Blood Apprentice: An Elemental Legacy Novel

by Elizabeth Hunter

  “Then finish your coffee, and I’ll show it to you.”

  Two boxes of letters were open on the library table, both yellowed from age but bearing different handwriting.

  “These are from a young Dominican who cared for Enríquez during his final days. He was a native of the island, from around Arecibo. And these others are from Matías de Abadía, the governor who orchestrated Enríquez’s downfall in his last years.”

  “Why?” Ben asked. “What did Abadía have against Enríquez?”

  Camino shrugged. “Some say Abadía thought he had reached too far for his station. Others say he was a convenient scapegoat for the British after Spain and England made peace. Personally, I think Enríquez wasn’t a nice man! He made many enemies during his years attaining power and wealth. Those things come back to haunt you.”

  Ben laid a letter out on the table. “True.”

  “The letters from Abadía are interesting.” The old man pushed the larger box forward. “Though he’d forced Enríquez to pay fines and settlements to the point of near poverty, he was still convinced Enríquez was hiding the majority of his wealth.”

  “He thought Enríquez had hidden treasure?”

  “Oh yes. And it’s also notable that the priest’s letters are not very clear on how Enríquez was paying for his stay with the Dominicans. From what the young man said, he was very, very comfortable at the convent.”

  “Not exactly a pauper’s bed, huh?”

  “Oh no. He had private rooms. Servants. None of that would have come for free. Enríquez did have a long relationship with the church—”

  “Did he know his father was a priest?” An itch formed in the back of Ben’s mind. Something about the priest…

  “It’s very likely he did. He and all his siblings had the same father. When he was in trouble? He went to the Dominicans.”

  “And the convent you’re talking about, it’s the one right here in San Juan?” Ben spread the letters from the priest out on the table.

  “Yes, only a few minutes away. He stayed there until his death.”

  Ben smiled. “Don’t tell me no one has searched the convent in all these years.”

  “For his wealth? Oh, of course they have,” Camino said. “Abadía did. Others have. It was the last place Enríquez lived. But it’s been renovated many times. I don’t think it’s likely any treasure is there.”

  Ben leaned his elbows on the table. “Do you have any ideas?”

  “Me?” Camino’s narrow shoulders rose. “What use would I have for gold or silver? I don’t collect metal.”

  “That didn’t answer my question.”

  “These letters here? These are my treasures.” The old man leaned forward, his eyes sparkling. “But if you were looking for treasure…”

  “Which is a fool’s errand.”

  “Of course.” Camino shrugged. “Pirate treasure is a myth. But if you were to go to the west of the island, you might find those more curious about gold.”

  “You mean vampires?”

  “Oh, possibly. But I don’t ask about such things. The older an immortal is, the tighter they hold on to their secrets.”

  “Secrets like hidden treasure?”

  “What treasure?” Camino spread his hands. “Miguel Enríquez died a pauper. Everyone knows that.”

  Ben smiled at the old man’s innocent expression. “There haven’t even been rumors?”

  Camino considered for a moment. “I will tell you this: you are the first—human or immortal—who has come and asked about these letters since I have lived in San Juan.”

  “Good to know.” Ben smiled. “It’s still hard for me to imagine any place on this island is unknown to immortals who have lived here thousands of years.”

  “Even a little island can have many places to hide,” Camino said.

  “True.”

  Camino waited, but Ben remained silent.

  “You have an idea,” the old man said, “or you would not have come to see me.”

  “Me?” Ben shrugged. “I’m just doing research.”

  Camino smiled. “Which is good. As I said, I have no use for gold or silver. And your uncle has done me more than one favor over the years.”

  “Thank you.” Ben pointed at the box of letters from the young Dominican. “Do you mind if I take pictures of these? Just for my own records? I’d like to share them with my partner.”

  Camino stood. “Not at all, as long as you don’t use a flash.”

  “Of course.”

