"Oh dear" mum and dad sighed.

"Sam was ok" Claire said. "He was fine a week later".

"I think next chapter we should have some lunch" Eve said and Shane nodded.

"Ok who wants to read?" Shane asked. "And be quick, I'm starved".

"I think that it is my turn" Myrnin said, taking the book and reading.

"Chapter 7" Myrnin read.

There was Morganville - the dry, dusty, run-down town that was all most people ever saw - and then there was Founder's Square, a little piece of Europe where people with a pulse weren't welcome.

"That is if you're not Claire here" Eve said.

"Just because I go there and not get killed doesn't mean the vampire like me going there" Claire sighed. "Anyway I don't really like going there if I can help it".

"If is the key word there" Shane said glaring at Myrnin.

Claire had been inside once, and it wasn't a fond memory; no matter how cute the little cafes were, or how nice the shops, she could only see the centre of the square, with its cage where they'd locked up Shane.

"What good times" Oliver said.

"Oh Oliver I thought we had something good going here" Shane said faking a hurt voices

"In your dreams Collins" Oliver said coldly.

Where they'd been meaning to burn him alive as punishment for something he hadn't even done.

Somehow, Claire had expected to be parked in the same place as last time -outside of the square, at the police checkpoint - but of course that wasn't possible, was it? A few of the older vampires might be able to stand the sun, but they wouldn't willingly stroll around in it.

"Most vampires I think would agree with me when I say that the colour pink is not really our thing" Myrnin said from behind the book.

"No black is more your thing" Claire said. "In less your name is Myrnin then you just go with it".

Morganville was built for the convenience of vampires, not humans, and when Claire's door opened, and Gretchen impatiently gestured for her to get out, they were in an underground parking garage.

"No there out in the bright sun" Oliver rolled his eyes.

Claire ignored him and Myrnin read over the top of him.

It was full of cars, all nice ones, with darkened windows. Like a Beverly Hills mall or something.

"I have seen those places on TV" Eve said. "There so cool".

Claire shrugged. "There a little bit busy for me but you would love them".

Eve sighed dreamily.

There were armed guards. One of them started toward them as Gretchen pulled Claire out of the car, but Hans flashed him a badge, and the other guy - vampire, presumably - backed off.

"I wish I had a badge like that" Shane said.

"It would have been useful Claire nodded.

"Was more like still is" Shane said.

"Let's go," Hans said. "Your Patron is waiting."

Gretchen chuckled. Not a happy sound.

"Vampires are good at that" Eve said.

"It's creepy" Claire nodded.

Claire stumbled over her own feet trying to keep up as the two vampires set off at a brisk walk, Gretchen's iron-hard grip on her upper arm setting in with bruising force. She was short of breath by the time they got to a long double flight of stairs, which the vampires took at a jog.

"Note to self, work out some time" Claire said.

"I should do the same" Eve said.

"You really should" Shane nodded before ducking out of the way of being hit by Eve and Claire.

At the top of the stairs was some kind of fire door, with a code panel. Claire didn't dare try to sneak a look at what Hans entered; knowing the vampires' paranoia, it wouldn't do her any good.

"Not that I would have been able to read it" Claire said.

"Why do you say that dear?" mum asked.

"Vampire type really fast" Claire shrugged.

The machines were probably calibrated to exclude anybody with a heartbeat.

"No, but that is a good idea" Myrnin said, thoughtfully.

"Great going Claire" Shane joked. "Now how are we going to take over the town?"

"Very funny Collins" Oliver said.

Which made her wonder: was Myrnin behind the town's security, too?

"Sadly" Shane said.

"Shane you do know that also makes me behind it to" Claire said.

"I never thought of it that way" Shane frowned.

Was that something else she was supposed to learn? It could really come in handy if she could persuade him to show her ...

All the older vampires and Shane looked at her.

"I just meant that it would be interesting" Claire said, blushing.

"Shore you did Claire, shore" Eve rolled her eyes.

"I don't think like that anymore" Claire sighed and winced when she saw Shane lose his smile. "Please read Myrnin".

She was obsessing on technical's to avoid feeling the terror, but as soon as the door lock released she had nothing else to focus on except fear,

"You were never good with fear when you were a child" mum said.

"I don't think many six year olds are" Claire said.

And it washed over her in a sticky, cold wave. Gretchen seemed to sense it.

"Vampire's can smell it" Claire sighed.

"It can be rather annoying to be around humans when they work out what you are" Myrnin nodded.

She looked down at Claire with those cool, mirror-gray eyes, and smiled. "Worried, little one?" she asked sweetly. "Worried for yourself, or for your friends?"

"More like friends" Eve said.

Mum and dad frowned but smiled at the same time.

"Worried for Sam," Claire said.

"I bet that shocked her" Michael said.

"It surprised her yes" Claire nodded.

Gretchen lost her smile, and for just an instant, she seemed honestly off balance and surprised.

"You always seem to amaze me" Shane said and Eve nodded.

"I wish I had it on tap" Eve said.

"So do I" Claire nodded.

"Is he alive?"

"Alive?" Gretchen's armor slid firmly back in place, and she raised a slender arched eyebrow. "He may yet be saved, if that is what you mean. I suppose your friend Shane will have to try again."

"What is it with this town and blaming everything on me?" Shane sighed.

"Next time we shell blame it on Claire" Oliver said.

"Thanks Oliver" Claire sighed.

"Shane didn't do anything!"

"Like they were going to believe you" Eve said.

"I waste really thinking strait" Claire said.

This time, Gretchen's smile got positively cruel. "Perhaps not," she said. "Perhaps not yet. But be patient. He will. It's in his nature, as much as killing is in ours."

"You try living with my dad and not being ready to kill something" Shane said.

"Oh I have" Claire and Myrnin said.

"He's better with me then with Myrnin" Claire said.

Claire had to save her breath, because they were walking again, big strides across thick maroon carpet. Claire's first impression of the Elder's Council building had been that it was a funeral home; it still felt like that to her, all hushed and quiet and elegant.

"It's creepy" Claire and Eve said.

"I wonder how that could have of happened" Shane muttered getting glares from Oliver and Myrnin.

They'd had roses in the last time, when the vampire they'd thought Shane killed had been lying in state. She didn't see any flowers this time.

"The place still smelled like roses" Claire said.

"I love roses" mum said. "Red ones".

"We know dear" dad said.

Gretchen led her down a hallway and through thick double doors, into the round entry hall. There were four armed vampire guards in the room, and Gretchen and Hans had to stop and show ID, and surrender their weapons.

"It sounds like an airport but without the planes" dad said.

"And better looking inside and out" Claire said.

Claire got searched - quick, competent pats from cold hands that made her shiver.

"At least they didn't do what that biker did" Eve said.

Claire nodded. "I never want that to happen again".

And then the doors opened, and she was pulled into a big round room with a high ceiling, chandeliers like falls of ice, and dim, expensive paintings on the walls.

"You know some of those painting would be over ten- thousand dollars" Claire said.

"Claire think about who you talking to" Michael said.

Claire blushed.

She hadn't imagined the smell of roses. In the centre of the room stood a massive round conference table, surrounded by chairs, and in the centre was a vase filled with red, red blooms.

