"You throw up lilacs and perfume in there?" he joked, but her sense of humor, nearly nonexistent to begin with, had taken a nosedive since her unfortunate stomach bug.

"I do not feel like talking," she snapped as he opened the passenger door for her.

He slammed it closed behind her, and waited to retort until he'd rounded the car and dropped into the driver seat. "Good. Because every time you open your mouth, puke comes out."

He pulled out of the parking lot a little less gently than he normally would have, not because he wanted her to barf all over the dashboard, but it wouldn't hurt to put the fear of it into her.

By the time they checked into a motor lodge a few exits down the highway, Bella was sweating and pale again. She pushed past him and rushed through the shabby room to the bathroom.

In the light of the floor lamp, Max examined the two beds and took the rough, brown flannel blanket with the most suspicious stains and draped it over the window, tucking it behind the blinds rod. Hopefully, that would keep the sun out, once it rose.

In case it didn't do the trick, he stripped the bed the rest of the way and laid the sheets on the floor next to the bed farthest from the window. He'd be trapped between the wall and the platform box springs all day, a lot like lying in a coffin, but better that than being a human fire hazard.

More disgusting retching sounds came from the bathroom. It was amazing Bella had anything left to choke up, considering how her output had far surpassed her input. "I' in gonna go get our stuff out of the car. Will you be okay for a sec?"

More heaving, then a muffled, "I will be fine."

"Yeah. Okay."

The air outside seemed colder and newer. It could have been from leaving, the musty stink of the motel room, but it smelled more like morning. The exact moment night clicked over to day had happened while he'd been inside.

He was sorry he'd missed it.

He pulled his duffel bag and the leather satchel containing Bella's things from the trunk. Out of paranoid instinct, he scanned the parking lot for vans, semis and hearses that could contain other vampires. There was no doubt in his mind the Oracle knew they were coming.

He also noted the length of the awnings over office and motel room doors. He did a quick mental calculation of the shadows they might cast, though the time of day would be an uncertain variable, and the space between each in case he and Bella needed to make a quick getaway.

He just hoped it wasn't at high noon. If so, Bella would have to finish the "mission" by herself.