Carwyn exploded. “One fight and she takes off on your bloody plane, Gio! She’s gone! Out of the country!”

“Don’t yell at me, I’m not the one who married her.”

Carwyn let loose with another string of unintelligible ranting as he rushed in the house. Baojia escorted Natalie up the walk.

“Well, this should be interesting.”

“I’ve never seen him that angry before. He was always the life of the party when he visited B at school.”

“We don’t want to miss this, then.” He nodded at Giovanni as they passed him in the hall. The fire vampire also looked amused. “We’ll pop popcorn. It’s not the show the opera would be, but it should still be pretty good.”

Her eyes widened. “But is it going to be safe for spectators? That’s the real question.”

“I thought you liked living on the edge.”

“I think I’ve been a bad influence on you, George.”

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“So you decided leaving the country was the best response? Really, Brigid?”

The fire vampire’s reply was muffled by the walls outside the pool room, but it must have been intelligible to those with immortal ears, because Giovanni’s mouth dropped open in shock and Beatrice let out a very unladylike snort.

Tenzin frowned as she reached for a kernel of popcorn from the bowl sitting in the middle of the hall. “I don’t think that’s physically possible.”

They were sitting on the floor outside the pool room, eavesdropping shamelessly as the two vampires fought.

“All I know is that if I had to listen to another one of your smug apologies—”

Natalie heard a splash. “At least I apologize, Brigid!”

“Stop shoving me in the pool!”

“You were starting to smoke!”

She leaned into Baojia’s shoulder, newly clean and recently fed. She was happy in a way she hadn’t experienced in more years than she could count. Baojia’s arm draped across her shoulders as he leaned against the wood-paneled wall. She loved him. And she was fairly certain he loved her too, even if he hadn’t said it. It wasn’t the kind of love she’d experienced in the past. There was no giddy excitement. No rush of hormones. What Natalie had, instead, was a bone-deep sense of being exactly where she was supposed to be. Next to him, for however long they had.

Baojia gave a low chuckle. “They enjoy this.”

“What, fighting?” Giovanni rolled his eyes. “Yes. Almost as much as they enjoy making up.”

Beatrice shrugged. “Carwyn does say really stupid stuff sometimes.”

“Spending a thousand years celibate will do that to you.” Tenzin grabbed more popcorn from the rapidly emptying bowl. Most of it, Natalie could admit, she had consumed. She kept forgetting to eat hanging around with all these vampires. “We’re running out.” Tenzin reached behind her and tossed another bag to Giovanni. “More.”

Giovanni grumbled. “We do have a microwave, you know.”

“No, we don’t,” Beatrice said. “Brigid broke it last night. Kaboom.”

As if on cue, the ground d at ow.shifted slightly. Natalie’s eyes widened as she looked around, but no one else seemed to be concerned. “Uh…”

“Earth vampire,” Baojia said. “Don’t worry—the house has been retrofitted for quakes. This is one of the safest places because this wing of the house is modern construction.”

Tenzin said, “More popcorn, my boy.”

Giovanni ripped the plastic bag open and held the paper bag. “This is ridiculous. I’m not a kitchen appliance.”

Tenzin clapped in delight when the kernels slowly started to pop in his hands.

After a few minutes, Beatrice grabbed the bag. “Not too much. And it’s convenient, not ridiculous.” She kissed his cheek as Natalie heard Baojia laugh quietly.

Giovanni glared. “Not a word from you, water boy.”

“I bet you’re the most popular guy at the Fourth of July barbecue.”

“I’m good at lighting all sorts of things on fire. Want me to show you?”

Beatrice hit Giovanni’s leg. “Stop it. Both of you.”

Natalie stifled a smile. “I bet you keep a lot of fire extinguishers around here, don’t you?”

“I have no idea,” Giovanni said.

Baojia said, “There are thirty-six.”

Carwyn and Brigid were still arguing in the background. “How am I supposed to make this right when you leave the country? Should I thank you for at least leaving me a note?”

“Maybe you should thank me for speaking to you after what you said to Deirdre.”

“It was a joke!”

“She’s my sire! Do I look like I’m laughing?” The ground shifted again and there was another splash.

“How long do you think this will go on?” Natalie asked. “Has anyone talked to him about visiting the priest in Ensenada yet?”

“We probably won’t get anything more done tonight,” Beatrice said as she grabbed a handful of popcorn. “And the night’s half over anyway. We should start fresh tomorrow. Natalie, you look dead on your feet.”

“Told you.” Baojia tugged on a lock of her hair. “Refugees from a zombie movie.”

“Well, before you fall asleep, I want to hear more about these hunts,” Tenzin said. She looked at Giovanni. “Am I the only one who remembers Siberia?”