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"Aldonza Araujo," she said, and her handshake grew a little ht "Aldonza,infor for ota French-ed my route, and I’d somehow ended up on the opposite side of where I should have been Port, not starboard, in nautical tero around this way," she said

I frowned down at the ray

"Those are service areas, o that way"

"I’ as off-liuests

You knohat I mean?"

She did, but her smile instantly froze solid "I - I am sorry, but I can’t - we’re not allowed - "

"Aldonza" I interrupted her gently enough, but firned the waivers, right? The Wardens explained to you what kind of risk was involved in staying on this ship?"

She nodded mutely I could sense that she wanted to pull away fro a hole in her head Instead of asking, she just waited

"The fact is, we’re not going to be regular passengers," I said "Think of us as police, but we do need to know everything about this ship we can, fronificant details It could mean the difference between life and death for everybody on board if things get worse" I watched that sink in, but Aldonza still shook her head in refusal "I can’t let you in, not without soulations"

"Okay, you can tell et there, and if I happen to stumble accidentally into the crew areas, then it’s not your fault, right?" She hesitated "Please, Aldonza It could be important I proineer too, but in They think they know everything You are the guys who really understand the ship"

She actually laughed, covering her mouth with her hand, as if too loud a sound was definitely Not Done in the posh areas, at least not earing a uniforreed, but she sobered frohter far too quickly "It’s not possible for you to go through the crew area without being seen and stopped The ship has lots of surveillance Ca in such close quarters If they don’t know you and you’re in off-limits areas, they’ll call security and escort you out" She was shaking her head again, clearly talking herself out of even trying it "We have very good security people It’s not worth the risk Talk to the captain or the Executive Officer"

I tried to i prepared to deal with even a rade Warden, much less somebody like me or Lewis or the Djinn I failed "Okay," I said, because Aldonza clearly was feeling more and more uncomfortable "I suppose it’s a bad idea anyway I’ll take the long way around - But, just for future reference, what do the crew-area doors look like?"

Aldonza blinked "I thought you knew"

Huh? My confusion istered, because she looked behind me at a simple door with a swipe card lock labeled PRIVATE

"Oh," I said "Right Thanks"

She clearly thought I was crazy, and she wasn’t about to get fired over it Frolances she threw back atto- at least not before she was safely away from the scene of the crime

Couldn’t really bla until she’d had plenty of escape time I marked the location of the crew door on it and noted the locations of the surveillance caht open, with a relatively minor pulse of power I could fritz out the cameras, too

But the truth was, I could do that anytiht noasn’t my first choice I just wanted to reach my soft, expensively appointed bed

I looked up at the surveillance eyes focused on where I stood, sighed, and took the long way around

I still got lost This huge floating palace was like sohts were on, but there see It was made to be inhabited, to be full of life and fun and conversation, and instead there was just fear The few people I spotted were staff (crew?) going about their business

I somehow ended up on the Grand Promenade, or at least that hat I read on theout over the ocean Overhead, the sky was nail gray, and the water looked just as hard and unfriendly, with sharp-edged waves The Grand Paradise was big and heavy enough to cleave its way through like a knife, even at the labored speed ere

The promenade was deserted, too I stood in the cla of the waves, and then I yawned and felteven heavier

So tired

At least, I was tired until I felt a hot, seductive tingle on my back, just over the shoulder blade That jerked me back to full alert like a jab from a cattle prod

I didn’t make any more stops on n of Cherise downstairs - I sat down, closed my eyes, and focused on David I can’t really describe the connection between the two of us; the cere had been interrupted by Bad Bob’s attack, and technically not really finished - had pulled us together, bound us in ways that even now I couldn’t understand, except that it made it easier to call him when I needed hi out of the air in a swirl of gray and gold There was so blank in his eyes this ti both terrible and important He’d been with Lewis I wondered how bad it was

Then he took a deep breath and willed it ahatever it was

"The ," I said, without any preamble at all He took on human form and flesh and sat down next to me He felt warm as summer, and he smelled faintly of spices and real, huers unbuttoned my cotton camisole and pushed it down my arms, and then he unhooked my bra and slid it off There was no seduction in it, or at least not as much as I’d have liked; he was very focused on the job at hand

When his fingertips pressed on the black torch asped He spread his whole left hand over it, and the heat spread, increased to an agonizing burn that felt as if it should coht ar hi suddenness, the fire turned to ice, a chill that ripped all the way through me, and I shuddered When I exhaled, my breath frosted the air in delicate feathers that vanished in seconds

I couldn’t feel the e relief But, as David trailed his fingers over it, I realized that I could feel less of the area around it, too The nu