When it was time for her to seize power, it would have been seen as inevitable by the majority of the court.
Who else could lead them? Who else had the right?
The fact that she was extraordinarily powerful only enhanced her claim. She had birthright, she had loyalty, she might have even had love.
“Your ruler is a wise cacica,” Tenzin said.
“She is one of three,” the guard said.
“Then you are three times blessed,” Giovanni said.
The guard offered him an agreeable nod as he led them through the gardens and across the bridge leading under the mountain.
Though the path to the mountain was the same one they’d walked only one night before, the atmosphere was completely different. Gone were the raucous drums and feathered dancers. Gone was the decadence and the party atmosphere.
The scene that greeted Tenzin and Giovanni was entirely different.
There were still three thrones, but no longer was one sitting in front of the others. All three were in a line and the raised dais was gone. Each queen sat as an equal with a small table beside her throne and an adviser at her side.
Gone were the luxurious gowns of the previous nights. Valeria was wearing a smart rose-colored suit, beautifully tailored to show off her slim figure. Yahíma was wearing a simple tan sheath dress with a brightly patterned jacket, though her bare feet touched the ground in a show of elemental power. Jadzia wore a pair of leggings and a richly textured green tunic that floated around her body.
The women were feminine and utterly regal. Tenzin approved.
Valeria was signing a paper. Jadzia and Yahíma were listening to a petition. There were guards, but they stood along the edges of the room while vampires and a few humans bustled back and forth in the background, clearly busy with tasks. Vasco, the general with the solemn presence, was nowhere in sight. The whole atmosphere was one of industry, not intrigue or political tension.
“As I’ve said,” the petitioner was saying, “the property belongs to me. The family that is living there now—”
“When were you turned?” Jadzia asked. She looked up and locked eyes on Tenzin.
Hello there.
Some unspoken current ran between the three women in the front of the room. All of them turned and watched Giovanni and Tenzin as they approached, even though the vampire in front of them was still speaking.
“I was turned in 1896.”
Jadzia stared at Tenzin as she asked, “And how long has the human family been living there?”
The vampire shrugged. “Does it matter?”
Yahíma turned her attention back to the man in front of them. “It does, Bertrand. We have a corporation that deals with this sort of thing, but if it is seen as stealing land or strong-arming humans who have been living on the land for many years, we will face questions from the government that are most inconvenient and do not benefit the good of our island or our court.”
Jadzia said, “I advise you to find out how much money the humans would want in order to sell the property.”
“With respect, cacicas, it is my land.”
“And have they built a house on it?” Jadzia said. “Have they improved it and cared for it?”
“I suppose.”
“Then think of the contribution they have made as caretakers and consider that,” Jadzia said. “We cannot discount the humans living there. They have likely paid money for the land, though it was not to you. They have paid taxes to the human government and cultivated it.”
Valeria finished with the papers she’d been signing and handed them to a secretary. “My sister Jadzia is wise. These are reasonable requests, Bertrand. You may yet have a claim if the humans are unreasonable; come back when you have more information and we will see if we can help.”
Tenzin could tell the vampire wasn’t pleased, but he also was out of arguments. “Thank you, Cacicas.”
Before another petitioner could come forward, the guard announced them. “Giovanni Vecchio and Tenzin of Penglai have come to petition Las Tres.”
Tenzin tried not to bristle at the word petition. She hadn’t petitioned anyone in her life. But she followed Giovanni’s lead and nodded respectfully. Bowing wasn’t appropriate—Tenzin did not bow—but a respectful nod wasn’t out of line.
“Señor Vecchio,” Yahíma said. “My sister Tenzin. Welcome back.”
Tenzin was both taken aback and curiously charmed by Yahíma addressing her as a sister. It was a tradition used only by very old vampires who considered themselves royalty, and they only used it addressing those they considered royal peers.
Unexpected and illuminating.
“Cacicas.” Giovanni addressed them. “May we offer our congratulations on the formation of your new court?”
No one asked what had become of Macuya. It was as if he had never existed.
“You may offer your good wishes,” Valeria said quietly, “since it was your actions that provoked it.”
If Giovanni was thrown by the accusation, it didn’t show. “Though that was never my intention, I cannot deny that I’m pleased by your wise leadership.” He moved his attention, addressed each woman in turn. “I believe this island will benefit from your wisdom and experience.”
Tenzin had agreed to stay quiet unless things turned violent, but she spoke up to add, “It is clear your administration is already caring for previously overlooked needs of your court.”
“Thank you,” Valeria said, glancing nervously at Tenzin before she turned her attention back to Giovanni. “Now that you have offered your congratulations, I wonder why you have returned to us and where your nephew has gone.”
“My nephew is dealing with a business matter in San Juan for me.” Giovanni’s careless wave communicated what he’d intended. Whatever they were there for, it was vampire business, nothing to do with human apprentices.
“But you and your partner have returned to us,” Jadzia said, her eyes on the box. “And you bring something with you.”
“My queen.” A new voice spoke from behind them. Tenzin turned and saw Vasco. He was addressing Valeria, and it was clear he was reluctant to interrupt. “I would beg your attention in your chamber.”
