Blood Apprentice: An Elemental Legacy Novel

by Elizabeth Hunter

  He slept in the sun, reminded of a summer in Tuscany on his uncle’s estate when the immortal world had overwhelmed him and he couldn’t take any more. He’d been sick of it then. Had his cynicism only gotten worse? He thought he’d be able to do good things, retrieve what was lost, find memories and forgotten dreams, make decent money along the way. He’d had grand ideas of what this business would be. Intrigue and mystery and grateful clients.

  What had happened in New York the year before had soured all that. In one fell swoop, he’d become the bad guy, not the good one. His reputation hadn’t taken a hit—ironically, it had probably given him a certain legitimacy in the vampire world—but his own sense of self and of the man he was making had been shattered.

  He’d been trying to walk a narrow line, and he fell. He’d been blinded by a good story. He’d been out-conned. He’d turned into the thief his mother had wanted him to be.

  Was he mad at Tenzin or at himself? She hadn’t changed, not in any significant way. He’d known what he was getting, going into business with Tenzin. He’d walked in with clear eyes.

  Ben walked back into the cavern and straight to her. She was staring at the watery tunnel with an intent gaze. Ben sat on the rock behind Tenzin, wrapping himself around her and setting his chin on the top of her head. “This place is getting to me.”

  “You let your past control you, Ben.”

  “Sometimes.”

  Her shoulders relaxed. “You’re just so…”

  “Stubborn? Fastidious? Deliberate?” All epithets she’d thrown at him in the past.

  “Human.” She turned her head a little, and Ben could see her fangs, the ever-present reminder of how inhuman she was. “You’re so human.”

  Ben let out a breath. “Yes. I’m never not going to be human.”

  She put both her hands on his arms where they crossed over her torso. “You keep saying it. But I don’t think you believe it any more than I do.”

  “You can’t really see the future, Tiny. There’s a lot of magic in the world, but there’s no such thing as precognition.”

  “If you’ve seen enough of the past, you can always see the future.”

  “Why? Because history repeats itself?”

  “Yes. And people don’t really change. Not much anyway.”

  Ben sighed and lowered his cheek to press against her neck. A slow, irregular heartbeat touched his skin. “You don’t want me to be less human,” he said softly. “If I were less human, I wouldn’t be me.”

  She put her hand up to his rough cheek. “You think that. But who you are isn’t limited to your biology. This body you carry is only one expression of yourself. It is, in the end, incidental. The crumbling chest, not the enduring gold inside.” Her fingers teased the curls of hair at his temple. “I have… become attached to many people in my life. Human and vampire. When I care for a person, I desire the gold, not the crumbling chest.”

  Do you desire me?

  He closed his eyes and didn’t speak it. She cared for him. Ben knew that. In fact, if pressed, she would give him her love. She loved Giovanni. She loved Beatrice.

  He wanted to be more.

  But he wouldn’t say it. He couldn’t. It would ruin everything.

  “Come on.” He sat straight and squeezed her shoulders. “Let’s do this. You and me. We stay together, and I’ll get more rope so we can start mapping the second tunnel. If it’s there, it’ll go faster with your nose.”

  They started the same way they had with the first tunnel, but the attempt went wrong quickly. They ran into a dead end at turn three. They went back. They started from the beginning. Ben got a new notebook and the second attempt went to turn eleven before they ran into a cavern instead of a tunnel.

  There were more streams and obstacles in this section of the caves. The waterfall from the sinkhole ran into a stream that flowed under the rock they were walking on, sometimes giving way in sections they had to tiptoe across.

  Water led to erosion. Erosion led to cave-ins. More than once Ben and Tenzin had to stop and get shovels to dig out a partially blocked passageway. Three times, Ben had to stop and snap Tenzin out of a daze when she seemed to be getting lost.

  Ben felt a little more secure that this tunnel was taller than the last earthen one. The path broke open into large caverns more often, which made navigating more difficult—caverns weren’t marked on the map—but also seemed to put Tenzin at ease.

