Eternal

by Pati Nagle

  The tech frowned at me. “Hold out your hand.”

  I did. It shook like an aspen leaf.

  “You’ve lost some blood. We’ve got to take you to the hospital.”

  My feeble protests were ignored. Steve continued in the role of white knight, fetching my pack when I asked him to and offering to follow the ambulance and meet me at the hospital.

  “You’ll miss your classes,” I said.

  “I’m not leaving you alone.”

  I was very un-alone, but I appreciated the support. At the hospital they stuck me in a bed in the emergency room and ignored me for a long time, and I was really glad to have Steve’s company. The place smelled like hospital. Ugh.

  I dug my phone out of my pocket and called Len. She answered on the first ring.

  “Hi, Len—”

  “Man! What’s going on? Caeran took off like a bat out of hell!”

  “I’m OK,” I said. “I’m in the emergency room.”

  “You’re hurt? Was it the alben?”

  “Uh-huh.”

  “Is Lomen with you?”

  “No. Steve Harrison is.”

  “So you can’t talk. OK. Have you seen Caeran?”

  “No.”

  “Did Lomen go to meet him?”

  “I don’t know. Maybe.”

  “They’re chasing the alben.”

  “Yeah.”

  She was silent for a minute. “Caeran told me to stay here.”

  “I think that’s a good idea,” I said.

  “But do you want me to come over there?”

  “No. I’m OK.”

  “All right. Call me if anything happens.”

  “Same to you.”

  We hung up and I left my phone on the bed. I was tired, now that the adrenaline had worn off. I looked at Steve, who was watching me.

  “Thanks,” I said for the hundredth time.

  He nodded. “Do you know that girl who attacked you?”

  “Not really. I’ve seen her before, but that’s all.”

  “She a student?”

  “I don’t think so.”

  “She had white hair—didn’t the campus killer have white hair?”

  “They never caught him.”

  “But there was a suspect. I’m pretty sure he had white hair.”

  And he had raped his female victims. I didn’t feel like bringing that up, so I decided it was safest not to comment any more. I was tired of playing twenty questions. Fortunately a nurse came in before Steve could grill me again.

  She took my vital signs and frowned at the blood pressure gage. Redid the cuff, frowned some more, then left.

  “So why are you taking a double major,” I asked before Steve could go back to interrogating me about the alben. “What do you want to be?”

  “Really good at something lucrative.”

  “Pharmaceuticals?”

  He wrinkled his nose. “I’d rather not.”

  “That’s where all the money is.”

  “I’d rather do something like spacecraft engineering.”

  “Interesting. Not lucrative.”

  “Yeah, I know.”

  Lomen came in, looking a bit wild-eyed. There was a bloodstained gash across the right shoulder of his shirt. I couldn’t help a gasp, which he ignored as he came to the bed.

  “Are you all right?” he said.

  I nodded. “Just waiting to be sent home.”

  “You should have that looked at,” Steve said to Lomen.

  Lomen turned and gazed at him. “Thank you for your help.”

  Steve eyes got a little wider. “Any time.”

  “Lomen, this is Steve. Steve, Lomen.”

  “Honored,” said Steve.

  Lomen nodded, then looked at me. “I am sorry.”

  “Not your fault.”

  “I swear to you she did not enter the building while I was there.”

  “Maybe she was there before you got there,” said Steve.

  Not a pleasant thought.

  “Where’s Caeran?” I asked Lomen.

  “With Len.”

  That was good. I looked at my phone: two-thirty. I was tempted to call Savhoran, but he couldn’t really do anything to help, and I didn’t want to upset him.

  The nurse came back with a doctor. Lomen faded back against the wall, and the medicos never even looked at him. They took my blood pressure again. The doctor frowned.

  “Does your blood pressure normally run low?”

  “Not that I know of,” I said.

  “Have you given blood lately?”

  “Oh, yeah—about a month ago.”

  “And you lost some today. I’m going to give you a unit of saline.”

  “Is that necessary?”

