The Stars Lie {Myrnin, Morganville Vampires}

When Yesterday Is Missing

Chapter 3 — Myrnin's POV — "When Yesterday Is Missing"

(set right before his encounter with Claire)

I couldn't find it! I knew it was around here somewhere, but the solution eluded me. Furious that the answer hadn't revealed itself after an hour of searching, I flung my arm across the table, books exploding in all directions. I took a deep breath, more to calm my anxiety, not because I needed it. Damn it, wasn't there some ten-step process to calmness?

Something had gone horribly wrong with the portals and I couldn't waste a minute figuring it out. I had already lost a day. Well, not intentionally; that was just my first glaring indication there was a problem.

I purposefully forced myself to stop (again, with the deep breathing exercises) and replayed the events over in my mind. I had to be missing something; some clue that was so obvious, I just couldn't visualize it in my current agitated state. I raked my fingers through my long hair and spun around to settle myself on the couch in cold determination to break through to the answers that remained concealed from me.

My eyes closed as I remembered.

Amelie had asked me to work on another project. She wanted to explore the potential for heat sensing as an additional safe guard to protecting the borders from people coming and going on foot. I didn't much see the value in it as Frank was doing a fine job, but acquiesced and began to prepare for the council meeting scheduled for the following day.

My initial plan was to take sample temperature readings at each border through thirty minute intervals, then bring back the data to compare and calculate it against other pertinent factors such as body temperatures for both humans and vampires; also taking in to account the position of the sun in relation to the Earth's axis for each day of the year, triangulated against Morganville's specific location. I didn't relish the thought of hanging around in the sun for hours, even with the protective gear of a hat and coat.

Flinging open the wardrobe, I had yanked out the first thing my fingers touched, then smiled in appreciation as I gently stroked the lime green velvet waistcoat with a pointed high collar and fur trimmed sleeves, and then dug around until I found a wide brimmed cowboy hat to go with it - perfect.

Wrapped up in my irritation over having to present my findings at the meeting the following day; I opened the portal to proceed to my first testing destination. That was when I was overcome with pain — horrendous pain — and I nearly stumbled my way through. The throbbing in my head eased as I passed, but then things became much more unexpected...

Even as quickly as my brain worked, I was having trouble organizing the scene in front of me as I stepped out the other side. Instead of a barren landscape of bushes, trees and unbearably hot sun, I was faced with a room full of people all staring at me with various expressions on their faces , ranging from patience (thank you Richard and Hannah) to irritation (well hello there Oliver) and finally to barely contained anger (oh no, Amelie).

What had just happened?! And what in the hell was happening now?

Amelie's steel gray eyes matched her hardened expression. She shifted impatiently in her pale blue suit, but never lost her perfect posture as she raised a single eyebrow at me in clear irritation. "Well, it is nice of you to finally join us."

"As always my pleasure, Milady." I bowed low, sweeping the Stetson from my head, hoping for a few extra seconds delay that would somehow bring clarity to the situation.

Amelie's expression was clearly not amused by my over-the-top formality.

Again — what the hell was happening?