  There was only one time he’d truly gotten nervous.

  “Tiny, hand me the shovel.” He was walking ahead of Tenzin, his headlamp flashing against dripping walls on both sides. This section of the tunnel appeared to be pure limestone, which eased his mind, but there was a section ahead of them where the map might have indicated a turn that was partially blocked by a mudslide.

  Tenzin passed the shovel forward, then perched on a rock near the tunnel wall. Ben tested the edge of the mud. If it was solid, he didn’t want to disturb it. If it was crumbled, it likely wasn’t structurally significant.

  Or so he was guessing.

  Part of him was really wishing they did have an earth vampire with them.

  “Hey, Tenzin.”

  “Yes?”

  “If we ever look for anything underwater, we’re taking a water vampire with us.”

  She tossed small stones against the limestone. “I wouldn’t dream of doing anything otherwise. You know, it’s interesting that you brought that up.”

  “Oh?” He poked higher. Still crumbling. Still soft.

  “Yes. Cheng sent me a letter a few months ago—” A slick, shifting sound cut off the rest of her words.

  “Tenzin!” Ben turned to see a chunk of mud had broken away from the wall near the top of the tunnel and slid down, partially burying Tenzin. The mud exposed limestone above it. Ben didn’t see any danger of further collapse, but the mud had shoved her to one side of the tunnel, nearly covering her face and part of her torso.

  She was frozen, her eyes wide and her fangs bared.

  “Fuck.” Ben crouched down and started to clear the mud from around her. “Good thing I made you put on these coveralls.” He stopped when he heard the growl.

  She was staring at him, and there was no hint of recognition behind her eyes. Despite his careful training, Ben’s heart began to pound. “Tenzin?”

  Her head tilted to the side, and she leaned forward, mud falling around her as she breathed him in.

  “Tenzin.” His voice was louder, sharper. “Tiny, snap the fuck out of it.”

  Her lip curled up, and he saw her fangs gleaming in his headlamp. Her eyes were on his neck.

  Shit shit shit.

  Ben forced himself to take deep breaths and calm his heart. Then he unzipped his coveralls and stripped off the shirt underneath.

  Tenzin stopped growling. Her mouth dropped open and her fangs grew even longer.

  Why the fuck is that hot?

  There was something wrong with him.

  Her eyes moved from his neck to his torso. He could feel her gaze like a physical touch.

  “You like the view?” he muttered. “Yeah, I know you do, little liar.”

  For the first time since the earth had fallen over her face, she looked into his eyes.

  “Hey there, pretty monster,” he murmured, taking his shirt and wiping the side of her face with it, clearing the mud from her eyes, cheek, and mouth. Using his familiar scent to bring her back around. “Hey, Tiny. It’s me. I’m not dinner; I’m your friend.”

  She turned her face and breathed in the scent of his shirt. Despite the cold temperatures underground, he’d been sweating under his coveralls. That shirt would be ripe with his sweat and pheromones.

  Old advice from his uncle echoed in Ben’s mind like the sound of rushing water bouncing around the tunnels. Remember, Benjamin. When we lose our human instincts, we react like predators. Even the most controlled of us can fall victim under the wrong circumstances. We have to be reminded of who we are.

  “Hey, Tenzin.”
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br />   She was still smelling his shirt. Her eyes had moved from his body to his face. She was examining him, but her fangs had eased back and her expression was more human.

  “Remember me?”

  From one second to the next, she returned. “Yes.”

  Tenzin swiped Ben’s shirt from his hand, cleaned her face with it, and tossed it back to him before she turned and walked out of the tunnel.

  After she left, Ben sat on the floor and took three long breaths.

  Close. Too close.

  He stopped searching after that. They had set pitons and ropes for much of the cave, marked drop-offs with flags, and cleared the main tunnel from two mudslides. Ben was losing hope that anything of substance would be found in the cave, until he walked out and saw a red flag stuck in the ground near the first turn.

  He walked faster. “Tenzin?”

