In addition to the mansion, there were servants’ quarters in back that housed a security guard and a cook, and two guesthouses, one of which was a tukul, a traditional round house with thatched roofing. Of course, this tukul was more luxurious than those in the country and was fitted with all the modern luxuries. Chloe had one of the bedrooms there, and Zain had the other.
Ben and Tenzin had a long, rectangular house at the back of the compound with a wide front porch and two light-safe rooms. Ben had a feeling it was the original house in the compound because the gardens around it were lush and the red stones that fronted it had a beautiful patina of age.
All around the edges of the compound were thick walls with security wire on top, and within the walls was a dense hedge of ficus plants that soared over the wall and created the feeling of an oasis. Hibiscus flowers, plumeria, and lilies burst with color during the day and at night. Creeping plants and fragrant herbs lined the cobblestone paths that linked the houses to the large central courtyard dominated by the old mango dripping with fruit.
“Where are you taking me?” Ben smiled as his little sister pulled him along.
“To meet Mika.”
“Didn’t I meet Mika last night?”
“No, that was her mom, Mazaa, and she’s gone now, but she still runs the house, but she’s not here all the time.”
Since the house was owned by an old friend of Giovanni’s who was most definitely a vampire, Ben guessed that both Mazaa and her daughter were accomplished day-people.
That was confirmed when Ben saw Zain lounging under the mango at a table with a beautiful woman with her hair in braids who was pouring wine into two glasses. From Zain’s posture, Ben could tell the man was comfortable, which meant he was with a colleague.
“Mika!” Sadia ran to the young woman.
The woman’s face brightened with a smile. “Miss Mango!”
Sadia had been eating mangos all day, as evidenced by the sticky-sweet smears on her shirt and her cheeks. She giggled at the nickname. “This is my brother I was telling you about. He is a vampire and he can fly but his fangs are just normal and not curvy like Tenzin’s teeth.”
“I see.” Mika’s expression was one of charmed delight. She clearly enjoyed having a child running around the place. The woman stood and looked at Ben. “Just normal fangs then?”
“I’m so sorry to disappoint.” He offered his hand to shake; a necessary gesture since older vampires generally avoided direct contact. “Ben Vecchio. It’s very nice to meet you.”
She took his hand with a smile. “Welcome to Addis. I hope you rested well.”
“We were very comfortable, thank you.”
She gestured to an empty chair at the table. “Would you like to join us for a glass of wine? I also have blood-wine if you’d like. It’s Portuguese.”
“That sounds great.” Ben sat and Sadia dragged a small wooden stool over to sit next to them.
Blood-wine production, while still centered in Spain and France, was branching out, with the drink becoming ever more popular as the secret of its production had leaked to the broader vampire world.
It wasn’t as nutritious or as filling as fresh blood, but if you hadn’t fed that night and you were young, like Ben, it was enough to hold you over until you could hunt. “Zain, I was going to ask you and Doug about donor bars in the city.” He needed to feed that night, and Tenzin would need some blood soon.
Zain nodded at their hostess. “Mika was just telling me there are several in Bole. That’s the neighborhood where the airport is.”
“There’s one in Old Airport too,” Mika said. “But it’s more like a private club, and I don’t know if you want to bother.”
Ben cocked his head. “Are all the fancy neighborhoods in Addis around airports?”
She smiled brilliantly. “We do seem to like them, don’t we? Old Airport is a beautiful neighborhood. Definitely one of the more walkable ones in the city. Lots of shops and restaurants that will stay open after dark. So if you want to explore, it’s a popular place.”
“Do we need to worry about anyone getting too curious? My partner is Asian, so we don’t exactly blend in.”
Mika said, “If you stick to the international neighborhoods—Bole, Old Airport, Sarbet, and a few others—you’ll be fine. People are used to Asian businesspeople here. There are so many. And more and more tourists all the time. In most places, Addis is very safe. Especially for foreigners.”
Sadia leaned on Zain’s shoulder, brushing his long locs to the side. “We went to the museum today in the morning time. Then we had a nap. Right, Zain?”
“Yep. Sadia, Dema, Chloe, and I saw… What was her name?”
“Lucy!” Sadia said. “She was the first… Um…”
“Do you remember?” Zain asked. “She was the first one who…” He leaned over and whispered to Sadia.
The little girl started bouncing. “She was the first human ancestor to walk on two feet.”
“I see.” Ben nodded. “That is very impressive.”
“And we saw her with our own eyes.” Zain winked at Ben. “Even though I’m pretty sure the actual skeleton is at Addis Ababa University with all the archaeologists.”
Mika smiled. “I am very sure you are correct.”
“Chloe met one of them, in fact.” Zain sipped his wine. “It was just like you predicted, Ben. This woman was working at the museum and says something to Chloe in Amharic, and they ended up striking up a conversation. I think she did her doctoral work or something at UCLA.”
“Really?” Ben’s brain started churning. “She was an archaeologist?”
“Yeah, teaching at the university, I think? I’m not really sure. Chloe got her number though. They were going to get coffee or something.”
Mika said, “That’s so nice. People are so friendly here. I’m glad she’s already made a friend.”
“And the skeleton,” Sadia said. “Lucy! She was, like, shorter than me, Ben. It was so funny.”
“Wow. That sounds amazing.” Ben wasn’t really listening about Lucy anymore. Something Zain said turned on a light bulb in his mind.
The real skeleton would be at Addis Ababa University.
With the archaeologists.
Of course. Of course.
“Zain, did you say Chloe got this girl’s number?”
14
The meeting with Hirut, earth vampire of Saba’s line and current administrator of the immortal community in Addis Ababa, happened at midnight in the gardens of Zoma, a contemporary art museum in the Mekanisa neighborhood. Ben flew to the site and waited just inside the green metal gates for Giovanni and Beatrice to arrive. The neighborhood was asleep, and only a few streetlamps were visible burning on the narrow track to the main road.
He nodded to the guard, who gave Ben a small salute but otherwise didn’t react to seeing a foreigner flying into the garden like a bird. Clearly he was in Hirut’s hire.
Distant headlights flashed, and a few minutes later, the black Land Cruiser stopped in the small cobblestone parking lot. Giovanni and Beatrice got out of the truck, looking like the sleek and sophisticated vampire power couple they were.