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It kind of pissed ing David, I stood there in front of the glass , practically daring the storm to do its worst If I’d still been a Warden, it probably would have taken me up on it, too--but a normal human? It didn’t even knoas there That wouldn’t keep it fro else that got in its way, but it wasn’t personal

I would officially be collateral dae Which really pissed , and this ti on a pole not far away The pole caught fire, blazing like a creosote-save the whole thing a hellish glow that was really, really unsettling

"I think we need to get out of here," I said David was already out of bed and dressing in the dark--cursing softly in a language I didn’t recognize, mainly because he probably hadn’t had to dress himself in the dark for, oh, about five thousand years, and in those days, there weren’t quite as ?"

His cursing got louder as he knocked the receiver off, but paused when he checked the line "Yes," he said, and handed it to ht with pants I dialed Cherise’s roo

"Holy crap, we need to go!" she said breathlessly "That’s what you were going to say, right?"

"That’s what I was going to say"

"So glad I didn’t unpack the luggage froo first and unlock the doors, okay? Because I a up before I could tell her that the castle had called and wanted its princess back She was right, actually I had the keys I was the point person for this little expedition

"Stay here until I get everything open," I told David, and tossed a towel over my head as I opened up the door The wind proainst the ith a crash, and knocked ot control and leaned into it

Then I stepped outside, into the teeth of the monster

I didn’t dare look up, or around, or anywhere but at the Boss, sitting there with its chro off it in silver strings, and I lunged for the driver’s-side door, got in, and ain, honking the horn Cherise’s door opened, and Kevin ran out, heading for the other side of the car

Cherise followed hi wind like a post- happy-hour drunk on her clunky platform shoes The wind definitely made that flirty little South Beach dress not safe for anywhere, but in seconds rain had flattened it securely down against her body It was the next best thing to a swimsuit, really Not that

I didn’t feel it co the way I would have as a Warden I felt the hairs rise onto escape my body, and for a blank second I wondered, What the heck is that?

And then a pure white bolt of power hit Cherise

The force of it blewit The shock lasted for at least three heartbeats, and then the cold rain brought me back around and I realized that Cherise had just been struck by lightning

I staggered up Cherise was still standing there, exactly as she had been Wisps of steas, up from her hair, and I screa for her to collapse into my arms

Instead, she opened her eyes, looked at ed, blissful expression, and said,

"Wow That feltgreat"

I stopped, fighting for balance in more ways than one She looked utterly relaxed

Unafraid Maybe it was some weird side effect?

No, I realized No, it wasn’t, because over the two of us, the rain had stopped falling It was running off a clear shield that enclosed us in a warm, still cone of air

I knehat that was I’d done it myself, many times

Not Cherise Cherise doesn’t have Warden powersShe can’tShe never

The shock was slowing me down, obviously, because I should have known already David did, as he threw open the door of the Mustang and got out again I saw the sudden, rigid set to his body, and the way he went coot out, too, and in the next lightning flash his face looked ghostly and haunted, his eyes gone huge as he stared at Cherise He looked eone up into the aetheric, and for a few seconds his body was just a waiting shell Then he flinched and shook his head "It can’t be," he said

"She’s--she’s--"

"She’s got Warden powers," I said flatly "What are the odds that they came from someone else but me?"

Cherise smiled, warm and sweet and lovely, and said, "And it is aweso! Like I’, everywhere in the world--there’s all this energy, and--"

"Cher!" I grabbed her by the shoulders, hard, and shook her until the bliss faded from her eyes "Cherise, listen to me You’re not trained You have no idea what you’re doing Don’t--"

Electric shocks zapped through ht upblow all the way to the Mustang I foundall over My er moved at Djinn speed, but he was just as fast as anya threat to someone he loved, and as I tried to shake off the shock he did a classic cop roll over the hood of the car and went for her

Kevin summoned up a fireball and dropped it neatly between David and Cherise, sendingback "Don’t try it, man," Kevin said "It’s not her fault"

I wasn’t the only one in shock Cherise hadn’t iven h between her and David, she let out a sharp, horrified cry and dropped to her knees next to me in the filthy water "Oh my God, Jo, I didn’t o ofat her hands

I coughed and sat up My ribs ached I could feel residual tre , if rapidly, and I was in control enough to be able to push dripping hair back out of my eyes Even if it felt like a lot of effort to do so "I think that provesround of coughing

David tried to get to me Kevin ry--angry enough to do anything

He was only hu to fool around with There was still a trace of Djinn in there somewhere; I could just feel it--even if it was only a memory of power It made hied through the fire

Kevin yelped, surprised, and da the ones that had taken hold of David’s clothes even in that brief instant of contact David ignored the burns He grabbed Kevin and slaainst the car with a hand around his throat, and I saw his hten Kevin’s eyes widened, and he clawed at David’s hand, wheezing