  “Yes.”

  He turned to the nurse and started talking medicalese, then they both went out. I looked at Steve.

  “I guess you could go. Lomen will make sure I get home.”

  Steve looked reluctant, but stood up. “OK. Call me if I can help with anything.”

  He gave me his number and I programmed it into my phone. I thanked him a few more times and he left.

  I looked at Lomen, who was gazing after Steve, his face thoughtful.

  “Maybe you really should have that cleaned up while you’re here,” I said. “It looks a little scary.”

  He glanced at his shoulder. “It is fine. Madóran is still in town. He can do anything it needs.”

  I wished Madóran was taking care of me instead of UNMH. Not that they were bad—I didn’t say that—but I wanted to be home, not there.

  The nurse came back with a bag, hung it on a rack above the bed, and installed the IV in my arm. She changed the bandage on my cut, then left me alone with Lomen.

  “Did you catch her?” I said after a minute.

  He shook his head. “She is fast, and she had a knife. We were unarmed.”

  I thought about the pepper spray Len made me keep in my pocket. Maybe all the ælven should carry it, too.

  “She jumped onto a bus. We could not follow.” He looked up at me, eyes worried. “Forgive me.”

  “Stop with the guilt, OK? It isn’t your fault.”

  He sat in the chair and stared at the floor. “It was my responsibility to protect you.”

  “Well, you did. If you hadn’t come in she wouldn’t have run. And you got hurt trying to catch her, so you didn’t fail, OK?”

  He didn’t look convinced, but he didn’t mope anymore, at least not out loud.

  It took forever for the bag to empty. Caeran and Len showed up just as the nurse was taking out the IV.

  “You guys brothers?” she asked, looking from Caeran to Lomen.

  “Cousins,” Caeran said.

  “Can I go, now?” I asked.

  “We just need to do some paperwork.” She checked my vitals yet again and noted it all down. “I’ll be right back.”

  “Argh,” I said when she’d left.

  Len came to the bed and took my hand. “I’m sorry this happened, sweetie.”

  “What is it with that alben and bathrooms?” I said crankily. “That’s twice now she’s come after me in a bathroom!”

  “It is a place where we cannot follow you,” said Lomen.

  “But why me? There have to be easier—um, choices.”

  “She considers it a challenge.” Lomen looked at Caeran. “And she wants to hurt us.”

  “So instead of attacking you she goes after me? Pretty cowardly.”

  Lomen didn’t answer. I wondered if cowardice was a concept the ælven understood, or if it was a human idea.

  Half an hour later the hospital finally let me go. Caeran and Lomen stuck to me like burrs as we walked out to the parking lot. We got into Len’s car and headed home.

  I was starving by this time, so I made a beeline for the fridge, which was full of leftovers from the feast. I loaded a plate with turkey and stuffing and veggies and stuck it in the microwave, then opened a soda and chugged half of it while my late lunch was
nuking.

  The others all gathered in the living room. Madóran was there; I saw him look at Lomen’s shoulder and say something to him. Didn’t seem concerned about the wound.

  I brought my plate out and sat on the floor since all the furniture was taken. I dug in while while Lomen filled the others in on what had happened at the library.

  Madóran gave me a concerned look. “You should not return there.”

  “I have a job.”

  “Is it worth risking your life?”

  Pushing library electrons around? Hell, no, but I didn’t want to be pushed around either.

  “You guys need a different strategy,” I said. “So far you’ve been reacting to her moves. You need to take charge. You outnumber her.”

  “She is clever,” Lomen said unhappily.

  “We should move Len and Amanda out of the city until we catch her,” Caeran said.

  “Mirali must certainly leave,” Madóran said. “I will take her and Nathrin back to Guadalupita. I would be happy to take Lenore and Amanda as well.”

  “Your friend’s car will hold all of us?” Len asked.

  “I will make other arrangements. A limousine.”

  I resisted the urge to whistle, and reminded myself that Caeran was rich. Maybe Madóran was, too. Maybe they all were.

