"I'm not sure I agree with that," Harkat said, "but it's… your decision. So stay here with the Cirque. Lay low. Hide."

"I can't," I sighed. "This is my home town. I've got an itch to walk the streets again, see how much has changed, look for old faces that I used to know. I want to find out what happened to my friends. The wise thing would be to keep my head down but when didI ever do the wise thing?"

"And maybe trouble would find you… even if you did," Harkat said.

"What do you mean?" I frowned.

Harkat glanced around uneasily. "I have a strange feeling about… this place," he croaked.

"What sort of a feeling?" I asked.

"It's hard to explain. Just a feeling that this is… a dangerous place, but also the place where… we're meant to be. Something's going to happen here. Don't you sense it?"

"No but my thoughts are all overthe place right now."

"We've often discussed your decision to… stay with the Cirque," Harkat reminded me, making little of the many arguments we'd had about whether or not I should leave and seek out the Vampire Generals. He believed I was hiding from my duty, that we should seek out the vampires and resume the hunt for the Vampaneze Lord.

"You're not starting that again, are you?" I groaned.

"No," he said. "The opposite. I now think you were right. If we hadn't stuck with the Cirque… we wouldn't be here now. And, as I said, I think we're… meant to be here."

I studied Harkat silently. "What do you think will happen?" I asked quietly.

"The feeling isn't that specific," Harkat said.