“I’m sure you would,” Giovanni said quietly.
The whole of the room froze. No one missed the quiet pronouncement.
“Vasco,” Yahíma said. “Your services are not needed right now. There are no security matters before the court.”
The general was undeterred. He stepped forward, his expression giving nothing away.
“My queen Valeria,” he said again, his voice rough, “I beg your ear in the privacy of your chamber.”
Valeria’s eyes were wide and blank. Whatever thoughts were turning in her head, Tenzin could not read them.
A few silent beats later, Yahíma said, “Will those of the court leave us.” She pointed at Giovanni and Tenzin. “Not you.” She looked at Vasco. “And not you.”
The working vampires and guards along the edges of the room disappeared in seconds.
Giovanni set the wooden box down in front of him. “We have unfinished business.”
“That we can agree on,” Yahíma said. “It appears you have found your treasure.”
“Only part of it. The other part was left here.”
“Oh?” She waved a hand. “Weapons of Spanish design. A few good blades. Some coin. Nothing so interesting that they would be worth much money. And, of course, those were artifacts of the island, so they could not be the items you were looking for as your nephew assured me the object you were seeking was not of Puerto Rican origin.”
“Since I haven’t been able to examine the chest, I cannot say for certain.”
Yahíma smiled. “You will have to take my word for it.”
“I am happy to do so, Cacica.” Giovanni nodded. “And should you have any desire to value the objects for auction, my company would be more than willing to assist.”
Jadzia said, “You’re most generous, Señor
Vecchio. But I’m more interested in what you have in the box at your feet.”
“I’m sure you are.” Giovanni said. “I’m also sure you know I have a plane in San Juan. You know that I have connections all over the world. If I wanted to disappear with the contents of this box, then I am very capable of doing that.”
Yahíma arched an eyebrow. “So you say.”
Tenzin mentally screamed at Giovanni. Shut up, shut up, shut up! It wouldn’t pay to challenge her over a slight so minor. Yahíma was a new monarch. No matter what Giovanni’s reputation was, she had to save face.
“I am here today”—he moved past the minor insult with aplomb, and Tenzin heaved a sigh of relief—“because my nephew made you a promise, and neither he nor I break our word.”
Yahíma was interested. “Continue.”
Vasco had moved to the side, closer to the thrones. Tenzin watched him, but he made no move to approach either Giovanni or herself. Everyone was too curious about what was in the chest.
“My nephew told you that the treasure we were searching for did not originate on this island,” Giovanni said. “The coins in this chest are of English origin. We were correct in our assessment.”
Yahíma glanced at Jadzia and Valeria. Both women nodded. “Agreed,” she said.
“He told you our client has a claim on this treasure, which he does by the ancient rules of conquest. Miguel Enríquez died a natural human death in 1743. No heirs claimed his estate or his debts. The map leading to this treasure was obtained by Roberto Cofresí, a vampire turned in 1824. He hired us as his agents to find it.”
It wasn’t strictly true, of course. Cofresí never hired Giovanni to find the treasure—only the map. But making Cofresí the client was a useful fiction that would work for the moment.
Yahíma said, “Some may argue, but I believe in the old laws. You are within your rights. As we were within our rights to take our portion of the treasure by force.”
By force, my ass. We gave it to you. Tenzin bit her tongue and reminded herself about new monarchs and saving face.
“I am happy to accede to your claim on the first chest,” Giovanni said. “But Benjamin further promised you personally that should there be a dispute about the ownership of this item, we would bring it before Las Tres.”
Jadzia leaned forward, her eyes gleaming. “Are you saying there is another claim greater than your own?”
Giovanni spoke directly to her. “I believe you know there is.”
Vasco had come to stand by Valeria. His hand was on her shoulder, and his face was even paler than usual.
“Cacica Yahíma,” Giovanni said. “I have come before you, honoring the promise my nephew made in good faith.”
“I appreciate that honor and your good faith, Señor Vecchio.”
“With that in mind, I ask that we return to the death of my friend, the human August Camino.”
She frowned. “Camino? What does the old man have to do with Enríquez’s treasure?”
“Because he owned documents that demonstrated a prior claim. I believe that was why he was killed, even though he had been promised protection by the rulers of this island.”
Yahíma’s face was frozen. “Do you have proof of this?”
“I have the documents he owned, and I identified two scents on his body after death.” Giovanni looked at Vasco. “Both vampires are in this room right now.”
The vampire stepped forward, his mouth open, but he didn’t speak. His eyes darted between Giovanni, Valeria, Jadzia, and Yahíma.
Busted.
Tenzin couldn’t gloat. She and Giovanni had talked it over before they arrived. There could be no real justice for Camino—not unless they wanted to throw the island of Puerto Rico into more chaos that it would likely not survive.
But there had to be accountability.
An eye for an eye.
A life for a life.
Valeria stood. “Sisters—”
“Valeria, don’t,” Yahíma said. She slowly turned, but it wasn’t toward Valeria. She turned left. To Jadzia. “You did this.”
Jadzia’s face was stone-cold. “Vasco, come to me.”
Vasco turned toward Valeria and gave her one pleading look before he walked slowly to Jadzia. “Cacica,” he said quietly, “I am your nitayno.”
