“Because you got angry?”
He nodded, but remained silent when she frowned.
“But you traded me for your books.”
He sat up and crouched in front of her as she perched on the bench. This time, she did not avoid his gaze.
“Do you really think he was going to leave without you that night? There were two of his own men in the house and two more you didn’t see guarding the grounds. Don’t think about what he said, think about what you know of him now. Would Lorenzo have left without you?”
She met his questioning gaze for a few minutes before she looked away. Giovanni waited to see if she would respond, but after a few minutes of silence, he rose to grab the large black duffel near the door. He stood at attention near the exit to the sealed compartment, until Beatrice stood and walked over to him.
“Where are we going?”
He held a hand out to her. “Someplace safe.”
“For how long?”
He hesitated for a moment, but decided to take a chance. “As long as you want.”
She looked down at the duffel bag and then at his outstretched hand. Finally, she grasped it, and he helped her off the plane.
Northern Patagonia, Chile
August 2004
Six hours before dawn they were bumping through the rough terrain of the Lakes region on the way to the trailhead leading to the Cochamó Valley. It was pitch black on the forest road, but the skies were clear and Giovanni was grateful they would not have to battle any rain as they made their way to his most southern home.
She had fallen asleep again, nodding onto his shoulder where he had secured her with one arm so she would be more comfortable in the back of the Range Rover. She’d slept far more than seemed normal, and he suspected it had more to do with stress than physical exhaustion.
He tried to remember back to his first months of captivity after his sire had taken him, but the human memories were so clouded, Giovanni had trouble remembering exactly how he had felt.
As they approached the drop-off for the trail head, he began to feel the familiar excitement he always did when he approached the house he considered home more than any other.
Nestled in the Andes Mountains of Southern Chile, the Cochamó Valley was a U-shaped valley cut by glaciers and surrounded by towering granite peaks. Its remote location and lush forests had attracted one of Carwyn’s more adventurous daughters over two hundred years before. Now Isabel and her husband, Gustavo, made it their home, and their clan of vampires silently watched over the small local population. The incursion of tourism had proven to be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one, as the valley remained reachable only by foot, boat, or horseback.
The Range Rover neared the small turnoff, and Giovanni leaned forward, still holding on to Beatrice so she wouldn’t fall over. He told the driver to halt and paid him, shaking his hand to make sure the human would have no memory of their trip.
He slung the duffel bag over one shoulder and reached across to lift Beatrice, who remained sleeping. He walked at human speed, so as not to startle her. As he crossed the bridge, he felt her begin to stir.
“Gio?” she mumbled. “Where are we?”
“The last part of the trip, tesoro.”
“Why did we get out of the car?”
“There’s no road into the valley. I don’t suppose you know how to ride a horse?”
She was still half-asleep and rubbed her face into his chest when she responded.
“I rode a pony at the fair when I was little.”
He chuckled and pressed a kiss to the top of her head.
“No matter. I can carry you.”
“At least you don’t have to worry about breaking a horse like you do a car, huh?”
He smiled, grateful for the sleepy conversation that reminded him of their time together before her abduction.
“I told you once that I missed horses, remember?”
“Mmmhmm, I remember.”
She fell silent, and he suspected she had fallen asleep again, but he felt a small shiver shake her frame.
“Are you cold?” He reached up to feel her cheek. It was chilled and her teeth began to chatter.
“Kind of,” she said. Giovanni had bought a sweatshirt for her in Santiago, but in the damp, winter air of the valley, he knew it was too thin. He began to heat his arms and chest, taking care not to warm up too quickly and alarm her. She didn’t seem startled, but burrowed into his chest and sighed.
“You’re like a seat heater in a car.”
He smiled again. “There should be more clothes at my house. Isabel said she would bring some warm things to fit you.”
“It was so cold in his house,” she murmured. “It looked like it should be warm, but I was cold all the time. Cold and damp.”
His jaw clenched and he leaned down to brush his lips across her forehead. “I’ll make sure you’re not cold, Beatrice.”
“I know,” she said, and he could feel her press her cheek to his chest as he trudged over the muddy ground. “You’re always warm.”
He could hear the snorting of horses as he approached the trail head. Walking past the last stand of trees, he saw Gustavo standing between three mounts, who huffed and whinnied in the moonlight.
The dark-haired vampire walked toward them, holding his hand out and taking the duffel off Giovanni’s shoulder, before he tied it on the back of one of the chestnut mares.
“¿Está durmiendo?” Gustavo asked.
“No, she’s just sleepy,” Giovanni responded in English. “I’ll carry her in front of me. Can you lead the other?”
“Of course,” Gustavo said with a nod.
“Can you stand for a minute, tesoro?”
She nodded, swaying a bit and blinking at Gustavo as Giovanni climbed on his mount.
“Mucho gusto,” she said to their burly host, who smiled in welcome.
“Welcome to the Cochamó Valley, Beatrice De Novo. You are welcome here.”
“Gracias,” she said as Giovanni held out a hand. Gustavo helped her up and soon she had curled into his chest and fallen asleep to the rocking of their horses as they made their way into the secluded valley. He held her on his lap, making sure she was not chilled as he spoke quietly with Gustavo about local news.
A few hours later, they had reached a large wood-shingled house that butted up to one of the granite cliffs. A covered porch stretched around the low structure and jutted out over a green meadow surrounded by towering trees. The interior was lit, and Giovanni could see dark smoke coming from the chimney.
Beatrice woke when they stopped in front of the house and waited for Giovanni to dismount. He held out his arms and she slid to the ground, stretching muscles that would be sore from the four hour trek.
“I’ll put these in the stable for you,” Gustavo said as he grabbed the halter of Giovanni’s horse. “You can use them while you’re here, I’ll send one of the Reverte boys over to tend them in the morning.”
“Thank you, Gustavo.”
Beatrice looked around. The house was clearly visible in the moonlight, and its small windows glowed gold. He could hear Isabel puttering inside and knew his friend would have already stocked the house with everything Beatrice might need for her stay.
“This is my home. Isabel and Gustavo let me build here many years ago.”
She looked around. “It’s beautiful.”
He nodded and motioned her up the path. “It should be warmer inside. Isabel has already started a fire.”
“She’s Carwyn’s daughter?”
“Yes, and Gustavo is her husband. Their clan watches the valley.”
“Clan?” She frowned in confusion as they walked toward the house.
“They’re earth vampires.”
“What does that mean?”
He continued walking and she followed beside him. “Earth vampires are very domestic. Like Carwyn, they tend to settle and have big families. They usually prefer remote places like this.”