Immortally Yours by Ashlyn Chase

following day, Lizette stood outside Colin’s office
wondering who she was about to meet and what the individual could tell her. She
knew it was a woman—Colin had implied that much. A tiny case of nerves made her
hand tremble on the door handle. What would she learn about herself? What if
I can’t handle what she tells me? What if I find out something really horrible?
No. Colin wouldn’t put me in that situation. He must be sure she can help me.
    Upon entering, Lizette saw an empty waiting room. Even the
snippy secretary seemed to be absent. She checked her watch and noticed it was
still early.
    Colin’s door was open a crack. She thought about the last
time she had let herself into his inner office and how rude she had been.
Things had certainly changed between them. She approached cautiously and
knocked on the wood trim.
    “Come in,” Colin called.
    She opened the door and Colin gave her a wide smile. The
only other person in the office was Miss Snippy. Maybe they had been going over
the day’s patient list or something.
    “I’m sorry, am I too early?”
    “No, love. You’re right on time. Come in and shut the door.
This is Vera, my secretary.”
    Lizette looked between the two people with confusion. At
last, awareness dawned. Pointing to the secretary, she asked, “Are you the
other one…like me?”
    The woman stood and crossed her arms. “I’m not sure. Dr.
Brayer wouldn’t tell me anything except that one of his patients needed to meet
another immortal to feel less alone in the world.”
    “Oh, then I guess you’re it and now you know my secret too.”
    “Yes, there are a few of us.”
    Lizette crossed to the couch and sat next to where Vera had
been sitting. “Do you get together? Is there, like, a hangout where everyone
gathers or anything like that?”
    The receptionist chuckled. “No. I don’t think so. Besides,
I’m not sure you’d want to meet the other two I know of.”
    Vera retook her seat and seemed more relaxed. Lizette,
however, was trembling.
    “Are they dangerous?”
    “I imagine so. I’ve seen fangs they’ve tried to hide but I
don’t ask for details.”
    Lizette wrung her hands. “I see. Can you talk a while?”
    “Not very long. The first patient will be here shortly.”
    “Oh. I guess we got off on the wrong foot. I’m sorry I was
rude to you on the telephone that time.”
    “Don’t worry about it. It happens. You can’t take it
personally if you work in a place like this.” A corner of her mouth turned up
in a wry smile.
    Lizette chuckled. “I guess you couldn’t. I wouldn’t last
long though, huh?”
    Vera didn’t answer that. “So what did you want to know?”
    “Well, everything. Where do you come from and how old are
you? When did you realize you couldn’t die and, mostly, do you know why we’re
like this?”
    “I’m from New York. I was born in 1811. I was about fifty
when I realized I should have graying hair, a slower metabolism and wrinkles.
But none of that had occurred. I was married and my husband didn’t seem able to
keep up with me anymore.”
    “Did you have children?”
    “No.” She sighed. “That was another reason I sensed I might
be different. We tried and tried. My second husband and I tried for a few years
too.”
    “How the heck did you explain your not aging to a husband?”
    “I didn’t. My first husband died shortly after I suspected
my immortality. In fact, I think it killed him. Like I said, he couldn’t keep
up anymore—he had a heart attack in bed.”
    “ Mon dieu ! How awful.” Lizette covered Vera’s hand
with hers.
    “I know. I felt terribly guilty for a long time. I’m sure it
can work between immortals and mortals, but we need to adjust to a human
husband’s changing physiology.”
    “Is that what you did? Slow down as your lovers aged? But
how did you explain your young appearance?”
    “My second husband was killed in an Indian raid, so I never
had to explain it to him, either.”
    “An Indian raid?