Disclaimer: Diane Duane owns, obviously.

Kit stood in the middle of the street, breathing like a young colt who had just run his first race. His first instinct was to go to Nita. Tthe creatures that he had just encountered were obviously magical, and normally he would have needed her help interpreting the event that had just taken place.But then he remembered that Nita wasn't speaking to him. He toyed with the idea of going to see her anyway - he wanted so badly to see her face, hear her voice - but he decided against it. Settling himself on the curb, he had a quick, frustrating conversation with Ponch.

"What the hell were those?"

Old, said Ponch, his words slow and pained, they were...ancient.

Kit couldn't control a shudder at these words, for with them came the full weight of Ponch's distress. Whatever those creatures were, their presence had disturbed him greatly. Kit spoke carefully.

"But what were they?"

I...I don't know.

"What?" Kit cried, losing his patience for a moment. Ponch winced, and Kit lowered his voice. "I thought you knew everything," Kit said wonderingly.

Ponch gave a harsh bark of a laugh. So did I.

It was late, but Nita couldn't fall asleep. The stars twinkled teasingly from oustide her open window. The full moon cast a slivery glow over her room. Come outside, the tree branches seemed to sigh. Nita's body was exhausted and tried to shut her eyes to the starry night's temptation, but her mind had other plans.

She threw her mother's old red silk robe over her own white nightgown (neither of which reached her knees) and stole through the sleeping household to the back door, which she left open behind her. She was barefoot, but the cool grass felt heavenly underfoot. A breeze stirred the warm night air. She curled up under the branches of her rowan friend and was just drifting off when the sound of a snapping twig awoke her.

Nita's eyes flew open. The hair on the back of her neck stood on end. She leapt to her feet and had just enough time to register that something was terribly, terribly wrong before there was a stabbing pain in her side. She stuggled for air and tried to cry out, but it was too late. She collapsed, and the shadows took her.

The phone rang. Kit dove for it, hoping it was Tom and Carl calling him back and not Carmela's latest conquest. "Hello?" He said breathlessly into the mouthpiece, ignoring Carmela glaring at him like he kicked puppies for fun.

"Kit?" It was Dairine.

"Yeah, what's up?" Kit asked, his spirits lifting. Maybe Nita had changed her mind, and wanted to see him! But then...why wouldn't she call herself?

Dairine sounded more scared than Kit had ever heard it as she replied, "Nita's missing."

A/N: Sorry it's such a cliffhanger, and Merry Christmas (or whatever you celebrate).