Gale Force

“I’d never do this to Lewis. Lewis would never make me.”

As always, there was this subtle tone in her voice when she mentioned his name—all the Djinn had it, a kind of puzzlement, or awe. I’d gotten to my current status as a triple-threat Warden, controlling weather, fire, and earth, through a series of circumstances— died, reborn as a Djinn, then reconstituted as a human, then granted Earth powers by my half-Djinn daughter turned Earth Oracle.

Lewis had just been born that way. One in a thousand years, I’d been told, and nobody since the original— Jonathan, later leader of the Djinn—had displayed so much raw power from the outset.

If I were Lewis, that comparison alone would make me very, very nervous about my future.

Venna studied me for a moment, then nodded. I felt the force gripping my muscles let go. I lurched forward, then got control and glared at her. It had all the impact of an ant glaring at a galaxy a few billion miles away.

“David has been summoned,” she said. “He’ll return to you as soon as he can.”

“Summoned? Who summoned him?”

That earned me a pitying look. “Who can?”

Oh. Mother Earth. I couldn’t fight that, and neither could he, whatever his original intentions. “Why would she do that?”

“Her reasons are her own. Perhaps she wants to keep him away from you for a while.”

“Why?”

Venna shrugged. “Some say you’re corrupting him.”

“You’re sure Ashan doesn’t have some ulterior motive here?” Because for better or worse, Venna had gone with Ashan when the Djinn had split between Old and New; I didn’t think she belonged there, because she seemed genuinely curious about humanity, if not exactly caring. “What’s going on?”

Venna shrugged. Not her business to wonder such things. “I was just dispatched to reassure you.”

“You’re doing a great job so far.”

She cocked her head, her gaze growing sharper. “Is it true? That David intends to pretend to be human for the rest of your life?”

I cleared my throat. “We’re getting married, if that’s what you mean.”

It obviously was. Her cute little-girl face scrunched into a frown. “Why?”

“If you have to ask, there’s no way I can explain it.”

“Are your sexual encounters not currently satisfying? ”

“Venna! I know you’re not a child, but really, that’s just creepy. And personal.”

She looked surprised, then thoughtful. “So many rules,” she sighed. “All right. I accept that I will not understand your reasons. But do you understand the risks? There are many of your people who won’t approve. Many who don’t like the Djinn at all, and want us to leave you alone.”

“Can’t imagine why,” I said dryly. “You’re all just so darned nice.”

There was that smile again, mischievous and dimpled. I thought she must have copied it from a young Shirley Temple, but for all I knew, it could have been a young Cleopatra. She didn’t take the bait.

“How long is he going to be gone?” I asked. She shrugged. “Well, should I wait?” Another tiny shrug, as if it didn’t even matter enough to her to waste the energy on a gesture of indifference. “Let me say it another way: Can I go?”

Venna rolled her eyes, a shockingly human gesture for her. “Please,” she said. “Go. I do have better things to do.”

And she misted away, just like that. I was on my own.

I felt alone, driving away from the truck stop; I’d entered it feeling peaceful and excited and happy, and now I was back to living on the edge. All because Mommy Earth had yanked David’s leash. That could happen any time, and I’d forgotten about it, or wanted to. The car felt empty without him, and I felt exposed. So much for my 24/7 protection, I thought, but then I felt guilty. Was that why I wanted him? To make myself feel safe? Boo. Boo on me.

Sunrise dawned warm and clear, and by the time the heat grew oppressive I was upstairs in my apartment, eating a small container of yogurt. Exhaustion was blurring my eyes, and I didn’t care much about eating—hence the yogurt, which wasn’t really eating, per se. All I wanted to do was take a shower and nap. Can’t do anything until David comes back, I reasoned. Might as well rest up.

Instead, after my shower (which was every bit as wonderful as I’d anticipated) I ended up, phone book and phone next to me, parked in front of the Internet, obsessively researching so I could cross off items on my wedding checklist. I was puzzling over the catering problem—$18.95 per plate for a meal that was going to be served on plastic? Really?—when the phone rang. I picked it up immediately, thinking it would be a callback from the florist.

Instead, it was Cherise, and man, was she pissed. “You don’t trust me,” she said. “I can’t believe you!”

“Where are you?” I asked in alarm, because I’d left strict instructions that Cherise could not be seen or heard from, under any circumstances, until this charade with Kevin and Rahel was over with. “Cher—”

“Oh, relax, this is a secured line. My buddies from the Wardens and Homeland Security all say so, plus my own personal Djinn bodyguard. So I’m being a good little convict,” she said. “By the way, thanks for booking me at a nice hotel. Lewis said I could order room service any time I wanted, but no bonking the waiters, no matter how hot they are. Oh, I’m ordering movies, too, and you guys are paying. Even if I order porn.”

If that was the worst of it, I’d gladly pony up the cost of pay-per-view. “You need anything? Clothes?”

“What’s the point? Not going anywhere. I’m just lounging around in a T-shirt. It’s like a pajama party, except I’m going to get really bored with painting my own toenails. So I’m going to call you and take it out on you.” She paused for a second, and her tone grew more serious. “Is this really dangerous? You know, for Kevin?”

“Maybe.” I couldn’t be dishonest with her, not Cherise. “But he wanted to do it. In fact, he kind of insisted.”

“He would. Rahel’s doing me, though, right? So he’s covered?” She made it a question, painfully eager for reassurance. I swallowed hard.

“He’s covered,” I said. “Rahel’s smart, and she’s strong. If anything goes wrong, she can get him out.”

Not if she can’t see the danger. But I’d fought that battle with David, and lost. All I could do was hope that Kevin, whom I’d properly prepared with all the information I had about the antimatter, would be able to recognize trouble coming and help her avoid it.

“These Sentinel people. Do you know who any of them are?”

“No,” I said. “Well, one, but he’s dead now.”

“Then how do you know who you can trust?”

“I trust you,” I said. “I trust Lewis. For this, I trust Kevin. I always trust David. But believe me, my trust circle’s getting smaller all the time.”

“Good. Maybe you won’t get yourself hurt quite as often.” I heard the TV come on in the background, and the bed creak. “Okay, I’m going to my happy place. Russell Crowe movie festival, baby. Sorry you can’t be there, but if you decide to come over—”

“I’m not in New York,” I said, “and even if I was, going to see you would blow our whole operation.”

“I guess.” She sighed. “Okay, Mr. Dreamypants is on. Call you later?”

“Yes,” I said. “Hey, Cher?”

“Yeah?”

“Do you know any good caterers?”

Cherise’s question about the Sentinels stayed with me the rest of the day, as I went about my so-called normal life. If anybody had turned up likely suspects for the Sentinels list, they weren’t sharing it with me. No sign of David, and no messages from beyond. I got calls from various Wardens either congratulating me about the upcoming marriage, or fishing for gossip about the confrontation with Kevin. I answered honestly to both, so far as it went. I didn’t try to hide my frustration with Kevin, but I told them it was Lewis’s problem, not mine.

None of the phone calls had seemed overly strange, but my paranoia dials were all on high. I couldn’t rule anyone out.

Hearing my doorbell ring only made my self-preservation alarms go off. I was boiling pasta. I took the precaution of turning off the burner—in case I died, no sense in burning the building down again— and went to look through the peephole.