Page 57 of Shadows of Eternity

“It’s not me, and as far as I know, you’re the only other bloodsucker in town.”

“Apparently not,” his sire said, with a negligent shrug.

“You sound pretty sure.”

“I should be. The culprit is one of mine. And quite fearless she is.”

“She?” Rohan swore. Female vampires were rare and tended to be more vicious and more deadly than the males. That was true of a lot of species, he mused.

“I turned her in Wyoming maybe fifty years ago. She’s Lakota, like you. Her name was Zikana, but she changed it to Magdalena. She followed me to California. I’m not sure why, though I have a pretty good idea.”

“Why should I give a damn who she is or what she’s doing?”

“No reason.”

“Did you leave her to fend for herself the way you left me?” Rohan asked, his voice laced with venom. “Did she wake up not knowing what the hell had happened to her? Or how to easethose first excruciating hunger pangs? Did you tell her she didn’t have to kill to satisfy her thirst?”

“Stop whining. You turned out all right.”

“No thanks to you. One of these nights I’ll catch you in a weak moment and … ”

“And what? Destroy me? I give you leave to try anytime. That pretty little mortal will make a nice distraction after I rip your heart out.”

“Dammit! Are you gonna release me?”

“I don’t know. I have a feeling it would be better for my health if I just killed you now.”

Rohan glared at him. There was no way to hide anything from his sire, and no way to break his sire’s hold on him, either. “Why did you turn me instead of killing me?”

His sire rocked back on his heels. “I was hiding out in the Black Hills when I crossed paths with a warrior. When he attacked me, I broke his neck. I had intended to feed on him, of course, and then you came along. Well, you know how it is. Fresh blood is so much more palatable than the blood of the dead. I was close to draining you dry when I found myself admiring your courage. To my surprise, I decided you shouldn’t have to forfeit your life for trying to avenge your comrade. Or perhaps I was feeling maudlin in my old age. Who knows? It was a long time ago.”

“So you turned me,” Rohan said, his voice edged with bitterness.

“Would you rather be dead?”

In all the years he’d been a vampire, Rohan had never asked himself that question.

“Well?” his sire asked again. “Would you? Rather be dead?”

Rohan shook his head.

“Three hundred years is a long time to carry a grudge.”

“Dammit!” Rohan snarled. “Turn me loose!”

“Say please.”

“Go to hell.”

“I’d like to meet your woman. Too bad you sent her home.” A faint twitch of the vampire’s hand freed Rohan from his thrall.

Rohan flexed his arms and shoulders. “What the hell’s your name, anyway?”

“Guess I never got around to telling you, did I? It’s Josiah, smart ass. I made peace with what I am centuries ago. I suggest you do the same.”

Before Rohan could respond, his sire vanished from his sight.

Unable to sit still, Leia wandered from room to room, her mind racing. What had happened at the theater? Why had Rohan ordered her to go home? Was he in danger? Was she? If so, from whom? She had tried calling his cell phone several times, but it went to voice mail.

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