Ace in the Hole

by Sedonia Guillone

  The elderly man bowed again and left. When he returned a seemingly long time later, Lily’s stomach tightened to see he was alone.

  The man bowed again. “I’m sorry, mistress. I cannot find him within the compound.”

  She furrowed her brow. “Is he at Plum House?”

  The servant shook his head. “No one has seen him since midday.”

  * * * * *

  Tenzin wandered the streets of Shanghai. He didn’t care where his feet took him, even though he could never escape his shame and horror.

  “You, coolie, stay back.”

  Tenzin’s head shot up. He stood facing a white soldier in Western uniform, rifle pointed toward him. “I’m sorry.” Tenzin bowed his head. “I did not see where I was going.” He lifted his gaze to the high wall behind the soldier.

  “See here, this is the foreign concession. Enter only with permission.”

  Tenzin nodded and turned. He’d have to look where he was going next time. He followed the length of the wall, now in an unfamiliar portion of the city. The street around the foreign concession was freer of the usual foot traffic of the city.

  Several streets away, he came to the more familiar hustle and bustle of a Chinese marketplace. Carts littered the sides of the street, and the center of the thoroughfare teemed with men, women and children rushing along, some dragging carts, others leading livestock.

  Aimlessly, Tenzin went along with the flow of traffic. The occasional scent of honey reached his nostrils from teahouses and vendors’ carts along the way. Although the sweet nectar made his mouth water, he resisted purchasing some with the coins he had in his vest pocket. He didn’t want any pleasure, not after what had happened with Lily.

  A sudden noise, different from the swarm of the crowd, men shouting, children laughing, women calling out the wares on their carts, suddenly tickled his hearing. He froze in the middle of traffic which continued on around him, unimpeded.

  His ears pricked up at the urgency of the sound, as well as at the lurch it made in his gut. The sound of a human in distress was one he’d heard millions of times in nearly a thousand years of existence. A strange chanting mingled with the thud of fists on flesh, a man’s grunts of pain reverberated in Tenzin’s ears. Somewhere nearby, a man was being killed.

  Tenzin slipped away from the main thoroughfare, down an alleyway. In daylight he didn’t dare glide along the rooftops. One witness would be all it took to endanger the Coeurs Éternels, the vampires of his breed who fed only to relieve the suffering of the one whose blood they drank, and even though Tenzin himself hadn’t named it, and didn’t officially identify himself with the sect of which he was the originator, he was one of them and did his utmost to protect them.

  The sound grew louder. Cooking smells, animals, and sweat permeated the air, but did not drown out the scent of the dying mortal. Grunts of pain reached his ears, mingled with the sounds of the beating. And something else…

  “Death to the Western dogs.” The voices chanted in unison. “Long live the White Lotus Fists!”

  The chanting grew louder, clearer. He followed the sound, just around the corner, the grisly sight ‑‑

  White robes fluttered around fists and legs that kicked and pounded a defenseless man. The attackers’ chants rang through the air. “Death to the Western dogs. Long live the White Lotus Fists!”

  Tenzin’s hands tightened to fists and bloodlust heated his eyes. He glided over, burst through the white-clad men to the center, and threw himself over the beaten man. Fists and feet continued to rain down, the chanting unhindered by his action. That is, until Tenzin looked up, eyes glowing with the heat of his righteous anger.

  The eyes above him widened, and the attackers scattered. “A demon! A demon!”

  Their footsteps receded. Quiet ensued. Quiet, and the overpowering scent of blood.

  Tenzin rolled quickly off the victim and bent over him.

  Bruises, cuts, and blood made the man’s age impossible to tell. Tenzin could see only that he was a Chinese, dressed in an expensive Western-style suit. The man’s hair was short, in the style of European men, lacking the long queue of hair. Tenzin lifted one of his hands to feel his pulse and found the nails perfectly manicured. Whoever this man was, he was obviously from a wealthy family. No common laborer with rough hands and clothing. A few feet away, flies buzzed around a puddle of vomit. The books strewn on the ground and the scuffmarks on the man’s shoes showed that he’d been cornered and overpowered. The man moaned, and a trickle of blood ran from the corner of his mouth.

