The Bone Scroll: An Elemental Legacy Novel

by Hunter, Elizabeth

  “Shhhhh.” He kissed the top of her head. “We should be quiet.”

  She reached up, grabbed his hand, and sank her fangs into his wrist.

  “Ow.” Ben winced but didn’t say more. It hurt… but it also felt good.

  Behold, the twisted nature of vampire relationships.

  Daniel was lying on the ground; he was, in fact, stark naked. Ben and Tenzin watched as the ground slowly opened up and closed around him. He could feel Tenzin shudder under his arm. She dreaded being underground and sometimes lost hold of reality when that happened. He knew from firsthand experience that anything causing her to taste dirt was reason for concern.

  Ben didn’t know if it was his imagination or not, but he could almost feel Daniel moving around below them.

  “Tenzin, is there any way we could be—”

  “You control air, Benjamin.” She looked up at him. “There is air everywhere. In the earth. In water. Even fire feeds on what we offer it.”

  A light went on inside him. “Fire feeds on air.”

  She nodded slowly.

  “So if we needed to quench fire—”

  “It takes very fine control,” she said. “But I know you’ve been thinking about Arosh.”

  “But it’s possible? Nothing is a vacuum, so how would you—”

  “How do you fly without eating bugs?” She cocked her head. “Think.”

  “I create a bubble of air.”

  She shrugged. “So create a bubble without air.” Tenzin walked off, tracking a subtle rise in the hillside that was overgrown with brush and a few wild flowers that hadn’t been eaten by the goats yet. She pushed her arms out, palms facing down. “Here.”

  As if on cue, the ground beneath her started swelling. A few moments later, a filthy Daniel popped his head out of the ground like an overgrown meerkat. “I definitely found something.”

  Ben crouched down. “Can you clear it?”

  “It’ll take a while. The ruin isn’t intact. It’s all fallen in on itself.”

  Ben knew that even unearthing a site without painstaking documentation was anathema to professional archaeology, but they simply didn’t have time. “Gently please,” he said. “Expose the site as carefully as you can.”

  Daniel crawled out of the ground like a kid climbing out of a pool. He knelt on the ground and dug both hands into the earth. He was covered in dirt from head to toe, but Ben had to admit that watching him work was oddly entrancing.

  The ground was re-forming before his eyes, a shaking, trembling shift that sent vibrations into the air and dust into the sky. Tenzin quickly wafted away the debris as centuries of topsoil, dust, animal bones, and rock were shunted away from the site in a smooth torus of earth.

  Hours after he had begun, Daniel sat back and breathed out in relief while Ben and Tenzin stared at the ruins that now lay exposed to the night sky.

  Daniel had exposed four walls and the collapsed structures within them. There were toppled benches and even a few pieces of dry wood that had been preserved beneath the ground.

  “Amazing.” Tenzin rose and floated herself into the pit. “You have proven your worth, son of Carwyn.”

  “Thanks.” Daniel looked exhausted. “I need to hunt.”

  Tenzin waved him away. “There are plentiful cattle in a small pen halfway down the hill in that direction.” She pointed over her shoulder. “Let us work.”

  Ben gingerly floated over the walls and joined Tenzin. “Where do we start?”

  She pointed to some of the stones lying on the ground. “Here, do you see it?”

  Ben crouched down. “It’s stained. Like… It’s dark, so maybe—”

  “Fire.” Tenzin touched the toppled stone with the tip of her shoe. “What you’re seeing are scorch marks.”

  “Which means?”

  “Which means that Arosh and Saba were probably already here.” She stood in front of the last standing wall, which had flecks of paint still clinging to it. “This is a picture of a king, not a saint.”

  “So this wasn’t a church.”

  She frowned. “Depends on the king. There were numerous Ethiopian emperors—like Lalibela—who were priests as well as kings. Some are venerated as saints now.” She held her hand in front of the wall. “But no, I don’t think this was a church.” She looked around. “It’s not built correctly for that. You’ve seen Ethiopian Orthodox churches now. What’s missing?”

