"Fine. We will stop tonight. But we cannot lose any more time. I do not think I can… " She waved a hand in the air. "I am tired. Speaking nonsense. You are right, we should turn around."

He started the car and pulled back onto the highway, grateful for the sparse traffic. He managed to cross the lanes to the median without having to play Frogger. Once they were headed safely in the opposite direction, he reached over and turned the music back on.

Fucking Carole King, he thought with a grimace.

They drove in silence for a while, with only Tapestry to distract him, until finally, releasing a tired sigh, Bella spoke.

"I saw something." Her shoulders sagged and a few strands of hair fell forward, obscuring her face from his view.

This uncharacteristically timid and bedraggled Bella was becoming far too common. He turned his attention back to the road. "Anything I should know?"

"The Oracle has arrived. She is in a place called Danvers. Have you ever heard of it?"

"Can't say I have. Not to make any prejudgments based on nerdiness, but I bet Nathan has a book with lots of arcane facts about it." Max reached toward the glove compartment, where his cell phone was stored.

Bella jumped, avoiding his hand. "I am sorry. I am still… guarded."

"I understand." But he didn't. He hated the Oracle more than ever, simply for putting this distance between them.

Bella reached into the compartment and retrieved his phone, but she didn't hand it over immediately. "There is more."

He didn't know how much more he could take. "Lay it on me."

"She has sent something via courier. A package." She hesitated. "It sounds crazy, but… I believe it could be her heart."

"What?" This just kept getting better and better. Max shifted in his seat, hoping he could use his left foot to push the gas and brake pedals and take the strain off his broken knee. "Do you know where she sent it?"

Bella waited far too long before answering. When he looked at her, she stared back with hard eyes. "Where do you think she sent it?"

Max turned back to the road and clenched the steering wheel tighter.

Chapter Ten
Sire

"What? Is she okay?"

I looked up from the incredibly dull book in ray lap—no great sacrifice—at Nathan's startled exclamation. The only time he ever sounded so worried was over something evil-forces related, or when we were running low on beer. Now, he stood in the kitchen, phone in hand, frown lines creasing his brow.

He noticed me watching him, and turned his back so I couldn't see his expression. Still, no matter how much he lowered his voice, I could hear him.

"Not off the top of my head, I don't." The disdain in Nathan's voice tipped me off. He was talking to Max. "How should I… I don't know, get an atlas!"