The principal, who had been huddled with a couple of police officers, turned around. Black hair riffling over her forehead in the breeze, she addressed the entire crowd.
"I don't know what is going to happen with the gym. There's been a tragedy, and now there's going to be an investigation. We'll just have to wait and see what comes of that. Now, I want everybody to go back to their classes. Teachers, please take your students back to your classrooms."
"I can't go back," Thea whispered. She and Eric were standing at a little distance from the thinning crowd. Everyone seemed to have forgotten about them.
"I'll take you home," Eric said immediately.
"No-I need to find Blaise. I have some things to ask her." She tried to make her stupefied brain work. "Eric, I should have told you this before. You've got to be careful."
"Of what?"
"Of Blaise."
He looked incredulous. "Thea..." He glanced at the old gym. "You can't think she had anything to do with-what happened to Kevin."
"I don't know. She could have had somebody do it-or made him do it himself." Thea kept her voice low. She looked straight into Eric's face, willing him to believe her. "Eric, I know you don't understand, but it's like I told you before. She's like Aphrodite. Or Medea. She laughs when she destroys things. Especially when she gets mad... and she's mad at you."
"Why?"
"Because you picked me instead of her-because I like you-lots of things. That doesn't matter. The point is that she may come after you. She may try to... seduce you. And"-Thea glanced at the bobbing yellow tape surrounding the old gym-"she may try to hurt you. So will you just be careful if you see her? Will you promise me that?"
Eric looked windblown and bewildered, but he nodded slowly. "I promise."
"Then I'll see you later. We still have things to talk about-but I have to find Blaise first."
She walked toward the crowd, leaving Eric standing there in the wind. She knew he was watching her. .
A waving hand caught Thea's eye. It was Dani, her face full of sympathy and concern.
"Thea, are you all right?"
"Sort of." Thea gave a laugh she didn't recognize. "Have you seen Blaise around?"
Dani's soft little hand crept into hers. "She and Vivienne went home-I mean, to your place. I'll go back with you, if you want. You shouldn't be alone."
Thea squeezed her hand. "Thanks. I'd appreciate it." She was grateful-and relieved that Dani didn't hate her. "Dani-about the way I acted earlier..."
"Forget it. I don't know what I said, but I didn't mean to make you mad." She added gently, "Thea, are you really okay? Really? Because I don't want to upset you more...."
"Why?" And then: "What, Dani?"
"Your grandma's sick. That's why Blaise and Vivienne went home-Vivienne's mom paged her. She's a healer-Vivienne's mom, I mean-and I think she's taking your grandma to her house."
Thea was disturbed. Gran hadn't moved to Las Vegas for the same reason other Night People did. Lamia and made vampires came because so many of the humans here were transients-the kind that wouldn't be missed if they disappeared. Other witches came because of the power vortexes in the desert. But Gran had come because of the warm, dry climate. Her lungs had been bad since she was a kid. Please don't let it be serious, Thea kept thinking as Dani drove her home. She felt as if her skin had been rubbed too thin all over her body.
When they got to the shop, Gran was already gone. Tobias and Vivienne were downstairs. "Is she okay?" Thea asked. "Is it something bad?" "Not too bad," Tobias said. "She just kept getting dizzy today, and then she had a coughing fit and couldn't stop. She finally decided maybe she'd better get somebody to sing it out. So she called Ms. Morrigan."
Oh, great-chanting. Just what Gran loved. But she must have been really sick to ask to have it done. "Can I call her?"
"I wouldn't," Vivienne put in. Her green eyes were kind, her voice reassuring. "I'm sure Mom's working on her by now, and when she does a singing, it takes all night. You shouldn't disturb them. But don't worry, Thea-my mom's really good."
"Yes-it's not that I'm worried about." Thea looked around distractedly, finally coming back to Vivienne's face. "Did you hear about what happened at school?"
"No." Vivienne looked mildly curious. "What happened?"
Instead of answering, Thea said, "Where's Blaise?"
"Upstairs packing. She's going to stay overnight at ray house. You can come, too-Thea?"
Thea was already racing up the stairs.
She burst into the bedroom she and Blaise shared. Blaise had a small suitcase open on her bed.
Thea didn't waste words. "Did you kill Kevin Imamura?"
Blaise dropped a black silk teddy. "Did I what? What are you talking about?"
"He's dead."
"And you thought I did it? Thanks a lot, but it's not him I want to kill." Blaise narrowed her eyes and Thea felt cold. Then she tilted her head. "So how did he die?"
"He was strangled. Somebody murdered him."
Blaise just raised her eyebrows and murmured, "Hm. I wonder where Randy is?" She held a shirt up, considered it, and added, "Do you want to come stay at Viv's with me? It's better than staying here by yourself."
"I don't know. Do I have to watch you to make sure Eric doesn't end up like Kevin?"
Blaise gave her a scorching look. "When I go after a boy, I get him first. I don't strangle him before the fun begins."