  Ben took multiple pictures of each letter, placing each back in an acid-proof envelope and storage box after he did. He’d been trained by a librarian. He knew not to mess with an old man and his documents. There weren’t many, only a dozen or so. But something told Ben the priest’s letters held the secret. He carefully photographed each one with a camera he’d brought specifically for documents.

  After another hour looking through Camino’s personal library and researching Taíno social structure, Ben was ready to go. He could feel the sun sinking in the sky and wanted to get back to Tenzin.

  Another cup of coffee and Camino was showing him to the door. “Be careful when you go west,” the old man said. “Things in the immortal court are complicated at the moment.”

  “Aren’t they always?”

  “This is true. But while some places have one immortal in charge, this little island has three.”

  Interesting. Novia seemed to think that the only true power in Puerto Rico was Macuya, the cacique. Camino was implying something else. “So there are truly three rulers in Puerto Rico? They’re not just figureheads?”

  “Three rulers. Three elements. Three peoples.” Camino put a hand on his chest. “We boriqueños are all of them, are we not? Native and Spanish and African. Made of the ocean and the mountains and yes, even the hurricanes that test us.”

  Ben felt a stirring in his chest.

  Boricua.

  What did he know about this place? What did he really know? Nothing more than impressions and a bad taste left in his mouth every time he thought of his father. But his father wasn’t Puerto Rico. Joe wanted nothing to do with this place.

  Maybe that meant Ben did.

  “What about the cacique?” Ben asked Camino. “Isn’t he the oldest on the island? The most powerful?”

  “That is true.” Camino looked out the window, and a shadow crossed his eyes. “But I do not fear the cacique. He lives under his mountain and clutches the old ways. I suppose it’s good that someone does.”

  You may not fear the cacique, but there is something you fear.

  “Thank you.” Ben held out his hand and the old man took it. “You’ve been a huge help. Your home and your library are beautiful.”

  “Wait here.” Camino disappeared into his house and came back a few minutes later with a white paper bag. “The pan de Mallorca. To take with you.”

  “Oh, I don’t—”

  “To remind you of your grandmother,” Camino said. “My neighbor will make more for me tomorrow morning. Take it.”

  Ben hesitated only a minute. After all, Tenzin would be placated if he returned to the house with something sweet. “Thank you.”

  “And don’t forget”—Camino stepped back into the shadowed living room as Ben put his sunglasses back on—“even little islands hide many secrets.”

  7

  Tenzin knew Ben had found something the minute he walked through the door. For the first time since he’d seen the treasure map a year ago, he was energized. Eager. Nearly buzzing with excitement.

  Finally.

  She’d been starting to wonder whether the whole trip had been a mistake.

  Which was ridiculous, of course. Gold was never a mistake.

  She rose from the hammock hanging on the patio and walked inside, carrying the scent of the night wind with her.

  “Arecibo,” Ben sang. “Que bonito Arecibo.”

  “What’s in Arecibo?”

  “It’s the home of a priest who cared for E
nríquez before his death. A priest who was his confidant. A priest from a poor family not unlike the pirate’s own.”

  Tenzin walked to the refrigerator and removed a carton of mango juice. She poured two glasses and handed one to Ben. “You think the pirate gave his treasure to a priest?”

  “No, he gave it to a young man who reminded Enríquez of himself.” Ben set the juice and his messenger bag on the kitchen table. “Or rather, he reminded Enríquez of who he would have been if he’d been a better man. I looked in the records Camino had. There’s no mention of the priest in the convent records after Enríquez’s death.”

  “He just left?”

  “Maybe?” Ben took out his computer and a camera. “Maybe he moved back home. Maybe he had a reason to leave.”

  Tenzin sat next to Ben as he plugged the camera into the computer and brought up several graphic files with pale scratches of letters on them. “What are these?”

  “Letters. I’m going to edit these a little bit to make them clearer,” he muttered. “Then we’re going to read every word. I’ll print them out for you.”

