Inside, I stood looking around for a minute, wondering what to take. I picked up my phone from the coffee table. The futon’s cushions were rumpled, reminding me of what had happened there earlier. I clamped a white light lid on that memory and headed for my bedroom.
Caeran followed me and watched while I pulled a gym bag out of my closet and stuffed some random clothes into it. Clean underwear, socks, t-shirts. Extra pair of jeans.
How do you pack for going into a bomb shelter?
I fetched a plastic grocery bag from the kitchen and filled it with toiletries. No telling when I’d be back so I took shampoo and shaving stuff. Added that to the gym bag and pulled a pillow out of my bed.
Entertainment. I carried the bag and pillow out to the living room and collected my laptop. “You have wireless?” I asked Caeran.
He nodded. So books and movies would be available. I went to the shelf that held my textbooks.
“We’ll fall behind in classes.”
“No, you can keep going to class. Alben shelter during the day. It is only at night that you are vulnerable.”
I met Caeran’s gaze. “So that part of the myth is true? Sunlight kills them?”
His mouth twisted. “It hurts them. I think they’d have to be restrained and exposed for a long while to suffer fatal damage.”
He looked as though the idea bothered him. For a killer, he didn’t seem so ruthless.
I piled my textbooks next to the laptop and stared at the heap, wondering what I was forgetting.
“You might check your refrigerator for food that could spoil,” Caeran said gently.
I went into the kitchen, annoyed that he’d read my thoughts. I practiced white-lighting while I filled another grocery bag with fruit, salad stuff, yogurt, and a quart jug of milk that was mostly full. I brought this out to the living room and added it to the pile.
“I’d like to take my bike. Your place is farther from campus.”
Caeran glanced toward the window. “We’ll come back for it, if that’s all right.”
The darkness outside was mostly from the gathering storm, but it made me nervous and obviously bothered Caeran as well. Those alben probably loved stormy weather.
Caeran helped me carry my stuff to the Lexus. We piled it all in the back seat, went back to lock the door of my apartment, then ducked into the car just as the rain broke. Caeran drove back to his house with the wipers on high. I was grateful that the house had a garage that wasn’t full of junk, and therefore actually had room for the car.
The smell of dinner set my mouth to watering the minute I stepped in the house. Lomen met me with a smile and took my laptop and pillow from my arms.
“I’ll show you where you’ll be sleeping.”
He led me down the hall and into a bedroom. At first I thought it was a guest room, then I noticed some personal touches on the nightstand: a small deer carved out of wood, a candle in a pottery holder, a deck of playing cards.
“This is my room,” Lomen said.
A tingle went down my arms. “Shouldn’t I let Amanda have it?”
“I offered it to her first. It was her room when she lived here, but she insists she prefers the couch.”
Caeran brought in my textbooks and put them on a small desk in one corner of the room. Lomen set my laptop beside them.
“Dinner’s ready,” Caeran said.
I left my bag and pillow on the bed and followed them to the little dining nook off the living room. The table there had been set with five places, a cozy fit for a table more suited for four. Caeran and Len brought out dishes of food and put them on the sideboard. The heavenly smell was coming from a roast chicken. There were roasted potatoes and carrots, fresh green beans, and a big bowl of salad.
At Len’s invitation I grabbed a plate—stoneware, looked hand-made—and filled it, then took one of two chairs sharing a side of the table. Lomen took the other. No one said anything. Not so much as a raised eyebrow.
“Savhoran called,” Amanda said. “He’s heading out to find Pirian.”
Caeran frowned. “The sun hasn’t set.”
“He said it’s worth the risk.” She didn’t sound happy about it.
“We saw the weather forecast while you were gone,” Len said. “This is a big storm and it’s moving slowly. He should be all right.”
“Is he on the bike?” Caeran asked.
Amanda stabbed a carrot. “Yeah.”
Motorcycle, I assumed. Dangerous on wet pavement.
I didn’t comment. I was too busy eating. Everything was fantastic, and not just because I was hungry.
I chewed a mouthful of green beans with butter and almond slivers, thinking. All these people had just been acquaintances of mine two days ago. Now here I was, committed to a business contract and spending the night in one of their homes. How had it happened so fast?
