Elder Zhongli Quan may have been the second-ranking political leader of the Eight Immortals, but the old wind vampire had long been insecure of his position and suspicious of Tenzin. Zhang’s daughter dwarfed him in age and power, and it was only her disinterest in politics and her desire to avoid her sire, which kept her from attaining a position of leadership in the hall of the Elders. She could have had Zhongli’s throne with a flick of her small wrist, but had always been quite vocal that she had no desire for it.
Had her recent activities on Giovanni’s behalf caused suspicion that Tenzin had taken an interest in political life? If it had, he regretted it. He’d had no quarrel with Zhongli in the past, but now, the wind vampire was an enemy.
He was mentally running through the web of alliances within the council as he entered Tenzin’s quarters. He immediately turned down the hall to check on Beatrice. As he passed their room, he saw Baojia sitting on a bench, reading, nearby.
He looked up briefly. “She’s sleeping. She was exhausted.”
Giovanni came to a halt. He had nothing to criticize, even though an instinctive protest at the vampire’s presence wanted to leap to his mouth. The water vampire was doing the job his sire had assigned him, and as much as Giovanni may not have liked the interest Baojia showed his woman, he knew that Beatrice was safe under his care.
He finally nodded. “I have some calls to make to Southern California. Do you know where the phone is located?”
“It’s in the front library. You have to put it on speaker phone to use it, even with the insulation for the wiring, so be careful what you say.”
“Has Ernesto been informed?”
“I told her I wouldn’t leave the door until you returned, so no.”
“I’ll make my calls and be back shortly.”
Baojia shrugged. “It’s morning there anyway, so I can only talk to his secretary. Take your time.”
Giovanni frowned. “I’ll be back shortly.” He turned and walked toward the small library just off the main sitting room. The walls in Tenzin’s rooms were all decorated simply, with pale paint, sparse wall hangings, and a few wood screens. It suited her while still being formal enough for her father’s tastes.
He passed Nima in the hall, and the old woman nodded in his direction. Her face, as always, was set in a pleasant expression that concealed the calculating mind he knew she possessed. Nima had been in Tenzin’s company for so long, she was almost like another half of his friend, though Tenzin took care to not place the old woman in any position she feared could be dangerous.
No, Nima had always been carefully protected. As the old woman continued down the hall, he turned to watch her slow gait. Giovanni had always assumed that Tenzin and Nima had been more than merely companions at one point, and he wondered what Nima thought of her mistress’s involvement with Stephen. Giovanni had to wonder himself.
He walked into the library; there was a small man working; a servant of Zhang’s was dusting the books.
Giovanni spoke quietly. “You may leave now. Shut the door.” The man bowed silently and left.
He spotted the phone and walked over. It was a speaker unit, as Baojia had said, in some sort of bulky, protective case with a stylus sitting next to it for dialing.
The fact that there was any phone on the island was a huge advance. For thousands of years, Mount Penglai had been cut off from the modern world, with electricity only coming in select locations fifteen years before, and most correspondence was still sent by courier. The human population of the island was just as isolated, though all stayed by their own desire, as far as he knew.
He quickly dialed Matt Kirby’s number in Pasadena.
“Hello?” The connection was slightly delayed.
“Kirby, it’s me.”
“Gio?” His tone was cautious. “How’s everything?”
“Going well.” In a manner of speaking. “How are Caspar and Isadora?”
“Enjoying the gardens here, which look amazing. They’re both enjoying the house and the weather. Dez and Isadora are thick as thieves and are spending a frightening amount of time shopping lately. They miss your girl, though. Give her our love.”
“I will. And how is the puppy?”
Though Lorenzo knew of Ben’s existence, the knowledge that Giovanni had adopted a human child was not widespread, so he and Matt had agreed that, if lines were not secure, Ben would only be referred to as Giovanni’s “puppy.”
“Active as always. His obedience classes are going well, but he still has discipline problems occasionally.” They had enrolled Ben at an exclusive school used by many of the human families under Ernesto’s aegis and others involved in the immortal world. Some of the students boarded there, though Ben lived at home. Most importantly, it was private, and the security met Matt’s stringent requirements.
“Any accidents in the house?” Any fights with Caspar or Isadora?
“Nothing serious.”
“Well, give him a scratch behind the ears from me.”
“Will do,” Matt said. “Anything new there? Was everyone there that you expected?” Was Stephen there?
“All the expected players. Beatrice was pleased. And then we had some unexpected company tonight.”
“Oh?”
“Yes.”
“The one I thought?” Matt had been convinced that Lorenzo would make an appearance while they were in the East; Giovanni hadn’t been as sure. Luckily, “I told you so” wasn’t Matt Kirby’s style.