"Beautiful" mum smiled.

Nobody was at the table. Instead, a group of at least ten was standing at the other side of the room, looking down.

Some of them turned to look, and Claire's gaze fixed irresistibly on Oliver.

"Great now I have to read the chapter with Oliver in it" Myrnin made a face at the book.

"Read" Oliver snapped.

She hadn't seen him since he'd threatened her life, trying to lure Shane out of hiding, and as he stood up now she had a flash of that again, how icy and hard his hands had been around her throat. How scared she'd been.

Claries parents shrived.

Oliver snarled, low in his throat but loud enough to be heard, and his eyes were like a wolf's. Not human at all.

"That could be because his not" Shane said.

"Don't Shane" Claire sighed.

"I see you brought the criminal for punishment," he said, and moved toward them.

"Missed it by that much" Eve said and should an inch with her fingers.

Oliver glared at her.

Gretchen looked at Hans, and then shoved Claire behind her. "Stop," she said. Oliver did, mostly in surprise. "The girl asked to come, to see her Patron. We have no proof she is guilty."

"I bet they wished they had" Shane said.

"If she lives in that house, then she's guilty," Oliver said. "You surprise me, Gretchen. When did you begin taking the side of the breathers?"

She laughed, but it had a bright, false sound to it. She said something in a language that Claire didn't recognize, and Oliver spat something back, and Hans put a big hand on Claire's shoulder.

"Anther note to self, learn a different langue" Claire said.

"You were good at welsh" mum said.

"But that was when I five and I have forgot everything that I learnt about it" Claire said.

"Don't worry I will teach you honey" dad said. "I can still remember most of it".

"She's our responsibility," he said. "And she's Amelie's property. Nothing to do with you, Oliver. Move."

Oliver, smiling, raised his hands and backed away. Hans moved Claire forward, past him, and she felt his stare on the back of her neck, as real as knives.

Myrnin frowned as he read.

The circle of people parted as Hans approached. It was mostly (Claire guessed) vampires; they didn't wear tags or anything, but most of them had the same cool pale skin, the same whip-snake quickness when they moved.

"That's big give away" Claire said. "At least Myrnin treys to move more like a human around me".

"I was sick of seeing you jump every time I moved" Myrnin said.

In fact, the only two humans - breathers? - she saw were Mayor Morrell, looking miserably uncomfortable as he stood near the edge of the group, and his son Richard.

"I'm surprised Richards still there" Eve said. "I would have thought that he would be doing paper work or something".

"I think it was his plane but his dad made him stay" Claire said.

Richard's uniform was damp in places, and it took Claire a few seconds to realize that it was wet with blood.

Sam's blood.

Everyone who had seen Same die winced.

Sam was lying on his back on the carpet, with his head cradled in Amelie's lap. The elder vampire was kneeling, and her hands were stroking gently through Sam's bright copper hair. He looked pale and dead, and the stake was still in his chest.

They all winced again and Amelie started at the book with nothing showing on her face what she was feeling.

Amelie's eyes were closed, but opened as Hans pushed Claire toward her. For a long second the older vampire didn't seem to recognize Claire at all, and then weariness flashed through her expression, and she looked down at Sam, her fingers trailing across his cheek.

"Claire, assist me," she said, as if they were continuing a conversation Claire hadn't even been in on. "Give her room, please."

"Wait what's happening?" Shane and Eve asked.

"I didn't tell you did I?" Claire asked and they shook their heads. "I took the stack out".

"Thanks for telling us" Eve said.

"Sorry" Claire said.

Hans let go, and Claire felt a wild urge to run, run out of this room, get Shane and just go, anywhere but here.

"What about me and Michael?" Eve asked.

"The vampires would have found Michael straight away" Claire said.

There was something too big to understand in Amelie's eyes, something she didn't want to know. She started to take a step back, but Amelie's hand flashed out and grabbed her wrist and pulled, and Claire fell to her knees on the other side of Sam's body.

He looked dead.

Again they all winced.

"I really hate this chapter" Michael said.

"Same" Eve said and Claire nodded.

Really, really dead.

"When I tell you, take hold of the wood and pull," Amelie said, her voice low and steady. "Not until I tell you."

"Why didn't you get Oliver or some other vampire to do it?" Shane asked.

"I have my resigns" Amelie said.

"But - I'm not very strong - " Why wasn't she asking Richard? Asking one of the vampires? Oliver, even?

"You are strong enough. When I tell you, Claire." Amelie closed her eyes again, and Claire scrubbed her damp palms nervously over her blue jeans. The wooden stake in Sam's chest was round, polished wood, like a spike, and she couldn't tell how deep it was in his body. Was it in his heart?

"Was it in his heart?" mum asked.

Claire nodded.

Wouldn't that kill him, once and for all? She remembered they'd talked about other vampires who'd gotten staked, and they'd died ...

"They were silver or they had been left in to long" Michael said.

"How do you know?" Shane asked.

"Read it" Michael shrugged.

Amelie's expression suddenly twisted in pain, and she said, "Now, Claire!"

Claire didn't even think. She fastened her hands around the stake and pulled, one massive yank, and for a terrifying second she thought it wouldn't work, but then she felt it sliding free, scraping against bone as it went.

"Lovely" Eve grimaced.

Sam's whole body arched, like he'd been shocked with one of those heart machines, and the circle of vampires moved back. Amelie kept hold of him, her fingers white as bone where they pressed on the sides of his head. Her eyes flew open, and they were pure blazing silver.

"It was scary" Claire shrived.

"It would have been honey" mum said.

Claire scrambled backward, clutching the stake in both hands. Someone plucked it out of her grip - Richard Morrell, looking grim and tired. He put it into a plastic bag and zipped it shut.

"Evidence after all of that" Eve said.

"There could still have been traces on there" Claire said.

Evidence.

Sam went limp again. The wound in his chest was bleeding a steady slow trickle, and Amelie took off her jacket - white silk - and folded it into a pad to press it against the flow. Nobody spoke, not even Amelie. Claire sat there feeling helpless, watching Sam. He wasn't moving, not at all.

"I really hated that part" Claire said.

He still looked dead.

"I can see why" Eve nodded.

"Samuel," Amelie said, and her voice was low and quiet and warm. She bent closer to him. "Samuel. Come back to me."

His eyes opened, and they were all pupil. Scary owl eyes.

"Cool" Eve said. "I love owls".

"Not this one" Claire said.

Claire bit her lip and thought again about running, but Hans and Gretchen were at her back and she knew she didn't have a chance, anyway.

Sam blinked, and his pupils began to shrink slowly to a more normal size. His lips moved, but no sound came out.

"It most likely did but the humans couldn't hear it" Michael said.

"That's the downside to human ears" Claire said.

"Breathe in," Amelie said, in that same quiet, warm tone. "I'm here, Samuel. I won't leave you." She stroked fingers gently over his forehead, and he blinked again and slowly focused on her.

It was like there was nobody else in all the world, just the two of them. Amelie was wrong, Claire thought. It isn't just that Sam loves her. She loves him just as much.

Amelie looked at Claire but didn't speck.

