We drove slowly back into the town limits of Morganville. From what I already knew about this city before I had left with my two friends, it was a devil town (run by the devil, at least). Their curfew was a little more strict than most, but that was because of their fear of too many 'kids' getting eaten by the vampires. By 'kids', that meant young adults, teenagers. Mostly, anyway.

My friends, Eve and Michael, and I were driving to city hall; this is the point where we'd mention we were back in town. Our old friend's house would be first stop after that. We had left for two years, but this was the base in which our futures were. As well, we'd have to find anyone we used to know and find out who was and wasn't dead.

Bishop was the name of this devil-man. He had taken the town away from it's previous owner two years ago and it was after everything changed and Morganville became too dangerous that we had decided to leave. He loved the power and pain he was now able to force on everyone after the town had been handed over. Yes, it had been two years and many things had changed. People were no longer safe wandering the streets, many we knew were probably dead, all hope was lost.

But not Bishop.

The sky had dark clouds blocking out the sun and mostly everything that we passed was of large fields with yellowing grass and nothing else. There was a section of the town we drove through that actually had buildings. I'd be lying if I said they hadn't surprised me. They were all made of brick and were either a dark grey or black. And, as we drove on, this seemed to have been all the shops Morganville had anymore, as much of the town had been destroyed. There were houses here and there spread out among everything and after we passed a house, more and more fields of dead grass.

Quite honestly, I was dreading moving back here; it was no lie and it was no secret. At last, we arrived at city hall, which-again to my surprise-was entirely rebuilt and looked better than before. Surely, Bishop wanted to make the mayor happy and not start causing havic or worry. Of course, that sounded just like what would be bargained with from mayor Richard Morell. I never had like him much. Michael helped Eve up the steps and opened the door for her as, well, she was about five months pregnant with his baby. They had always liked each other-since we were in middle school, but they hadn't gotten together until about a year before we left Morganville. We were all at about twenty now, and had been eighteen back then.

"Well, well, well. Isn't this a surprise. Eve? Michael? And-oh, boy. That you, Shane?" Asked the mayor.

"No, sir. My name's Adonis-I hail from Olympus. I was told to escort these two to your office personally by Zeus." I said sarcastically. Michael shook his head at me.

"Yup, Shane, all right. Same smart-ass sarcasm. Better watch it, though-or you'll regret it." Eve glared at me, probably hoping it would stop me from continuing. Didn't work.

"Why is that? You'll let Bishop know I've returned?" The mayor shook his head.

"No. I won't tell you where that Claire Danvers girl of your's is these days." All of our head's snapped to him and our mouths stayed shut. Claire; she was the only thing going through my mind, it was like a broken record that had just been set on a track.

Claire, Claire, Claire.

"She-she's still here?" I asked in shock. "I mean, I know it's been two years, but I hadn't expected her to still be around. I'd figured she'd left by now." And look at that. Two years of her trying to bring him down and she still hadn't accomplished it. The mayor looked confused by this.

"Shane, it hasn't been two years."

"What?" Of course it had been two years, I had marked off the days, months and years on the calender myself. "Then just how long would you say it's been?"

"Six." I laughed at this and shook my head.

"Six months? Wow, I must have seriously miscounted." Eve and Michael chuckled and rolled their eyes at me.

"No. Six years." Our laughs stopped short as we met eyes with his. I shook my head in disbelief and began to laugh hysterically.

"Yeah, okay-no, no!" I slammed my hands down on the desk he sat behind and Michael stepped forward, too.

"There's no way we were gone for six whole years and only counted off two in our heads." Michael said in frustration. Before the mayor could respond, someone else did.

"You weren't."

All of us spun around to stare at Amelie (seated in a chair in the corner by the door); a vampire and the one who'd been the ruler of Morganville before Bishop had taken it from her.

"What do you mean we weren't?" Eve asked in frustration. "Can someone explain what's going on?" Amelie nodded.

"Since you've left Morganville, and since Bishop has taken over, everything in town has malfunctioned. The correct way the humans are fed from, most shops, the radio towers...even time." She stood up and walked towards the mayor's desk, then continued to the large window that sat behind his desk and looked out over what was left of her poor town. She wore a black suit and her pale hair was up in a bun. This was unusual, as she usually wore a light grey or blue suit. "It has been two years-for the rest of the world. For Morganville, it has been six. Claire is no longer a seventeen year old child and, these days, is older than you. You are all about twenty, she is twenty-one and heading on twenty-two."

"Uh, but, Amelie, I don't understand. How is that?" Michael spoke up for all of us.

"You have aged only two years, she has aged six." Amelie turned back to us. " I do not have enough time for the many questions I'm sure you have. I have things to do and I must leave now. Just remember-I faked my death five years ago. Bishop thinks I'm dead; I'd like to keep it that way." With this, she nodded and walked out of the mayor's office, closing the door behind her.

We had had a fight just before we left and she had got left behind. We had been dating for several months, living together, even. Then, when Bishop had taken over Morganville and things had been getting dangerous, Eve, Michael and I had decided to leave, start a new life somewhere else. We had told her that day we left and asked her to come with; she would not. She was still hopeful that Bishop would be brought down and determined to be a part of it. That was one of the things I had loved about her.

Disclaimer; I do NOT own any of these characters. They all belong to Rachel Caine.

I pushed forward an idea that was nagging in the back of my mind. Please tell me what you think.