The water vampire, though relatively young among his kind, was an expert fighter, and his mental control, along with his control over his amnis, was masterful. He could send a thin stream of energy anywhere in the large room, almost beyond her detection, and the water in the air was drawn to it. If the stream was solid enough, he could send a bolt of electricity through it, rendering her useless until she could manage to throw up a shield of her own to counter the attack. He had shocked her in this way countless times, though she was beginning to get a better handle on detecting the trace of his amnis brushing against hers.

“Now,” he lectured as they moved through the room, circling each other and trying to use the water in the room to their own advantage, “water tricks are a waste of time. That is Lorenzo’s problem; he’s too showy. Don’t bother with showing off. Over seventy percent of the Earth’s surface is covered in water. It suffuses the air around you. It makes up a portion of every living being on the earth. And you are that element’s master. You can control it. You can manipulate it, Beatrice.”

“Does that mean I can manipulate bodies?” She had never even considered it.

“That’s more difficult, because there is muscle and will involved, but eventually, yes, you will.”

“Even vampires?”

“Only if they let you.” A whip of water wrapped around her legs, throwing her to the ground as he answered her. “Remember, we all have amnis. If a vampire is protecting himself, your amnis will not break through unless you are far, far more powerful. It’s almost unheard of. Humans, on the other hand, are your toys to play with.” She rolled away and climbed to her feet.

“That’s kind of creepy.” Beatrice attempted to trip him with a thin strand she drew from the tip of her bare foot. He caught it in the corner of his eye and jumped over it with ease.

“Clever one.”

“Thanks.”

They spent another half an hour trying to best each other with water, combining it with kicks or punches as it benefited the fight. Baojia dominated her, and she spent most of her time on the defensive, but slowly, Beatrice began to predict his movements.

“You’re a fast learner,” he said with a playful smile. She was embarrassed by how that smile affected her. It had been weeks since anyone looked at her with that kind of approval or admiration.

“That’s good to hear, considering how completely inept I feel most of the time.”

“You’re not inept,” he said with a sudden scowl, as he almost knocked her over from the right. The water splashed her eyes, and she struggled to blink it out. “You’re just young. And you’re far more powerful than I was at less than a month old.”

“Did you really leave China to work on the railroads?” She had been curious about the vampire’s history from the beginning, but he was even more secretive than Giovanni.

“What? You think because you are a vampire now, I will confide in you?”

If she could have blushed, she would have. He knocked her back with a punch to her shoulder. “No! I’m just… sorry, I was just curious.”

“Curiosity killed the little water vampire, you know.” He smiled and she wondered what, exactly, he was referring to.

“I may be immortal now, but I don’t think I changed that much.”

“I don’t think you did, either.” She was distracted by their conversation and blinked in surprise when she twisted instinctively to dodge a kick to her midsection. “Sadly, Mrs. Vecchio, you have lost none of your… unusual appeal.”

“What’s that supposed to mean?”

His lips curled into a smile, but it wasn’t a lighthearted one. “You’ll give me a run for my money one of these days… Mrs. Vecchio.” His arms lifted, calling the water from the stream into a thick coil that wrapped around her torso and spun her before knocking her over.

“Stop.” She spat out the water that slapped her face as she fell. “Stop calling me that.”

“Stop calling you ‘Mrs. Vecchio?’ But that’s your name, isn’t it?” He circled her, and his dark eyes held a trace of bitterness.

“My name is Beatrice.”

“Not ‘B’ anymore, huh?” he said softly. She stood and they eyed each other, continuing to circle, each looking for any sign of weakness. The hairs on the back of her neck stood on end. “You are what he calls you?”

She narrowed her eyes, confused by his shifting moods. “What the hell is your problem?”

She felt the thin brush of amnis stroke the small of her back a second before he sent the shock. She winced and instinctively blocked it with a surge of her shield.

“Didn’t fall over that time, did you?”

“No!”

“Stop thinking so damn much, B. You’re stronger when you’re angry.”

Suddenly, Baojia came at her, a fury of fists and kicks that she tried to block, but even with her new speed, his blows knocked the air from her lungs. She couldn’t keep up. He was aggressive; and, despite his iron control, she sensed an edge of anger in his blows.

“Hey—”

She was cut off by a fist.

“Defend yourself.”

“What—”

A slap hit her cheek.

“Don’t think about it. Hit me.”

She stepped back, shaking her head to clear it. It didn’t hurt the way it had as a human, but it still hurt. She could feel the cut on her lip closing even as he landed another blow.