Sam looked from Amelie to the circle of people, searching it for someone. When he didn't find the right one, he looked at Amelie again. His lips formed a name. Michael.

Michael looked surprised but sad at the same time.

"He really loved you Michael" Eve smiled at Michael who nodded and kissed her on the cheek.

"Michael is safe," Amelie said. "Hans. Fetch him here."

Hans nodded and left, walking quickly. Michael. Claire realized with a jolt that she'd forgotten he'd be here, forgotten all about him in the shock of all that had happened.

"Sorry Michael" Claire said.

"It's fine Claire" Michael said.

Sam was, at least, looking better with every passing second, but Amelie continued to press the makeshift bandage to the wound in his chest.

Sam's hand crept up, clumsy and slow, to cover hers, and for a long few seconds they looked at each other silently, and then Amelie nodded and let go.

Sam held the bandage in place and, with Amelie's help, pulled himself to a sitting position. She helped him lean against the wall.

"It must have hurt" dad said.

"Oh it douse the first time or really anytime" Myrnin nodded.

"Can you tell us what happened?" she asked him. Sam nodded, and Claire looked up to see Richard Morrell crouching down, notebook and pen at the ready.

"Richard must love his job or he would have given it up by now" Shane said.

Claire shrugged. "Or he just did what he had to do back then".

Sam's voice, when it finally came, was soft and thin, and it was clearly an effort for him to speak at all. "Went to see Michael," he said.

Eve took Michaels hand and smiled at him.

"But Michael was here, with us," Amelie said. "We summoned him during the night."

Sam's hand - the one not occupied holding the jacket to his chest - rose and fell, helplessly. "Sensed he wasn't home, so I backed out of the drive. Someone pulled open the car door - taser, couldn't fight back. Staked me while I was down."

"Cowed" Oliver hissed and Myrnin and Michael nodded.

"They knew what they were doing" Claire said. "They just didn't do it right".

"Who?" Richard asked. Sam's eyes closed briefly, then opened.

"Poor dear" mum said.

"Didn't see. Human. Heard the heartbeat." He swallowed. "Thirsty."

"Why didn't they give Sam any blood before now?" Eve asked.

"He needed to heal first" Michael said.

"You must heal first," Amelie said. "A few more moments. Is there anything at all you can tell us about this human who attacked you?"

Sam's eyes opened again, with an effort. "He called me Michael."

"They should have looked better before they did it" dad frowned.

"They really should have" Claire nodded.

Michael arrived just in time to hear that last part. He looked at Claire, wide-eyed, then crouched down beside Sam. "Who did? The one who did this?"

Sam shook his head. "I don't know who. Male, that's all I know. He used your name. I think he thought I was you." Sam's lips curled in the pale ghost of a smile. "Guess he didn't see the hair before he staked me."

"You would have thought that he would have" Myrnin said.

"Not in the dark" Claire pointed out.

"Oh yes" Myrnin nodded.

The article in the newspaper. Captain Obvious. Somebody had decided to take out the newest vampire in town, and it was sheer luck that they'd gotten Sam instead. It could have been Michael lying in the street.

And from the look on Michael's face, he was thinking the exact same thing.

"I was thinking just that" Michael nodded.

"You're really lucky Michael" Shane said.

"You're telling me?" Michael said.

Amelie was agitated. It wasn't really obvious, but Claire had seen her enough to know the difference.

Everyone even the vampires looked impressed.

"It took me years to do that" Myrnin said.

Claire blushed and shrugged. "I think it had something to do with the bracelet".

She moved more swiftly, and there was something less calm than usual in her eyes. Claire shivered a little when Amelie summoned her into a side room. It was small and empty, probably some kind of meeting room.

"How many meeting rooms douse this town need?" Eve asked.

"A lot" Michael said.

Amelie didn't come alone; a tall blond vampire guy followed along and stood with his back to the door, a flesh-and-blood deadbolt. No getting out quickly, or at all, really.

"What happened?" Amelie demanded.

"That was faster then I thought it would be" Eve said.

"I didn't think so" Shane said.

"I don't know," Claire said. "I was asleep. I woke up when - " When I heard the sirens, she'd been about to say, but again, that wasn't really true. She'd felt something, a flash of alarm that had come out of nowhere. And Shane and Eve had felt it too. It normally would take a nuclear explosion to blast Shane out of sleep in the pre-dawn hours, but he'd been wide awake.

"The same thing as you girls happened to me" Shane said.

"We know Shane" Eve said.

"It was like some alarm went off in the house."

Amelie's face went very still and smooth. "Indeed."

"That helps" Shane said under his breath.

"Don't Shane" Claire said.

"Why? Is that important?"

"Maybe. What else?"

"Nothing much else really happened" Eve said.

"Nothing - we went downstairs. The sirens were going outside, and by the time we got down there it was all over, I guess. Sam was down on the road, and the cop was already there."

"You saw no one else."

"If I had I would have said right away" Claire sighed.

"Not if it was one of your little friends" Oliver said.

Claire shook her head.

"And your friends?" Amelie asked. "Where were they?"

It wasn't a casual question. Claire felt her pulse speed up, and tried to stay calm.

"I really hate it when I'm in a room with a vampire and that happens" Claire said.

"I think most humans are like that" Myrnin said.

If Amelie didn't believe her ... "Asleep," she said firmly. "Shane was with me, and I saw Eve come out of her own room. They couldn't have done it."

"Claire your wrong there" Michael said. "They could have done it without waking you not that they would have in the first place".

"Im happy that you added that last part" Eve said.

Amelie shot her a look. Not one that made her feel any too secure. "I know how much you value their lives. But understand, Claire, if you lie for them, I will not forgive it."

"I'm not lying. They were in their rooms when I came out.[note:Shane was on the couch with Claire, not in his room] The only one missing was Michael, and he was here with you."

"Like Michael could have ever done that to Sam" Eve said.

"It's sickening to think about" Claire nodded.

Amelie turned away from her and paced the length of the room in slow, graceful steps. She looked so perfect, so ... together. Claire couldn't help it, she blurted out, "Aren't you worried about Sam?"

"Sam is a vampire Claire" Myrnin said.

"I know it was just odd" Claire shrugged.

"I am more concerned that whoever attacked him not receive another chance to do such harm," Amelie said. "Sam was old enough to survive such a thing - but only barely. If the stake had remained in his chest much longer, or the sun had burned him, he could not have survived.

"You would think that vampires could never die to look at them but that's not true" Claire said. "And the way that vampires can die is a lot more painful then what a human would be".

"I never thought about it in that way" Michael said after a moment.

Had the assassin succeeded in attacking Michael, he would have died almost instantly. It would take decades for him to build up an immunity."

Claire's mouth opened, shut, and opened again when she found the words. "You mean - vampires don't die from stakes in the heart?"

"You really are slow in the mornings" Eve said.

"Your one to talk" Claire rolled her eyes.

"I just need coffee and I'm right but you..." Eve said.

"Thanks Eve" Claire said.

"I mean that it takes quite a lot to kill one of us," Amelie said. "More every year we survive. You could put a stake through my heart, and I would simply pull it out and be very annoyed with you for ruining my wardrobe.

