"But, then-who is the Wild Power?" Raven put in quietly.
"Who knows?" It was the first time Pierce had spoken, and his voice was low and distantly amused.
Jez glanced at him. His blond hair glinted in the red light of the sunset, and his dark eyes were mocking.
I really don't think I like you much, she thought.
But of course he was right "If this kid isn't the one-well, I guess it could have been anybody at the scene," she said slowly. "Anybody worried enough to want to save her. One of the firefighters, a neighbor-anybody."
"Assuming the blue flash on the tape really was evidence of a Wild Power," Pierce said.
"I think it was." Jez glanced at Morgead. "It sure looked like blue fire. And it certainly was some kind of Power."
"And Grandma Harman dreamed about the Wild Power being in San Francisco," Morgead added. 'It all fits too well." He looked at Jez slyly. "But it couldn't have been anybody at the scene, you know."
"Why not?"
"Because of what you said about that line in the prophecy. 'Born in the year of the blind Maiden's vision.'
That means it has to be somebody born less than eighteen years ago. Before that, Aradia couldn't have visions because she wasn't alive."
Goddess, I'm slow today, Jez thought. I should have thought of that. She gave him a wry nod of respect and he returned it with a grin. Not maliciously.
"It's still not much to go on," Raven said in her pragmatic way. "But don't you think we should go back
inside to discuss it? Somebody's going to come along eventually and see us with an unconscious kid."
"Good point," Jez said. "But I'm not going up with you. I'm taking the kid home."
"Me, too," Morgead said. Jez glanced at him; he had his stubborn expression on.
"Okay, but just us. Two motorcycles are going to be conspicuous enough." She turned to Raven. "The rest of you can do what you want tonight; try to figure out who the Wild Power is or whatever. Well meet again tomorrow and see what we've come up with."
"Why wait?" Val said. "It's only dusk. We could meet tonight-"
Tm tired," Jez cut in. 'It's enough for the day." And Goddess knows how I'm going to explain being gone this long to Aunt Nan, she thought wearily. Not to mention missing school.
Pierce was watching her with an odd expression. "So you'll have to report to Hunter that we failed," he said, and there was a probing tone in his voice that Jez didn't like.
"Yeah, I'll tell him you screwed up," she said heavily. "But that we still have some options. Unless you'd rather I just tell him that you're all idiots and not worth giving a second chance." She kept looking at Pierce until he looked away.
When she turned to Morgead he was scowling, but he didn't say anything. He silently started toward their bikes.
They couldn't talk while they were riding. Jez was too full of her own thoughts anyway.
She was finally free to consider those last minutes with Morgead.
It had been... amazing. Electrifying. But also enlightening.
She knew now what had happened to them, what was happening. He had been right. It was the soul-mate principle.
So we're soulmates. Morgead and I. After all our fighting and challenging each other and everything. It's so strange, but in a way it makes sense, too....
And it's really a pity that even if we both survive the next week or so, we're never going to see each other again.
The thought came from some deep part of her that was utterly heartless and practical and saw everything in the cold light of truth.
Because unfortunately the universe had picked the wrong person for Jez to be soulmates with. It had picked one that would hate her and want to kill her once he realized what she really was.
Bad mistake, universe, Jez thought, biting down on a laugh. She realized, dimly, that she was verging on being hysterical.
It had been such a long day, and she was so tired, and so hurt, and she'd failed in her mission, and now Morgead was in love with her, but there was just no hope. Small wonder she was punchy and an emotional wreck. She was lucky not to be railing off her bike.
There really was no hope. Even in that last encounter, even when Morgead had been revealing his soul to her, Jez had managed to keep her own secrets buried. He didn't know. He had no idea that the girl he was in love with was vermin. Was working with Circle Daybreak. Was lying to him to steal the Wild Power out from under his nose and end the hopes of the vampires for a world without humans.
He was ambitious, she had always known that. All he'd ever cared about was climbing higher and getting more power. She'd promised him a position in the new world order-while all the time she was working as hard as she could to make sure that the new world order never came.
He would never forgive that deception. He would never even be able to understand why she had done it.
So you have to forget about him, the cold-and-practical part of her mind said quietly. And there was nothing inside Jez that even tried to argue.
It was dark by the time they reached the Marina district. As they approached the housing project, Jez saw flashing lights ahead.
Police car lights. Well, that wasn't unexpected. Iona's mother would have notified them by now. Jez just hoped she wasn't too worried....
Idiot! her mind said sarcastically. How worried do you expect her to be, with it getting dark and her eight-year-old missing?
She turned into an alley and Morgead followed her.
"Well have to do a drive-by," she said over the thrum of the engines. "Drop her by the police cars and then shoot out of there. They'll probably chase us. Are you up for it?"
He nodded. "We should go separate ways. That'll make it harder for them to catch us."
"Right. You go on home once you lose them. So will I."
She couldn't see his features clearly in the dark alley, but she knew he was looking at her. "So will you?
Go home?"
"I mean I'll go to the place where I'm staying."
She expected him to ask about that, try to find out where it was, what she was doing. He didn't Instead he said, "Do you have to?"
She bunked at him, startled. Then she frowned. "Yes, I have to. I want to. I'm tired, Morgead, and anyway I'm not ready to be spending the night with a guy."