He tripped over something in the darkness, smashing his shin.
“Ow,” he said through gritted teeth.
“Found the bike?”
“Yes.” More like, the bike had found him. And it wasn’t a bike. It was a scooter. “Tenzin, I don’t like the idea of leaving you here.”
She found a light near another door and flicked it on. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to illuminate the warehouse with a grey light.
“Why not?” she asked. “There is plenty of room to kill anyone who comes after me and you need a bath.” She flew down in front of him, her nose slightly wrinkled. “Really. A bath. At once.”
He pushed a hand through her tangled mop of hair. “You’re looking lovely, too, my delicate Himalayan flower.”
Tenzin laughed, the full-bodied burst of sound he loved to hear.
“Okay,” Ben said. “I’ll go out and find something. I have my phone.”
“No hotels.”
“No hotels.” It looked like there were a few hostels in the old part of the city. “I’ll manage. The scooter is mine?”
“Yours. Try not to drive it off a cliff.”
“Did I get us here in one piece?” He threw a backpack over his shoulder. It was packed with a change of clothes and a few other essentials. Good thing he traveled light, since his suitcase wasn’t going to fit on the rickety old Vespa. “Where do you want to meet tomorrow night?”
“I’ll find you,” she said. “Get some sleep.”
The thought of stretching out, even on a hard Chinese mattress, was appealing. He gave Tenzin a quick nod, then pushed the scooter out the door, into the familiar unfamiliarity of Kashgar at four in the morning. A quick look at the map on his phone, and he was off.
Tenzin watched him go, amused by Benjamin’s ease on the bike. In the city. Everywhere.
He was an easy travel companion, one she didn’t have to worry about taking care of himself. A chameleon who slid into any situation with ease, he was as comfortable in a back-alley bar as he was in a five-star restaurant. Giovanni had given him part of that, but much of it was simply Ben himself. And though the young man avoided troublesome situations with the caution of a hardened street child, he now had the body and skills of a warrior. Years of training had seen to that.
His reaction to Cheng had been… odd. She couldn’t decide if it would be problematic yet, so she didn’t spend much mental energy on it. Nevertheless, he had made himself notable, and Kesan would be sure to mention his presence to Jonathan, if not to Cheng himself. Tenzin didn’t often travel with humans, so they would tuck the knowledge away, possibly for use at a later time.
Whether Ben drew more attention to himself beyond a passing notice would be something they would have to discuss. Cheng had a habit of considering Tenzin “his” when she was in his presence, and Ben needed to be able to ignore it. Had he been surprised by the idea of her having past lovers? That was amusing. She was five thousand years old. A practical vampire. Lovers could be an excellent way to pass time. She was choosy and discreet, but by no means did she ignore that part of her life anymore.
Tenzin had Cheng to thank for some of that. It was the reason he was allowed his presumption of claiming her. Cheng knew he was audacious, but he winked and smiled his thief’s smile. Then she would laugh and allow him to steal her for a time.
Tenzin enjoyed his boldness, though even her amusement had limits. Their intimate relationship was mostly in the past, though Cheng had been more than open about his willingness to rekindle it if she ever desired. She’d never known whether his interest was political or personal. It was probably both, and she could hardly blame him. The canny immortal leader was well aware of her status at Penglai Island and had more than once flaunted their relationship to tweak her sire. Cheng enjoyed rubbing his success and newly amassed power in the face of the Elders. They were everything old about China, and he was everything new. He reveled in their annoyance.
It was that energy and ambition that had attracted her in the first place. Cheng was so very alive. And when they had been together, Tenzin allowed herself to feel the same way. It was Cheng she’d fled to after Stephen had died. Cheng who had welcomed her black presence and asked no questions, no matter how many crowded his eyes.
Yes, her gratitude to the pirate extended rather far.
How long had it been since she’d taken a lover? Certainly not in the time she’d been in Los Angeles.
Perhaps Ben had been surprised.
No matter. He would have to conquer his own reactions, though the fiction she’d created for Kesan would do for now to explain any odd responses the young man continued to have. Ben being her human paramour was a useful lie, so they’d continue it while they were in China, even though the necessity of it annoyed her.
Tenzin wasn’t ready for Benjamin to make himself notable yet.
That would come in time. Like Giovanni, he would have to make himself feared if he wanted to live in any kind of peace in their world. But though he was young, she had seen the flashes in his eyes. Seen the grim determination against an opponent. He would never be a man to seek out violence, but he did not shrink from it. He had killed his first man when he was only sixteen. Killed the human in defense of a friend. An honorable first kill. Tenzin held his hand when he grieved his loss of innocence.
He’d only shed tears once.
Benjamin Vecchio would be a formidable immortal. This ridiculous need to cling to his humanity annoyed her.