"I didn't mean that-"
Jez waved a hand. "I know. I'm sorry. But I'm still tired, and-" And I've got other responsibilities that you don't understand. And if I stick around you any longer, while I'm this tired, I'm afraid that you're going to find out what they are.
"And you're still mad," he said bleakly.
Tm not mad-"
"Or disgusted or whatever."
What was he talking about? Tm just tired," she said firmly. "Now let's drop the kid off, and I'll see you tomorrow."
"I-" He let out his breath violently. "All right."
Jez didn't waste any more time. She unzipped her jacket, which had been holding Iona firmly against her.
Then she sped out into the street.
One block, two blocks. And now she was right beside the dark and deserted playground, and now she was almost level with the police cars. There were several officers standing around talking, and several other bystanders who might be neighbors.
Jez targeted one of the neighbors.
She swooped in toward the woman, who was on the outside edge of the sidewalk. She came up fast, then hit the brakes.
"Hey," she said. "Here."
The woman turned around and her jaw dropped. Jez didn't hesitate, just bundled Iona into her arms.
The woman grabbed the child's weight automatically.
"Give her to her mom, okay?"
And then Jez was roaring out and away. She could hear Morgead behind her, and shouts from the housing project. Then a police siren.
She glanced back. Morgead was just turning on a side street. He waved once at her, and then he was speeding off.
Jez could hear more sirens now. She twisted the throttle and headed for the Bay Bridge.
At least a pursuit was something she could enjoy.
When she finally shook the police cars tailing her, she turned toward Clayton. She would have been worried about what her aunt and uncle were going to say if she hadn't already been too worried about Iona.
She'll be all right, she told herself. She shouldn't remember anything, and her mom will take care of her.
But Jez couldn't help but feel guilty... and just plain sad. There was some sort of bond between her and the child. She felt-responsible for her, and not just because she'd kidnapped and terrorized her.
Nobody should have to grow up in that kind of place. I may have run around on the streets when I was little, but at least I had Uncle Bracken, and a nice home to go to if I wanted. Iona-she doesn't even have a safe playground.
I should do something for her, but what can I do that would matter?
I don't know; maybe I can visit her sometime. Maybe I can buy her a plant....
There weren't any easy answers, and she was drawing up to a neat yellow frame house.
Home.
Time, Jez thought, to face the music. Uncle Jim and Aunt Nan and nasty little Claire. She just hoped they left enough of her alive so that she could call Hugh afterward.
She pulled her motorcycle into the garage, climbed off, and went inside.
"... at all is bad enough, But to do it the day after you make us a promise-well, what are we supposed to think? How are we supposed to trust you again?"
Jez was sitting on the blue floral couch in the living room. The Goddard living room didn't get used much, only for very formal occasions.
This was one of them. It was a court martial.
And there wasn't really a thing that Jez could say to the humans she lived with. She certainly couldn't give them any excuse that would make sense.
"First, ditching Claire even though you swore to us that you'd let her drive you to school." Aunt Nanami
was ticking items off on her fingers. "Second, ditching school after you swore to us you weren't going to skip again. Third, going off some place you won't even tell us about. Fourth, not even calling to let us know you were still alive. Fifth, getting home at almost ten o'clock at night-"
Uncle Jim cleared his throat. "Nan, I think we've been over this already."
A couple of times, Jez thought. Oh, well, at least Claire is enjoying it. Her cousin was standing at the entrance to the living room, openly listening. When she happened to catch Jez's eye she smiled brilliantly, her small face actually glowing with smug satisfaction.
Aunt Nan was shaking her head. 'I just want to make sure she understands, Jim. I thought she understood last night, but obviously..." She threw her hands up.
"Well, the thing is-" Uncle Jim cleared his throat again and looked at Jez. He looked uncomfortable; he wasn't very good at discipline, but Jez could see that he'd reached his limit. "The thing is that we can't just keep yelling at you. We have to do something, Jez. So we've decided to lock up your motorcycle. You can't ride it anymore, not until you learn to be more responsible."
Jez sat stunned.
Not her bike. They couldn't take her bike from her.
How would she get anywhere?
She had to be mobile. She had to get to Morgead tomorrow-she had to get to Hugh sometime. She had to be able to track down the Wild Power. And she couldn't do any of that without transportation.
But she could see from Uncle Jim's face that he was serious. He'd finally decided to put his foot down, and Jez had gotten caught underneath it.
She let out her breath. Part of her wanted to yell and storm and rage about this, to lose control and make a big noisy fuss.
But it wouldn't do any good. Besides, she'd managed to keep her temper for almost a year with these people, to live her double life as a student and vampire hunter and make it all work. To blow that now would be stupid.
And another part of her was scared that she was even verging on losing control. That was what even a day with Morgead did to her. It cut through all her careful discipline and changed her back into a raving barbarian.
Morgead... she couldn't think about him now.
"Okay, Uncle Jim," she said out loud. "I understand. You do what you have to."
"If you can just show us that you're learning to be responsible, then you can have the bike back. You have to learn to take life more seriously, Jez."
That forced a tired snort out of her. She was laughing before she knew it, and her aunt and uncle were looking shocked and displeased.
I'm sorry," she said. 'I'll try harder."
And I'll just have to take public transportation tomorrow, she thought when the lecture was over and she was free to go to her room. Even though that's a lot more dangerous. I could get hunted down so easily. .