I had followed my instinct. I’d learned to trust it years ago. Lomen was a big part of why I’d agreed, but if there had been any warning bells, I’d have walked.
I poured more lemony gravy over my chicken and poured some white light through my brain, then asked myself if vampires with a taste for knives did not constitute a warning bell.
Apparently not.
I would spend some time sorting out my feelings later, I decided. For now, I was reveling in the sensory pleasures of a really good meal that I hadn’t had to cook or pay for, and the tantalizing buzz of sitting next to Lomen. Now and then I caught a tiny hint of his sandalwood soap.
“Can you tell me about Madóran?” I said to the table in general.
Caeran looked at me. “He is a very old soul. Older than any of us.”
“You said he was a healer.”
“He’s an
amazing
healer,” Amanda said. “A curandero, too. Len’s studying with him.”
“I’m learning ælven healing techniques more than herbalism, but yeah. He’s phenomenal at both.” Len smiled at me. “You’ll meet him in a couple of weeks. He’s coming down for Evennight.”
“Unless we haven’t found the alben by then,” Caeran said. “He should not come near the city while they are here.”
“You’re pretty protective of him,” I said.
“He has had grief enough in the past year.”
“They’re protective of the whole clan,” Amanda said. “You’ll get used to it.”
I was still stuck on Evennight. It sounded familiar but I couldn’t dredge up a reference.
We talked about safe subjects until we’d all eaten our fill. I wanted to go back for seconds, but my stomach said no.
Caeran got up and started taking leftover food to the kitchen. I stood and collected Lomen’s and my plates while Amanda took the rest. When we’d cleared the table I started organizing the sink.
“You don’t have to do that,” Len said.
“Least I can do. That was a great meal.”
“Caeran cooked it. He’s good with roasting.”
I was good with a can opener, but couldn’t claim much more. “These are beautiful dishes,” I remarked, pausing to admire the leaves twining along the edge of a plate.
“Thanks,” Len said. “Madóran made them. Now, shoo. I’ll make coffee.”
I wandered into the living room. Caeran was in what I gathered was his chair. Lomen was on the couch. I joined him.
“You mentioned a couple of others were coming,” I said to Caeran.
He nodded. “Bironan and Faranin.”
“They here in town?”
“No, they live on Madóran’s land. They will not arrive until tomorrow, most likely.”
I looked at Lomen. I didn’t like the idea of him going out alone tonight, looking for these alben.
Savhoran will be hunting them as well. And probably Pirian.
Dammit. Do I have to constantly do the white-light thing?
You’ll get used to it.
The mental contact increased my physical awareness of him. I took a deep breath and thought through the steps of shielding again.
Good.
But it didn’t work. You can still hear me.
While I maintain contact, yes. You are shielded from Caeran, though.
Caeran picked up the remote and turned on the TV, then muted it and started changing channels.
How can you tell?
You have shifted your khi.
Oh, yeah?
A smile curved Lomen’s lips, though his gaze was on the TV.
You are learning very quickly. I look forward to teaching you more.
My throat went dry. Feeling paranoid, I shielded yet again.
Tonight?
I doubt it. I will probably be out all night.
Do you have classes tomorrow?
One.
When are you going to sleep?
His lips twitched again. Looked like he was trying not to laugh. I realized I was staring at him and shifted my gaze to the TV. Kids in bright-colored clothes; a commercial for some kind of snack food.
We do not sleep, Steven. We rest—rather like your meditation—but we don’t need to sleep.
Damn. Why couldn’t I have been born one of you?
I felt an echo of sadness, then it was gone like a stray scent.
OK, I wouldn’t think things like that. Shouldn’t remind him of my mortality. Or remind me, for that matter.
There was pain out ahead. Inevitable pain. Far away right now, but it would arrive someday.
Len came in from the kitchen, carrying her cell phone. She sat between me and the end of the couch near Caeran, unceremoniously pushing me aside. I shifted closer to Lomen.
“You wanted to compare class schedules,” she said to me.
“Oh. Right.”
Took me a minute to remember why. My head was so not in the space of Ebonwatch’s project.
I got out my phone and pulled up my schedule. Amanda and Lomen did the same.
