Eternal by Pati Nagle Page A

anything but blood.”
    I watched them trade one of their long looks, then Len leaned toward me.
    â€œ That’s why we had to leave Guadalupita. Savhoran has manifested the disease.”
    I gaped at her.
    â€œ I’m sorry, Man. We were all hoping he wouldn’t get it, especially since Caeran hasn’t…”
    She shot Caeran a worried look. He laid his hand over hers.
    â€œ My wound was not as severe as his.”
    The last time I’d seen Savhoran, I had cut my finger. And he’d freaked out. Because seeing my blood made him want it?
    My heart tried to flip over.
    â€œ No,” I whispered.
    â€œ Amanda—”
    â€œ No! ”
    I jumped up, unable to sit still, unable to bear what they were telling me, even if it was just a cruel joke. I headed toward the entrance, walking, then running.
    Faces blurred by: surprised waiters, curious customers, the hostess looking dismayed. I couldn’t stand any of them, I had to get away from the crazy things Len and Caeran were telling me.
    Vampires. Immortals. A disease that had struck Savhoran—
    No!
    I ran out the door and down the steps to the parking lot. The Sandias were pink; the sun was down. I turned away from the frontage road and headed toward the movie theater. I had a vague idea of calling a cab and waiting for it in the safety of the lobby.
    I wasn’t thinking very straight, and I was still running because I couldn’t stand to stop. If I stopped I’d be able to think about what Caeran and Len had told me.
    Saturday night; there was a fair amount of traffic. I crossed the street in a gap between cars and headed for the theater parking lot. As I picked my way over the landscaping a shadow separated itself from a tree and stepped in front of me.
    I gave a little gasp and tried to go around the stranger, but I couldn’t. It felt like something had grabbed control of my brain, frozen me where I stood.
    The stranger chuckled, which pissed me off and terrified me both. With the fading daylight to the west blinding me, I couldn’t really make out the face, and that scared me even more.
    â€œ I remember you.”

= 5 =
    T he voice was quiet—a woman or a high-pitched guy. Not an ounce of warmth in it.
    I started to shake, even though I couldn’t move. The stranger took a step toward me, and a flash of light blinded me.
    I thought it was lightning for a second, but the sky was clear. I heard a grunt and scuffling. When I could see again there was a fight going on. The stranger was grappling with…Caeran!
    Another flash of light made me step back, which was how I discovered I was no longer frozen. I scrambled away from the fight, but I couldn’t just abandon Caeran.
    I picked up a baseball-sized rock from the landscaping. Stupid, but all I could think of. I held it in my fist, trying to decide whether to throw it or try to clock the stranger on the head with it.
    I didn’t want to get that close.
    The stranger was shouting. In the same flowy language Caeran used.
    My heart sank. It was true. They were the same, except for the blood-drinking part. I hoped.
    Caeran didn’t answer, he was trying to get a stranglehold on the stranger. I hopped from one foot to the other, looking for an opportunity to use my rock.
    Squeal of tires behind me. I dove for the tree. It was Len’s car; she jumped out and ran toward the fight.
    Well, crap. I went back, bringing my rock.
    Len had something in her hand. She was getting too close to the fighting. I followed her, my heart pounding.
    We must have looked like idiots, the two of us dancing around while Caeran and the stranger brawled. The stranger’s hood had fallen back and the long white hair spilled loose. Caeran grabbed a handful and pulled, but the stranger kicked at the same time and Caeran went down.
    Len jumped forward, arm outstretched. The stranger gave a strangled cry, let go of Caeran, and ran off, staggering all the way.
    â€œ Caeran!