"We're fine," Morgead said. He didn't say anything more, and Jez understood. Neither of them had any desire to talk about it in front of other people. That could wait until they were alone, until it was the right time.
They didn't need to express this to each other. Jez simply knew, and knew that he knew.
"What about her?" Thistle pointed to Iona, still asleep on the sidewalk.
Jez was already moving to the child. She checked the little body over, noted the even breathing and the peaceful expression.
"She's fine, too," she said, settling back. She held Thistle's gaze. "No thanks to you."
Thistle's cheeks were pink. She looked angry, embarrassed, and defensive. "She's just a human."
"She's a kid!" Morgead yelled, shooting up to his feet. He towered over Thistle, who suddenly looked very small. "Which you're not," he went on unsym-pathetically. "You're just a-a sixteen-year-old Shirley Temple-wannabe."
"All right, both of you!" Jez said sharply. She waited until they shut up and looked at her before continuing. "You-be quiet and let me take care of things," she said to Morgead. "And you-if you ever try to hurt a kid again, I'll knock your head off." This to Thistle, who opened her mouth, but then shut it again without speaking.
Jez nodded. "Okay, that's settled. Now we've got to get this girl home."
Val stared at her. "Home?"
"Yeah, Val." Jez picked the child up. "In case you missed something, she's not the Wild Power."
"But..." Val wriggled his broad shoulders uncomfortably and looked at Morgead. "You mean you were wrong?"
"There's a first time for everything, right?" Morgead glared at him.
"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.