"so douse that mea..." Shane said but didn't get to finish before Claire put her hand over his mouth to which he licked her hand.

"Shane!" Claire said wiping her hand on his shirt.

"Don't put your hand there then" Shane smirked but stoped very quickly when he saw her parent's faces.

"Let's keep reading" Claire said.

If I failed to remove it within a few hours, it would damage me, perhaps seriously, but it would not destroy me in the way you're thinking. We are not so fragile, little Claire." Her teeth gleamed for a second like pearls as she smiled. "You would do well to tell your friends. Especially Shane."

"But what about Brandon?" Eve asked.

"He was burnt with sunlight so that by the time they killed him he was more like a newborn" Myrnin said from behind the book. "And it would seem that Claire asked the same thing".

"But - Brandon - "

"I forgot I asked that" Claire said.

Amelie's smile faded. "He was tortured," she said. "Burned with sunlight to reduce his resistance. By the time he was murdered he had no more strength than a newborn. Shane's father understands us too well, you see."

"But that also means that Claire now understands just as much" Shane frowned.

"Why do you think I'm still alive?" Claire asked. "They know that if they were to kill me one of you would tell all of their secrets".

"That is only part of it" Myrnin said quietly.

And now, so did Claire. Which probably wasn't good. "The cops took Shane and Eve to the police station. I don't want anything to happen to them."

"You shouldn't be worried about me and Eve" Shane said. "We would have been ok".

"Like you wouldn't be worried if you were you were" Claire pointed out.

"Claire has a point" Eve said.

"I'm sure you don't. As I did not want anything to happen to my dear Samuel, who would willingly die for the rights of breathers in this town." Amelie's tone had gone cold and dark, and it gave Claire a deep-down trembling in her stomach. "I wonder if I have been too lenient. Allowed too much freedom."

"At least now days were safer" Claire said.

"You are but were not as safe as you" Eve said.

"I'm just as safe as you Eve" Claire sighed.

"You don't own us," Claire whispered, and it seemed like the bracelet around her wrist tightened all of a sudden, pinching. She grabbed at it, wincing.

Claire rubbed her writs. "I really hated it when it did that".

"Then you should have kept your mouth shut then" Oliver said coldly.

"Do I not?" Amelie asked coolly. She exchanged a glance with the vampire at the door. "Let her leave. I am done with her."

He bowed slightly and stepped out of the way. Claire resisted the urge to lunge for the exit. Being in the same room with Amelie, never mind her guard, was scary and intense, but she needed to at least try. "About Shane and Eve - "

"Claire do you really want to die or something?" Shane groaned.

"I had to" Claire shrugged.

"I don't interfere in human justice," Amelie said. "If they are innocent, then they will be released. Go now. I shall expect you to attend to Myrnin today, and I have arranged for some additional classes at university for you to attend. A list has been provided to you at your home this morning."

"If you think about it, it's weird how stuff just turned up and then vanished" Eve said.

"Vampire's love to do things like that" Claire shrugged.

Claire hesitated.

"Death wish" Shane sighed.

"Shane if I wouldn't to die then I would annoy Oliver" Claire said. "Or just ask him to kill me".

"How much thought have you put in to this?" Eve asked.

"That was just of the top of my head" Claire shrugged.

"Sam was supposed to take me to Myrnin - who's going to - "

"Perhaps not the best thing to ask when our dear Amelie is in a mood" Myrnin said.

Amelie spun on her, and there was something wild and terrible in her eyes. "Little fool, don't bother me with trivia! Go now!"

Claire ran.

"How brave of you" Oliver rolled his eyes and Myrnin ignored him and read.

The house was empty when she arrived. No Shane, no Eve, and she hadn't seen Michael again at the Elder's Council building before Hans and Gretchen had bundled her off.

"I was still with Sam" Michael said.

"It's fine" Claire said. "I got home ok".

Claire felt very alone, and she locked all the doors and made sure of all the windows.

"Good idea in any time of day and night" Shane said.

"Not that, that would stop Oliver, Amelie and Myrnin from visiting" Claire said.

The house felt ... warm, somehow. Not in the hot-air sense, but cozy. Welcoming. Claire put her hand flat on the wall in the living room. "Can you hear me?" she asked, and then felt stupid. It was just a house, right? Just wood and bricks and concrete and wiring and pipes. How could it hear her?

"You're just tired dear" mum said.

"Trust me mum this house is alive" Claire said.

But she couldn't shake the feeling that the house had jabbed her awake this morning, her and Shane and Eve. That it had been trying to warn them. The house had saved Michael, after all, when he'd been killed by Oliver; it had given him what life it could, as a ghost. It wanted to help.

"I wish you could talk," she said. "I wish you could tell me who tried to kill Sam."

"I wonder what it would say." Eve said.

"Paint me" Shane joked.

But it couldn't, and she was talking to a dumbass wall. Claire sighed, turned away, and caught a glimpse of a piece of paper stirring in a breeze.

A breeze that wasn't there.

"See mum the house was showing me the paper" Claire said.

Claire's parents frowned.

The paper was lying on the table, on top of Michael's guitar case. Claire grabbed it and read it, barely daring to believe –

"Claire your more crazy then normal that day" Eve said.

"Thanks Eve" Claire sighed.

What was she thinking? That the house was going to provide her with the name of Sam's would-be Van Helsing? Of course not. It wasn't an answer to her question.

"Poor Claire" Oliver rolled his eyes.

"What is this bet up on Claire day?" Claire sighed.

It was a class schedule printout, stamped AMENDED in big red letters. Her core classes were mostly gone; the notation next to them showed that she'd tested out.

What caught her attention, though, was what had been scheduled in their place. Advanced Biochem.

"That's a good class" Claire said.

Philosophical Studies.

"I like that one to" Claire said.

"You like anything to do with learning" Shane said.

Quantum Mechanics. Honors Myth & Legend.

"There both good" Claire said.

Wow. Was it wrong that she felt her heart skip a beat over that?

"You're like in love with school" Eve said.

"Yeah even more then me" Shane joked.

"Don't be stupid" Claire rolled her eyes.

Claire checked the times, then her watch. She barely had an hour until the first new class, but she couldn't go yet. Not until she'd heard from Shane and Eve.

Thirty minutes later she was on the phone, trying to get somebody to answer her questions at the police station, when she heard the locks rattle on the door and Eve's voice saying, " - dumbass," and the knot of fear in Claire's chest began to loosen. "Yo, Claire! You here?"

"I love Eve's greetings" Shane said. "There different".

"I don't know about different" Michael said.

"Here," she said, and hung up to come down the hall toward them.

Eve had her arm around Shane, half-supporting him. Claire blinked and focused on his face. At the swelling and bruises.

"You just had to mouthing off to the cops didn't you?" Eve said.

"They started it" Shane said.

Claire and Eve rolled their eyes.

"Oh God," she said, and hurried to his side to help Eve. "What happened?"

"Well, Big Man here decided to get a little shirty with Officer Fenton. You ever see Bambi Versus Godzilla? It was like that, only with more punches," Eve said. She sounded false and bright, like tinsel. "I tried to take him to the hospital and get checked out, but - "

"I'm fine," Shane gritted out. "I've had worse."

