Imitation and Alchemy: An Elemental Legacy Novella by Elizabeth Hunter Page B

Fina”—Ben interrupted the women’s quiet conversation—“Zeno said you saw Tenzin at the library before she went north.”
    “Only briefly,” Fina said. “I didn’t speak to her. I think she only sheltered for the day before she flew away. Though she did take a fifteenth-century manuscript on metalsmithing. Well, the copy of it. I only have a digital scan because the original resides in—”
    “Metalsmithing?” Ben frowned. Metalsmithing? But why would Tenzin need a manual on medieval metalsmithing if she already knew where Alfonso’s cache…
    Oh, Tenzin.
    Shit .
    He should have known.
    “Ben,” Fina continued, unaware his thoughts had wandered, “Zeno tells me that you and Tenzin are working for Alfonso in Naples. You are being careful, aren’t you?”
    “Of course.” He kicked the ball back to Enzo just before Angie called the boy inside the house to wash up. Ben strolled over to the edge of the fountain and perched on the corner. “What do you know about him?”
    “Well”—Fina’s prim voice made him smile—“it is rumored that he was part of the Bourbon court, but that is only a rumor. Like many things in Naples—well, and anything to do with immortals, if we’re honest—rumors of corruption have followed him over the years. Giovanni is fairly certain he was behind the library theft.”
    Ben’s eyebrows rose. According to what he’d been able guess from subtle questions to Filomena, much of the unrest in the Neapolitan court was because of the library theft. Many of the richest immortals in Naples had lost personal collections that were both valuable and highly confidential. Ben suspected it was one of the reasons Alfonso had risked calling Tenzin.
    So if Alfonso himself was somehow behind the theft and hiding it from his own people…
    “How sure are you?” Ben asked. “That the theft is because of Alfonso?”
    “Fairly sure,” Fina said. “Officially, the authorities arrested the former director of the library. He had very suspicious political connections, and some of the books that made it on the black market were traced back to him. But when I spoke to my friends familiar with the Girolamini Library, they were quite certain there was more to it than one man. There were portions of the collection that had never been catalogued. Parts they were unofficially told to ignore. That had been happening long before the former director came into his position.”
    “But why would Alfonso want to steal his own people’s papers and collections?”
    Fabi, who’d been listening silently, said, “Power? Paranoia? Didn’t your uncle say he was crazy?”
    “Pretty sure Beatrice called him completely bonkers. Gio said something much more polite.”
    Fina smiled. “That sounds correct. Naples is… Well, it is different. I have always liked the city, but it is unique. Why wouldn’t the immortal leader also be unique?”
    “So if he was behind the theft…,” Ben muttered. “Fina, how much of the theft have you tracked?”
    “We’re not tracking the whole theft. There’s no way. Emil Conti asked, but Giovanni said he would only take on individual clients with specific items. And only books, of course. Those who lost antiquities have to rely on the human authorities. And most of them…” Fina shrugged. “Well, you know how secretive vampires are. They won’t trust Italian police or Interpol.”
    Ben said, “So if I’m a vampire who lost… a coin collection, let’s say”—Fabi shot eyes at him, but Ben ignored her—“you’re saying there’s no one like Gio who would track that down?”
    Serafina shook her head. “Not that I’m aware of. No one with your uncle’s reputation anyway. You could hire someone, but we’re speaking about priceless artifacts, Benjamin. Many of which would only be legends or rumors to human sources.”
    “And”—a gruff voice broke into their quiet conversation as Zeno entered the courtyard—“we’re paranoid bastards.” He bent to press a