Текст книги "Gale Force"

Автор книги: Rachel Caine

Соавторы: Rachel Caine
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into some kind of context. He hurt, and I couldn't help him. Not with that.

''I'm telling you this because Kevin doesn't trust me,'' he said. ''And that's part of the reason I

sent Rahel with him. He's a bit fascinated with her, like most humans seem to be, and she's got

no history for him to fix on. If he can trust any Djinn, he'll trust her. But he'll never truly trust

me.''

This felt so intimate that it frightened me. He came here to face his fears, face his history, and

there was a lot of that to get through-more than I'd ever be able to understand. He could read

my life at a glance, if he chose, and that more than anything else made me feel disadvantaged.

David put his arm around me, and I leaned against him. We both stared at the fire for a long time

before he said, ''My birth mother was like you. Strong, like you. Beautiful. Willful, which gave

my father plenty of heartaches; it was a time when women were more constrained by society, or

at least had fewer choices in how to misbehave. She taught me many things, but one of the things

she gave me was a love of learning, and that was rare then. Not even the sons of kings were

learned; it wasn't considered manly.''

I closed my eyes and breathed in the night, the peace. Maybe this wasn't real, but it had a kind of

solemnity to it that we couldn't get out there, in the daily whirl of life.

''Tell me about her,'' I said, and snuggled closer to his warmth. ''Tell me everything.''

And he did.

Chapter Eight

When I actually did wake up, we were still driving, and I wasn't sure that I hadn't dreamed the

whole thing until David looked over at me. He had an expression, open and vulnerable, unlike

any he'd ever really shown me before. I'd never even realized how armored he was before, until

the armor was removed.

''I wanted to tell you all that,'' he said. ''I'm sorry I didn't before, but there never seemed to be

time. Always something happening with you. And it usually involves explosions.''

''That's an exaggeration,'' I replied with great dignity. ''Things hardly ever explode. They burn,

they shake, and occasionally they break, but explosions aren't my thing.''

''Point taken.'' He gave me an assessing look, and took the next exit. ''You need a break.''

''Buster, you need to learn how to take them, too. If you intend-''

''To live like a human, yes, I know. I'll start tomorrow. First thing. For tonight, I just want to get

you safely home.''

Home. I imagined the soft bed, imagined waking up with him, and imagined that it would be like

that every day for the rest of my life.

It seemed too precious to be true.

The truck stop where we pulled off the freeway was one of those open-all-night places that

specialized in everything, from deli sandwiches to wind chimes. After investigating the facilities,

which were scrupulously clean, I browsed the snack aisles and stocked up on road food, looked

over the DVDs, rummaged through the books, thought about purchasing those wind chimes, and

finally ended up with nothing but a bag of chips and a cold soft drink at the register. No sign of

David. I wondered where he'd gone off to; maybe he was still in the car.

I collected my purchases and went outside. No, the Mustang was empty. I went back inside,

strolled the aisles, saw nobody I recognized. Somewhere inside, a slight tightening started in the

vicinity of my stomach. I walked faster, looked harder.

Nothing.

''Excuse me,'' I said to the guy behind the counter. ''I came in with a guy, a little taller than

you, brownish hair, kind of long-''

''He left,'' the guy said. ''Said he'd be right back. I figured he'd just gone out to the car or

something. He's not out there?''

I checked again. No sign of David anywhere. I waited out in the darkness, indecisive, and paced.

Manolo Blahniks weren't meant to be paced in, but I wasn't taking off my shoes on the stained

concrete of Moe's All-Niter, either.

I finally stopped and said, ''David?'' Just in case he was there and watching, though why he'd

do that I couldn't imagine.

Someone answered me, but it wasn't David. ''He's gone,'' said a little girl, standing in the

shadows at the edge of the building. She didn't move, but she emerged from the darkness, as

though the lights had brightened around her, and I saw that it was Venna. Venna was one of the

most puzzling Djinn I'd ever met, and that was saying a lot; she was the only one I'd ever seen

who preferred the form of a child, and she usually liked to dress in Alice in Wonderland-style

blue, with a white pinafore. Long blond hair, held back by a simple band, and big china blue

eyes.

