much pain, Jo. You can’t hold that much pain. You have to let it go.”
“It’s all my fault,” I said. “I could have—”
“You could have done a million things differently, and Bad Bob would have been the same creature,” David said. “He’s no longer human, Jo. He hasn’t been human for a long time. You’re not to blame for what he does.”
“Only for what I do. I should have said no. If I’d said no to you, none of this—”
“If you’d said no to me, Bad Bob would have found another way to control the Djinn. Maybe just by taking you away from me.” His lips found mine, gentle and sweet and salted from the sea spray. “You make me vulnerable, yes, but you also make me strong. Jonathan knew that. He knew this was coming, and that he wasn’t capable of fighting it, not alone. He knew the two of us would be, together. I love you. I will always love you. With or without a vow, a ring, a wedding. Yes?”
“Yes,” I whispered. Our lips were still touching. “I—yes.” There didn’t seem to be anything else to say. We understood each other completely in that moment.
The sun cleared the waves, burning through the clouds in bands of hot gold and orange, and in its warmth, in his arms, I got my wish.
However brief the moment, whatever would come, we had peace.
Sound Track
Once again, there were songs that got me through. Here they are, in case you’d like to play the home iPod game. . . .
'Life is Beautiful' Sixx:A.M.
'Three Wishes' The Pierces
'Mary Jane's Last Dance' Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
'Secret' The Pierces
'Give It Up' LCD Soundsystem
'Citizen Soldier' 3 Doors Down
'Your Woman' White Town
'Hey Man, Nice Shot' Filter
'Believe' The Bravery
'I Need to Know' Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers
'Daft Punk Is Playing at My House' LCD Soundsystem
'Tess Don't Tell' Ivy
'Mama' Genesis
'Box Full o' Honey' Duran Duran
'Last Man Standing' Duran Duran
'Hunting for Witches' Bloc Party
'Smalltown Boy' Bronski Beat
'How Does It Feel' Eskimo Joe
'Sloe Gin' Joe Bonamassa
'The Good Ones' The Kills
'Falling On' Finger Eleven
'Ride' The Vines
'What if I Came Knocking' John Cougar Mellencamp
'Hello Again' The Cars
'Living Dead Girl' Rob Zombie
'You're a Wolf' Sea Wolf
'Cuts You Up' Peter Murphy
'Cry for You' September
'Privilege' Balligomingo
'Flamethrower' J. Geils Band
About the Author
Rachel Caine is the author of more than twenty novels, including the Weather Warden series. She was born at White Sands Missile Range, which people who know her say explains a lot. She has been an accountant, a professional musician, and an insurance investigator, and still carries on a secret identity in the corporate world. She and her husband, fantasy artist R. Carl Conrad, live in Texas with their iguanas, Pop-eye and Darwin, a