"That's really true" Shane grimaced.

"Your really didn't want to know that" Claire sighed.

Probably true, but Claire still felt painfully helpless. She wanted to do something. Anything. She and Eve got Shane to the couch, where he collapsed against the cushions and closed his eyes.

"I love that couch" Shane smiled and pointed to the couch that Eve and Michael were sitting on.

"To much information man" Michael said.

He looked pale, under the bruises. Claire stroked his matted hair anxiously, silently asking Eve what to do; Eve shrugged and mouthed, just let him rest. She looked scared, though.

"He should have been taking to the hospital" mum said.

"I'm not really in to hospitals" Shane shrugged.

"Shane," Eve said aloud. "Seriously, I don't want to leave you here alone. You need to go to the hospital."

"Thanks, Mom," he said. "It's bruises. I think I'll live. Go on, get out of here." He reached up and captured Claire's hand, and his dark eyes opened. Well, one of them. The other was swelling shut. "What happened to you? You okay?"

"I'm always fine" Claire said.

Shane, Michael and Eve rolled their eyes.

"Nothing happened, I'm fine. I talked to Amelie." Claire pulled in a deep breath. "Sam's going to be okay, I think."

"And Michael? Michael was all right?" Eve asked.

"Peachy" Michael said.

"Yeah, he was all right. I'm sorry I couldn't get you out any earlier. Amelie - " Probably best not to get into how not-bothered Amelie had been by the idea of Eve and Shane behind bars.

"Yes somehow I can see that going badly" Myrnin said.

"She was busy with Sam."

"Which is true" dad said.

"In a way yes" Claire said.

Eve shrugged and shot Shane an exasperated look. "We probably would've been out of there in ten minutes if he'd behaved himself," she said. "Look, Shane, I know you're a hard-ass, but do you have to pick a fight with every jerk in the world? Can't you just choose half or something?"

"Or none of them" Claire said.

"It's in my nature" Shane shrugged.

"No it's not" Claire said. "But it's been made in to it".

"The scary thing? I do only pick fights with half of them. That's how many there are." He groaned and adjusted himself to a more comfortable position on the couch.

"Not that it was really comfortable anyway" Shane said.

"I thought you said you loved it?" Claire said.

"I do" Shane said. "But it was still painful".

"Crap. Officer Asshole can really hit."

"To true" Shane grimaced.

"Shane," Claire said, "really. Are you okay? I can take you to the hospital if you're not."

"Shane's to tough for all that" Eve rolled her eyes.

"You know me Eve" Shane joked.

"They'd just give me an ice pack and send me home, minus a hundred bucks I don't have." He caught her hand in his. His knuckles were scraped. "What about you? Nothing bitten or broken, right?"

"I think you would have known if it had" Claire said.

"You know for everything that had happened to Claire I don't think she has ever broken something" Eve said.

"I think your right Eve" Michael nodded.

"No," she said softly. "Nothing bitten or broken. They're angry, and they're worried, but nobody tried to hurt me." She checked her watch, and her heart skipped and hammered faster.

"Over class to" Eve shock her head.

"They were my new classes and I really wanted to see what they would be like" Claire shrugged.

"Um - I have to go. I have class. You're sure you're - "

"If you ask me if I'm okay again, I'm going to smack myself in the face just to punish you," he said. "Go on. Eve, make sure she doesn't go wandering off by herself, okay?"

"Sort of hard to do when I'm in class and Eve's at work but anyway" Claire said.

"It worked out" Eve said. "In a way".

Eve already had her keys in her hand, and she was jingling them impatiently. "I'll do my best," Eve said. "Hey. This came special delivery for you." She tossed Claire a package with her name neatly lettered on it. Same handwriting, Claire thought, as the package that had held her bracelet.

"You're good at hand writing to" Michael said.

"No just that hand writing" Claire said.

This one held a sleek new cell phone, complete with MP3 player and a tiny little flip-open keypad for texting. It was on, and it was fully charged.

"Why can't I have a phone like that?" Eve groaned.

"You didn't sign your body and soul away" Claire shrugged.

"Good point" Eve said.

The note said, simply, for safety. The signature, of course, was Amelie's. Eve saw it, and raised her eyebrows. Claire quickly crumpled it up.

"Do I even want to know what that is?" Shane asked.

"I think you had a pretty good idea of what it was" Claire said.

"Yeah" Shane nodded. "But I was hoping that it was just a nightmare".

"Probably not," Eve said. "Claire, little girls who take candy from strangers in Morganville get hurt. Or worse."

"She's not a stranger," Claire said. "And I really need a phone."

"We would have bought you one" mum said.

"But then I would have had to make up this big story about my old one" Claire said.

"Oh, yes but still" mum frowned.

The classes were nothing like Claire had experienced before. It was as if she'd finally come to school ... from the first moment of the first class, the professors seemed bright, engaged, they seemed to see her.

"Finely someone was seeing what I could do and giving me a proper class" Claire smiled.

Everyone but Claire's parent and Myrnin shock there heads.

Even better, they challenged her.

"I love that feeling" Claire said.

"Of course you do" Shane said.

She fumbled her way nervously through Advanced Biochem, made notes of the books she needed, and did the same in Philosophy. There was a lot of talking in Philosophy, and she didn't understand half of it, but it sounded a lot more interesting than the droning voices of her core class instructors.

"That can be one of the worst things about school" Eve said. "Boring teacher voces".

"Or the hole of school" Shane said.

She felt exhilarated by the time her late lunch break rolled around ... she felt, in fact, alive. She was happy as she hunted for used copies of the textbooks she needed, and even happier when she discovered that, mysteriously, she had a scholarship account set up to cover the costs.

"I don't think I would call it much of a mystery" Eve said.

Claire blushed and shrugged.

It even came with its own cash card.

"You never told me that" Eve said and Shane nodded.

"What so you can spend it all?" Claire rolled her eyes.

"She has a point" Michael said.

She bought a new long-sleeve tee shirt, too. And some disposable razors. And some shampoo.

Scary, how good it felt having money in her pocket.

"I love that feeling" Shane said.

"I think most people do" Michael said.

By the time three p.m. rolled around, she was starting to wonder if she was expected to head out for Myrnin's house on her own, but she decided to wait.

"That was a good idea" Claire said.

Nobody had told her of a change of plan, so she headed over to the U.C. to get in some study time while she waited. The big main study room was packed, and somebody was playing guitar in the corner of the room - quite a big crowd over there, clapping between songs.

"I wonder who that could have been" Eve said looking at Michael

"Funny Eve" Michael said.

Whoever it was played well - something complicated and classical, then a pop song right after. Claire was spreading out her books on the table when she heard a song that sounded familiar, and stood up on her chair to get a better look over the heads of the people gathered in the corner.

"I hate being short" Claire said.

"I know" Myrnin said before reading.

As she'd suspected, it was Michael. He was sitting down to play, but she could see his head and shoulders. He looked up and met her eyes, nodded, then went back to focus on the music.

"Sorry I couldn't do much more then that" Michael said.

