Chasing Sunrise

Thirty

I would not let Corban make me drive while it was full daylight and there was traffic on the road, so he did get behind the wheel, but his reflexes were impaired and he wasn't able to drive the speed limit.

Fortunately, this was Taos. Creeping along slowly attracted plenty of honks, but didn't stand out enough for anyone to call the police. Since he was clearly out of it and I didn't know where else to go, I directed him to the burger joint.

In the middle of the day, it had customers, but we found a booth in the corner, away from everyone else, where I deposited Corban, then went to get him a hamburger, fries, and soda. I got the same for myself.

He blinked when I dumped his in front of him. "Thanks."

I slid into my seat and unwrapped my hamburger.

He took his time opening his, moving as if every joint and muscle ached. I emptied some ketchup packets onto a napkin for his fries and put the straw in his soda.

"Thanks," he repeated, taking a bite of his burger.

"Is this place good feeding?" I asked. "Is there enough pain around here for you?"

"In a minimum-wage establishment next to low-income housing? Yeah." Already the color was returning to his face.

"So what's your plan?" I demanded. "Please tell me you have something better than running at her with a sharp object?"

He chewed, swallowed, and gave me a somewhat sullen look. "Every time I've planned ahead, she outplans me. If I go spur of the moment, she can outfight me. I may be stronger, but she studies enough combat styles that she can outfight nearly anyone. I told you, Darissa is hard. Okay? We'll work together."

"I'm not that smart," I said. I was fighting the urge to yell at him. It just didn't seem right that he couldn't put together a better plan. This, I realized, was the reality of fighting a very old, immortal being. They could continue to get smarter and stronger indefinitely. "How many centuries have you zoned out while she was studying?" I asked.

The look he shot me conveyed real hurt.

"Sorry," I said.

"Fighting vamps is not my main job," he said.

"No, you're right. I'm sorry."

"But in case you haven't figured it out. In case she didn't make it clear to you, I'm a back-of-the-class, dumb-jock kind of a guy."

"No, you're not. I really am sorry, okay?"

"Yes, I am. Some of us, even with eternity, do not become these brilliant shining stars—"

"Corban," I said, "I did not mean to insult you. It was my fear talking, all right? I take it back."

He said nothing, just ate and watched me. He still seemed weak, though I couldn't put my finger on how he showed it. His posture was straight again, but he seemed more fragile and less substantial.

That made me nervous. "You're going to recover by nightfall, right?"

"I don't know."

"How bad did she hurt you?"

He rubbed his throat. "Her skin's a lot more tainted than yours."

For a moment I wondered how that worked. Whether he had symbionts that could be hurt by hers, and then I realized now was not the time for pointless nerdery.

"How do you recover from her, then?" I asked.

"I could use a nap."

"Okay. You sleep?"