Eternal (13 page)

A ring, just a plain band of metal, looked like gold. It was lying on top of a folded piece of paper on my nightstand. I held the ring in my hand while I read the note.

Amanda -

This ring was my eldermother's. It is very old. I give it to you now as a pledge of my affection and friendship. I do not have much to offer, but what I have is yours.

I will visit again soon.

Savhoran

I stared at the ring, wondering if he knew what a gift like that traditionally meant to humans. He had to, didn't he? Unless he'd been living in a cave all his life…

I slid the ring onto my finger, feeling goosebumps rise on my forearms.

It was gorgeous. It fit perfectly. I took it off and rummaged in my dresser for a chain to put it on. Too confused about what it meant; I'd wear it around my neck for now.

If an eldermother was like a grandmother, then that ring must be really freaking old.
I fastened the chain and slid the ring into my shirt, trying not to wonder about its value.

The clock said I had half an hour to get dressed and get ready for work. No problem, I was already dressed. Disgusted with myself, I changed and went to the kitchen looking for breakfast.

The three resident cousins were in the living room talking. Len and Caeran were drinking tea and eating scones. Caeran was almost as good a baker as Madóran, and the kitchen smelled heavenly. I helped myself to a scone and made myself a cup of instant coffee.

“
Savhoran asked me to tell you he said goodbye,” Caeran said.

“
Thanks.” I joined them at the table, ignoring the curious look Len gave me.

“
He also asked for your cell phone number. I assumed you wouldn't mind my giving it to him.”

“
No, no. Thanks. He has a phone? Can I have the number?”

“
Yes.”

He must have anticipated the question, because he pushed a scrap of paper toward me. I stared at the number on it, knowing I shouldn't use it but desperate to have it anyway. I tried to look calm as I programmed it into my phone and then put the phone back in my pocket.

I did not want to go to work. I wanted to call Savhoran and invite myself over to his place. Bad idea.

Lomen was my escort du jour. I liked him because he had a sense of humor, and he didn't look down on me. He was practical, too. One day he made up a list of books he was interested in reading, and he had me check them out one at a time for him to read while he was guarding the building.

He came into the library with me that morning, because he'd just finished
Mein Kampf.
I dropped the book in returns. “What's next?”

“
War and Peace,
” Lomen said.

“
Oh, man. You really ought to read that one on the Kindle.”

He gave me a curious look. Not wanting to explain ebooks to him in public, I pulled the book for him and checked it out on my account. He hefted it and grinned at me.

“
See you at lunch.”

I smiled and went back to my station. Poppy, the goth who works the same shift as me, was looking at me.

“
So you got a gorgeous boyfriend, too? Does he have any brothers?”

I racked a stack of data entry forms. “He's just a friend. No brothers that I know of.”

“
A friend you have lunch with every day. He looks like Len's boyfriend.”

“
They're cousins.”

“
Damn. Sure there aren't any more at home?”

I didn't answer, because I didn't want to lie and I sure didn't want to tell the truth. The cousins looked enough alike that Poppy thought she was seeing the same one all the time. No need to correct her on that.

I dove into the data entry and tried to keep from thinking about Savhoran every other minute. Didn't do so well on that but the work made the time pass.

Just before lunch, Steve Harrison came up to my station. Of all the students who hung around the library that summer, he was the best looking: slim but not skinny, blond with brown eyes and a smile to tighten your loins. He was almost as gorgeous as the ælven. Brilliant, too; he was carrying a double major in chemistry and physics and barely breaking a sweat. Unfortunately for us single girls he was also gay.

Maybe I wasn't a single girl anymore, I thought as I watched him walk up. A little happy shiver went down my spine.

“
Hi, Steve. What can I do for you?”

“
That book on isotopes come in yet?”

“
Let me check.” I looked up the record. “Nope. Yours is the first hold on it, though.”

“
Damn. I need it for a paper. Wasn't it supposed to be in by now?”

“
Yeah. It's overdue.”

“
Gimme the guy's address.”

“
You're going to strong arm him? No, you're going to seduce him. Sorry, I can't give out that information.”

“
Will you call him?”

I leaned on the counter and flirted up at him. “What'll you give me?”

He looked sarcastic for just a second, then smiled a slow smile. “Have you chosen a major yet?”

“
This isn't about my education. It's about your book.”

“
Try economics. You're a natural.”

I straightened up and glanced over at Poppy. “I think I've just been insulted.”

“
No, I'm serious. You're good with numbers, and you get the big picture. You're a planner. Check it out. There's a 200-level course in the fall. You should consider it.”

He was serious. I was touched; I didn't think he cared a rat's ass about me.

“
OK, I'll look into it. And I'll call about the book.”

Steve gave me his dazzlingest smile. “Thanks, sweetie. Later.”

He headed up the stairs. Poppy came over to my end of the counter and leaned across it to stare at him until he was out of sight.

That was the most exciting thing that happened all morning. I called the delinquent borrower and left a message, then sent an email for good measure. Did my data entry, helped a few people with checkouts, and gossiped with Poppy.

At lunchtime I signed out and headed for the restroom, passing Steve on his way back down the stairs. I smiled at him but didn't stop to chat, as my need for the restroom was genuine.

It was empty, unusual for the lobby at lunchtime, even in summer. That should have warned me, but I didn't catch it.

Halfway to a stall, I felt the freeze coming.

L
omen!

I managed that, then I couldn't even think any more. I was breathing, my eyes were open, but none of it was under my control.

A hand grabbed my arm and pushed me toward guess where—the handicapped stall. I was turned around and shoved against the wall by my best alben girlfriend.

I could see her sweatshirt and her hands, but I couldn't move my eyes to look at her face. She pulled a knife out of her pocket. I was terrified, but since I couldn't scream I just wondered how she'd got it past the metal detector at the library entrance. Mind control, maybe?

She reached up and cut my neck right under my ear, then latched on and sucked hard. Lomen was right about the no biting. It only hurt a little, but I was scared to think she could be sucking the life out of me, in the women's restroom forgodsake.

The outer door opened. A girl screamed, then ran back out.

Door again, and Steve's voice saying “Amanda?” and then the door banging hard against the wall.

The alben let go of me and went out. There was yelling and scuffling and a masculine shout of pain, the door, running footsteps, then Lomen's voice: “Take care of her!”

And the door again. I blinked, realized I was unfrozen, and sank to the floor.

Steve pushed the stall door open wider. “Oh, shit! Amanda!”

He picked me up and carried me out of the stall, set me on the floor, grabbed some paper towels and pressed them against my neck. Then he took out his phone.

Even though I was free I was kind of in shock, and I just sat there listening to him talk to the 911 operator. Lomen wasn't there so I figured he'd gone after the alben.

I realized Steve was talking to me. “…going to be OK, there's an ambulance coming.”

I looked at him, touched by his worried expression. “How did you know…?”

“
I saw her follow you in and I didn't like the look on her face.”

I blinked and nodded, making the paper towels rustle. “Thank you.”

He smiled. “No problem.”

Campus security showed up before the ambulance. They weren't a lot of help, but their presence was reassuring. They asked me questions I couldn't really answer, not without getting sent for a psych eval. I did the best I could with the plain facts.

EMTs came in, and Poppy followed them. Her eyes got huge when she saw me.

“
Tell Dave I can't work this afternoon, OK?” I said. Understatement of the year.

She nodded and left, looking shook up. I, on the other hand, was perfectly calm. Funny how practical you can be in an emergency if the emergency is you. Other people get all the angst.

The EMTs cleaned me up and patched me up, then insisted on putting me on a stretcher.

“
I can walk,” I said.

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.