Every one of them nodded.

“The question is,” Stephen asked, “is he going to try to intercept Lu’s guards? Or try to take us on directly?”

Tenzin said, “He’d be a fool to take us on directly unless he has a private army we don’t know about.”

Beatrice asked, “Is there any way he could find the monastery?”

Tenzin shook her head. “I don’t think so. All the Elders know where it is, but if anyone revealed the location, their life would be forfeit. I can’t imagine Zhongli taking that chance.”

“But you know where it is, don’t you?” Stephen asked.

Tenzin snorted. “Of course.”

Giovanni rolled his eyes and sat at the table, pulling Beatrice onto his lap and tugging at her collar while Stephen and Tenzin argued about something under their breath.

He felt his wife relax a little bit. “You’re very covered up in all this, Tesoro.”

“Watch it now,” Beatrice said as she snuggled into his chest. He could feel the tension begin to drain out of her shoulders. “Don’t start getting handsy with the honored scribe.”

He chuckled and nipped her ear with his fangs. “Do I have to call you Mistress Scribe now?”

“Only if you’re really good,” she whispered.

He smiled before he captured her mouth in a kiss. “I sent Baojia out to see what he could learn from the guards. They gossip like old women.”

“They do, huh? Do—” She broke off, and they both turned toward a commotion in the hall. Baojia stormed into the room carrying four swords and scabbards. He tossed Tenzin her curved scimitar, a jian toward Stephen, and a dao to Beatrice. She stood and caught it instinctively. Giovanni could already feel the fire teasing along his collar.

“What’s happened?”

“Lorenzo left the island over an hour ago with a large group of Zhongli’s guards. They were flying and left fully armed. We need to go. Now. It’s already getting close to dawn. They will have a head start because they are only carrying one and the rest are flying, but we may be able to catch up if we take the plane. We can have the pilot fly us to…” Baojia looked at Tenzin, who actually looked speechless.

“Nanping,” she whispered. “How could he… The monks. All the monks are there.” She reached back and grasped Stephen’s hand.

“The word from the guards is that Zhongli has a human mistress who has refused to turn,” Baojia said. “He will do anything to keep her, including fund Lorenzo in his search for the elixir. Including revealing the location of Lu’s monastery.”

Giovanni’s fangs burst forth along with the fire that he smothered along his neck. He rose to his feet and began to pace.

Beatrice sent a cooling mist toward him. “So Lorenzo is going to take the book from the monks?”

“He is on his way to the monastery right now. Hurry up.” Baojia tossed the odd straps toward Giovanni, who caught them. “I’ve adjusted these so we should be able to swim with them fairly easily.” Baojia walked over and began to buckle the scabbard around Stephen as Giovanni helped Beatrice with hers. “We have to—Tenzin!”

The small immortal had rushed out of the room.

“She’s gone to tell Zhang,” Stephen said. “He must be told of Zhongli’s treachery. And Lu will need to be told, as well. Zhang can send some immortals to help.”

Baojia shook his head. “They’re going to be too late. We’re going to be too late unless we can get on that plane before dawn.”

Giovanni walked down to the library to call the pilot of the plane in Beijing. He and Tenzin would fly while Baojia, Beatrice, and Stephen swam to the mainland. They would just be able to make it to Beijing before dawn; then they could fly during the day and land in Nanping by nightfall. With any luck, they would make it to the monastery within a few hours. When he returned to the meeting room, Tenzin was speaking.

“—and they have already taken Zhongli before the council. They found the mistress, as well. My father has sent out his guards in pursuit of Zhongli’s, but even he admits they are not as fast, and they will have to rest during the day. We are even farther behind.”

“We won’t be by evening,” Giovanni said, striding into the room. “I’ve already contacted the pilot. He can have us in Nanping in six hours. Where do we go from there?”

Tenzin paled at the mention of the plane, but straightened stoically. “Up the Nine-Bend River. I will fly you, but the rest will have to go by river.”

“Shouldn’t be a problem,” Baojia said. “I haven’t spent much time with Beatrice in the water, but—”

“I’ll be fine,” Beatrice said. “I’ll keep up.”

Giovanni nodded. “So we’ll fly to Nanping today while we rest. By nightfall, we’ll be headed upriver. If we’re lucky, we’ll beat them there.”

Baojia snorted. “I don’t think we’ll be that lucky, but we may just get there in time.”

At that grim statement, the room fell silent. Giovanni could only imagine what Lorenzo would do when he arrived at the monastery. He had little respect for vampire life, and none when it came to humans. If he would defy the council of the Eight Immortals to retrieve Geber’s manuscript, he was capable of anything. Giovanni felt for Beatrice’s hand, and she looked up at him with frightened eyes.

“We have to go now,” she said. “We’re running out of time.”