A tilted bow was a mark of respect and an acknowledgement of a vampire’s immortal status. The human who bowed that way was acknowledging the vampire and also submitting to his or her bite, should the vampire need to drink. It was meant to be respectful and welcoming, but the tilted bow of the woman with silver-threaded braids made Ben shudder. She was old. She looked like someone’s grandmother. Surely Tenzin wasn’t going to bite her.
The old woman smiled up at him, and Ben realized he was being introduced. He stepped forward and held out his hand. The old woman took it and pulled him through the gate and into a courtyard lit with candles. There was a large pond in the middle with channels cutting through the cobblestones that led under the house. Ben realized the pond must connect with the network of canals that ran through the town. Gold carp darted in the shadows thrown by the candlelight.
The old woman showed Ben to a small room where a maid was already turning down the bed.
“You can stay here,” Tenzin said. “Jinpa is a relative of Nima’s and her house is under my sire’s protection. We are completely safe, so you’ll be able to rest.”
He eyed the dark windows in his room. “And you?”
“There are light-safe rooms for me.” She gave him a slight smile. “Clean up and get some sleep. You look exhausted. There are many shops here. Some that cater to Westerners. We’ll try to find some clothes for you tomorrow.”
He’d been wearing the same set of clothes, alternating with a pair of too-short sweatpants and a few T-shirts he’d bought in Xi’an, for days on end. New clothes would be more than welcome.
“I’ll see you tomorrow then.”
“Have Jinpa show you to my chambers before sundown. We need to talk before we seen Cheng.”
“Right.” He didn’t want to think about that meeting. He was hoping to skip it altogether. Why on earth did he need to be there for Tenzin’s meeting with her old boyfriend? He blinked as the exhaustion started to really hit.
“Sleep, Benjamin.”
She didn’t need to use amnis. As soon as he’d taken a quick shower, he slept, and he didn’t wake for hours. He felt the sun come up, warm stripes cutting across his back. He heard the water lapping below the house and the old women laughing as they worked. He roused himself enough to close the blinds before he stumbled back to bed.
He slept. He dreamed. And in his dream, he flew over mountains like none he’d ever seen, soaring into a black-dipped night. He saw the moon shadows of white birch groves from the sky, swooping down to trail his fingers in the frigid stream that cut through them.
He heard her laughter behind him. Above him. At his back.
Her lips were on his. Cool. He tasted honey and tea. Her mouth was at his neck. Her body brushed his. Her mouth… He could feel her. Feel the pointed pressure. His heart raced in anticipation.
Her mouth was at his neck—
“Benjamin.”
He woke with a gasp, Tenzin hovering over him as he lay tangled in the sheets. The heated dream caused his face to flush as he pushed her away.
“Dammit, Tenzin.” He shoved up to sitting and gathered the bedclothes around his body. He’d been so exhausted the night before, he’d tumbled into bed naked. He didn’t even own a pair of pajamas anymore, because he’d left everything at the hostel in Kashgar. “Get the fuck out. I didn’t invite you in my room.”
She frowned. “It’s almost nightfall and you still hadn’t come to me.”
“Yeah, I was tired.” And turned on. And he really didn’t want her to see the evidence. Could he have no privacy? Just a little was too much to ask?
“Did you sleep all day?”
“Yes, I did.” Dammit, but she was irritating sometimes. “Apparently I’m a weak human who hasn’t had a good night’s rest in weeks. I can’t imagine why the hell I’d want to actually sleep when I finally got into a comfortable bed.”
Tenzin’s face screwed up in confusion. “If you slept so much, then why are you so cranky?”
“I’m not cranky!” He took a deep breath. “Boundaries, remember? I’m... naked. And still waking up. And you were just”—he held a hand inches in front of his face—“right there when I opened my eyes. You surprised me. I’d appreciate a little privacy. Will you leave, please?”
“We need to talk before we go.”
“Yeah, I remember. Give me a few minutes.”
“I’ll need to bite you. And then find you some clothes, since you didn’t go out today and yours are all wet. Jinpa washed them not realizing you didn’t have any others.”
“Yeah, that’s fine. I’ll hit the shops—wait. What?”
Did she just casually mention biting him like he was some kind of bowing servant?
She shook her head. “No, I have to go to the shops. You don’t have any clothes, remember?”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen.”
“But you need clothes.” She looked confused. And kind of adorable. She was going to drive him insane.
“You’re not biting me, Tenzin. You can, however, buy me some clothes.” He turned and tried to tuck the sheets around himself. He scanned the room. Yep, they’d taken everything. Even his underwear. Couldn’t they ask? Or did they just assume Tenzin called the shots and he was a servant, so there was no need to ask his opinion about anything?
Thousands of kilometers of driving. No sleep. Stupid dreams, and then Tenzin talking about biting—