Page 40 of Dawn Caravan
“No, I’m closer to your neck of the woods.”
“Do tell.”
“Romania.”
“Working again?” She muttered something to someone. “Sorry, I’m in the office. Give me a moment.”
“I don’t want to interrupt.”
“No, it’s grand.” She was walking. “I’ll step outside for a moment. It’s been a few weeks. Romania, eh? Is this the Radu thing? I’m glad you’re getting that taken care of. I think it’s been hanging on your mind.”
“I know.” He ran a hand over his forehead; the drizzle was turning to rain. “Am I ever not going to be angry about this, Brig?”
“About…?”
“Being a vampire. Missing the sun. Missing food. Having to drink human blood to survive.”
“Ah.” She closed a door. “Short answer? Yes. I have every confidence you will eventually not be angry about this.”
That wasn’t as comforting as it should have been. He kicked at a pebble on the roof. “I saw her tonight.”
“Who?
“Tenzin.”
“What? How?” Brigid sounded appropriately shocked. “Are you working with her?”
“She kind of… showed up in Bucharest before me.”
Brigid snorted. “Savage bitch.”
“Why are you laughing?”
“I mean… I know you’re angry with her, I just can’t help it. She’s so fecking rude. Part of me has to admire it.”
“Good to know you can find the humor in the situation.”
Brigid took a deep breath. “Did she say why she’s there? It seemed like she was keeping her distance.”
“She was following me constantly.”
“But from a distance.” Brigid sighed. “What do you expect? You’re one of her people.”
“She decided that. Not me.”
“Doesn’t make much of a difference,” Brigid said. “You’re going to learn that. Some of that is just territorial instincts. You have them too.”
Ben thought about his uneasiness in his own home with Giovanni and the itching under his skin on his uncle’s private plane. “I know. I felt them in LA.”
“And you’ll adapt to it soon enough. Be able to understand when to ignore things and when to pay attention to them. So…”
“So what? That doesn’t mean Tenzin can just barge into my life when I don’t want her there.”
“No, you are correct. You get to decide who is part of your life whether you’re human or immortal. Well, other than your sire. You don’t get much say about that. But she’s not your sire.”
“Thank God.”
“Why thank God?” Brigid said. “Because you’re in love with her? Or because you hate her?”