  Tenzin pressed several fingertips onto his wrist and listened. The victim’s pulses were weak, ravaged by the beating he’d received. His organs had been horribly damaged and were quickly losing function. The man’s eyelids fluttered, and Tenzin felt the shudder of the death rattle about to course through his body. If he didn’t work quickly, the young man would die in pain and suffering.

  “I’ll help you,” Tenzin said softly. He worked open the man’s tie and collar. His fingers fumbled at first, unfamiliar with the workings of Western clothing. When he had it open, Tenzin gently opened the shirt, revealing a bloodstained, lacerated neck. Once again, Tenzin pressed his fingertips to the tiny weak pulse beating there. Death was coming swiftly, and the scent of blood made Tenzin’s fangs itch and extend. Without waiting another moment, he curled his lip back and sank his fangs into the supple skin.

  The man’s body jumped slightly then relaxed. Tenzin felt a shudder of pleasure pass through the dying mortal who moaned softly. One sigh followed the next, and Tenzin felt the man’s life force drain gently as he suckled, even as sensual thoughts and emotions passed through his mind and heart.

  The man’s body relaxed visibly as the suffering and pain drained from his body, replaced by sweetness and hope. A whoosh of breath passed from between his lips, and he went limp.

  Tenzin lifted his mouth from the curve of the dead man’s neck. He licked the droplets of blood that clung to his lips and gazed down at the faint smile that now curved the man’s lips. Bending over down again, Tenzin licked off the puncture wounds so that they’d seal over. When the body was found, it wouldn’t be obvious that a vampire had drained his blood. No one would understand the principle of feeding on someone to ease his suffering as he made the transition from death to life.

  Gently he maneuvered the dead man to a sitting position against the wall and folded the youth’s manicured hands onto his lap. In spite of the cuts and bruises, he didn’t appear dead, but as if he were napping peacefully.

  Tenzin sat back on his heels and pulled out his skull mantra beads. He chanted under his breath so that only the youth’s spirit would hear as he ticked off the beads between rapidly moving fingers.

  Many hours passed before Tenzin sensed the man’s safe crossing. He tucked his beads back into his pocket. No one had come down this quiet alleyway in all this time, and Tenzin couldn’t be certain when someone would find the man’s body. However, he certainly couldn’t carry him out onto the main thoroughfare without bringing undue attention to himself. Gently he closed up the man’s shirt and collar as best he could and left him on the ground.

  Tenzin grit his teeth. In all these centuries, he’d never grown accustomed to cruelty. How could these men have attacked a defenseless man? Tenzin knew who they were. Boxers. Rebels who hated Westerners and, hated worse, Chinese who took on Western ways. Sadly, there was nothing Tenzin could do about these zealots. He could not give retribution, and even if he could, he wouldn’t even know where to find these men.

  Night fell, and he continued his wanderings. He ached for Lily and with his grief over her refusal to work with him. For several more hours, he reflected, debated, warred in his very soul over whether to leave as she’d seemed to wish him to.

  And yet, when he’d agreed to leave if that was what was in her heart, she hadn’t answered in the affirmative. He’d sensed her hesitation and grasped onto that shard of hope.

  Tenzin wandered until well after midnight
. Finally, in the small hours of the night, he found his feet taking him in the direction of her compound. Once there, he’d sit in meditation until daylight and then see what came next.

  * * * * *

  Zao’s ears pricked up. The sound of footsteps echoed down the street to the side of Plum House. He caught his breath.

  The Tibetan was here, walking toward the large front door of a house on a street that flanked the boulevard of brothels.

  Prickles of excitement skittered along Zao’s skin. The dreaded task of spying on these people for the last couple of nights would finally bear fruit.

  The Tibetan was let in by a servant and disappeared inside the compound. Zao glided up to a nearby rooftop and hopped across the tiles until he got a vantage point into the courtyard. Lights burned from the various rooms that flanked the inner courtyard. This was a wealthy place. The Tibetan crossed to the very back and disappeared into what looked like a small room.