  “Has anyone called Savhoran?” I asked.

  No one answered.

  “It’s his business too, right? I’ll call him.”

  I got up and took my empty plate to the kitchen, then took out my phone. Pulled up his number and then hesitated. Would I just be causing him needless anxiety?

  No, he was a part of the clan, so he needed to be in on the planning. I hit “send.”

  He answered on the third ring. “Yes?”

  “Hi, it’s me. Amanda.”

  “Amanda.”

  “Listen, I don’t want you to get upset or anything, OK? Everything’s OK.”

  “Then why would I be upset?”

  “Well, um. We had a little incident with the alben today—”

  “Where are you?” His voice was suddenly urgent.

  “Relax, I’m at home. It’s OK.”

  “Were you hurt?”

  “Only a little.”

  A loud clunk made me jump. Sounded like the phone had been dropped.

  “Savhoran?”

  No answer. I thought I heard footsteps, then a door slammed.

  Well, no one could say he didn’t care.

  I put my phone away and went back to the living room. Leaned against the wall, trying to think of a better way to catch the alben than just waiting for her to attack one of us.

  “She doesn’t like the sun, right?” I said. “So if you search for her during the day, maybe you’ll find where she’s hiding.”

  “We have already searched the campus and surrounding area in daylight and found nothing,” said Faranin.

  “Then we must broaden our search,” Caeran said.

  “What if—”

  The front door opened. I turned and saw Savhoran, wearing a hoodie that was crooked like he’d put it on fast. He looked at me and his brow wrinkled with grief, then he caught me in his arms and held me so tight I almost couldn’t breathe.

  “It’s OK,” I whispered.

  I am sorry, I am so sorry!

  And I felt how sorry he was, and I wanted to make it better.

  It isn’t your fault. Come and join the discussion. We’re planning how to catch her.

  That worked. He let me go and took a step into the living room.

  “I wish to lead the hunt.”

  He pushed back his hood and I sucked a sharp breath. His face was fried like he’d been in the sun for hours. He must have run to the house from his place—nearby, I assumed—but the hoodie hadn’t protected him enough.

  Madóran got up and went to him. Savhoran shook his head, but Madóran put his hands over his face.

  “The sooner treated, the less harm.”

  The ælven murmured in their language, then Lomen stood. “Sit here, Savhoran. I will make tea.”

  Madóran and Savhoran moved to the couch while the others got up and milled around. Break time. I headed to the bathroom, then came back to the living room and cautiously approached the couch. The hair on my arms prickled, maybe from the healing energy Madóran was using.

  “Amanda, please bring a glass of water,” Madóran said.

  “Sure.”

  I fetched it and came back, waiting. After a couple of minutes Madóran took his hands away from Savhoran’s face and reached for the water. He handed it to Savhoran, who chugged it.

  “More?” I asked.

  “Yes,” said Madóran.

  I fetched another glass and Savhoran drank half of it in one pull, then slowed down. I sat on the floor at his feet, watching Madóran move his hands in the air over Savhoran’s face, then shoulders, then chest.

  “Be more cautious in future,” Madóran told him.

  “I was cautious—I put on this coat—”

  “It would be best if you remained indoors during daylight. You are at your most vulnerable now. Your sensitivity will decrease, but only gradually.”

  Savhoran didn’t seem to like that information. I touched his hand and he looked down at me.

  “Amanda is wounded,” he said to Madóran.

  “I’m all right—”

  “Let me see,” said Madóran.

  I submitted to his inspection, which consisted of holding his hand over the cut on my neck. It felt incredibly warm—not uncomfortable, but so warm it made me sleepy. I blinked when he took his hand away.

  “She will be all right.”

  I looked up to see Madóran smiling at me. Savhoran looked doubtful. I leaned my head against Savhoran’s knee, wishing there was a way to make everything better. He caressed my hair and I felt like purring.

  The others came back, bringing a couple of chairs from the nook so everyone had a seat. I stayed where I was.