  “Not necessary,” Tenzin said. “Send them to my tablet.”

  Ben looked at her in shock.

  “What?” Tenzin said. “You think I’d travel without Cara?”

  Cara was the artificial intelligence program the smart vampires in Ireland had come up with. She was also Tenzin’s assistant. Logically, Tenzin knew Cara didn’t actually belong to her, but the programmers had made the robotic voice remarkably accommodating and logical, two traits Tenzin valued highly. Cara was far easier to keep on task than Ben or Chloe.

  And she knew all Tenzin’s favorite music. And YouTube channels.

  “Okay, I’ll send them to your tablet,” he said. “You kept all the firewalls on it, right?”

  “Yes. Why are you even asking?”

  “Because you took them off once and let a virus into the home network.”

  Tenzin crossed her arms and smiled. “So you say. Chloe and I still contend you have a secret fascination with the people in the animal suits.”

  He couldn’t stop the smile. “I was not watching furry porn. You’re just lucky the virus wasn’t a serious one that time.”

  “Yes, I learned my lesson.” She kicked her legs up and stretched them across his lap. “I want a smaller tablet like the one you have. The one I have is huge.”

  “That’s because they have to be to be vampire-proof.” Ben put a hand on her ankle and closed his fingers around her small foot, pressing his thumb into her arch.

  Mmmfh. She kept her face passive even though that part of her foot was remarkably sensitive. He had no idea.

  “Murphy and his team are trying to create a smaller size right now, but to be equipped with the Nocht system and the casing necessary so you don’t short the electronics out means the device has to be fairly large.”

  “Fine.” His thumb was moving up her ankle. Tenzin debated removing her foot, but… “Have you eaten tonight?”

  “Not since lunch.”

  “Do you want to go out for dinner?”

  She didn’t know whether he’d shut down or if the low rumbling that had started in his stomach would win out over his practiced indifference toward the island.

  Surprisingly, he looked up with a slight smile. “Yeah, let’s go out. I saw a restaurant today that looked good.”

  “Oh.” That was easy. “What happened?”

  “What do you mean?”

  She cocked her head. “You. This place.”

  He looked away, though he kept his hand on her ankle. “It’s just a place. I’ve traveled lots of places. There’s no need for this one to be any different. It’s a beautiful island. We might as well enjoy it.” A sly smile crossed his face.

  “Okay.” Tenzin decided not to push. Eventually he’d have to deal with his human family. It was a necessary step before he… “Wait, what kind of place are you talking about?”

  “Local. Friendly.” He locked his fingers around her ankle. “Looked like music and dancing.”

  “Nope.” She withdrew her legs.

  “Yes.” His fingers tightened for a second before he let her go. “I haven’t been dancing in ages. It’s good exercise.”

  “Because I need so much exercise?” Tenzin floated off her seat and overhead. The high ceilings were remarkably suitable for her. He’d thought of that, just like he’d thought of the interior courtyard open to the sky.

  Ben could be irritatingly thoughtful at times.

  “Come on.” He rose and held out a hand. “We’ll eat fish. Dance a little. Enjoy the music. I know you like the music here.”

  “I didn’t bring a dress.”

  Ben laughed and caught her foot, dragging her to the ground before he spun her around and looped his arm around her waist. “Since when do you need a dress to dance?” He took a step forward and back that she instinctively mirrored. “See? You still remember the steps.”

  “I only learned that to help Chloe with her choreography. I’m not dancing in public.”

  “Says you.” Ben spun her around and left her head spinning as he walked past. “I’m changing out of these clothes, and then we’ll go out. Come on. We head out of the city tomorrow. We might as well enjoy the nightlife tonight. Who knows? There might even be vampires.”

  As if she would be that lucky.

  Who was she kidding? Tenzin smiled. She was always that lucky.