  Zao got as close as he could. He could not drop down into the property uninvited, as was an unfortunate condition of being undead, but he could watch.

  A light went on in the small room, and he saw flashes of movement. The Tibetan appeared to be alone and didn’t seem to detect Zao’s presence. He climbed onto a small cot, folded his legs and sat up, hands together, eyes closed. Meditation.

  Zao growled to himself. It looked like another long night of waiting. Zao continued to skim along the nearby rooftops. He found a spot near a chimney that allowed him to watch, unimpeded. A glance at the sky told him that dawn was coming very soon.

  How long had passed he didn’t know, until another door opened somewhere in the courtyard. He leaned forward to get a closer look at her. In the dim light, he wasn’t sure, but she certainly looked exactly like the woman Wei Yen hated and wanted to destroy. Lily Tan wore a silk nightdress, and the moonlight showed the outline of her lusciously curved body through the thin material. Zao’s fangs itched at the sight of her. Even from here, her life force was strong, potent. The blood of non-vampire immortals was delicious beyond belief.

  Lily Tan strode across the courtyard. She seemed to be headed in the direction of the Tibetan’s room. However, the light had gone out in his room much earlier and was now dark. She stopped and stared at the room, as if she were trying to decide whether to go in.

  Zao watched her turn back in the direction she’d come from. Creeping back to the spot he’d been sitting in, he considered his next move. Of course, he needed to find a way into the compound. Wei Yen wanted him to kill one of Lily’s people. A simple enough task if he could get close. Without the Tibetan vampire around.

  He rose and glided back down to the street to make his way back to Wei Yen. He would take one more day to formulate a plan. He had to be careful. The Tibetan vampire had already seen him at the door of Lily Tan’s brothel. One false move and everything would be ruined. One thing however, was for sure.

  He would get in.

  * * * * *

  Lily tugged at her bonds. The ropes cut into her wrists and feet, but they were of a substance that overwhelmed her strength, rendered her helpless.

  “Still fighting me, Lily?”

  She looked up at Xu Yu. The vampire’s eyes glowed like jade fires from bloodlust, and his curled back upper lip revealed his incisors.

  “Leave me alone. Let me go.” Her pleas came out in a breathy voice. The rope drained her strength, as Xu Yu would drain her blood and her life force. Her body was not like other humans. She was stronger, and even though Xu Yu drained most of her life blood nearly every day, it always regenerated, providing Xu Yu a fresh body of blood to drink and rape the following night. The torture never ceased, and Lily wanted to die.

  Or for Xu Yu to die.

  He chuckled. “Come now, Lily. You enjoy it, I know you do.” He reached out and shoved the hem of her thin nightdress to her waist.

  She cringed. Her heart thundered and sweat poured over her skin. She struggled against her bonds, but they only dug into her until finally, her body sank uselessly into the soft bedding underneath her.

  Xu Yu opened his caftan and slipped it off. He stood naked before her. Lantern light gleamed off his stocky body and straining cock.

  She whimpered and turned her head to one side, eyes screwed shut. It was of no use, she could never shut out the weight of Xu Yu’s body sinking on top of her, the slice of his fangs into the side of her neck, the hard shove of his angry dragon into her womb.

  All she could do was make her mind blank, let her soul drift from her body to seek a safe place…

  Lily sat bolt upright. Sweat dampened her skin, so much that her nightdress and her bedclothes were drenched. Her chest heaved from panting, and she found her hands curled into tight fists. Every nerve in her body was taut, and several moments passed before she realized she’d been dreaming.

  The soft whir of crickets replaced her whimpers. A cool night breeze soothed her skin. Outside, dawn was just beginning to lighten the sky.

  Then she remembered.

  Tenzin. She’d asked him to leave. Their practice had barely begun, and now it was finished. But instead of feeling relieved, she felt mournful, heavy, as if there were nothing to look forward to.

  A loud crack! cut through the still morning air. She gasped and threw back the covers. Jumping out of bed, she pulled her wrap tight against the cool air and peered through the carved window.

  Crack!

