Nick Armstrong lazed at the edge of the water, the waves lapping at the Massachusetts shore.  Most of his friends, his circle, had moved away after graduation.  Cassie and Adam had both gone to the University of Massachusetts and were doing very well, still together of course.  The Hendersons had gone to California, wanting to get as far away from memories of Kori's death as possible.  Faye had gone straight to New York, working her way through several independent theatre productions until she got noticed; she was now filming something somewhere in Europe, no one really knew what or where.  Suzan had already received her degree in cosmetology and was working behind the scenes on a touring Shakespeare company.  It took months, but Melanie had convinced Laurel to leave New Salem.  They didn't go far, only to Connecticut, but they had gone.

            Diana had stayed to take care of her father; she didn't want to leave him all alone in their big house.  She was slowly earning her degree in sociology through the local community college and Internet and correspondence courses.  Sean was simply too nervous to go anywhere.  He still thought Black John was going to return and take his revenge.  Nick and Deb, both living in the same house, had also stayed.  They worked at a local bike shop and eventually became part owners in the venture.  They had regular customers and steady business and not much to complain about.

            At this very moment, though, Nick thought he had plenty to complain about.  He often thought about Cassie, the first (and only) girl he'd ever loved.  His face contorted into a grimace as he thought about the word... soulmates.  Cassie was destined to be Adam's, forever and ever, till the end of time, so mote it be, and amen.  The thought that there was one person out there for everyone weighed heavily on his mind.  His hopes of ever finding someone so near and dear to him had left with Cassie.  He and Diana had tried being together for a short while, but neither of their hearts' was in the relationship, so they had returned to simply being friends.

            A heavy sigh escaped his lips and Nick turned his head to look down the beach.  A curvy figure with long dark hair was walking along the shore and, for an instant, he thought Faye had returned.  There was no slink, however, no predator in this woman's gait, so he knew it couldn't be Faye Chamberlain, soon to be Hollywood starlet.

            He shrugged and shook a cigarette out of the pack in his pocket.  The slim white stick of tobacco quivered and he lit it, inhaling deeply.  His knees bent, forearms resting on them at chest level, he looked back out at the sea and didn't move again except to flick ash away from the tip of the burning cigarette.  Not until the girl was in front of him.

            Blaise had her hands firmly placed on her hips.  "No, Thea.  No way.  I am not going to go on a scavenger hunt for Daybreak.  NO."

            Soft blue eyes met steely grey ones as Thea tried to reason with her cousin.  "Blaise, it's one time and you know I wouldn't ask you normally... it's just, there is no one else.  Please?"

            Those hard grey eyes softened a bit as she looked back at the girl who had been like a sister throughout their life together and asked what exactly a "scouting mission" was.  Thea's face lit up in a smile, knowing she'd won.  "All you have to do is take this flight," and she held up tickets, "to Massachusetts and see if the rumors of a coven are true.  You don't even need to talk to them or, Goddess forbid, try to make them join Daybreak.  We just want to know that there really are witches there.  That's all.  And," she held up a shiny platinum charge card, "all expenses are paid, courtesy of Thierry."

            The raven haired Blaise snatched the tickets and the charge card from Thea's hands with a smile on her face.  "Well why didn't you say so, cousin?  I would have agreed so much sooner."  With that, she had exited the small apartment in which Thea lived with Eric.

            And that was how she found herself walking along a rather deserted beach looking out at grey-blue water which reflected so little of the meager milky sunlight breaking through the clouds in the overcast sky.  A harsh wind blew in off the water, making her squint against the sea mist it carried and her body convulsed in a shiver from the cold Atlantic air.

            She was mentally scolding herself for giving in so easily to Thea's request.  But then, beach – swimming, get a tan, party, right?  Wrong.  New England beach in late March meant clouds, wind, and general unpleasantness.

            Blaise drew the elegantly cut leather jacket tighter around her body and continued down the shore, spying a possible ray of sunshine in the distance.  A young man was perched on the beach, looking agitated and bored at the same time.  A lit cigarette dangled from his lips, the smoke whipping away from its tip immediately after being formed.  She adjusted her path so that she would cross in front of him as she walked.  When she did, she stopped and turned to face him, studying him with a critical eye.

            Nick lifted his head, a rare look of amusement crossing his face as he did so, "Can I help you?"

            Amusement flashed in the girl's eyes as well as she said, "Doubtful."

            He perked one dark brow at her as if to say "how do you know unless you ask?"  Blaise turned her back to him to look at the water and sighed.  "I really wanted to swim," then she turned and began to walk away.

            For some reason, her leaving sent a small wave of panic through Nick and he searched his mind for a reason to talk to her, get her to stay.  He found it.  "As a matter of fact," he called to her back, "I can help you with that."

            She stopped and turned, slowly retracing the few steps she'd taken in the opposite direction.  "Oh?" she asked, a small smile tugging at her lips.  "How do you propose to do that?"

            Nick nodded, answering mysteriously with, "I just can.  Meet me here after sundown tonight; wear your suit.  My name is Nick, by the way, Nick Armstrong," he held out his hand in the usual greeting.

            She looked at his hand and smirked, not extending her own.  "Okay Nick Armstrong.  I'll be here," she turned on her heel, walking away again.  He let his hand drop into the sand beside him.

            Nick called to her one last time, "And your name would be?"

            She stopped, hands stuffed in her jacket pockets, and turned her head so that he could see only half her face, the profile stunning and her mouth curved in a smile.  "Blaise Harman.  Until tonight, Nick," and she strode away down the beach.