He smiled, but there was nothing pleasant about that smile. Just as there was nothing pleasant behind the fire that sprang to life across his fingers. She knew exactly what that fire could do. "They will have no choice."
She shivered, then sat up and rubbed her arms. "I don't want anyone to die, Josh."
He didn't answer. She looked at him. A smile touched the corners of his lips. "You don't know what you want."
Yes, she did. A home. A mom and dad. Friends. A normal life. Everything she didn't have now.
"Dreams that can never be achieved. Not with what we are."
"And just what are we, Josh?"
She woke with a start, her heart racing even as the question seemed to reverberate through the semidarkness. For several seconds, she didn't move, simply stared up at the ceiling. Just who the hell was this Joshua she kept dreaming of? Someone close, of that she was certain. Maybe a brother or a friend. Someone from the time she couldn't remember, the years between her birth and her arrival at the state-run home.
But if these were true memories, and not some form of subconscious yearning, why were they coming back now? What had happened in the last few months to crack the wall that had hid her past from any scrutiny?
As usual, she had no answers to her questions. Sighing softly, she threw the bedcovers to one side and climbed out. It was nearly eight-thirty. Time she got moving. Given Gabriel's terseness last night, he'd probably put her on report if she was late for work.
She grabbed a coffee, and then she got ready, barely catching the nine-thirty tram into the CBD.
Her dim little hole certainly hadn't improved any in the brief time she'd been away. She threw her bag across the back of the chair and sat down.
"Computer on."
Izzy's image flicked to life. "Good morning, sweetness. Have a good trip in?"
"Absolutely wonderful," she muttered. There was nothing nicer than being wedged between a guy reeking of garlic and a woman who tried to pick her up. "How'd the searches go?"
Izzy sighed dramatically. "Do you know how many people have purchased Heat in the last month?"
"I don't really want to know."
"Two thousand four hundred and eighty."
She raised her eyebrows. Given the sales hype surrounding the perfume, she'd expected the figure to be much higher. "Any chance of cross referencing those people? I need to find a doctor."
The purple boa swung into action. "You do like delving into haystacks, looking for needles, don't you, sweetie?"
"Favorite pastime. Just do it."
"As long as time is something you have plenty of."
Right now, it was the only thing she had plenty of. "Got another search for you, as well."
"Well, hallelujah!"
"I want you to search SIU records for multishifters with twin sisters. And do a separate search for multishifting quacks while you're at it."
"By quacks, I presume you mean the medical profession?"
"You presume correctly."
"Human or animal?"
She raised her eyebrows. She hadn't thought of that — there was nothing to say a vet couldn't have the knowledge to cut up a human efficiently. "Both. And cross-reference the results against the Heat results; see if we come up with any similar names."
"Your wish is my command."
She snorted softly. Izzy's tone was anything but compliant. "You found any history on the four men in the photo?"