Amaia placed her left hand on top of Lawrence’s. “I’m honored you chose me, Lawrence. I hope you know that.”
His face softened, and his eyes crinkled at the corners, making him look like the father she had always thought of him as. “I do know, darling. I’m so happy to finally be able to share this with you. But there’s no need for you to worry about any of this now. Our immediate concern is to get you acclimated and working again.”
That stirred a thought. “Why does Zenas care what I do? What did he mean by an assignment? I don’t work for him.”
“No, but you work for me.” Lawrence was stern. “And I work for him. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have my own autonomy. Zenas is concerned with keeping his position as the head of the most powerful clan in the world. He’ll have us working to protect his territories.”
“I don’t know how. I’m not a fighter.”
“You’ll learn. Besides, Zenas values intelligence, of which you have plenty. You’ll be spending much of your time cultivating it. There are languages and customs to learn. We’ll have to move at least every decade, sometimes much sooner, to avoid suspicion. You learned how to play the English court, now you’ll have to do the same in foreign lands. You’ll be educated in science and mathematics. Zenas will mainly want you to spy for him. From science to politics, he wants to know everything first. When the time comes, you’ll be ready. I won’t let Zenas put you to work until you are.”
Lawrence had always been her protector. There was no reason to doubt him. She pushed all thoughts of Zenas and the other vampires from her mind. There was too much fun to be had in her new body. She hadn’t even thought of the travel her new life would involve. It was enough to overwhelm her, but instead she felt excitement. Her skin itched to run to every city in the world. Her eyes longed to glimpse castles, cathedrals, and magnificent buildings that she had only ever heard of. There was more to the world than she had ever hoped to see. She would experience it all.
Sunlight crept through the window. Morning dawned. “Where did the time go? I’m not even tired.” She stood and went to the window, eager to discover what the rising sun looked like to her new vision.
“The passage of time is one of the things that’s going to be harder for you to gauge. The mixture of eternal life and not being able to sleep all but obliterates your internal clock.” He stood behind her. The purple and pink hues were more splendid than Amaia had imagined.
They stayed that way until the sun rose fully above the surrounding rooftops. Amaia’s mind couldn’t grasp the concept of never sleeping again. It gave the coming years an even more surreal quality.
Lawrence moved away from her, and she took note of something that had escaped her before. “Why don’t I feel your energy?” She followed him into her bedroom.
“All living things give off energy. We are not, strictly speaking, living. We steal life. Our kind give off a muted energy, but it’s warped. You’ll learn to recognize it in time as all vampires do. To begin with, we’re just going to focus on human energy. Once you’ve become well acquainted with it, you’ll learn how to sense when it flows through the veins of a vampire.”
Amaia narrowed her eyes, focusing all of her concentration on feeling Lawrence’s energy. For a moment, she thought she felt a subtle swaying from him rather than the frenzied vibrations she felt from humans. Then it was gone. It could have been her imagination.
“Here, change into this.” Lawrence handed her a simple dress and untied the laces of her gown.
While she dressed, Lawrence packed some of her plainest clothes into a valise.
“Where are we going?”
“Scotland. We can’t stay here. You’re too well known. If one of your regulars requests you, there’s a chance he’ll notice the change. It’s not worth the risk. We’ll travel on foot, and I’ll teach you along the way. By the time we reach Scotland, you’ll be ready to take clients again.”
“And this is all we’re taking? What about my things? My jewelry?” Around her were a lifetime of possessions, all won by her hard work. Her right thumb caressed her ring, and she realized it was the only item she owned with any sentimental value.
“I don’t think you quite understand how this works, my dear. I have a home in Scotland. It’s outfitted with everything you’ll need. Money is not an object. We’ll buy you anything you like once we’re settled, and I’ll send for your things. Now come.”
Lawrence ushered her to the door. In the space of twenty-four hours, she had been reborn and said goodbye to the only home she had ever known. She had never felt more alive.
Chapter 5
Inverness, June 1625, 2 years, 4 months later