point you toward a pharmacy? I know you’re not very familiar with the city.”
Dez smiled. “I’m great! And Ben gets around in Italy a lot better than me. We found a drug store the other day that has the stuff I forgot at home. But thanks for that basket in my room, too. That make-up is so nice.”
He waved a hand. “Thank Livia. She has some sort of cosmetics company that makes all those things. She always sends over baskets when she knows I’m bringing guests.
“Well, please tell her I said thank you. B, did you get one, too?”
Beatrice looked up. “Get what?”
“The basket of make-up, perfume, lotions...” Dez rolled her eyes when Beatrice looked back in confusion. “Am I the only girl here? I swear, you and Tenzin are hopeless.”
The priest looked around the house. “Where is she, by the way?”
Beatrice shrugged. “Not here yet. You know Tenzin.”
“Okay,” Giovanni said. “We met with Livia last night and met many vampires. Beatrice, who do you want to know about? Matt, this might be beneficial to you, too.”
She leaned forward. “First off, why isn’t that place humming the way Penglai does?”
Carwyn burst into laughter, but Beatrice shook her head. “Really, it’s so weird! There were at least as many vampires at Livia’s little party last night, but it didn’t have half the energy of a ‘low hum’ day at Penglai.”
Giovanni nodded. “I’m glad you noticed. Did you notice what else is missing from Castello Furio?”
She thought for a minute before her eyes lit up. “Water.”
Dez looked around. “What? She doesn’t have plumbing there? Even the Romans had aqueducts, right?”
Giovanni shook his head. “No, what Beatrice noticed, and I’m glad she did, is that for a water vampire, Livia does not surround herself with her element. It’s an odd quirk for an immortal, because most of us draw strength from our elements. In Penglai, there’s a careful balance of the elements. Many fountains and streams, gardens and rocks, most of the palace complex is open air, they even have torches lit at all times for those of the fire element. The idea being a kind of balanced threat.”
“Ah.” Dez nodded. “Got it. So if everyone has easy access to their element, no one’s going to go crazy and try to take over.”
“Like mutually assured destruction,” Ben said with a full mouth. “I learned about that in school.”
Matt said, “You learned something in school that you didn’t already know?”
“Haha.”
“The point is,” Beatrice continued, “Livia’s place should have all sorts of water around her house, but she doesn’t. And all the vampires in her court seem really weak.”
Carwyn said, “Tenzin would say it’s because most of them drink donated blood and live in such a modern environment. The longer I live, the more I think she may be on to something.”
“If anything,” Beatrice said, “her house would favor earth and wind vampires, with all the open ground and the stone castle.”
“She has a castle?” Ben asked. “Cool.”
“Maybe that’s why Matilda has always seemed so haughty,” Giovanni mused.
“Who’s Matilda?” three voices asked at once.
Carwyn spoke. “Tall. Blond. She’s German. About my age. Very powerful wind vampire. She and Livia hate each other.”
“Too many queen bees.” Dez nodded. “There can be only one.”
Matt snorted. “You watch too much T.V.”
“Okay, so that’s the blonde I noticed,” Beatrice said. “Yeah, she felt strong. Who’s the huge guy? Really tall. Big laugh. He looked African? His energy was strong, too.”
Giovanni nodded. “He is. That’s Bomeni. He’s Ethiopian, but he’s not as old, maybe my age.”
“Who’s his sire?” Beatrice leaned forward with interest. He suspected she was thinking about Geber’s four blood donors. The Ethiopian he had written about was an earth vampire and a female.
“I don’t know. It’s a possibility we should investigate. He is an earth
Dez smiled. “I’m great! And Ben gets around in Italy a lot better than me. We found a drug store the other day that has the stuff I forgot at home. But thanks for that basket in my room, too. That make-up is so nice.”
He waved a hand. “Thank Livia. She has some sort of cosmetics company that makes all those things. She always sends over baskets when she knows I’m bringing guests.
“Well, please tell her I said thank you. B, did you get one, too?”
Beatrice looked up. “Get what?”
“The basket of make-up, perfume, lotions...” Dez rolled her eyes when Beatrice looked back in confusion. “Am I the only girl here? I swear, you and Tenzin are hopeless.”
The priest looked around the house. “Where is she, by the way?”
Beatrice shrugged. “Not here yet. You know Tenzin.”
“Okay,” Giovanni said. “We met with Livia last night and met many vampires. Beatrice, who do you want to know about? Matt, this might be beneficial to you, too.”
She leaned forward. “First off, why isn’t that place humming the way Penglai does?”
Carwyn burst into laughter, but Beatrice shook her head. “Really, it’s so weird! There were at least as many vampires at Livia’s little party last night, but it didn’t have half the energy of a ‘low hum’ day at Penglai.”
Giovanni nodded. “I’m glad you noticed. Did you notice what else is missing from Castello Furio?”
She thought for a minute before her eyes lit up. “Water.”
Dez looked around. “What? She doesn’t have plumbing there? Even the Romans had aqueducts, right?”
Giovanni shook his head. “No, what Beatrice noticed, and I’m glad she did, is that for a water vampire, Livia does not surround herself with her element. It’s an odd quirk for an immortal, because most of us draw strength from our elements. In Penglai, there’s a careful balance of the elements. Many fountains and streams, gardens and rocks, most of the palace complex is open air, they even have torches lit at all times for those of the fire element. The idea being a kind of balanced threat.”
“Ah.” Dez nodded. “Got it. So if everyone has easy access to their element, no one’s going to go crazy and try to take over.”
“Like mutually assured destruction,” Ben said with a full mouth. “I learned about that in school.”
Matt said, “You learned something in school that you didn’t already know?”
“Haha.”
“The point is,” Beatrice continued, “Livia’s place should have all sorts of water around her house, but she doesn’t. And all the vampires in her court seem really weak.”
Carwyn said, “Tenzin would say it’s because most of them drink donated blood and live in such a modern environment. The longer I live, the more I think she may be on to something.”
“If anything,” Beatrice said, “her house would favor earth and wind vampires, with all the open ground and the stone castle.”
“She has a castle?” Ben asked. “Cool.”
“Maybe that’s why Matilda has always seemed so haughty,” Giovanni mused.
“Who’s Matilda?” three voices asked at once.
Carwyn spoke. “Tall. Blond. She’s German. About my age. Very powerful wind vampire. She and Livia hate each other.”
“Too many queen bees.” Dez nodded. “There can be only one.”
Matt snorted. “You watch too much T.V.”
“Okay, so that’s the blonde I noticed,” Beatrice said. “Yeah, she felt strong. Who’s the huge guy? Really tall. Big laugh. He looked African? His energy was strong, too.”
Giovanni nodded. “He is. That’s Bomeni. He’s Ethiopian, but he’s not as old, maybe my age.”
“Who’s his sire?” Beatrice leaned forward with interest. He suspected she was thinking about Geber’s four blood donors. The Ethiopian he had written about was an earth vampire and a female.
“I don’t know. It’s a possibility we should investigate. He is an earth
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