"You were busy" Claire shrugged.

Claire jumped down, wiped her dusty footprints off of the wooden chair, and sat. Her brain was racing. Michael was here. Why? Was it just a coincidence? Or was it something else?

"I was right about that" Claire said.

"You worked it out fast" Shane said.

"It was the logical guise" Claire said.

"I love logic" Myrnin said randomly before reading.

She sat down and tried to concentrate on the properties of low frequency wave modes in magnetized plasma, which was frankly pretty cool.

"What and a what?" Eve asked.

"It's too hard to explain right now" Claire said.

The physics of stars.

"Yep that's helpful" Eve joked.

"At least you know what it's about" Shane said.

"Sadly you have a point" Eve agreed.

She couldn't wait for the lab demonstrations ... the reading was slow going, but interesting. It linked to another thing about plasma physics that had caught her attention:

"Yes I thought it might have" Myrnin nodded looking over the book.

"Why what is it?" mum asked.

"Something to do with the door ways" Claire said.

Confinement and transport. It might have been coincidence, but somehow she felt like there was something there she ought to understand. Something that related to what Myrnin had been telling her about Recomposition, which was a key element in Alchemy. Was it possible there really was a link between the two?

Myrnin smiled. "Very good".

"You're a good teacher" Claire shrugged. "Most of the time anyway".

Shane glared at Myrnin.

Plasma is charged particles. It can be controlled and influenced by shaped magnetic fields. Plasma was the raw state between matter and energy ... between one form and another.

"Reconstitution" Oliver nodded.

Reconstitution.

"Oliver how did you know that?" Claire asked.

"When you know this fool for as long as I do you learn things" Oliver said, glaring at Myrnin.

"That just proved that Myrnin is a good teacher if he can teach Oliver that" Eve said as Oliver glared at her and Myrnin looked smug.

It hit her, suddenly, what Myrnin had discovered. The doorways. They were shaped magnetic fields, holding a tiny, pliable field of plasma held in a steady state.

"Oh" dad said. "I understand now".

"really?" Claire asked surprised.

Dad nodded. "I do understand sciences Claire".

"Sorry daddy" Claire blushed.

But how did he make them into portable wormholes? Because that was what they had to be, to bend space like that ... and the plasma couldn't be regular plasma, could it? Low-heat plasma? Was that even possible?

"Opened mines Claire" Myrnin said.

"At the lab yes but in normal day no" Claire said.

Myrnin shook his head. "They should always be opened to new things".

Claire was so absorbed that she didn't even hear the chair scrape back across from her, didn't know someone had sat down, until a hand grabbed the book propped in front of her and pushed it down.

"Let me guise" Eve sighed. "Jason?"

Claire nodded. "Sadly yes".

Eve and Shane groaned.

"Hey, Claire," said Jason, Eve's nutty brother. He looked weaselly and pale - not Goth-pale, sick-pale. Anemic.

"He really should see a doctor" mum said.

"He's a lot better now" Claire said. "But he still dreams of being a vampire".

Eve sighed sadly.

There were crusty sores on his neck, and his eyes were wide and red-veined, and he looked high. Really, crazy high. He also hadn't had a bath or been near a Laundromat in a few days or weeks; he smelled filthy and rotten. Ugh.

"Ugh was the word for it" Claire said.

"That bad?" Shane asked.

Claire nodded.

"How you doing?"

"He seems friendly" mum said.

"He's not" Eve, Shane, Claire and Michael sighed.

She couldn't quite think what the right move would be. Scream? She closed the book and held on to it - it was pretty heavy, and would make a decent blunt object - and darted a look around. The U.C. was filled with people. Granted, Michael's playing was the center of attention at the moment, but there were plenty of others walking around, talking, studying.

"It was a little like back at high school with Amy picking on me" Claire sighed. "You get ignored because they don't want to be like you".

"That's just stupid" Shane said.

From where she sat, Claire could see Eve at the coffee bar, smiling and pulling espresso shots.

"Not that I could really help you at that point" Eve said.

"It's ok Eve" Claire said.

It was like Jason was invisible or something. Nobody was paying him the slightest bit of attention.

"Hi," she said. "What do you want?"

"World peace," he said. "You're pretty."

"I'm really not" Claire said.

Just about everyone rolled their eyes. I think you can tell who didn't.

You're really not. She didn't, and couldn't, say it. She just waited. I'm perfectly safe here. There are a lot of people, Michael's right over there, and Eve ...

"Sorry" both Michael and Eve said.

"Don't worry about it" Claire shrugged.

"Did you hear me?" Jason asked. "I said, you're pretty."

"Next time I see Jason I'm going to hit him" Eve said.

"He wasn't in his right mind Eve" Claire said.

"Yes but still" Eve said.

"Thank you." Her mouth felt dry. She was scared, and she couldn't even think why, really, except what Eve had told her about Jason. He did look dangerous. Those scabs on his throat - had he been bitten?

"I wouldn't have been surprised" Eve said.

Mum and dad were starting to look worried.

"I have to go."

"I'll walk you to class," Jason said. Somehow, he made that sound filthy, like some porn movie come-on. "I always wanted to carry some hot college girl's books."

"Eve I'll join you when you go to see your brother" Shane said.

"Deal" Eve said. "But I get the first punch".

"No," she said. "I can't. I mean - I'm not going to class. But I have to go." And why couldn't she just tell him to leave her alone? Why?

"You were just scared" mum said.

"I still was after to" Claire said.

Jason blew her a kiss.

Claire grimaced and Shane, Myrnin frowned at the book.

"Go on. But don't blame me when the next dead girl shows up in the trash because you wouldn't do me a simple favour."

"Guilt trip" Michael said.

"That's just low" Shane said.

She was in the act of standing up when he said it, and she just ... stopped. Stopped moving, and stared. "What?" she asked, stupidly. Her brain, which had been moving at light speed while skipping from one physics problem to the next, felt sluggish now. "What did you say?"

"A little slow are we?" Eve said trying to joke.

"You would have been to" Claire said.

"Not that I did anything. But if I had, I'd be planning another one. Unless somebody talked to me and convinced me to stop, for instance. Or I made a deal."

Claire felt cold. Worse, she felt alone. Jason wasn't doing anything - he was just sitting there, talking. But she felt violated, and horribly exposed.

"Just about everyone in Morganville knows that feeling" Shane said.

Michael's right over there. You can hear him playing. He's right there. You're safe.

"Sorry I didn't see anything" Michael said.

"I was ok" Claire said. "More scared then anything".

Eve, Shane and Michael gave her a look but didn't speak.

"All right," she said, and swallowed a mouthful of what felt like dust and tacks. She sank slowly back into her chair. "I'm listening."

"Not that you really had much of a choices" Shane said.

Jason leaned forward, rested his arms on the table, and lowered his voice. "See, it's like this, Claire. I want my big sister to understand what she did to me when she sent me to that place. You know what a jail is like in Morganville? It's like some third-world country threw it out for prisoner abuse. Eve put me there. And she didn't even try to save me."

"Don't look like that Eve" Shane said. "It's not your fault that he's like he is".

Eve nodded but didn't speak.