There was absolutely nothing human about her right now. The clothes-the body-were a

disguise.

I took a long step toward her. ''What the hell did you do to him?'' I blurted. ''Where is he?''

Showing aggression probably wasn't the smartest thing to do in this situation; Venna could be

deadly, although she'd also been my friend more often than not, and saved my life a few times.

Putting her on my bad side wasn't a good career move.

But I couldn't stop myself.

She didn't react. Her hands stayed folded, but her eyes flashed a more intense blue, just for a

second, and I found myself unable to advance. My heart raced, and I shuddered in every muscle,

trying to fight, but it was useless. She had me shut down.

''Ready to listen now?'' she asked mildly. ''I'm sorry, but you're angry. I'm just trying to be

sure you don't hurt yourself.''

I hadn't known Venna was capable of doing this. I hadn't known any Djinn could do this, not so

easily. Not against someone of my strength level.

As if she were reading my mind, too, she smiled. ''Don't be scared,'' she said. ''It's only

because you have so much power, so many ways to get inside you. If you were any other

Warden, I couldn't do it at all.''

''Except for Lewis,'' I managed to say, and her smile took on dimples.

''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.

It was David. Oh. I had told him to start acting like a human, hadn't I? I needed to get him his

own key. I unbolted the door and swung it wide-

David lunged forward, grabbed me by the throat, and drove me back to the wall as he kicked the

door shut. It was a real threat; his grip was bruising my neck, making parts of me panic in fear of

imminent strangulation. I grabbed for his wrist, which was stupid, and tried to get a scream past

his hand.

No good.

He smiled, and I recognized the expression. It wasn't David's, although he was wearing David's

face. I croaked out, ''Don't you fucking pretend to be him!'' and David's body shrugged, and the

Djinn morphed into his more usual form.

It was Ashan, leader of the Old Djinn. Venna's brother and boss, and the least likeable creature

I'd ever met, including the ones who'd tried to kill me. Ashan was a cool, smooth, handsome

bastard, all chilly grays and ice whites, and he didn't care for people at all. He liked me a good

deal less than that. ''I've come for a purpose,'' he said, ''but I don't need to hear your prattle.''

I made some incoherent noises, which got the point across that his grip on my throat was

impairing my ability to curse, and he finally let up enough to allow breath in, profanity out. After

the profanity, I got my pulse rate dialed back from Going to Die to Total Panic, and said, ''What

the hell are you talking about?''

''You brought this on yourself,'' Ashan said. He emphasized that by slamming me back against

the wall with painful force. ''I was content to let you live, but you, you push, you always push.''

''Let go!'' I snarled. He must have sensed I meant business, because although he didn't obey

instantly, he finally released his grip and stepped back. Not far back, though, and the cold fury in

his eyes stayed in place. ''Where is David? What have you done to him?''

He slapped me. A solid man-slap, one that I was not prepared for; it burned and I felt a wave of

total rage crest at the top of my head and flow down every nerve ending. Somehow, I held

myself back, but my hands clutched into convulsive fists. ''You will destroy him,'' Ashan said

flatly. ''I care nothing for you, but I do not want another war among the Djinn, and you will

bring it on. It is best if you disappear from this world before you can rain destruction on all of

us.''

Word had gotten around fast, even on the outer reaches of the aetheric. I hadn't expected the

Djinn to approve, but I hadn't expected this. ''All because we're getting married?'' Venna was

right about one thing: The two of us engaging in a little sexual adventure hadn't bothered too

many people. It was the wedding that was pissing them off.

''It is a vow,'' Ashan said. ''And a vow is, for us, unbreakable. Do you understand? You will

bind him to humanity, and he is the Conduit.''

