“Eventually, she will wield the shuang gou.”
“What?” Giovanni looked up, frowning. “The hook sword?”
“Two,” he said, watching Beatrice move in the faster wushu that Giovanni remembered practicing so many years before with Tenzin. Baojia leaned forward, tracking Beatrice with his eyes. “She’ll carry two. Watch her move, di Spada. She’s quick as a human; imagine her after. And she doesn’t favor either side. She’s adaptable and smart enough to wield them effectively.” Baojia smiled. “Yes, we will start with the dao, but the shuang gou will be her weapon.”
Giovanni frowned. The wicked curves of the traditional hook swords used in the northern part of China may have been brutally effective, even Zhang favored them, but they were also dangerous.
“Any sword is dangerous,” Baojia murmured, as if reading Giovanni’s thoughts, “but the shuang gou has many advantages to the one who can wield it effectively.”
In the end, Giovanni had to admit that the water vampire’s knowledge of weapons was far more extensive than his own. “I will accede to your expertise, Baojia, as long as it is what Beatrice wishes.”
“I will make sure to demonstrate a variety of weapons with Tenzin. That way she will be able to observe them all.”
“But keeping the jian and dao for her weapons at first?”
Baojia chuckled. “I never would have taken you for such a cautious immortal.”
Just then, Beatrice’s laugh rang through the practice room. Tenzin had picked her up, flown her to the corner of the room, and was hanging her by her feet.
“You crazy vampire,” she called out, laughing. “Put me down, Tenzin! No fair.”
Giovanni smiled as his old friend flipped her upright and floated them both toward the ground. Beatrice looked toward him with laughing eyes and a brilliant smile, her face flushed and happy. She winked and blew him a kiss before walking over to the bench to drink a glass of water.
He glanced at Baojia. “And what fool would risk that?”
Baojia opened his mouth, as if to speak, but suddenly, Tenzin barked at him in Mandarin.
“Get over here. Do you want my help demonstrating or not?”
Baojia tossed a few insults back at her before he stood and walked to the thin mat that spread across the center of the room. Tenzin’s practice room was exactly as Giovanni remembered it. He doubted it had changed in five hundred years. The ceiling was retractable, the walls were bare except for the impressive collection of weapons that covered two of them, and a small channel of water cut through the room, diverted from the gardens outside.
Giovanni caught the look of obvious interest that Baojia directed toward Beatrice as she crossed the room and headed toward him. She was covered in sweat, and her skin was flushed. She was still breathing heavily when she plopped down next to him.
“Hey,” she said, kissing his cheek. “Sorry I smell.”
He shrugged and pulled her into his lap. “You forget that I lived long before people bathed regularly, Tesoro. A little sweat won’t scare me off.” In fact, as he kissed her neck, he realized that her natural scent was only heightened. She smelled of salt, soap, and the unique honeysuckle and lemon scent that had drawn him from the beginning.
“I love practicing with Tenzin.”
“No bruises today?”
She shook her head. “We were mostly doing tai chi earlier.” A shadow fell across her face, but her gaze was quickly drawn toward the center of the room as Tenzin and Baojia parted and went to opposite walls to choose weapons.
Tenzin selected the long Chinese jian and skipped the ancient curved scimitar she usually fought with. She was ruthless when she carried it, but it would not be a good choice for Beatrice since she could not fly.
Baojia chose the dao he had spoken of, a single-edged weapon with good reach and a subtle curve. It had greater slashing power and, since beheading was the intention, Giovanni thought the choice was a good one.
“I’m really excited to start learning this,” she whispered, wiggling on his lap.
“Of course you are.”
“Relax. I doubt I’m in any danger from my grandfather’s favorite son.”
“I’m not worried about him hurting you.”
“Then why the surly vampire act, old man?”
He bared his fangs playfully, pulling her head to the side as if going for a bite. She only laughed and reached up, pulling his head closer until his lips met her skin in a kiss. He was suddenly distracted by the steady beat of the pulse in her neck and the warm fingers entwined in his hair.
If she didn’t have to give up the sun…
“Hey, why so quiet?”
“I’m thinking about the elixir.”
“Gio—”
“I know there is more to investigate, but I am allowed to have some hope that you might not have to become a vampire to be with me.”
She paused a moment, a slight frown creasing her forehead.
“What?” he asked.
“I’ve chosen you, Gio. I’ve chosen this life. I knew what it meant. I haven’t changed my mind about turning.”
“But, Beatrice, if you didn’t have to—”
“If I could drink this elixir and remain human forever, then I would always be your physical inferior.”
“That’s not important to me; you know that.”
“Who said it was up to you?” she asked. “This is something I decided.” She turned in his arms, placing her cheek against his and whispering so they couldn’t be overheard.