Eternal (22 page)

“
Once she knew that, again, all she had to do was hide out in the restroom,” said Caeran.

I was never going in a public restroom again unless I had a friend along and a can of pepper spray in my hand.

I looked over the whole list. “She only hunts me when she isn't hungry.”

Caeran nodded. “It makes sense. Hunger distracts her, weakens her. She plans her hunting for sustenance at times and locations where she is safe.”

“
Where is she least safe?” I asked.

“
In a large crowd of people. Outdoors in daylight.”

I thought wistfully of an endless baseball game. It would be the perfect hideout.

“So…the best time to hunt her would be when she is hungry. Because then she will probably be somewhere near campus or University Heights.” I glanced at the dates in my list. “Looks like that's about every two weeks.”

“But she is here now, not on campus,” said Lomen.

“Yeah, and she's not hungry. Well, since we don't know how she behaves under those circumstances, I suggest we go back to where we do know how she behaves. Back to Albuquerque.”

The ælven exchanged long looks. Caeran shrugged.

“It would get her away from Mirali.”

They proceeded to go over my entire argument again, pulling it apart, trying to find flaws. I told them, on demand, the dates of the killings. I was getting annoyed at their method of problem-solving, so when the meal was over I headed back to Savhoran's room. I had only been there for a short while—long enough for the sun to set—when
Mad
ó
ran
and Len knocked on the door, wanting to give Savhoran another treatment.

I could go back to my room, or hang out in the great room and listen to the men arguing. Despite the annoyance factor, I opted for the great room. Didn't really feel like being alone.

Savhoran walked me to the door and gave me a long kiss that set my thighs tingling.

Come get me when you're done,
I told him.

He smiled, kissed me again, and left. I watched him walk around to the treatment room and go in.

Caeran was still sitting at the table with the other three. He glanced up as I passed on my way to the couch. With no Len to talk to, I got bored pretty fast and wandered out into the entryway where I could look through the window out at the
plazuela
.

The alben had jumped down into it last night. Pretty bold, but then Savhoran had surprised her and she took off. She would never have come into the
plazuela
if she'd known he was around. He'd almost had her.

Twilight was fading into evening. I just saw vague shapes of bushes, and the fountain. She could be hiding out there for all I knew.

A pounding on the front door made me jump. I turned, wondering if I should go find
Mad
ó
ran—
except he didn't like being bothered when he was working. I took a few steps toward the door and the pounding came again.

Caeran came out of the great room. “Stay back,” he said, going to the door.

There was a little hatch in the door, like in old comedy movies of speakeasies. Caeran opened it and looked out. I heard a man's voice speaking Spanish; something about chickens. Caeran answered him, then opened the door and went out.

I tiptoed to the door to see what was going on. The visitor, a stocky Hispanic, had a wheelbarrow full of what looked like a couple dozen dead chicke
ns. The smell made me gag. While Caeran was arguing with him about what to do with the dead birds, I wandered out onto the
portal
.

I moved away along the front of the house, looking at the early stars. All the defensive stuff we'd been doing since we'd come there drained out of my brain. All I was thinking was how pretty the sky was.

I stepped off the porch. That made me remember that I shouldn't be outside.

The freeze got me before I could think about wanting help.

I
kept walking, though I no longer wanted to, out into the field in front of
Mad
ó
ran
‘s house. Caeran was still arguing with the chicken guy. His voice faded behind me. Tears slid down my face.

I got all the way to the fence by the road before I saw her. Just a silhouette, but I already knew it was her. She had taken no chances of being seen, the opposite of last night's approach.

I struggled to resist, but the only result was that my walking became clumsier, zombie-like. She made me walk right up to the fence. She was standing outside it. She stared at me for what seemed like an hour.

The moon wasn't up so I couldn't see her face very well. I could feel what she thought about me, though, and it wasn't pleasant.

Climb over.

I shivered at the touch of her thought. I didn't want to obey; I struggled again to break free.

The freeze came back, only it was pain. I couldn't move, couldn't even close my eyes. Had to keep looking at her smug face.

Unless you want more, you will climb.

I climbed. I thought she was going to kill me right then but she marched me up the road in front of her, northward.

Not seeing her was worse. The back of my neck felt like a thousand ants were crawling on it.

I don't know how long we walked, but by the time we turned off the road toward the mountains my feet were hurting. There was no fence this far from the village. Walking over the open ground was rougher and a couple of times I almost fell. No sympathy from the bitch.

I thought about Savhoran, how I wished I could say goodbye to him. Wished I'd picked up the damn condoms. Life was too short, and now mine was
really
too short.

I thought about his kisses. I didn't care if the bitch heard. I hoped she did—hoped she knew how much more Savhoran would hate her for this. He would kill her, I knew it. I was just sorry I wouldn't see it.

We reached the foothills and started climbing. My legs ached and she prodded me with a pain zap now and then. I wondered why she was bothering to go so far.

By that time I was so tired I stopped thinking about much besides putting one foot in front of the other. I kept my eyes on the ground to keep from tripping.

All I remember is a lot of pine trees, and climbing around rocks up the side of a canyon, and then a cave. We had to duck to go in. An uncomfortable place to die, but I was so tired I didn't care anymore. I just wanted to sit down.

She let me do that while she stood at the cave's entrance, watching for pursuit I guess. I leaned against the cave wall and closed my eyes.

Not much longer now. So long, Mom and Dad. So long, bro. Hope you all do better than me.

I woke with an aching butt and a crick in my neck. The little bit of sky I could see through the entrance was gray. I thought at first it was twilight, then remembered it had almost been dark when the alben caught me.