All at once, I got it, and it was like a second, harder slap, only this one was directly to the surface

of my brain. ''Oh crap,'' I breathed, suddenly not angry at all. ''You mean that by taking vows

to love and cherish in sickness and in health-''

''Through him, all of the New Djinn could also be bound,'' Ashan said. ''Conduits to the Mother

must not make such vows. We became slaves the last time such was made. I will not allow it to

happen again, not for such small gain as your personal happiness.''

And another thing came crystal clear to me. Ashan wasn't screwing around this time.

I read it in his expression: He was going to kill me. Problem solved.

And I think he would have, except that right at that moment, somebody else tried to kill me.

I thought it was Ashan who'd attacked for an instant, as I felt the force slam into me and pin me

back to the wall, sink past my skin, and close around my heart like an iron hand. But I could see

that in fact it wasn't him, because he'd been forced back from me by the attack, and he was off

balance and confused.

I remembered David at the diner, blown back by the aetheric attack that had taken out Lee

Antonelli.

They were coming for me. No warning, no quarter. I was under attack by the Sentinels.

Dark shadows flew out of the walls and coalesced into Djinn-Ashan's bodyguards, who'd been

keeping their distance until they were summoned. A threat to their boss brought them running,

but once they were on the ground, the next step wasn't exactly clear, since Ashan wasn't the

target. I was.

And one more coalesced out of the air, a blur of motion, burning copper-bright. David. He was

coming, and coming very fast, heading straight for me, blind to everything else around him.

The Djinn bodyguards stopped him, but only for a few seconds. He was too strong for them,

even collectively, but the instant he broke free, Ashan lunged like a white tiger. The two of them

fell, rolling, a blur of motion that somehow still conveyed the fury and power of the conflict.

As David tried to fight his way to me, I drew all my power inside, fighting the invisible fist that

was trying to contract and squeeze my heart into red jam. I felt my distant, powerful daughter's

flow in to augment mine; she couldn't act directly, but she could help.

It was enough-barely-to keep me alive.

For now.

I opened my eyes. The fight between the two most powerful Djinn was already over.

David was on his knees, held fast with Ashan's arm around his throat and his hands twisted

behind his back, and the look on his face nearly made me cry out. It was shattered. Horrified.

Betrayed.

''Oh, God, no. Jo, hold on,'' he said, his voice rough and trembling. ''Ashan, let go, damn you.

Let me help her!''

The Djinn stood silently, watching. Waiting to see what would happen. Probably waiting to see

how fast I was going to drop dead. This was nothing but a gift to Ashan-I'd die, and his hands

would be clean. There was no reason for David to come after him.

I held against the assault, somehow pushing back the squeezing hand around my heart, and I

didn't dare speak to David. I couldn't. No breath and no strength left over, and I knew it

wouldn't do any good, no matter what I said. He couldn't act, not with Ashan in the way. If he

could have, he'd have already done it.

''Ashan, you can't stand by and see her murdered!'' David screamed. ''Let me go!''

Ashan said, in a soft but deadly cool voice, ''It's the business of humans. She told you that. I'm

only enforcing what you know are the rules.''

My vision was eroding, black spots appearing at the edges. Maybe that was why I didn't

immediately recognize that one of the Djinn standing next to Ashan was Venna, dressed not in

her Alice pinafore outfit, but in plain black. I focused on her. Her blue eyes were blazing hot, the

color of a gas flame.

She said nothing. She didn't try to help either one of us, not even David, whom I knew she

loved. She loved Ashan more.

No help was coming.

The Sentinels can't keep this up, not at this level of power, I told myself, trembling. Only maybe

they could. The assault continued on the aetheric, furious and unrelenting, and it required every

bit of concentration I possessed to keep myself from folding. Power was counteracting power,

and the resulting forces were out of control; I couldn't do anything to reduce the damage, or I'd

be instantly dead.

Around us, sparks began to crawl on every available metallic surface, zipping and popping.

