The Force of Wind
Page 6
“But…”
She could tell from looking at him that Giovanni had been rocked. She was feeling a little overwhelmed herself. He looked at her and traced a hand along her cheek, letting his thumb rest at the pulse in her neck.
“Beatrice,” he whispered. “This could be…”
“Gio, we don’t know enough about this.”
Tenzin spoke up again. “No, we most definitely do not. And I’m highly suspicious of the next part of the findings.”
“What findings?” Beatrice asked.
“Geber tested it for almost a year,” Stephen said, “and the results seemed very promising. He gave it to a human that was diseased—he only described it as a ‘wasting disease’—but the recovery was almost instant. The human was observed for another few months before Geber sent him home, apparently totally healed. Another subject was very elderly. While the elixir didn’t reverse the aging process, it seemed to halt when he took the blood, and his quality of life improved. He was healthier and exhibited a ‘younger’ level of health.
“But you said this was not just for humans,” Giovanni said, leaning forward over the table. “What did you mean?”
“I mean that one of the vampires that drank from a human who had taken the elixir only had to drink once.”
Beatrice frowned. “Drink once for what?”
Stephen looked at her, spreading his hands across the table. “I mean, he only had to drink once, Mariposa. He drank once in the year of testing.”
She still didn’t understand what he was trying to say. “And then what?”
“And then he didn’t have to drink again,” Tenzin said. “At all.”
She turned to Giovanni in shock. His face was completely frozen.
Beatrice said, “What? At all? As in, he drank once from a human that had taken this elixir, and he didn’t have to drink any more blood in the entire year of testing?”
“That’s exactly what I mean,” Stephen said. “He drank once, ate the amount of food he normally would have, and never had to take another drop of blood.”
“There’s something we’re not seeing,” Tenzin said. “Gio, I can see the look on your face, and I know what you’re thinking, but this is not a cure for bloodlust. It’s not. There’s something—”
“But what if it is, bird girl?”
Beatrice didn’t think she had ever heard him sound more vulnerable.
Despite his pragmatic views on vampire life, she knew it still bothered Giovanni every time he had to feed from a human, even a criminal. It made him feel barbaric, like a parasite. When they were together and she received pleasure from him, it was one thing; but he couldn’t drink from her all the time, it simply wasn’t healthy. That was why he bought donated blood, even though it affected his health.
“It is not the answer. There’s something we’re not seeing here.”
“But what if it’s true? What if—”
“Then why would your son want it?” Tenzin shouted. “Why would he kill for this? He has no need of eternal life, and he has no compunction about drinking, or even draining, humans. He’s no kind of humanitarian, so why does he want it so badly? I’m telling you, there’s something here we are not seeing!”
They broke into a heated argument in Mandarin that Beatrice couldn’t follow, while Stephen watched, occasionally glancing at her as if she might know what to do. Tenzin and Giovanni had both risen to their feet and showed no signs of stopping.
“Enough!” Beatrice finally said, standing to join them. “This isn’t something we can solve tonight. Even I can tell this book needs more investigating before we all run out and drink the Kool-Aid, so to speak.”
“That’s why it’s still at the monastery,” Stephen added. “Zhang wanted his oldest student and Lu’s monks to take a look at it. Their knowledge of alchemy, particularly plant alchemy, which is what the formula required, is far better than my own.”
“Or even mine, to be honest.” Tenzin stepped away from the table. “Now, I’m going to find Baojia. I want to talk to him about training Beatrice. B, take him away and calm him down, will you?”
She could hear Giovanni growl next to her, but he didn’t feel hot, so she wasn’t overly concerned. She glanced at her father.
“Um… Dad—”
“I’m going to the library; then I’ll be in the Great Hall,” Stephen said. “I’ll talk to you both later.”
He slipped out of the room, and she and Giovanni were alone. He stared at her with the most tender expression she had ever seen.
“Tesoro, if this means—”
“We don’t know what it means yet, Gio. And we don’t know if we can trust this information. There are too many unknowns.”
He put a warm hand over her heart. “But, if you didn’t have to give up the sun, if you didn’t have to be a slave to your own hunger to be with me forever…”
She drew him down for a gentle kiss. “There’s still a lot to think about, love.”
He nodded, but pulled her into his arms, wrapping her up in his warm embrace as she tried to think past the feeling of dread that still churned in her gut when she remembered Tenzin’s warning.
Beatrice had to agree. There was something they weren’t seeing.
“I don’t trust that damn formula,” Tenzin muttered as they practiced late that afternoon. Beatrice was still astonished by how comfortable she was in the middle of the day. Though she couldn’t go out in the sun, the ancient vampire showed not a hint of reduced strength, although Tenzin claimed that flying wasn’t a very good idea.
They were taking some time off from heavier sparring to concentrate on tai chi forms.
“I don’t really want to talk about the formula any more right now, if that’s okay. I think there are too many questions.”
“Thank you for being skeptical. It’s a relief. I was worried that you were going to go crazy at the possibilities, and I’d have to restrain you both. I don’t trust it.”