Jadzia looked at Tenzin, then at Giovanni. Her expression was ice-cold. “What do you want?”
“I want the murderer of August Camino held to account.”
Jadzia nodded. Then she walked behind her throne and removed a long, curved blade, a shotel, Tenzin realized. Double-sided and deadly. She walked over to Vasco and, without a single word, sliced his head from his neck.
25
Ben tapped his fingers on the steering wheel and watched the cameras from the app on his phone. It was after dark, vampires roamed the island, and even cheerful texts from his cousin with more bird pictures weren’t cutting the tension.
What if it didn’t work?
It wasn’t as if Ben was worried about Tenzin and Giovanni. The two had taken on far more powerful opponents than the vampire court of Puerto Rico. But he was starting to love this place. He’d stayed on the beach nearly all day. He’d gone to the market and barbecued fish on the sand. Families at the beach club had waved him over and welcomed him to visit and asked how he was enjoying their home.
It was enough to make Ben damn near fall in love with the place.
Vampire politics infected human politics no matter how much vampires might try to avoid it. The island was just starting to recover. Life still wasn’t close to normal. On the beach that day, he’d heard about battles with insurance companies and schools threatening to close. He’d heard about unemployment and neighbor after neighbor moving away. Moving to the States. Empty houses and lost friendships.
It was the lost friendships and broken communities that seemed to bother people the most.
What could he do to help? What could any of them do to help? God knows, he wasn’t going to change any vampire minds about how to deal with the challenges, but if he could just keep more chaos from happening, that would be something.
He wanted to do something.
Liza sent through another text. My grandma wants you to come for dinner before you leave the island.
Shit.
He texted back. I’m not sure. I’ll have to check with my friend and see what her plans are.
Is this the flaky friend?
Yeah. My uncle is gone first thing in the morning.
Is this flaky friend really a flaky girlfriend?
Ben shook his head. No, we’re not— He deleted and started over. It’s complicated.
Sounds like a girlfriend to me. LOL.
Ha ha.
Ben tapped his fingers on the dashboard and closed his eyes. Tenzin, where are you? Please don’t tell me you’ve started another fight.
No one in the throne room moved as Vasco’s head fell to the ground and came to rest at Yahíma’s feet.
Valeria gave a sharp snarl and covered her mouth, but not before Tenzin spotted the fangs that had fallen.
“Valeria!” Yahíma snapped in warning.
Gone was the atmosphere of courtly manners. The scent of blood filled the air, and Tenzin felt the instinctual urge of her race. To feed. To fight. To kill. She swallowed her instincts, shoving back the urge just as Valeria had suppressed the instinct to avenge her lover.
Tenzin watched Valeria. Her face assumed a careful mask as she slowly turned and went to stand in front of her throne. She looked away from Vasco’s body. She looked at Yahíma, who stared back at her and gave her a solemn nod.
Valeria sat, a queen even in anger.
Tenzin watched as Jadzia lifted the edge of her tunic to clean her blade, making no move to hide the bloodstains. Then she calmly walked behind her throne, stowed her sword, and returned to her seat.
“The murderer of August Camino has been held to account.” Jadzia held out her hand. “Give me the documents.”
; Tenzin could read Giovanni’s thoughts.
You are the murderer.
You are responsible.
You killed my friend.
But he could not say it. Killing Jadzia would only throw the newly formed government of the island into chaos, and Giovanni had smelled both Jadzia and Vasco in the library. There was no way of proving who had killed the old man even if they both had their suspicions.
An eye for an eye. A life for a life.
Giovanni opened the box and handed the folded documents to Jadzia. “You are the illegitimate daughter of Miguel Enríquez and a free black woman named Antonia. Born in 1715, immortally sired to wind in 1737, years before your father died. That was why you never made a claim on his estate.”
Jadzia opened the documents with a small smile across her face. “You are correct, Señor Vecchio. As you have proven with these papers, I am the only living heir of Miguel Enríquez.”
“And to think,” Valeria said, her voice tightly controlled, “you were so close to it for so long.”
Jadzia glared at her. “You must be confused.”
“I don’t think she is,” Giovanni said. “You were the demon of Camuy, were you not? It’s understandable for a young vampire to be so uncontrolled. It wouldn’t be the first time. You killed Tomás when he came searching for the treasure, but you never found more than the first chest. You never connected that chest to your father until you heard rumors about a map.”
Jadzia leaned back on her throne. “You know nothing.”
“I wonder,” Tenzin said, “why August Camino reached for the book about the demon of Camuy? Did he know? I wonder how. But then, August knew many things, didn’t he? He kept many secrets.”
“This is all speculation.” Jadzia was annoyed. “Why are you still here? I have avenged your friend. You may leave and send our best wishes to Cormac O’Brien.”
Giovanni gestured at the box near his feet. “There is still the matter of Enríquez’s treasure. As my nephew promised, since there is a dispute on my client’s claim, we have brought the matter before Las Tres.” Giovanni spoke to Yahíma again. “For you to decide how this treasure will be divided.”
Blood Apprentice: An Elemental Legacy Novel Page 25