Lightbulbs blew out. The Sentinels-if that was indeed who was behind this-pressed me

harder, and I had to respond.

Windows shattered. I heard the plate glass patio door break with a catastrophic crash. One of the

curtains caught fire from the constant sparking. It burned slowly, but it burned, giving off acrid

black smoke.

''Stop this! They'll destroy her!'' David screamed, and writhed to get free. Ashan held him, but

just barely. Venna looked visibly upset, and turned away from them. She brushed her hand

across the flame on the curtains and transferred it to her palm, then rubbed it contemplatively

between her fingers, frowning, and looked at Ashan. Something passed between the two of them,

something I couldn't understand.

The whole world was narrowing, darkness closing in on me. I could feel it all around me, eating

away, sinking into every nerve, every muscle.

And the hand around my heart tightened, and every labored thump seemed likely to be my last

on this earth.

David's face was taut, pallid, and desperate. He was still trying to twist free, but his strength, like

mine, wasn't up to the task.

The odds were too high this time.

''Ashan, give me your leave,'' Venna said. Her brother frowned, and nodded sharply, once.

Venna disappeared so suddenly there was a small thunder-clap of air left in her wake. I couldn't

even spare the breath to curse, or to cry out. The pressure was throbbing in every nerve of my

body, a constant, grinding pain that grew sharper with every heartbeat. The Sentinels weren't

going to let up. They were going to slaughter me one inexorable inch at a time, and the Djinn-

the Old Djinn-wouldn't lift a finger to stop it.

And they were going to make David watch, to make it that much more horrible.

I felt something new in the attack-a tremor. Just a flicker, but somewhere, someone was

weakening. If it was a combined attack, and I thought it must be, then at least one and maybe

more were faltering, running out of power. Hang on, I told myself. I felt sweat dripping from my

chin onto my shirt front. A little longer.

It was an eerie way to face the end of your life. If it had just been the Old Djinn, standing there

impassively, that would have been bad enough, but David– the dread and anguish in his eyes

was too much. I squeezed my eyes shut and concentrated harder.

Hold. You have to hold.

I felt another element of the attacking force weaken and drop away, leaving a purer signature to

it. If I could only outlast the rest, I might be able to trace it back to one source . . . at least get the

name of the bus that was going to run me down.

Even that cold comfort didn't seem too likely. I felt myself shaking harder now, as I pulled all

the power out of my muscles, out of my flesh, pouring my last vital resources into defending the

stronghold of my heart. I couldn't hold out for long; my reserves had gone shockingly fast, and

without David's help, even Imara's contributions weren't going to be enough. . . .

I felt something in me give way, and my next breath felt wet and labored. Pain flared through

me. I tasted blood, coughed, and felt warmth spray out of my mouth.

''No,'' David whispered. ''Ashan . . . please . . .''

Ashan didn't speak, not even to refuse.

Another element of the attack against me broke with an almost physical shock. I could count

them now: three. Three of them left, but one was unbelievably strong, much stronger than I was.

Stronger than I could ever hope to be.

My legs gave out. I fell to my knees, hardly felt the impact. Part of the carpet was on fire now,

and none of the Djinn were reacting to the emergency. I heard the shriek of the smoke alarm

going off, and knew that I was on the verge of creating yet another disaster, one that could claim

the lives of the innocent people living around me.

I closed my eyes and found one last tiny pool of strength. With that last drop of power, I pushed

back. Two of the three attackers dropped away, surprised by my sudden aggression, and I saw

the last one clearly.

On the aetheric, he burned a brilliant white, less a person than a star bound in human form. I

couldn't see his features, but I could see where he was, in the instant before he cut off his attack

and disappeared into the boiling mass of confusion stirred up by the attack like the smoke in the

apartment.

I'd won.

