Page 5 of Dawn Caravan
“Ben?” Chloe’s smiling face filled the screen. Her curly hair was tied back in a colorful scarf, and she was sitting outside in the sun. “Hey! I didn’t expect to hear from you today. I’m having lunch with Arthur.”
The small designer poked his head into the viewing screen and Ben angled his head so his transformed eyes weren’t obvious.
“Come home!” Arthur said. “Everyone misses you like crazy. I know you and Tenzin had a fight, but stop being stubborn or you’re going to give me wrinkles, and you know I’m too beautiful for wrinkles.”
Ben couldn’t help but smile. “I miss you too, Arthur.”
Chloe shoved him away. “Are you calling for work?”
“Yes, but nothing related to a current client.” He took a deep, unnecessary breath and did the thing he’d been avoiding for two full years. “Do you still have my last mailing address?”
Chloe’s eyebrows went up. “Yes.”
The last mailing address she had was directed to a box that was regularly delivered by courier to Penglai Island, the home of Ben’s vampire sire.
“I think you need to send my mail.”
2
The first time Ben traveled to Penglai Island, he’d been a resentful human, pissed off at his vampire partner for dragging him into another job where he might end up dead.
In the end, he hadn’t been killed, but only because Tenzin had taken it upon herself to fly his mortally wounded body to her sire and had convinced Zhang to change him.
How? He still didn’t know.
This time, instead of coming by boat, he flew through the air toward the golden jewel of an island set in the fog-covered sea. He was met by his sire’s guards at the air perimeter of the island, and the guards stopped and bowed midair when they realized who approached.
“Master Vecchio.” A guard with a familiar face moved toward him. “This marshal greets you with joy on your return. The wind is strong tonight.”
“The wind is very strong.” Ben searched his mind for the guard’s name. “Duan Liping, it’s good to see you again. Is my sire well?”
The man beamed. “The elder is in excellent health.”
“Thank you for your greeting.” It was far more than a greeting. Zhang Guo and Zhongli Quan were the two wind vampires among the Eight Immortal elders of Penglai Island, and they were responsible for marshaling the air guard that protected the island, just as water vampires protected the seas. No one passed them without permission or invitation.
Well, Ben didn’t need an invitation. Not anymore.
Though most of the elders had immortal children collected over many centuries, Zhang had only two. For thousands of years, he’d had only one. Tenzin had been it.
And now there was Ben.
As the immortal son of the founder of the island, Ben could come and go at any time, though he’d only spent a little time there since he’d turned. The first year of his immortal life had been spent training in Mongolia, and the second year had mostly consisted of him wandering wherever the hell he wanted, learning the limits and extent of his flying while he tried to avoid thinking too deeply about anything else.
He flew past the marshals and toward the large, square palace on the highest summit of Penglai Island. The traditional structure was divided between the eight immortals with Zhang holding the north-northwest corner as his own. Half the rooms had once belonged to Tenzin, but Tai had apportioned off several of them for Ben’s use when he was there.
He flew to a training room with a retractable roof and saw a human servant stand up straight as he landed.
“Master Vecchio.”
“Just Ben,” he murmured, knowing it was useless to correct them. A part of him liked the formality. In a world that could be radically confusing, the structure of Penglai Island was blessedly welcome. Every type of vampire wore a different color robe, schedules were ruthlessly adhered to, and titles were respected. Servants addressed all vampires with respect and were respected in turn.
Everyone had their role, including him.
He’d landed in Penglai as the human, Benjamin Amir Santiago Vecchio, adopted son of Giovanni Vecchio, friend of Rome and Master of Iron in Lothian. He returned as Benjamin Amir Santiago Rios, Gan Jochi of the Kentii Mountains, Marshal of Penglai Island, bearer of the Laylat al Hisab, and Master of Iron in Lothian.
He walked to the bedroom Tai had made for him and dropped off the backpack he’d brought from Kashgar before stepping behind a screen and removing the dark pants and shirt he’d been wearing when he flew from Kashgar.
He used to think that Tenzin wore black as a statement, and maybe she did. Maybe that was part of it.