Beatrice moved deliberately, focusing on the slow movement of her limbs and the steady rhythm of her breathing. “I’m skeptical of anything that seems too good to be true, and this formula falls into that category. Why are we doing basic forms again? And why are we doing them even slower than normal?”
“Because, when you turn, my friend…” Tenzin moved in front of her and started to mirror her in the “push hands” technique she employed when she wanted Beatrice to slow her movements. The technique always made Beatrice feel as if she was moving through heavy water.
Languorous. Flowing. Forceful, but still fluid in her body and mind.
“You must remember how your body feels right now. How you control every muscle, every bone, every joint and tendon. Deliberate. Everything must be deliberate. That is what will enable you to control yourself when your senses have been heightened, so you will not become overwhelmed. If I had known this discipline when I had first turned, my younger years would have been much more pleasant.”
They moved as mirrors of each other, an achingly slow ballet of combat forms, pared to their most essential movements. This was not about speed or strength; it was about the total focus of the mind and body. The meditation of the mind was as central as the physical control.
“What were you like when you were younger?”
Tenzin paused, and Beatrice wondered if the secretive vampire would answer her.
“I was very angry and very violent. Why doesn’t Giovanni want you to turn?”
She sighed and closed her eyes, moving through the familiar movements.
Bend. Sweep. Push. Yield.
“He’s sentimental, for one. He uses the idea of one of us being available during the day for Ben as an excuse, but it’s not really what’s bothering him.”
“What is it, then? Your human life is a liability at this point.”
“I agree, but he’s pretty stubborn.”
“Why?”
“I think he’s worried about the motherhood thing, to be honest. He thinks I’m going to turn and
then regret not having children.”
Tenzin snorted. “So you’ll adopt.”
“That’s what I told him. We already have Ben, for heaven’s sake. If we want more children someday, we can adopt, but he thinks I’ll regret not giving birth or something. It’s not something I take lightly, but being pregnant, especially when it wouldn’t be his, isn’t something that I consider vital to happiness.”
“It’s not. And pregnancy doesn’t make you a mother. I gave birth to three children, but I was only mother to one.”
Beatrice stumbled back, stunned by Tenzin’s admission. The vampire just looked at her, clearly annoyed she had fumbled their practice. She stepped closer, pushing Beatrice to mirror her graceful movements.
Bend. Stretch. Push. Yield.
“How old were you?”
“When I birthed my children?” Tenzin shrugged, moving into a more complex routine. “Focus. I have no idea. We didn’t celebrate birthdays back then. I’d been bleeding for one winter when I became pregnant with my first child.”
“What—”
“She was small. She didn’t survive the winter. Neither did her father.”
Bend. Sweep. Push. Yield.
“Your husband died, too?”
She frowned, folding at the waist as they swept down into a new form. “I suppose you could call him my husband. His older brother took me after that. He already had a wife, but she hadn’t given him any children, so he took me. I was luckier with him. My babies were born in the spring the following year, and both survived.”
“What happened to them?” Beatrice concentrated on keeping her tone easy as they moved. She was shocked Tenzin was sharing as much as she was.
“The oldest one, the stronger one, was given to my husband’s first wife. I was allowed to keep the second child. He was small, but strong.”
Her mind was still reeling at the casual tone in which Tenzin was relating her story. She almost sounded like she was talking about an acquaintance. They continued to move with each other, as Beatrice focused on her breath and the stretch of her muscles.
Bend. Stretch. Push. Yield.
“Where did you live?”
“It was on the Northern steppes. I have no idea where exactly. I lived in a village that was raided a lot. That’s how I was turned.”
“What happened?” She held her breath, half expecting Tenzin to clam up. She didn’t.
“We were raided one day, and the first wife sent me out to check the goats. They never took everything—how else would we have more goats for them the next time they came? But she wanted to know how many we had left and if any kids had dropped, so she sent me out after dark. I was happy to go. My son had been crying and he always liked it better when I walked, so I tied him to my back and went out to check the pens. There were three men there.”
“The raiders?”
Tenzin cocked an eyebrow and moved into a new routine. “No, definitely not. These ‘men’ didn’t need horses to get around.”
“They were vampires,” Beatrice whispered.
“Yes, they were vampires.”
She fell silent for a few moments, and Beatrice saw her close her eyes as she moved through the forms.
Bend. Push. Sweep. Yield.
Even though her heart ached, and part of her didn’t want to hear the rest of the story, Beatrice still asked.
“What happened?”
“They were feeding on the goats, but stopped when they heard me. My son started crying, and I tried to hush him so I could run away, but they were already coming toward me. I thought they were demons of some kind; they moved so fast. They swept me up and took me away.”
“And your son?” she whispered.
Tenzin paused for only a second in her silent exercise.
“He fell to the ground. He was crying when they took to the air. It’s possible someone from the village found him. Probably not.”
Tears fell down Beatrice’s cheeks, but Tenzin’s eyes were still closed, silently practicing the meditative forms of the tai chi routine. Her face was serene, and her hair flowed around her, brushing her shoulders as they moved together.