  “I’ve seen newer churches, Tenzin. I don’t know if anything I’ve seen about them—”

  “The fundamentals of the church structure have not changed in centuries.” She walked over and stood in front of him. “Look. Tell me what you notice.”

  Ben turned in place and immediately saw what she was saying. “Where is the maqdas?”

  The maqdas, or “holy of holies,” was a feature pointed out in every single Ethiopian Orthodox Church they’d visited. There was nothing in the ruin that suggested such a structure. It was a simple square stone building, though obviously fitted with niches, shelves, and concealed pockets.

  “Exactly. There’s no maqdas here, so this is not a church.”

  Now that she’d pointed them out, the scorch marks were obvious and everywhere. Ben kept his fingers off the stones, conscious of not spoiling the site any more than they already had. “So this was a treasury.”

  “A dressed-stone structure” —she pointed at the painted wall— “richly decorated once. Located on the top of a mountain, burned by Yodit,” Tenzin said. “Rather by Saba and Arosh during their rage. Yes, I believe this was a treasury.”

  “I understand Saba’s anger,” Ben said. “But why was Arosh with her? Did he have a connection to Desta?”

  “He once loved her too,” Tenzin said. “That is what I have heard, though I don’t know if it was as a lover or as a daughter. Likely they were lovers at some point.”

  Ben muttered, “Vampire families are so fucked up.”

  “He wasn’t her sire,” Tenzin said. “She was Saba’s daughter.”

  “And Arosh was Saba’s… consort? Lover? I don’t know. I know Giovanni said they shared a lot of blood, so they were mated.”

  Unlike us.

  “Saba shared blood with all of them,” Tenzin said. “So if that is all it takes to be mated, she was mated to Kato and Ziri as well.”

  Ben tried not to let bitterness color his voice. “I’m just saying I don’t understand how Saba would be okay with her lover also being involved with her daughter.”

  Tenzin spread her hands. “They are thousands and thousands of years old.”

  “And that makes a difference why?”

  “Because relationships change, Benjamin. Young vampires like your uncle or even Carwyn may not understand this, but what does a lifelong commitment mean to a being like Saba?”

  “Or you?”

  Fuck. He said that out loud. Ben felt the amnis coursing through his body like a pulse. The air around him whipped up, swirling dust devils along the surface of the ridge.

  Tenzin rose in the air, her eyes fixed on Ben. “I am very happy with what we have become, Benjamin.”

  “For now.” He nodded and swallowed the burning lump that had formed at the back of his throat. “For now you’re happy. Not bored. But not willing to be my mate. Even though you were willing to mate with Stephen and you claim that what we have is more.”

  Tenzin’s face remained blank. “What do you want from me?”

  “I want you to be my mate!”

  They had risen well above the earth now, surrounded by the wind and the darkness. The stars were brilliant and clear in the sky—not a cloud obscured them—and the ruins of the old treasury were forgotten in the dust below.

  She said nothing, and Ben felt like his heart had been ripped out of his chest and lay splattered on the side of a mountain.

  Why stop now?

  “I want forever, okay? And I know I don’t realize what that means the way you do. I know that I am an idiotic baby compared to you. I know that. And I do
n’t care. I never wanted this life, but I told you I’m learning to love it like I promised. And I never wanted forever unless that meant I could have you.”

  Her eyes weren’t angry. They were sad. “You don’t know what forever means.”

  “I fucking know that, okay!” The air whipped around them. “I know! And maybe in five hundred years I’m going to regret it, but damn it, Tenzin, why the hell can’t you give me this? After everything we’ve been through, why won’t you be my mate?”

  24

  Tenzin stared at him, stared at the hurt on his face and his obvious passion. His love and his vulnerability would always be her greatest weakness.

  You do not even know who you are.

  He was so young, so blissfully unaware of the passage of time. To Ben, forever was romantic. To Ben, commitment meant things she couldn’t even fathom.

  Don’t force me into a promise we both might regret.

