Bloodline by MAGGIE SHAYNE Page A

over—they’ll kill us on sight. And that if they knew the Bloodliners existed, they would kill us even more eagerly—even those of us who are already undead—because we’re so different from them.”
    She blinked and stopped walking, sinking instead to the grassy ground beneath her. “If only the Chosen can become vampires, and if the Wildborns still make new vampires, then they must not kill all the Chosen.”
    He smiled, because he remembered her making that exact same argument in class—during their indoctrination. “I agree. It makes no sense. There must be some system they use to decide who to kill and who to bring over to the dark side.”
    â€œSo you don’t really know if they kill any of them.”
    He lowered his head. “They’re savage, the Wildborns. It’s their nature. They’re hunters, predators. They feed off innocent humans, kill people. They have no rules, no inhibitions, no restraint. While we Bloodliners are civilized, educated, more evolved. They would see us as a threat to them and hunt us down if they knew about us.”
    Studying him, she waited a long moment and then said, “And who told you all that?”
    â€œEverybody knows these things.”
    â€œ Do they? And who told them? ”
    Shaking his head slowly, he said, “You have a point. It could all be lies, but it’s not something I’m willing to risk my life to find out for sure.”
    â€œSo you knew me there? At The Farm?”
    â€œWe never spoke. But I knew you.”
    â€œHow?”
    He smiled a little. “Everyone knew who you were. You were the rebel. You argued, refused to obey, disagreed with every lesson you were taught, questioned authority at every juncture. You couldn’t be tamed.”
    â€œLike the other Lilith. My namesake.” She frowned, studying his face and knowing something she hadn’t before. “You bought the print in memory of me.”
    He admitted it with a nod, averting his eyes. “I…admired you. I never forgot you, Lilith.”
    She nodded and whispered, “You kissed me once.”
    â€œYes. The night I had to go.”
    â€œAnd yet you still ran away and left me there. A prisoner. Along with…how many others, Ethan?”
    â€œA hundred and fifty. Maybe two hundred.”
    â€œWhat did you think was going to happen to me there? The rebel who couldn’t be broken?”
    Meeting her eyes, holding them steady, he said, “I had to leave you. I was due to be turned. Callista said—”
    â€œI remember her,” she said softly.
    â€œShe helped me. She was the one who told me what they were planning. Lilith, my final exam was to murder you. And if I refused, they would have killed you anyway. My leaving was the only way to keep you alive.”
    She tipped her head to one side. “Taking me with you would have accomplished the same thing.”
    â€œI had no time, no resources. I had to leave right then or not at all. I honestly thought it was for the best.”
    She blinked three times. “You could have come back for me.” She got to her feet, walked toward the horse. “I’ll see to it that she—”
    â€œScylla. Her name is Scylla. And the stallion is Charybdis.”
    â€œI’ll see to it that Scylla is returned to you when I get to where I’m going.”
    â€œNo, Lilith. You don’t need to run away from me. I’ve told you the truth. There’s more you need to know, to learn—”
    â€œFrom you? ” She shook her head. “No, I don’t think there’s anything I can learn from you, Ethan.”
    She walked to Scylla, stroked her. “I’ll take good care of her, and I’ll send word where you can pick her up.”
    â€œDammit, Lilith, just where the hell do you think you’re going? There are Wildborns out there who’ll rip you to shreds like a wolf would a lamb if they find