Page 84 of Dawn Caravan
She smiled. “You know what’s happening in three weeks, don’t you? The Vashana Zata is a big deal. A giant festival where they choose the future terrin. That’s why Radu, Kezia, and Vano are all here.”
“How did you know about the festival?”
She ignored him. “You don’t want me to take off.” She whispered, “You need me to help you find the goblet.”
The fact that he’d been thinking about that no more than half an hour before didn’t assuage his anger at all.
“I know all the vampires here better than you,” she continued. “Well, except for Tatyana, but I’m figuring her out. I can tell you when they’re lying. Even more, I can tell you all the things that Radu won’t.”
“Radu’s not telling me everything?”
“Of course he’s not.” Tenzin tapped his lower lip, and Ben let his fangs fall. “Do you want to have sex?”
“That’s not why I came to your caravan.”
“That’s not a yes or no.”
“Then no.”
“Liar.” She glanced down at the tent in his pants. “But we can pretend you came to tell me I was annoying you.”
“Driving me crazy.”
“Right.” She held up a finger. “Yes. Driving you crazy.”
He was going to have to do it. They were going to have to have a giant fight in front of God and a dozen strange vampires before this was over. There was no way he could work with her on something in such close quarters without exploding eventually.
“Well?”
“Well what?” His voice was rough.
“Was there anything else now that you’ve told me I drive you crazy?” She floated up to him until they were eye to eye. “I am here to listen. I’m not going to say I am ‘all ears.’ That is a horrible saying that creates a grotesque mental picture.”
Everything Ben wanted to say was caught in his throat.
I still love you.
I also hate you.
I miss you too.
I dream about you.
You are the only one I want, and that makes me unbearably sad.
The last thought killed the remnants of Ben’s desire. “I’m going to investigate this,” he said. “And I’m not going to play favorites.”
She looked disappointed. “Fine. I don’t have anything to hide. Once you eliminate me as a suspect, we can work together.”
“That’s not how this is going to go.”
“On the contrary,” Tenzin said. “According to the deal we struck, we were going to work together through the end of Radu’s job. Since Radu’s job never really finished, then here we are. Business partners again.”
Dammit, she was right.
“I don’t think Radu invited you here because he wanted us working together.”
“Radu didn’t invite me at all,” Tenzin said. “Kezia did.” She reached for a colorful copy of a magazine entitledBirds & Bloomson the kitchenette table. “If you’ll excuse me, there’s an article about creating bee-friendly urban gardens I wanted to read.”