  Lomen brought a tray with a teapot and mugs. Once we all had tea, Caeran turned to Savhoran.

  “Len and Amanda are going back to Guadalupita with Madóran.”

  I sat up. “I haven’t agreed to that.”

  Caeran glowered at me. “It will free us to hunt in earnest.”

  “Forgive me, but so far your hunting has turned up zip.”

  There was a frozen silence. I swallowed, wondering if I’d just pissed them all off.

  I remembered something Len had told me last fall. The clan had been camping by the river when she first met them.

  “What about the bosque?” I said. “Have you searched there?”

  Savhoran gave me a confused look. “Bosque?”

  “The cottonwood forest by the river,” I said. “It runs all through town.”

  Caeran’s eye got intense. “Where we dwelt when we arrived.”

  “Yeah.”

  “We go tonight,” Caeran said. He looked as grim as I’d ever seen him. “Madóran, how soon can you leave?”

  “I have called to order a car. It should be here within the hour.”

  “Len, Manda, pack your things.”

  Shit. I wanted to stay. I wanted to be with Savhoran every moment.

  He laid his hand on my head again. You must go. We cannot hunt until you are safe.

  I closed my eyes. Promise you won’t go out in the sun.

  I won’t today.

  That wasn’t good enough. I swallowed.

  I’m worth living for, right?

  His answer was wordless, and took my breath away. It was like he poured love into me. That’s inadequate, but there’s really no way to describe it.

  I stood. “I think I can take a week off of work without getting fired. What about you, Len?”

  She shrugged. “I can try.”

  “OK.” I looked at Caeran. “You have a week.”

  I went to my room, pulled my bag out from under the bed, and grabbed clothes out of my dresser at random. I threw in my computer and my cell
phone charger, got my toothbrush and stuff from the bathroom, then sat on the bed and indulged in a few sobs.

  I was scared of the alben, yes. I wanted the clan to succeed in catching her, and if I had to get out of the way for that to happen, so be it.

  So grow up, I told myself. Get a grip.

  I went back to the bathroom and washed my face. Got the bandage wet so I pulled it off, intending to replace it. Then I stared in the mirror.

  The cut was gone. Not just closed, gone. Not even a scar. I rubbed where it had been, and the skin there was a little sensitive, but that was all.

  So OK, Madóran was not just a curandero, he was magic. And Len was his apprentice? Was she learning to do that?

  The house was quiet when I brought my bag out to the living room. It was empty except for Savhoran sitting on the couch, frowning at the floor. He got up and came to me, smiling his sad smile.

  “Where are the others?” I asked.

  “Three have gone to scout the neighborhood. Madóran is calling Nathrin and Mirali. And Caeran and Len are saying goodbye.”

  I swallowed. No giving up, OK?

  You will see me again.

  Soon?

  I hope so.

  He gathered me into his arms and just held me for a while. I was fighting not to cry again. He kissed my temple and I closed my eyes. He’d found the way to distract me; I turned my face toward him and was rewarded with a serious kiss.

  It is amazing to be kissed by someone whose feelings you can feel, and vice versa. It’s this incredible—I guess they call it a feedback loop? Anyway, just astounding. I wanted to drag him back to my bedroom for more.

  The front door opened. Savhoran kissed my forehead and let me go.

  Madóran came in, cell phone in hand. Seeing him reminded me of my healed cut. I glanced up at Savhoran and saw that his face was better, too—a little pink, but not the lobster-like color he’d been when he came in. I just gazed at him, trying to memorize his face, so beautiful and so sad.

  He must have heard that, because he looked at me and smiled. Not always sad.

  I wish I could make you happy.

  You do.

  Caeran and Len came out of their bedroom, Caeran carrying her bag. Len was kind of hanging on his arm.

  “The car is here,” Madóran said. “We will stop at the hotel to pick up Nathrin and Mirali. I will call from there to let you know we are leaving.”

  Caeran nodded. “Thank you. We continue to be in your debt.”

  Madóran shook his head, smiling. “I am happy to have company.”