Chill Factor

Zap. Blue sparks jumped. We both made faces and put more space between us. Things were definitely back to normal-electricity and that deceptive, seductive burning in my skin from his touch that had nothing to do with current taking the path of least resistance. I wouldn't be sharing any beds with Lewis again soon, no matter how innocent the intention. Couldn't totally guarantee my own willpower.

'So that's it? The four of us?' The Ma'at were taking themselves off as quickly as the Djinn had done… if in a less ethereal manner. A few younger ones were hanging around, mostly fascinated by the spectacle of enemy Wardens in their midst (I still couldn't bring myself to think of Lewis as Ma'at, even though I knew he was), not to mention the magnificence of Rahel in her sleek black silk.

'Five,' Kevin said. His voice cracked on the word.

We all looked at the kid, then at each other. 'Not like I'm joining up or anything. It's just… he killed Siobhan. And you can't leave me here. With them.'

Whether it had been true love or not, there was suffering in Kevin's eyes. An awareness of something beyond himself, even if it had just been for one other person in the world. Even psychopaths can love. I couldn't remember who'd said it, but it seemed applicable.

We reached a sort of silent consensus, a la Ma'at, and Lewis said, 'Stick close to me, kid.'

Kevin's never-flat hackles rose. 'So you can what, suck the rest of me dry?' We all stared at him. He flushed. 'You know what I meant.'

'Well, I meant stick with me because Quinn's going to see you as the biggest threat, since he'll think you've still got my powers,' Lewis said. 'I plan to use you as a human shield.'

Kevin eyed him. 'Yeah?'

'Would I lie to you? Besides, you kicked the crap out of me, kid. I'm still weak. I need the support.' Oh, clever Lewis. The one thing Kevin craved and never got… respect. Responsibility.

Kevin tried not to look impressed. 'Yeah, okay. Whatever.'

Marion sent me a clear you-trust-him? look. My feelings for Kevin were too complicated to put into squints and eyebrow moves, so I just deadpanned. Truth was, I suspected Jonathan felt something for the kid, too, and that would help us. Quinn had a lot of liabilities he didn't yet understand.

'Stupid question,' Marion said apologetically, 'but exactly where will we find him? We can't track the Djinn, not even Jonathan. Unless you…?' She addressed it to Rahel. Rahel shook her head. 'Okay, then how do we find him?'

'Jonathan told us,' I said.

She looked mystified. 'He was cut off in midword.'

'Doesn't matter. I know what he was trying to tell me.' I turned to Ashworth, who was glaring at me with undisguised contempt. We weren't mending any fences, I sensed. Not that I was worried about it much. 'Your son's house,' I said. 'Fantasy Ranch. The one in White Ridge. Do you still own it?'

'No,' he said, and turned to go. Rahel blocked him again. Glaring ensued.

'Who bought it?'

Ashworth's hand tightened on the cane; I watched the knuckles go white. 'I'm sure you already know,' he said.

'Thomas Orenthal Quinn.' I didn't have the slightest doubt. 'Keeping it all in the family.'

'I never liked the slippery bastard.' Ashworth kept walking, cane stabbing carpet. 'Go and be damned. Do me the courtesy not to die in my son's house, if you please.' This time Rahel stepped aside and let him exit with dignity intact.

White Ridge. Fantasy Ranch. Orry.

I was going back into my worst nightmare, but at least this time, I wasn't going alone.

ELEVEN

Rahel, not being claimed anymore, couldn't jump us magically from one place to another. A drawback, but not a huge one… I didn't think that Quinn could use Jonathan to do any transportation, either. I'll delay him as long as I can, Jonathan had said, before he'd been yanked out of the world. I grabbed Myron Lazlo, who was having some sort of old-guys meeting in the corner of the room that seemed devoted to snuffboxes and cigars and brandy. Literally. By the arm. He didn't take it well, but I'd come to realize that manhandling the Ma'at was a whole lot less dangerous than taking on a militant Warden. Ashworth had caned me pretty handily, back in the lobby of the Luxor, but Lazlo had done nothing but called one of the associated Free Djinn to take care of me.

Lazlo just retained his personal dignity and shrugged free of my grip.

'Yes?' he asked neutrally. 'I've already made it clear, the Ma'at will not-'

'Provide transportation? Think again. We need to get to White Ridge. What've you got?'

He frowned at me for a full thirty seconds, then said, 'Are you asking me for the loan of a vehicle?'

'No, Laz, I'm telling you that I'm taking a couple of cars. You pick which ones, but the faster the better.' Warmth registered near my back. Lewis, Marion, Kevin, and Rahel had tagged along with me, to lend support. Lazlo's eyes skipped over them, unreadably, and focused back on me. 'Time's wasting. He's your mess, in case you forgot, which means you're just as bad a judge of character as I am.'

'I liked him,' I said. It burned me to admit it, made parts of me flutter uneasily as memory reasserted itself. Darkness, pain, violation. I'd looked him in the eyes and I hadn't recognized him, not even the capacity for violence. I'd trusted him, like a complete brainless moron. 'Cars, Laz.' I snapped my fingers.

Behind me, Rahel murmured, 'I believe you'll find them outside at the valet stand.'

'Oh?'

Lazlo's face shut down hard. 'Take what you'd like. We'll speak of this when you return. If any of you return. I don't give you very good odds. He'll know you're coming, of course. By now, he will know that his attempt to silence you failed.'

I waited for him to wish me luck. He didn't.

I turned and led the way out to the lobby. It was still mostly deserted, thanks to the excitement over Bellagio way, and we walked straight out the doors, past Ma'at security, to the covered portico where uniformed valets waited. They were clustered together, nervously gossiping, but sprang into action when we approached.

'Rahel?'

She pointed to two matching Dodge Vipers. One was a deep, glistening midnight blue, flirting in the sunlight; the other was silver.

I knew the blue one. She was unmistakable.

'Mona?' I felt stupid asking it, but Marion nodded. 'You had David bring it with you when you came here?'

'I thought we might need it,' she said. 'And he knew it would please you. I confess, I thought it would be to make a quick escape, not to go riding off to… whatever we're riding off to…'

'And the silver one?'

Rahel buffed her talons on her shirt. 'It wasn't being used.' She opened her palm and dropped keys into my hand. I tried to hand them back, but she stepped away with an expression of distaste. 'I do not drive.'

It was, apparently, a Djinn thing; David had claimed not to, either, but he'd come around when I'd needed him to. I tossed both sets of keys in the air, thinking, and then underhanded one set to Marion. The silver car.

'Take Rahel and Kevin,' I said. 'Rahel, watch out for trouble.' I didn't look at Kevin, but I didn't think I needed to. Her hot amber eyes glowed just a little brighter. 'Marion-'

'I'll watch out for it, too.' Neither one of us trusted Rahel completely either; I could see the acknowledgment of it in her serene face. I wouldn't have trusted anyone but Marion to shepherd those two. 'How fast are we driving?'

I stepped out from the thick shade into the molasses-thick glare of the Las Vegas sun and walked to the driver's side of the blue Viper. It was too hot to put my hand on the blue finish, but I held it a couple of inches above the blazing metal. Petting her was almost irresistible.