  But for now…

  For now, she could give him an answer that might assuage him, even if it wasn’t the whole of the truth. It was part of it, and she could give him that.

  Tenzin turned in the air, searching for any sense of others around—even a hint of another creature would be too much exposure to allow her confession.

  She turned back to Ben and finally met his eyes. “Benjamin, sharing your blood is…”

  Addicting.

  Beyond pleasurable.

  Thrilling.

  Right.

  She flew closer, reluctant to touch him. Their physical connection could be so distracting at times. “I would take your blood every night if I could. I would have your fangs in my own body every hour for nights on end.”

  A red flush swelled his lips and drew her eyes.

  Take him.

  No. He is your weakness.

  He is my strength.

  “So take it,” he said. “That’s what I want. I’m telling you—”

  “It’s complicated.” She touched a single finger to his mouth. “The first time I took your blood, on Penglai, the night you woke…” She leaned close and whispered in his ear. “That day was the first time I slept even a few moments in thousands of years.”

  She felt his body seize and knew he understood the significance of the secret she had told him.

  “You slept?”

  “I slept.” She allowed the mix of emotions to color her voice. “I dreamed, my Benjamin. I didn’t know what to think at first. I didn’t understand.”

  “You slept.” Ben sounded like he wanted to celebrate. He sounded happy. Relieved even. He slipped an arm around her waist and drew her close, pressing his cheek to hers. “You told me you miss sleep, so why don’t you want to—”

  “The more I drink, the more I sleep. Right now we are in the heart of Saba’s territory. I don’t—”

  “You think it makes you vulnerable.” Understanding dawned in his voice.

  Or some version of it.

  Tenzin said, “I know it makes me vulnerable. Trust me, there have been assassins sent to kill me in my day rest. Saba has many allies who would do her bidding, immortal and human.”

  “So you don’t want to take my blood while we’re here because it will make you sleep more.”

  And you don’t truly understand what forever means.

  “Yes,” she said. “It’s just not wise right now. There is too much at stake. Your family is here, and I must not do anything to endanger—”

  “Shhhh.” Now he put his own finger on her lips. “Tenzin, I understand.” He replaced his finger with his lips, and she liked that much better.

  She wrapped her arms around his neck and drew him closer, twisting into the night sky as his amnis cooled and settled. She could feel it in her own blood. He was there now. Though it had been weeks since she’d taken a sip of his blood, his amnis wasn’t leaving.

  You are the liar.

  She hushed the voices in her mind and concentrated on his lips. His hands holding her. His blood inside her.

  Liar, liar, liar.

  He was already a part of her. He always would be. There were those she had cared for who had left her, those whose presence in her life was sweet but fleeting.

  Ben was not that.

  Liar, liar, liar. You don’t know who you are.

  Quiet.

  Ben took her cheeks between his hands, and his smile broke her heart. “Tenzin, you slept.”

  “And I dreamed.”

  “Is this why you…?”

  She frowned. “Why I what?”

  He shook his head. “Never mind. It’s not important. I understand, Tiny. I get it now.”

  No, you don’t.

  “I’m glad.” Tenzin slowly floated them back down to the ground where a half-dressed Daniel was sitting on a rock, glaring at them.

  “Nice of you to remember I’m still here.”

  Ben straightened. “We had things to discuss.”

  “And I have a shower to take please.” He looked over his shoulder. “It’s going to be dawn in a few hours.”

  “Did you feed?”

  Daniel nodded. “Lovely herd of cows not far down the hill. Thanks for asking.” He glanced at the ruined treasury. “Do you want me to cover it up?”

  “No,” Ben said. “I’m going to email Liya as soon as we get back. I’ll fill her in on what we found.” He looked at Daniel. “To be clear, there are no passages or chambers that you’re sensing beyond what you uncovered here?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “This was thoroughly gutted at some point. I imagine there are still traces to be found, but nothing as large as even a small scroll. I’d be able to feel it.”

  Tenzin was still poking around the stonework. “I do think it is Aksumite, based on the layout and the stone work. Arosh and Saba probably looted it centuries ago. They wouldn’t have left anything of value.”

