"Fire."
"Yeah. The weather changed, people migrated, and the shapeshifters lost control. After that it was really Witch World. The witches did better than everybody else for ten thousand years, but then there was an Ice Age-"
"And the Night Wars," Jez said, remembering. "When the vampires fought the witches."
"Right. And after all that, the vampires were in control; it was Vampire World. Which lasted about another ten thousand years, until the flood. And after the flood, human civilization really started. It was Human World, and it has been for a long time. The Night People have just been hanging on around the edges, hiding. But. . ." He paused and straightened. "That started about eight thousand B.C."
"Oh."
"Yeah. The millennium marks the end of our ten thousand years." He gave his gentle, half-mocking smile.
"We humans are about to lose our lease. Something's going to happen to bring blood and darkness and then there'll be a whole new world."
"Only if we don't stop it," Jez said. "And we will- because we have to."
Hugh's smiled changed, softening. "I think we're lucky to have people like you trying." Then he lost the smile completely. He looked uncertain. "Jez- you know, Old Souls aren't really beyond 'stupid human things.' We're as human as anybody. And we ... I mean, and I..."
Jez's heart was beating uncomfortably fast. The way he was looking at her-she'd never seen Hugh look
like that at anything or anyone.
Another rumble in the distance, and then a train came rushing in.
Hugh blinked, glanced up at the digital clock display above the platform, then checked his watch. He cursed.
Tm supposed to be somewhere. I'm late."
Jez's heart gave a strange thump. But not of disappointment. Weirdly, it was more like relief.
"Me, too," she said. "I'm supposed to meet Morgead before everybody else gets out of school. I ought to take the next train to San Francisco."
He still hesitated. "Jez-"
"Go on," she said, standing up. "Ill call you if I turn up anything. Wish me luck."
"Be careful," he said instead, and then he was hurrying away.
Jez watched him go. She couldn't help wondering what he had been about to say.
Then she turned to walk back to the central part of the station. She was partway around the concrete guardhouse when she heard a noise on the other side.
A stealthy, sneaking noise. Not the kind a security guard would make.
Jez didn't hesitate. Smoothly, completely soundless herself, she changed course, turning back and going around the structure the other way to get behind the sneaker. The instant she had a clear view of the intruder's back, she jumped.
She landed on top of her quarry, with a control hold on the person's wrist. But she already knew that this wasn't going to be a fight to the death.
"Jez-ow-it's me!" Claire spluttered.
"I know it's you, Claire."
"Let go of my arm!"
"I don't think so, Claire. You having an interesting morning? Hear any good jokes?"
"Jez!" Claire struggled, hurting herself, then got mad and hurt herself more trying to hit Jez. Jez allowed her to sit up, still keeping hold of her.
Claire's face was flushed and wrathful, her dark hair sticking in strands to her cheeks. Her eyes were shooting sparks.
"Okay, so I'm sorry for eavesdropping. I followed you when Greg Ludlum drove you here. I wanted to know what you were doing. I didn't know that you were completely freaking insane!"
"Well, it's too bad you didn't figure it out earlier. Because unfortunately I have to kill you now to keep you from talking."
Claire's eyes widened and she choked. Jez suddenly realized that underneath all the sparks and the yelling her cousin was terrified.
She let go of Claire's arm and Claire slumped away from her, rubbing it.
"You-you are insane, aren't you?" Claire looked at her sideways, through clinging strands of hair. "I
mean, all that stuff about the world ending-it's some kind of bizarre game you're playing with your weird friends, isn't it? Some kind of Dungeons and Dragons stuff..."
"What do you think, Claire?" Jez stood up and offered Claire a hand, worried that someone might notice them. She kept that hand on Claire as she herded Claire back behind the guard house.
The truth was that this situation wasn't funny.
Claire really was in trouble-because Jez was in trouble.
Her entire cover was blown. Everything she'd worked for in the past year-Claire could destroy it all.
Claire knew way too much, and Claire hated her enough to use it.
"I think ... I don't know what to think." Claire swallowed. "Who was that guy?"
"One of my weird friends. Right?"
"He didn't seem so weird. When he said things- I don't know. They sounded..." Claire's voice trailed off. Finally it came back, almost inaudibly. "Real."
"Great." I am going to have to kill her. What else can I do?
"It's not a game, is it?" Claire said, looking at her. All the anger was gone from the dark eyes now. They were simply bewildered and frightened.
Then Claire shook her head. "But, I mean, it's impossible. Vampires and shapeshifters and witches-it's all just..." Her voice trailed off again.
Jez was simply looking at her, with eyes that might be less silvery than a year ago, but that she knew were still pretty strange. And after a few moments Claire's gaze lost its focus and her whole body seemed to fall in on itself, as if it had lost something vital. Innocence maybe, Jez thought grimly.
"Oh, God, it is true," Claire whispered. 'I mean, it's really true. That's why you're gone all the time, isn't it? You're off-doing something."