Fear flooded through me. I glanced sidelong back into the cave. She was there; I didn't see her but I knew.

I was maybe five strides from the entrance. Too far. I'd never make it.

I sat watching the sky grow lighter, wondering why I wasn't dead. Maybe she wasn't hungry, was all I could think of.

She chuckled.

I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated on white light. Tried to blank everything else out of my thoughts.

That is useless.

I flinched, hating the feel of her in my mind. I went limp, playing dead, hoping maybe if I was boring she'd ignore me. I couldn't help the tears, but maybe if I held still she wouldn't notice.

Something scraped back in the cave. Might have been just her foot, but the sound made me open my eyes. My gaze was drawn outside again, to the world I couldn't get back to. It was getting brighter. The sun would rise soon.

A scrub jay flew past the cave's entrance, then scolded from somewhere uphill. A minute later I heard a sliding sound, as if someone had taken a bad step. I didn't hear any more footsteps, but a few seconds later the view was blocked by a man.

He was backlit so I couldn't see who it was. I felt anger from the alben behind me.

The man spoke in ælven. I recognized his voice but couldn't place it. Not Caeran, not Lomen…

He came in slowly, walking past me as if I didn't exist. I caught a glimpse of white hair.

Great.

I looked after him into the cave, but couldn't see because daylight had contracted my pupils. I kept my gaze away from the entrance, hoping my eyes would adjust.

I heard him sit down. The female said something in a snide tone. The guy answered more moderately. I got the impression he was trying to persuade her of something. She continued to be snotty.

After a while he got less patient. My heart beat faster as the volume increased. The air started prickling.

My eyes had adjusted enough that I could see them a little. Both were on their feet now. I was trying to see her face when a flash of light blinded me.

Shouting. Scuffling. I crawled toward the cave entrance, too blind to stand yet. There was another flash behind me and then I was out, free!

My legs were stiff and sore from the long hike in. I forced myself to scramble down the cliff to the bottom of the canyon. There was a stream bed with barely a trickle in it. I stumbled along that for a while. When I couldn't go any farther I hid behind a boulder and took out my phone.

No bars. Too much mountain around me. I rested a little, listening for pursuit, but it was quiet. They'd risk sun damage if they came out.

When I'd caught my breath, I continued following the stream. I didn't have a clear idea where I was, but it was probably north and west of Guadalupita. Eventually the stream should take me to the Mora River.

The ground got less steep and less rocky. The canyon widened out to a gentler valley, and the stream meandered back and forth across its bottom. I must have stepped over the water a dozen times.

I stopped to rest and try the phone again. This time I got a signal. I dialed Len, but Caeran answered.

“
Manda! Where are you?”

“
Um, not sure. In the foothills. I'm walking east, mostly. Following a creek.”

“
We will come find you. Keep talking.”

Over the phone I heard an engine starting. He must have been in Len's car. I chattered inanely about the ground in front of me, as if by describing it I could tell Caeran where I was. He said encouraging things now and then. I was grateful for that.

The adrenaline had worn off. I realized I was hungry and thirsty. I kept walking, phone in hand. I was out in the open and that worried me, but the sun beating down on me was reassuring.

I came to an apple orchard and stopped under a tree, grateful for the shade. The apples were still green or I'd have been all over them. I sat with my back against a tree trunk and called Caeran.

“
I'm in an apple orchard.”

“
Thank you. That is helpful.”

“
Is Len with you?”

“
She is back at the house.”

I closed my eyes. So tired.

“
We have just come to an orchard. Wave your arms.”

“
OK, but I'm at the back.”

I got to my feet and waved, phone on my shoulder.

“
I see you. Wait there.”

I sat down again, relieved. Adventure over.

Now all I needed to do was make sure the alben never found me again. Move to Montana, maybe.

In a couple of minutes, Caeran came running up. I stood up. He knelt on one knee and bowed his head.

“
Forgive me. My inattention caused this.”

“
Not your fault.”

He looked up at me with troubled eyes. I was too tired for an angsty discussion.

“
Really, it's OK. Let's just go.”

He nodded, and before I could blink he scooped me up in his arms and started across the orchard. I was too tired and grateful to protest.

I saw Len's car on the road outside the orchard's fence. Lomen and Bironan were standing next to it. Caeran set me down by the driver door and handed me the keys.

“
Can you drive?”

“
Uh…”

“
Wait here, then. If you feel up to it later, drive back to the hacienda. Savhoran is anxious to see you.”

Savhoran. I was suddenly glad it was daylight, or he'd be here looking for blood. So to speak.

“
The alben is still in the mountains?” Ca
eran asked.

I nodded. “In a cave. The other alben is there too.”

Caeran's eyes widened. “Pirian?”

“Yeah. They got into an argument. That's how I got away.”

“Will you allow me to see what you saw of this place?”

“Um, sure I guess. What do I have to do?”

Caeran laid his hand on my shoulder. “Just remember.”

I could feel the tingle from his hand sinking into me. Felt good. I had to concentrate to bring up the memories. I didn't remember the journey in to the cave very well, but I remembered getting out. I thought about it, and about the two alben in the cave, until Caeran let me go.

“Lock yourself in,” he said.

I did. I cracked the windows and watched the four of them run across the orchard. When I lost sight of them, I looked around.

Caeran had parked the car on a strip of grass alongside the road. I could see a house up ahead, and that was reassuring. If I felt scared I could drive there, maybe. I was still pretty shaky.