Claire's fingers felt numb, she was holding her book so tightly. She forced herself to relax. "I'm sorry," she said. "That must have been bad."

"Jason's not going to like that" Michael said.

"Oh he didn't" Claire nodded.

"Bad? Bitch, are you even listening?"

"Is it just me or did he just sound like Monica?" Shane asked.

"Hay he did too" Eve nodded.

"Scary thought" Claire said.

He kept on staring at her, and it was like he was dead or something, he never blinked. "I was supposed to be his, you know. Brandon's. He was going to make me a vampire someday, but now he's dead, and I'm screwed. Now I'm just waiting around for somebody to put me back in jail, and guess what, Claire? I'm not going. Not without a little fun first."

"I don't even want to know what he calls fun" Shane said.

"I think you already have a good idea on what he's fun is like" Claire said.

He grabbed her wrist, and she opened her mouth to scream ...

"To bad you didn't get the chances" Michael said.

Claire nodded.

... And all of a sudden he had a knife, and he was pressing it to her wrist. "Hold still," he said. "I'm not done talking. You move, you bleed."

"Not like I wasn't going to bleed anyway" Claire sighed and her mum and dad looked more worried.

She was going to yell anyway, but when it made it to her lips it died into a weak little yelp. Jason smiled, and he tossed a filthy-looking handkerchief on top of her wrist and the knife, covering it up.

"Smart" Oliver said.

"Thanks for the support Oliver" Claire sighed.

"There," he said. "Now nobody's going to notice, not that they'd care. Not in Morganville. But just in case there are any dumbass heroes, let's keep this between just us."

She was shaking now. "Let me go." Somehow, her voice stayed low and steady. "I won't say anything."

"Claire is good at talking people out of doing things" Myrnin said.

"And it's luck that I am" Claire said. "To bad I didn't do it back then".

"Oh, come on. You'll run to your friends, and then you'll run to the cops. Probably those two dicks Hess and Lowe. They've been out to get me since I was a kid, did you know that? Sons of bitches."

"Only because he never did anything he was told to do" Eve sighed.

"It's not your fault Eve" Michael said.

He was sweating. A milky drop ran down the side of his pale face and splashed on his camouflage jacket. "I hear you're in good with the vamps. That true?"

"Sadly" Shane said.

"Shane please don't start" Claire said.

"What?" The knife pressed harder against her wrist, hot and painful, and she thought about how easy it would be for him to cut right through her veins.

"You just had to think like that" mum said.

"Sorry mum, dad" Claire said.

Her whole arm was shaking, but somehow, she managed to hold still against an overwhelming urge to try to yank her wrist away.

"I don't think I would have stopped myself from doing it" Eve said.

"Luckily you weren't were I was then" Claire said.

It would only do the job for him. "I'm - yes. I'm Protected. You'll get in trouble for this, Jason."

"Very big trouble yes" Myrnin nodded.

He had a truly creepy smile, a rubbery snarl that didn't affect his hot, strange eyes at all. "I was born in trouble," he said. "Bring it on. You tell whatever vamp put the mark on you that I know something.

"That's nice now let Claire go" Shane said.

"I don't think that would have helped much" Claire said.

Something that could blow this town in half. And I'll sell it for two things: rights to do whatever I want to my sister, and a ticket out of Morganville."

"He was really going to kill me then" Eve asked.

"I don't know if killing you would have been just like that" Claire grimaced.

"I don't want to think about it" Eve said, looking sick.

Oh God oh God oh God. He wanted to bargain. For Eve's life.

"I'm not making any deals," she said, and knew it was probably a death sentence. "I'm not going to let you hurt Eve."

"Thanks Claire" Eve smiled at Claire but still looked sick.

"Don't worry about it Eve" Claire said.

He actually blinked. It made him look almost human, for a second, and she remembered that he wasn't much older than her. "How you going to stop me, cupcake? Hit me with your book bag?"

"It really douse sound silly when you say it like that" Eve said.

"But it would have looked funny" Shane said.

"If I have to."

He sat back, staring at her, and then he laughed. Loudly.

"You know I think I might have heard that" Eve said thoughtfully.

"It was pretty loud" Claire said.

It was a harsh, metallic clatter of a laugh, and she thought, oh God he's going to kill me,

"Jason may be an idiot but he's not that stupid" Shane said.

"That would have been great to know back then" Claire said.

But then he lifted up the handkerchief covering her wrist and like a magic trick, the knife was gone. There was a trickle of blood dripping from the shallow cut in her skin, and she was starting to feel the burn.

Mum and dad frowned at the book.

"It wasn't that bad" Claire said. "And it was only a little bit of blood".

But Claire's parents still didn't look to happy.

"You know what, Claire?" Jason asked. He got up, stuck his hands in his jacket pockets, and smiled at her again. "I'm going to like you a lot. You're a scream."

"Nice to know" Claire rolled her eyes.

He strolled off, and Claire tried to get up and see where he was going, but she couldn't. Her knees wouldn't cooperate. He was out of sight in seconds.

"He did it like a vampire to" Claire said. "It was creepy".

"I think I can see why" Shane nodded.

Claire looked at the coffee bar. Eve was standing there, motionless, staring right at her with huge dark eyes, and even without the Goth rice powder she'd have been pale as death.

"Sorry I didn't help but I only saw him walk away" Eve said.

"I was ok Eve" Claire said.

Eve mouthed, You okay?

Claire nodded.

She really wasn't, though, and the cut on her wrist wouldn't stop bleeding.

"Good blood flow" Oliver said and Myrnin nodded.

"Yep that wasn't creepy at all" Eve rolled her eyes.

She dug in her backpack and found an adhesive bandage -she always kept them, just in case she got blisters on her feet from all the walking. That seemed to do the trick.

She was smoothing it in place when she felt someone standing over her, and jumped, expecting the return of Jason, complete with psycho stabbing attack.

"That's it no more movie night for you" Shane said.

"Thanks Shane" Claire said.

But It was Michael.

"Good" mum and dad said.

He had his guitar case in his hand, and he looked -great. Relaxed, somehow, in a way that she'd never really seen him. There was even a slight flush of colour in his face, and his eyes were shining.

"I really love playing" Michael smiled.

"We know Michael" Claire smiled at him.

But that quickly faded, and he frowned. "You're bleeding," he said.

"I just thought of something else that it could have been" Eve said.

"Don't worry I thought the same thing" Claire said as most of the men in the room looked confused.

"What happened?"

Claire sighed and held up her wrist to show him the bandage. "Man, you would be so embarrassed if I said it was something else."

"You just had to say that Claire" Shane and Michael said.

"It's true" Claire said.

"Oh, I get it" Myrnin said and Oliver looked like he wished he had never got out of bed.

Michael looked blank. "I'm a girl, Michael, it could have been all natural, you know. Tampons?"

Just about every man blushed.

"Sorry guys" Claire said blushing to.

Vampire or not, he was such a guy, and his expression was priceless -a combination of embarrassment and nausea.

"So just like right now then" Eve said looking at Michael and Shane who looked the same way.

"Yep" Claire nodded.

"Oh crap, I hadn't really thought that through. Sorry. Not really used to this yet. So - what happened?"