  When he exited the tunnel, he saw her, bent over the pool where the waterfall fell, sweeping something back and forth.

  She looked up with a huge grin on her face. “I told you. It smells different.”

  They looked at the two profiles on the face of the coin Tenzin held in the palm of her hand.

  “Gold,” Ben said. “William and Mary one-guinea gold piece. Turn of the seventeenth century. Great condition. This would be worth a lot to collectors, more than just the gold’s value.”

  “I could be convinced to part with it for the right price,” Tenzin said. “That fits with when Enríquez was raiding British ships, correct?”

  “Yes.” He tried to look closer, but Tenzin closed her hand around the coin. “Tiny.”

  “Fine.” She handed it over. “But this one is mine.”

  “You found it.” He held it up to examine it better. “Where?”

  “It was about three inches under the mud. See? I told you that was the right tunnel.”

  “You said the dry one was the right tunnel.”

  “I’m pretty sure you said that.”

  “Yeah, no.” He cocked his head. “You found it quickly.”

  “For the last time, my hunting instincts were roused and gold smells—”

  “Different. Yeah, I know. The problem is, we need to figure out a way to rouse your hunting instincts so you can sniff out this gold without my becoming dinner along the way.”

  “Huh.” Tenzin sat back and stared at the waterfall. “Yeah, I have no idea.”

  “That’s helpful.”

  She shrugged. “It’s been a while since I fed, so that probably helps.”

  It doesn’t help my neck.

  “Okay, so… you wait on eating until we find the treasure. I can’t say I love that idea, but it does have logic on its side. We could try you searching alone—”

  “No.” She stood. “That’s not a good idea.”

  The look on her face was raw. Wary. It was so rare for Tenzin to concede any weakness, Ben didn’t know what to say.

  “We’ll go together.” She looked into his eyes. “I won’t kill you. I don’t think I’d be able to even if I wanted to.”

  What does that mean? You nearly did half an hour ago.

  “Okay, we go together.” He stood, handed the coin back to her, and zipped up his coveralls. He’d started to get a chill again. “I’m going to warm up, sit in the last of the sun for a while, and then get some food and sleep.”

  “Sounds good.”

  “When we’re ready to work again, we’ll focus on the tunnel where you found the coin. And I’ll try to shut up and let you use your nose.”

  “Good idea.”

  And we’re not going to mention what happened before in the tunnel at all, are we?

  Tenzin’s eyes held his, and they did not reveal a thing.

  Ben nodded. “Right.”

  15

  Ben woke before it was light. He glanced at the clock on his phone; it was only five in the morning.

  Sleep when you’re tired. Eat when you’re hungry.

  He’d lost track of how long they’d been in the cavern, but his phone was nearly dead. He’d forgotten to use his solar charger the day before, and very little power was left.

  Tenzin unzipped the tent before he could sit up.

  “Hey.” She was buzzing with excitement. “I heard you wake up.”

  His voice was hoarse when he answered. “It’s early.”

  “I set up the work lights already.” She slipped inside the tent and sat cross-legged on the floor. “It’s warm in here.”

  “Yeah.” Ben rubbed his eyes.

  “You produce heat when you sleep. It makes the ambient temperature more comfortable.”

  He took a deep breath. “Tiny, did you have a reason for barging in here?” Not that she usually needed a reason.

  Boundary issues. They had them.

  “I’m…” Tenzin frowned at him.

  “What?” He needed to piss. He wanted to get dressed. He wanted coffee, and he had limited patience for her chatter this morning.

  “I am sorry I lost my awareness yesterday.”

  She was apologizing? That almost never happened.

  “There was a moment where I lost track of myself. I don’t believe it will happen again. I will be more aware—”

  “It’s fine,” he mumbled. “I know you don’t like being underground.”

  This time she was the one who let the silence stretch. “You don’t want to know why?”

  He wanted to challenge her, but what was the point? “There is no meaning in pain.” How many times had he heard her say it? Asking would relieve his own curiosity, but it would do nothing for her.