  She snapped her gaze in the direction of the kitchens. And caught her breath.

  Tenzin. He stood in the courtyard, his shirtless back to her, as he placed a log on the chopping block and raised an axe. His muscles rippled with each movement. In a smooth arc, he brought the axe down. Crack! The log split perfectly.

  She was unprepared for the surge of joy she felt. He was here.

  How could this be? After what had happened?

  And how was it that she could possibly be glad he’d stayed?

  Just as quickly, guilt replaced her elation. She had no right to feel happy at the sight of him. In spite of his transgression, she’d turned him away when he’d begged her on his knees to be his teacher.

  She turned back to the window, pulled by the desire to stare at his lean, strong golden torso, at the strain of his buttocks against his trousers as he split logs, one after the other, and placed them in a pile against the wall for the cook.

  A surge of temptation gripped her to go out there, to apologize, and bring him back. Her body warmed at the thought. Even though she couldn’t allow herself the pleasure of his touch or kiss, the prospect of his presence in the room comforted her in a way she couldn’t understand.

  Then she thought again of what had happened, of the way he’d come upon her in her sleep and penetrated her. The very thing she’d forbidden him. Such a lack of control was unacceptable.

  She forced herself to turn from the window just as the door opened. Fei Liu smiled at her and shuffled in. She set a tray with tea and breakfast on the table and bowed to Lily. “Good morning. Do you wish me to fetch your student?”

  Lily stared at the woman. Of course, Fei Liu didn’t know.

  She cleared her throat. “No. Let him do…whatever it is he’s doing.”

  “Yes, Mistress Lily.” Fei Liu bowed again and left.

  Lily sat down heavily in a chair. She poured a cup of tea and stared down into the steam curling from the dark, hot liquid. The color reminded her briefly of the color of Tenzin’s eyes. She blinked and raked her nails through her hair. Somehow she knew it wouldn’t matter whether he went away or not. Part of him was already inside her.

  * * * * *

  That evening at sunset, Lily stared at Tenzin through her carved window. The broom he held made a quiet scraping sound across the stones of the courtyard. The sound carried across the still air. He wore his vest this evening, and she could clearly see the smooth rounded muscles of his arms flex and bunch with each stroke of the broom. His hair was a bit longer now, and its ebony softness beckoned to her hands.

/>   The same pulsing she experienced every time she looked at him now sprang up between her thighs. She forced herself to turn away from the window and pulled her wrap tightly around her as she paced. Why? Why did he stay here? She’d insulted him that morning and avoided him the entire day as if he carried a fatal disease. Yet he was here, as if he…belonged.

  She threw on a blouse and pair of baggy trousers so that she would not appear seductive and rang for a servant to summon him. Now was the opportunity to apologize to him as she’d wished to the day before.

  Lily’s stomach fluttered madly as she waited. The shutters had been half-closed against the afternoon sun, and the thin lattices cast a striped pattern across the furniture. She clutched the edge of the table to keep from pacing the small confines of the room.

  “You wished to see me, Mistress Lily.”

  She looked up. Tenzin stood in her doorway.

  The title of respect he used somehow made her feel desolate again. She hadn’t realized how much she’d liked his using simply her first name. She clenched her fists and forced herself to turn away. Just looking at him filled her with an emotion she didn’t want to give reign to. “Come in.”

  As he padded silently across the reed mat, she sat in one of the chairs and folded her arms. When he was standing in front of her, she waited, silently counting to ten in her head. Finally, she cleared her throat softly. “Why are you still here?”

  A moment passed. “You are my teacher, Mistress. There is no other for me.”

  She lifted her head and met his eyes, keeping her own gaze hard. This wasn’t what she’d meant to say, but was what slipped out. Perhaps she was the one lacking in control and discipline. “I told you I can’t be your teacher. We…do not suit.”

  Pain flickered across Tenzin’s face, Even so, his gaze didn’t waver. The expression in his velvety dark eyes unnerved her, the placid neutral expression mixed with something else…an iron will. “Perhaps you don’t understand what it means when a teacher and student find each other. It’s a miracle. The most rare gem on this Earth.”