We compared schedules and found no crossover with Amanda, who was taking business classes plus one humanities course (French lit, bleh). Len and I were both heavy on science, though her emphasis was pre-med. Lomen had two classes in common with Len. Mine were all over the map, since I had been trying to figure out which direction to go.
“OK, I don’t need the pharma,” I said. “I could maybe drop chemistry.”
“Won’t we need pharma to look for treatments?” Len asked.
“Not until later, if at all. But you’re right, I’ll keep it. Maybe add microbiology and drop the physics major.”
I stifled a sigh. I liked physics, but it probably wouldn’t be needed for the project. I’d definitely be quitting my job, then. Professor Warner would not be pleased.
I surfed to UNM’s website and pulled up the course catalog. While I was looking up biomedical, I heard an engine pull up outside and shut off.
Caeran looked up. “Savhoran.”
“Alone?” Len asked.
“No.”
The room was suddenly tense. I shielded again, as if that would protect me.
The door opened and Savhoran came in, rain dripping from his black leathers. He had a motorcycle helmet in one hand, and held the door open for his companion.
My gut clenched as I saw the white hair, soaked with rain, and the coal-black eyes. Campus killer. I’d only glimpsed Amanda’s attacker and she’d been female, but this guy rang the same bell.
It was more than just appearance. He felt
deadly.
“P
irian,” Caeran said, standing. “Thank you for coming.”
This was Pirian, the other half of Ebonwatch? A virtuous vampire?
He didn’t look virtuous. He looked scary as hell. My hindbrain was screaming at me to flee.
Len got up. “Something hot to drink? There’s coffee and tea.”
Savhoran smiled at her and set his helmet on a rug by the door. “Tea would be welcome, thank you.”
“There’s some salad, too, if you’d like.”
Savhoran shook his head, unzipping his leather jacket. Len turned to Pirian, who gazed flatly back at her. She went into the kitchen.
Caeran hung up Savhoran’s jacket and the long, black coat that Pirian peeled off. Underneath he wore a loose cotton shirt and what looked like suede pants. He was slim, almost gaunt. If he were human I’d have suspected bulimia.
He glanced at me and I couldn’t help looking away. I focused on my phone, trying to remember my place in the maze of course descriptions.
Savhoran joined Amanda, sitting on the arm of her chair. Caeran pulled a chair from the dining nook and placed it on the other side of Amanda’s chair for the alben.
Not an alben, I told myself, but in his presence it sounded like a philosophical distinction and possibly wishful thinking. This guy drank human blood to stay alive. I felt extremely rabbit-like.
“Savhoran has told you of our concerns?” Caeran asked.
I didn’t look, but got the impression that Pirian nodded. “I can tell you that at least one of them came from the east, traveling by car.” His voice was low and a bit gravelly.
“How do you know?” Caran asked.
“I felt their khi. I often watch the traffic in the canyon.”
I wondered why. Shopping for dinner?
He meant Tijeras Canyon, the pass through the mountains that I-40 ran through east of Albuquerque.
“When was this?” Caeran said.
Pirian hesitated. I glanced sidelong at him. He was staring at the ceiling, thinking.
“Three nights ago.”
“Then they began to hunt right away,” said Lomen. “Two killings in two nights.”
Len brought out a tray with a bunch of mugs and a teapot, and set it on the coffee table. She poured a mug and handed it to Savhoran. “Anyone else want tea?”
Caeran was already pouring for himself. No one else spoke. Len went back in the kitchen. I thought wistfully about joining her there, then did a fresh white-light shield.
“If they came from the east into the city, they might have camped in the bosque,” Lomen said.
“They might not be together,” Caeran said.
“True, but the bosque is still a good place to begin the search,” said Savhoran, who’d been pretty silent. “There are a limited number of bridges crossing the river. If they passed over one, we might find traces of their khi.”
“Kanna camped in the bosque,” Lomen added.
“Briefly,” Caeran said.
Len returned with another tray, this time bearing a coffee pot, sugar, cream, and some spoons. She started pouring and handing around the coffee.
I was stuffed, but it smelled good, and the mug warmed my hands while I sipped. It was beautiful: hand-made pottery, glazed in a soft, pale green and lighter weight than it looked, similar to the dishes we’d eaten from.