Bend. Stretch. Push. Yield.
“And Zhang?”
“The men who took me were Zhang’s sons. His own band of raiders. There were four of them then. He turned more as the years passed. His sons sired sons. Eventually, my father had over fifty wind vampires to do his bidding.”
“Why did he turn you?”
“For his men. They usually killed the human women they took, so Zhang turned me. He thought I would be more… resilient.”
Beatrice’s stomach twisted in horror, but she took care not to halt her steady movements. She could not comprehend the cruelty of Elder Zhang turning a young girl, just so she could be a plaything for his other children. No wonder the vampire disliked her sire.
Tenzin was still moving with her eyes closed, her face a picture of placid meditation as she practiced.
Bend. Sweep. Push. Yield.
“How long were you with him?”
“Two or three hundred years. Just long enough to kill off all of his children.”
Beatrice was speechless, but Tenzin never stopped moving through the complex combat forms. Eventually, she continued without prompting.
“They would take turns with me. At first, I was frightened. After all, I was a child. And I had no idea how to use my new body. But I slowly gathered more skill. I was probably twenty years immortal when I killed the first of his sons.”
Bend. Stretch. Push. Yield.
“Eventually, they avoided me. But I didn’t stop until I had killed them all.”
“What did Zhang do when they were all dead?”
“He laughed. Then he told me I was his finest creation, his fiercest warrior, and sent me out into the world with half of his wealth. He came to Penglai soon after that, and I was on my own. I never had another companion until I met Giovanni.”
Finally, she slowed her movements, finishing the routine before she bowed to Beatrice, who mirrored the movement. Tenzin opened her storm-grey eyes.
“Do not pity me, Beatrice De Novo. My life has been as fate dictated, and now I am master of it. Do not waste your regret on the past.”
Beatrice nodded as they moved to the benches that lined the room and drank from the pitcher of water that had been set out. “Why didn’t you kill Gio when you met him? He told me that he’d been sent to kill you. Why did you have mercy on him?”
She smiled. “I saw him. I saw his eyes in a dream. They were the same color as my son’s. I knew our fates were intertwined.”
Beatrice gulped down the water as Tenzin looked over her shoulder. She smiled just a few seconds before Beatrice heard the door open.
“Nightfall,” Tenzin said. “You boys will have to wait to play with her,” she shouted at the door. “She’s still mine for another hour.”
Beatrice turned to see Giovanni and Baojia leaning against the wall of the practice room. Her heart skipped a beat when she saw the two handsome men outlined against the pale walls. Baojia wore a look of amusement. Giovanni’s eyes were narrowed at her; he looked hungry.
“Give me back my woman, Tenzin. You’ve borrowed her for too long.”
Tenzin rolled her eyes and turned back to Beatrice. “How do you put up with him? That’s so annoying.”
She laughed. “He just hates it when I’m not there when he wakes up.”
The small vampire lifted up and flew toward the two men, swiping at them and smacking both on the back of the head before she flitted back to Beatrice’s side.
“Well, they’ll have to learn how to be patient. You have more important things to be doing than entertaining his libido.” She looked up at Beatrice and gestured toward the mat. “We’re running out of time.”
Chapter Five
Penglai Island, China
September 2010
The longer he watched her, the faster his heart beat.
She was astonishing.
Imagining Beatrice as an immortal was undeniably alluring. Yet, it still filled him with guilt.
“She’ll be stunning when she turns,” Baojia said as he sat next to him.
Giovanni glared at him, irritated that his thoughts had been so closely mirrored by the other vampire.
“She’s stunning now.”
Baojia just cocked an amused eyebrow at him.
“She plans on it. Why else would she practice as she does?” He folded his legs and hands in a meditative pose. “I think it was in the back of her mind even before you came back.”
“Oh?”
“I remember the first martial arts class she took. Introductory tai chi. Ernesto was very pleased. Beatrice says Tenzin suggested it. Very forward thinking of your old partner; it will help immeasurably with physical control.”
Giovanni wanted the water vampire to shut up. He disliked being reminded of the years where Baojia had watched over Beatrice, and he had not. He decided to change the subject.
“What weapons do you plan on introducing?”
“I’ll start her with the jian and dao. She doesn’t have any experience with weapons yet, and those will be a good start for her.”
Giovanni nodded. The double-edged straight sword, or jian, and the curved single-edge saber, or dao, would be light enough for a human and versatile enough for Beatrice to carry regularly. Moreover, both were weapons he had some experience with and would be able to practice with her.
“Eventually, she will wield the shuang gou.”
“What?” Giovanni looked up, frowning. “The hook sword?”
“Two,” he said, watching Beatrice move in the faster wushu that Giovanni remembered practicing so many years before with Tenzin. Baojia leaned forward, tracking Beatrice with his eyes. “She’ll carry two. Watch her move, di Spada. She’s quick as a human; imagine her after. And she doesn’t favor either side. She’s adaptable and smart enough to wield them effectively.” Baojia smiled. “Yes, we will start with the dao, but the shuang gou will be her weapon.”