  “If you ever want to tell me,” he said quietly, “I’ll listen.”

  She nodded. “Thank you. But no.”

  “We’ll stick together today. Are you still sure it’s better for you not to feed? I brought blood and blood-wine.”

  She curled her lip. Tenzin hated preserved blood. “I’ll be fine. Especially now that I know what this gold smells like. I’ll be more focused.”

  “Does each gold smell different?”

  “Yes. Slightly. Different alloys. The less pure it is, the stronger it is. If that makes sense.”

  “It does. So pure gold—”

  “I can still smell it, but it’s faint.”

  “Okay.” He was trying to figure out the scientific basis for gold smelling like anything at all, but he figured if Tenzin could use her nose, then why question it. He was still taking his metal detector.

  “The tunnel where I found it isn’t deep.”

  “So… you ignored me and went exploring?”

  “No. But the air doesn’t smell stale, and I can’t hear any water from the entrance.”

  “Okay, give me half an hour.” He really needed to pee.

  Tenzin wasn’t moving.

  “I need to piss, Tiny.”

  She rolled her eyes and rolled away from the tent flap. “Human.”

  “Yep. Are you staying in here?”

  “Yes, it’s warm.” As soon as Ben vacated the air mattress, Tenzin rolled over and bounced on it. “I want one of these.”

  “You don’t sleep.” Ben yawned when he stood up.

  “I still want one.”

  He shook his head and walked to the entrance of the cavern. Stepping outside into the sinkhole, he felt the air change. It was warmer. Softer. A little drier, despite the humid air. A breeze touched his skin and lifted his spirits.

  “Tenzin!” he shouted.

  “What?” Her voice was tiny from underground.

  “The sun isn’t up yet. Why don’t you come outside and get some fresh air?”

  “You know I don’t actually need to breathe, right?”

  “Are you a wind vampire or not? Get out here.” He walked behind a tumble of rocks to pee. “Get some altitude. It’ll be good for you.”

  A barely mumbled “fine” was his only warning before she zoomed overhead and into the air. Ben didn’t even have his pants zipped up.

  “Tiny terror,” he muttered.

&nb
sp; Tenzin flew in loops overhead, like a bird stretching its wings. He heard her breathing deeply and speaking in her own language. What was she saying? Who was she speaking to? More than once, Ben suspected it was the voices within herself, but who was he to say?

  She stretched herself in the air for ten or fifteen minutes while Ben stretched out on the ground and stared at the slowly lightening sky. The pearl-grey dawn was creeping toward them, and Ben knew she’d have to return to the cavern before the sun breached the horizon.

  For now, let her fly.

  Searching the tunnel where Tenzin had found the gold coin proved more complicated than initially predicted.

  “Are you getting anything?” he asked.

  “No. You?”

  Ben swept the metal detector slowly over the second small crevice off the main channel. “Nothing.”

  It was still bothering him that none of this was even vaguely approaching the directions on the map. That map might have been written by an amateur, but it was an amateur who had taken care to mark specific topographical features and points of interest. How could a treasure map lead them so carefully to the tunnels where the gold was stored and then be so completely off when it came to specifics?

  It didn’t make sense to Ben, but Tenzin insisted on following her nose, and she wasn’t willing to deviate since she’d gotten a taste of the treasure.

  “This way,” she said, motioning Ben toward a narrow passage to the left of the main tunnel.

  “Are you sure?” Ben swept his light over the ceiling. Water dripped from the limestone more readily than the rest of the passageway. He could hear water in the distance. The ground was muddy.

  “Yes, I’m sure.”

  Tenzin walked ahead of him, the light from her helmet giving him a point to follow. He bumped his helmet twice; the passageway was low. He followed her light and her voice, moving deliberately deeper into the cavern. The water was growing louder. The ground sloped down. He no longer had to duck to move forward.

  “Tenzin?”

  “What?”

  He followed the faint echo of her voice. Ben ducked under a low arch and stepped sideways through a narrow passage, then he heard the echoes grow.