  “Then let’s head home.” Ben glanced at the old-fashioned wristwatch he had taken to wearing. It needed to be wound once a day, but it had no electronics to kill. “We have about three and a half hours before dawn.”

  Tenzin nodded. “More than enough time.”

  They flew back through the night, and Ben tried not to notice Daniel squirming in his arms. At a certain point though, it became dangerous.

  “Listen, I’m not going to drop you, but you could make it a little easier if you stopped wiggling so much.”

  “When you clear that much dirt with that much precision and spend that much time underground getting sand and pebbles in places you don’t want to mention, then you can talk to me about squirming.”

  Ben bit his lip to keep from laughing. “Understood.”

  “When I told you I really needed a shower, I was not exaggerating.”

  Ben didn’t have any response to that; he just flew faster.

  They arrived at the house in Lalibela a half hour before sunrise to find Giovanni and Beatrice sitting in the courtyard of the compound near the fountain. Beatrice was idly playing with the water, lifting it in the air and turning it in circles. Giovanni was staring right at them as they landed.

  “How did it go?”

  Tenzin stepped forward and splashed water on her face. “We found an old treasury, but it had already been looted. Daniel did well though.”

  “Thank you.” Daniel took one look at Giovanni and Beatrice and continued, “You look like vampires ready to have a discussion, but I’m ready for a bath, so I’ll say good night to all.”

  “Daniel.” Giovanni didn’t contradict him. “Rest well.”

  Ben and Tenzin exchanged a look, and Ben could see that they were both of the same mind.

  Something was very wrong.

  “Sadia and Dema were followed today,” Beatrice said. “Doug and Zain were working on the cars, but they were only going out to find pizza for lunch, so Dema didn’t think anything of it. It’s a very quiet town.”

  Ben’s heart had stuttered when Beatrice started speaking.

  “Dema did everything correctly. She didn’t tell S
adia what was happening, but she immediately flagged down a tuk-tuk and got them both inside. The driver spoke enough English to get them back to the compound quickly. She even thinks the driver spotted the tail too and did his best to shake them. She got his phone number for future reference.”

  “Why?”

  “Why do you think?” Giovanni folded his hands carefully. “You are in Saba’s territory, searching for something that is not yours.”

  “Who was the tail?”

  “Two human men. Dema thought they were Iranian, but she didn’t hear them speaking.”

  “There’s a Syrian refugee population in Ethiopia,” Ben said. “We saw plenty of them in Addis. Maybe they heard Dema and Sadia speaking—”

  “Have you seen a single Syrian in Lalibela other than Dema and Sadia?” Giovanni stood. “This is a small city, and almost everyone is local other than a few European tourists. These men were not tourists, nor were they Syrian. Are you doubting Dema’s judgment?”

  Ben felt chastised. “No.”

  Giovanni looked at him, then at Beatrice, who was still playing with the water.

  She’s fidgeting. Ben realized it when he felt the tense amnis vibrating off her.

  “Never in a thousand years would I imagine that Saba or any of her people would target a child,” Giovanni said. “Otherwise, I would never have brought her.”

  “It’s not Saba’s people,” Tenzin sat next to Beatrice and took her hand. “They belong to Arosh.”

  Giovanni began to pace. “I thought the Fire King and I had reached a truce when I healed Kato.” Kato was Giovanni’s grandsire and purportedly Arosh’s dearest friend. “But if he aims at my child—”

  “Kato has met Sadia,” Ben said. “He knows she’s yours. Do you seriously think that Arosh would ever—?”

  The water Beatrice had been tossing in the air fell back to the fountain with a crash, and Ben turned his eyes toward her.

  She was vibrating with fury. “We are flying home tomorrow.”

  Ben looked at Giovanni. “Are you sure? What about the work you wanted to do with that one manuscript at the library here?”

  Beatrice said, “You’re only thinking of yourself and your cover story. But you’re putting us all in danger, Ben.” Beatrice looked at Tenzin. “And you. Did you actually think any of this would work?”