A WHISPER OF ETERNIT

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grabbed a blanket from the house and went down to the beach. Hardly aware of what she was doing, she found herself at Tower Ten. Shading her eyes with her hand, she looked up to see ifBryan was there. She didn't see anyone at first, and then she saw him come out of the glassed-in booth. The first thing she noticed was that he was wearing a pair of dark—very dark—sunglasses.

"Hey, Bry !"

Moving to the edge of the tower, he looked down at her and waved. "Be right down."

With a nod, she spread her blanket on the sand and sat down. He joined her a few minutes later. Handing her a soda, he dropped down on the blanket across from her.

Tracyheld the can up. "Thanks. How are you feeling?"

"I don't know. Strange." He dropped a small sack on the blanket beside him and rolled his shoulders, flexed his hands. "I feel like I'm in somebody else's skin. And…" He leaned toward her and lowered his voice, "I have this awful craving for blood."

Tracy's eyes widened in horror."You're not serious?"
"' Fraidso.I think I'm becoming a… you know."

"No! Dominic told methat's not possible. He said it happened all at once, not a little at a time." "Then why do I feel like this?"

"He said it's because she gave you so much of her blood. He said you're feeling what she feels." Bryangroaned low in his throat, his expression tortured. "I can't believe this is happening." Tracylaid her hand on his forearm. 'Just do whatever he told you. I'm sure everything will be all right."
"Do you really think so?"

"Sure," she said with forced cheerfulness. "What's in the sack?" "Oh, I almost forgot. I made you something."

"Really?What?"

An odd expression crossed his face as he picked up the drawstring bag and handed it to her.

More than a little curious,Tracy opened the bag and reached inside. "What on earth?" she muttered as she withdrew her hand. "What is this?"

A flush rose inBryan 's cheeks. "It's a wooden stake—what do you think it is?"
It was perhaps three inches thick and about a foot long, with a wicked-looking point on one end. She looked up at him, a question in her eyes.