[i]Settle in. Right,[/i] Victoria thought dismally. [i]Doubt that’s possible.[/i] She sighed into her arm, then straightened and ran a hand through her hair to put a few strands back into place.
	Victoria gave a small smile at his last question. “Yeah,” she answered after a moment. “Yeah, that sounds good.”
	Her brows furrowed as she noticed him glance around the diner. Something in his eyes and expression made her feel uneasy.
	“Is… something wrong?”

[center]*	*	*[/center]
	Though it had been years since Nyaira had come across it, she had easily followed Alex’s scent. The breeze had been on her side. Another entwined with his, the smell of a human. 
	She stared at the 50s diner, her painted lips curled up in disgust. Reluctantly, she stepped toward the restaurant’s windows and peered inside.
	She scanned the tables and booths for Alex. Among the few foul humans dotting the seats, there in the far corner, she found him sitting with his back toward the wall, his companion’s face turned from Nyaria.
	She pressed a thumb lightly to her lips, contemplating how best to approach him, when her phone rang from inside her purse with the familiar tone she had set for Luc’s most recent number.
	With a quick glance at Alex, she turned from the diner and slipped into a deserted alleyway to take the call.