She leaned over his shoulder. “Promise?”
He bumped her forehead with his own. “I promise.”
“Good.” She put her chin on his shoulder. “I miss you when you’re gone.”
“I miss you too.”
“And I miss Tenzin.” She sighed. “I love Tenzin so much.”
Ben bit his lip. “I know you do.”
“Is Tenzin coming soon?”
“I don’t think so, Sadi.”
“Why not? Is she working?”
“I think so.” The lie slipped too easily from his lips, but he didn’t know what else to tell her. “Has she video-called you?”
“Yes. With me and Baba. She showed me your birds in New York.”
Ben stopped. “My birds?”
“Yeah. The pretty little birds that live in the glass house.”
“Oh right.” The spike twisted in his heart. “Those birds.”
“I like their names.” She giggled. “Tenzin said they werelovebirds.”
“Uh-huh.”
“Loooovebirds.” Sadia couldn’t stop the giggles. “’Cause they love each other.”
Ben couldn’t stop the smile at hearing her giggle so much. “I think you’re tired and you need to go to bed.”
“Do lovebirds kiss with their beaks?” She was still giggling in his ear. “I bet they kiss a lot, like Baba and Mama.”
Ben shook his head. “I think you’ve been infected with a case of the sillies.”
His words only made Sadia laugh harder. And for the first time in a long time, all was right in Ben Vecchio’s world.
4
The De Novo-Vecchio predawn family celebration lasted until exactly dawn, when Ben abruptly fell into a deep vampire sleep. When he woke the next night, it was to a smell that was more welcome than the sweetest, freshest, most delectably pure blood in the world.
He sat up in the dark closet and inhaled deeply.
Dried chiles. Cumin. Corn. Sweet heaven and all the angels.
“Mexican food.”