  The place Ben led her to was exactly the kind of place she liked when she felt the urge to be around humans. Hidden from street view by a narrow alleyway, the restaurant was situated in a courtyard lit with colored lights and lanterns hanging from trees. Bright banners hung from the second-floor balconies, and a band played in one corner with couples spinning across the smooth tile floor while others sat at tables dotted around the courtyard.

  Servers hustled drinks and plates of grilled fish and savory small dishes. It smelled delicious, and the energy of the humans around her made Tenzin’s blood buzz with awareness. She’d fed from a cooperative human the night before, but this much humanity pressed around her made her want to indulge.

  Ben bent down and spoke in her ear. “You like it?” The restaurant wasn’t so loud that he had to yell, but intimate conversation space it wasn’t.

  “It’s nice. The food smells good.”

  “I thought so too.” His neck was redolent with blood and life. Ben had always smelled of earthy spices to her. Peppers and cumin and saffron. Her fangs ached to taste it.

  No.

  There were many of Ben’s boundaries she happily ignored, but she didn’t ignore this one. For his sake and for her own.

  He straightened, removing temptation for the moment. “Where do you want to sit?”

  “Not too close to the band.”

  Ben nodded, understanding immortal ears. He waved to a hostess who pointed them toward a table near the bar.

  Tenzin glanced up as they crossed the courtyard and noticed the eyes following them. “Immortals,” she said quietly.

  “Friendly?”

  “Observant.”

  “Expected.” Ben held out her chair for her—such a quaint human habit—before he sat across from her. His eyes never left her face. “Anyone you recognize?”

  “No, but some recognize me.”

  “How do you know?”

  She shrugged. “There’s a look.”

  “Abject terror?”

  She laughed, allowing her fangs to show just a little. She couldn’t hide them. Not really. She’d just become practiced at keeping her mouth mostly shut when she was around humans. “Not quite abject.”

  “But definitely terror.” Ben raised an eyebrow. “You enjoy it.”

  “Vampire fear?” she asked. “Of course I do. It keeps me safe. It keeps you safe.”

  “You think it’s the fear? Not the respect?”

  “They’re very closely entwined for predators like us.” Tenzin reached for the carafe of water and filled both their glasse
s. “We respect what we fear. We respect the powerful.”

  “And me?”

  “What about you?”

  Ben sipped his water. “I’m not more powerful than you are. I’m not more powerful than any of them.”

  “But you have your own weapons,” she said. “Some of which vampires can’t even use. Everyone who knows of you in our world can respect that.”

  “That’s good.” He glanced over his shoulder at the dancing couples. “We should dance.”

  “We should eat.” She opened the menu.

  “We should dance.” He rose and held a hand out to her. “Just one.”

  She glanced at the vampires on the balcony. They were watching. “One.”

  “Or two.”

  “One.” She allowed him to lead her toward the dancers. Tenzin was wearing black leggings, a red tunic, and worn leather flats that molded to her feet. It was as close to barefoot as she could get. She hated shoes.

  She could feel the tile on her soles. Ben was nearly a foot taller than her, but when Chloe had taught them the steps for the dance they were working on, that didn’t seem to matter.

  Tenzin remembered every step. Of course she did. She remembered most things when she wanted to. They reached the dance floor, and he spun her around. She put one hand in his and the other on his shoulder while he grabbed her waist.

  Ben moved them expertly around the dance floor, working in time with the music, his hips shifting to lead in expert rhythm. He seemed to know how the music would change the same way she understood the breeze, instinctively and without a single doubt. As they danced, Tenzin was able to catch glimpses of the vampires in the shadows. Most appeared to be doing what Tenzin was, accompanying human companions as they ate and danced. No doubt some would be feeding later, based on the way they watched the humans below them.

  Ben bent down and spoke in her ear. “How many?”

  Of course he knew what she was doing. “Four.”

  “That many?”

  “Three are together with human consorts. The fourth is on her own, but she appears to be interested in one of the musicians.”

  “Which one?”

  Tenzin followed the vampire’s eyes. “The bass player.”