I pitched forward to my hands and knees, gasping in thick, tainted breaths, coughing and

wheezing. My mouth was full of blood, and my coughs brought up more of it. I was

hemorrhaging from my lungs, too weak to save myself, too weak to control the fire taking hold

around me, or cleanse the air I was breathing. No. You can't die now. You won!

Winning isn't everything. You need to have something left, in the end, to move on. This was the

very definition of a Pyrrhic victory.

I realized that I was staring at David, still on his knees, held pinned and helpless by Ashan. His

face was the color of ashes, and his eyes an unholy, almost demonic red, consumed with pain

and pent-up fury.

''She survived,'' Ashan said, and I heard a note of pure surprise in his voice. I felt a surge of

power move through the apartment. The siren cut off; the air turned sweet again. No more

sparks. Before my watering eyes, the curtain knitted itself into its original unburned form, and

the carpet healed itself.

That wasn't David's doing. I could tell that he was blocked by Ashan here, completely cut off.

Helpless. The bodyguards wouldn't have dared take that kind of initiative, which left only the

last person I'd have ever expected to do me a kindness.

Ashan was staring at me with half-closed, thoughtful eyes. I couldn't read his expression. I was

too tired to even try.

''Go on and finish me off,'' I said hoarsely. ''I can't stop you.''

''I know,'' he said. It was the first time I'd heard him speak with such a level tone, no trace of

hate or contempt. ''You fought well. Almost like a Djinn. But you're not a Djinn anymore, and

you never will be again.'' After another pause, I thought I heard him say, very quietly, ''Pity.''

He let David go and stepped back. David didn't hesitate. Ashan ceased to exist for him the

instant the barriers fell, and he lunged to me and gathered me in his arms. I felt healing power

cascade through me in burning, almost painful urgency, and I shuddered and buried my face

against his neck.

''Jo?'' He whispered it with his lips against my skin. His hands were everywhere on me, frantic,

protective. ''I'm sorry. I'm so sorry.''

I felt tears welling up, and whether they were shock or relief or the delayed effects of fear, I

couldn't tell. I didn't have any defenses left, not even against myself. I wanted to lie down on my

side, curl up, and weep myself into unconsciousness in his embrace, but instead, I lifted my

head-which felt as if it weighed about a hundred pounds-and focused on Ashan. His

expression was closed and still, but I thought I saw something in it that hadn't been there before.

''It was necessary, you know,'' he said. ''Necessary you stop before it's too late.'' Which wasn't

an apology, but the fact that he felt compelled to explain himself was an enormous change.

David growled, deep in his throat, and I stilled him with a hand on his cheek, still looking at

Ashan.

''Thank you. I won't expect it again,'' I said. I saw a flash in his cool eyes, and he bent his head

a fraction of an inch.

And then he misted away, and his bodyguards followed, giving me a range of stares from

curiosity to anger.

One faded in. Venna, still in black. I curled closer to David, taking comfort in the heat of his

body, the strength of his embrace. I was shaking all over, and couldn't seem to stop. It wasn't

just physical injury. I'd come close, so desperately close-in some indefinable way, I felt more

fragile now than I ever had, despite the fact that I'd won.

I wouldn't have wanted to show so much vulnerability to Ashan, but it was different with Venna.

She'd seen me crying, filthy, beaten, broken. She'd never made judgments, not in the way that

Ashan would.

I felt the soft touch of her hand stroking my hair.

''You had to win alone,'' Venna said. ''I am sorry. I couldn't help. It was a human matter, not

for the Djinn.''

I gulped air and nodded. David wasn't so understanding. He let out that low, vicious growl

again, and Venna sat back on her heels, clearly taking the warning very seriously. I couldn't tell

if it angered her, but I doubted it. She seemed to understand his desperation.

She studied the two of us with a sorrowful and composed expression, like a graveyard angel.

''Your enemies are much worse than you are. You should be prepared for the fight.''

I croaked, ''Who? Who are they?''

''You know,'' she said, and stood up. ''You knew before, and you will again. You saw him. You