"Paper cut," she said.

"Like that was going to work on me" Michael rolled his eyes.

"It was the first thing to come in to my head" Claire shrugged.

"Even I can think of something better then that" Shane and Eve said.

"Claire."

She sighed. "Don't freak, okay? It was Eve's brother, Jason. I think he just wanted to scare me."

"And he did a good job of that" Eve said. "I'm so going to slap him".

"Like I said" Claire sighed. "He was high and not thinking right".

"I don't care" Eve said. "I'm still going to yell at him".

Michael's eyes widened, and his head turned fast, searching the coffee bar for Eve. When he saw her, the relief that spread over his face was painful - and it didn't last long before it curdled into something grim. "I can't believe he'd come here. Why can't they catch this jerk?"

"Good question" Shane said looking at the older vampires.

"Don't bother asking Shane" Claire said. "They want tell you the truth".

"Maybe somebody doesn't want to," she said. "He's only killing human girls. If he's the one doing it." Although he'd pretty much confessed, hadn't he? And the knife was a big clue.

"A little bigger than just a clue I would say" dad frowned.

"Dad I didn't even get a scar from it" Claire said looking at her wrist.

"I don't care" dad said. "He still hurt you".

"We can talk about it later. I need to get - " She remembered, just in time, that she couldn't talk to Michael about Myrnin. "Get to class," she said. She hadn't really thought Amelie would make her go alone, and she wasn't sure she could do it. Myrnin was fascinating, most of the time, but then when he turned ...

"When he turned he went all the way to crazy town" Eve finished.

Myrnin ignored her and read.

No, she couldn't go alone. What if something happened? Sam wouldn't be there to help get him off her.

Eve and Michael started to cough.

"What now?" Claire sighed. "Or I should say do I really want to know?"

"I don't think you do" Michael said as Eve giggled next to him.

Michael didn't move. "I know where you're going," he said. "I'm your ride."

She blinked. "You're - what?"

"Really Claire?" Eve rolled her eyes.

"I was surprised that Amelie had told Michael in the first let alone be driving me" Claire said.

"Claire sort of has a point" Shane said.

He lowered his voice, even though nobody was paying attention. "I'll take you where you're supposed to go. And I'll wait for you."

Amelie had told him, Claire found out on the way to Michael's new car. She'd needed to, apparently; she hadn't trusted any vampire but Sam with the information and access to Myrnin, but Michael had an investment in Claire's wellbeing, and Sam was going to be out of action for a couple of days at least. "But he's okay?" Claire asked.

"Last time I had seen him he was sleeping" Michael said.

"At least he got some rest" mum said.

Michael opened the door to the parking garage for her, an automatic gesture that he'd probably learned from his grandfather, once upon a time. He had some of Sam's mannerisms, and they had the same walk.

"I always thought that" Eve nodded.

Funny how she was just starting to notice that.

"I think it was because you had been around them both" dad said.

"Yeah" Claire nodded. "That makes scenes".

"Yeah," Michael said. "He nearly died, though. People - vampires - are pretty wired right now. They want the one who staked him, and they don't really care how it happens. I made Shane promise to keep his ass inside, and not to go out alone."

"You really think he'll keep his word?"

"You know me to well" Shane said.

"I should hope so" Claire said and her parents frowned at them both.

Michael shrugged and opened the door of a standard-issue dark vampire-tinted sedan, exactly the same as the one Sam had driven. A Ford, as it happened. Nice to know the vamps were buying American. "I tried," he said. "Shane doesn't listen to much anything I have to say anymore."

"Sorry Michael it was just I was still getting over it and everything" Shane said.

"Its fine man" Michael shrugged it off.

Claire got into the car and buckled in. As Michael climbed in the driver's side, she said, "It's not your fault. He's just not dealing with it very well. I don't know what we can do about that."

"Not much" Shane sighed.

"Nothing," Michael said, and started the car. "We can't do anything about it at all."

"It's odd to hear Michael give up like that" Eve said.

"He has a good point" Claire said.

It was a short drive, of course, and as far as Claire could tell from the dimly seen streets outside Michael took the same route Sam had to the alley, and Myrnin's cave.

"I don't have a cave" Myrnin said.

"Sorry Myrnin" Claire said not really thinking.

Michael parked the car at the curb. When she got out, though, Claire realized something, and bent to look into the dim interior of the car, and ducked back inside.

"Oh, the sun" Eve said.

Michael nodded.

"Crap," she said. "You can't come inside, can you? You can't go out in the sun!"

Michael shook his head. "I'm supposed to wait out here for you until the sun goes down, then I'll come in. Amelie said she'd make sure you were safe until then."

Claire winced thinking about how that happened.

"Somehow I think something is going to happen" Shane frowned.

"In a way" Claire sighed.

"But - " Claire bit her lip. It wasn't Michael's fault. There were about three hours of sun left, so she was just going to have to watch her own back for a while. "Okay. See you after dark."

"What did you do when you were waiting for me?" Claire asked Michael.

"Wrote some music or read the paper" Michael shrugged.

"So that's what happened to the paper" Shane said. "I was looking for it".

She closed the car door. When she straightened up she saw that Gramma Katherine Day was on the porch of her big Founder's house, rocking and sipping what looked like iced tea.

"She makes good ice tea to" Shane said.

"I like her baking better" Eve said.

Claire waved. Gramma Day nodded.

"You bein' careful?" she called.

"I do try to be but things get in the way" Claire said.

"We really don't want to hear that honey" dad said.

"Sorry dad" Claire said.

"Yes ma'am!"

"At least your pilot" mum smiled.

"I told the Queen, I don't like her putting you down there with that thing. I told her," Gramma Day said, with a fierce stab of her finger for emphasis.

Eve laughed. "Sorry I'm just thinking about what it must have looked like".

"Right" Shane said.

"You come on up here and have some iced tea with me, girl. That thing down there, he'll wait. He don't know where he is half the time, anyway."

"She is true about that" Myrnin said.

"But at least your better now" Claire said and Shane frowned.

Claire smiled and shook her head. "I can't, ma'am, I'm supposed to be there on time. Thank you, though." She turned toward the alley, then had a thought. "Oh - who's the Queen?"

"Who do you think?" Oliver rolled his eyes.

"I wasn't really thinking" Claire said.

Gramma made an impatient fly-waving gesture. "Her, of course. The White Queen. You're just like Alice, you know. Down the rabbit hole with the Mad Hatter."

"So true" Eve nodded.

"Thanks Eve" Claire rolled her eyes.

Claire didn't dare think about that too much, because the phrase off with her head! loomed way too close.

"It douse to" Eve said.

"That would have been really comforting" Claire said.

She gave Gramma Day another polite smile and wave, hitched her backpack higher on her shoulder, and went to Night School.

"Interesting name for it" Myrnin said closing the book.

"food!" Shane said just about running in to the kitchen.

"And he's off" Michael joked walking in to the kitchen.

Everyone followed for lunch and blood for the vampires.

Sorry about the wait but it was really long chapter with 11,434 words and I have had all this homework and test's all week so sorry. Hope you liked it please review :)