Eternal by Pati Nagle Page B

Are you all right?” Len went to her knees beside him.
    He was coughing and wheezing. Len knew how to help him better than I did, so I kept an eye on the stranger.
    He/she stopped stumbling and ran north across the parking lot to disappear behind buildings. A creepy feeling came over me and I looked away, trying to shake it off.
    â€œ I’m sorry!” Len said to Caeran. “Oh, I’m so sorry! Man, get my water bottle from the car, will you?”
    I went to the car, which was sitting crooked against the curb, engine running. I switched it off and turned the flashers on, then grabbed the half-empty water bottle.
    I wanted to get the keys, too, but I still had the rock in my other hand. I had to tell myself the stranger was gone—twice—before I could drop it.
    I hurried back to Len and Caeran with the water and the keys. Spotted Len’s pepper spray canister lying on the gravel.
    I used to tease her about her obsession with carrying that thing everywhere. I never would again.
    Len gently dribbled water over Caeran’s face. It was getting dark, but I could see that his eyes were swollen shut and streaming.
    He reached up but Len batted his hand away. “Don’t touch your face. That’ll just make it worse.”
    He caught her by the wrist. “The alben—”
    â€œ She’s gone.”
    â€œ It’s a she?” I asked stupidly. “For sure it’s a she?”
    â€œ Yes,” Caeran said, and coughed some more.
    â€œ We’ve go to get you to a bathroom,” Len said. “Can you stand up?”
    Caeran took a couple of deep breaths, then struggled to his feet. Len pushed the empty water bottle into his hands.
    â€œ Hold this. It’ll keep you from touching your face.”
    She helped him back to the car and buckled him in. I got in the back seat, then remembered I had the keys.
    â€œ Len.” I held them out to her.
    â€œ Thanks. Where’s the nearest bathroom?”
    I pointed to the restaurant directly ahead. This made me think of food, which made me remember I’d run away from my dinner.
    â€œ Oh, jeez! I meant to pay for Pappadeaux—”
    â€œ We took care of it,” Len said, driving to the parking lot ahead.
    It was a family chain, decent but nowhere near as wonderful as Pappadeaux. The host listened to Len’s explanation, offered to call 911, and escorted her and Caeran away. I kicked my heels in the lobby waiting for him to come back.
    The adrenaline was wearing off, and I remembered how it had all started. It seemed really stupid now that I’d run out into the theater parking lot by myself. Not that one usually expects to get attacked.
    It was my fault that Caeran had gotten sprayed, kind of. Sort of. Yes, it was my fault for running out alone when I was vampire bait. From the perspective of having just experienced things that couldn’t be explained, the warnings Caeran and Len had been trying to give me now made a lot more sense.
    I felt bad about Caeran getting hurt. I felt worse about what they’d told me. Savhoran had this disease, this vampire albino whatever, and maybe I’d never see him again.
    That hurt to think about. To fight off crying, I picked up a menu and looked over it. I didn’t really feel like eating, even though I’d been starving earlier. But I owed Len and Caeran a meal, so I chose a couple of sandwiches and a salad, and when the host came back I asked about ordering them to go.
    Len and Caeran showed up before the food did. Caeran looked a lot better, almost normal. I was surprised because I’d heard that pepper spray lasted a while; it was supposed to incapacitate you for a good half hour. I thought about the stranger running away from the parking lot, stumbling at first but then doing a lot better.
    â€œ I’m sorry, Caeran,” I said. “It was stupid of me—”
    â€œ It’s all right,” he said.
    â€œ Guess you believe us