—”
“I used to be human,” he said. “Long, long ago. And if I have to be human now, I can’t imagine a better partner for my life.”
He kissed me. It was a real, human kiss, intimate in ways that even our most amazing kisses hadn’t been, somehow. Bordered by our own awareness of mortality.
“Hate to interrupt this tender moment,” Lewis said, “but we’re fucked if we stay here. And by the way, your powers aren’t gone. They’re still out there, somewhere. Basic conservation of energy.”
We both looked at him. I saw a weary flash of utter hatred in David’s face. No, being human hadn’t taken away any of that antipathy. Definitely not. “Someone else inherited our powers.”
“The problem is we don’t know where they went,” Lewis said. “Or who’s got them. If we survive outrunning the black corner, we’ve still got to find out where your powers went. Worst-case Warden scenario—someone just woke up with enough power to destroy half the world and hasn’t got a clue what to do with it.”
“And the Djinn?”
“Ashan,” he said.“Worst-case scenario is that Ashan is now the sole Conduit for all of the Djinn, and he’s going to be very, very pissed off about Wardens in general.”
I pulled David to his feet, and realized that I could barely walk. My left leg and arm were covered with the scars that hadn’t had time to heal since the battle. Nothing was bleeding, but everything hurt, and hurt badly. I fought back tears and braced David as he took careful, halting steps.
He stopped, breathing hard, shaking his head. Overwhelmed.
“Hey,” I said, and grabbed his face in both my hands. “Don’t you give up on me now. We’re alive. We’re together. Don’t let him get to you.
He nodded, and a convulsive shudder went through him. He put his arms around me, and his head rested on my shoulder. The last of the Wardens boarded the rescue craft, and then it was our turn.
I didn’t want to let go.
“I will always trust you.” I kissed him gently on cheeks that tasted of sweat and sea. “And I will always bring you home, my love.”
Now I had to make it count.
Sound Track
As always, I had plenty of musical help to get me through the complicated journey of
'So Long' Stereoside
'Hole in the Middle' Emily Jane White
'Black Is the Color of My True Love's hair' Nina Simone & Jaffa
'Light It Up' Rev Theory
'Count to Ten' Tina Dico
'Silence' Delerium & Sarah McLachlan
'Let It Die' Foo Fighters
'Get Free' The Vines
'Electrofog' LeCharme
'Electric Feel' MGMT
'Alive and Kicking' Nonpoint
'The End Is the Beginning Is the End' Smashing Pumpkins
'Kill, Kill, Kill' The Pierces
'Bad Girlfriend' Theory of a Deadman
'Every Day Is Exactly the Same' Nine Inch Nails
'Don't Trust Me' 3OH!3
'Our Time Now' Plain White T's
'I'm Not Over' Carolina Liar
'Strange Times' Black Keys
'Better Brother' Madita
'The Bomb' Bitter:Sweet
'The Best Revenge' Fischerspooner
'My Mistakes Were Made for You' Last Shadow Puppets
'Tomorrow' Ladytron
'Pocketful of Sunshine' Natasha Bedingfield
'Violet Hill' Coldplay
'At Your Side' Lionel Neykov
'Sour Cherry' The Kills
'Salute Your Solution' The Raconteurs
'Walk Like an Egyptian' (Kairo Mix) Wilman de Jesus
'Coud've Had Me' Lex Land
'Sitem' Candan Ercetin
'Retreat' The Rakes
'Mercy' Duffy
'It's Not My Time' 3 Doors Down
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. Cat Conrad, live in Texas with their iguanas, Popeye and Darwin, and a
