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Kevin nodded, not looking overly concerned one way or the other Co Cherise, at least, frowned and looked cutely annoyed, but she finally agreed

Me, I was just hoping that wherever our newfound chauffeur was taking us had a bathroom, because I was in need Badly And my throat was parched, too

It only took another five minutes or so after that for our driver to pull off the freeway, expertly whip in and out of traffic (which he could do with i Djinn and therefore beyond the reach of human law enforcement), and pull to a stop in front of a

A ine and sat there like a ed looks I finally said, "Uh, hello? Instructions? Are we supposed to go shopping?"

His head turned Well, it was more of an Exorcist twist, really--like it was on a swivel, not connected to the rest of his body Creepy

Also creepy were his eyes, which continued to blaze an unearthly fire in a color that defied description

"Out," he said Just that And the passenger-side door flung itself open, David’s seat belt snapped back, and I felt a supernatural shove that sentout onto the pavement David collided with ’s door slaled at us from the backseat Cherise tried the door Locked She held up her hands in defeat andI wanted was for Cherise to try her hand at slinging some power around It wouldn’t end well for anyone concerned She was so far overht now that the Djinn in that car wouldn’t even have left a s her Not that she didn’t have the potential inside of her--she did, in spades--but she had zero ability to channel and control it She’d be more likely to blow herself, the mall, and whatever major metropolitan area ere in off the face of the Earth instead

"Right," I said, and steadied o in?"

"Seems like it," David said, and took my hand He smiled "Remember the first time you took ot suffocated"

"And you drove off and left ain"

"Not a chance"

We looked at the glass doors of the entrance like it was the gates of Hell, and after a second to gather our co mine, at least--we moved forward and into the mall

I don’t knohat I expected to happen-- supernatural place?--but on the other side of the doors was a busy food court, full of cheap tables and flashing neon and the smells of a dozen different kinds of food

Fa in packs, for who existed outside of their own insulated circle of friends Seniors in walking shoesindoor cos and a life of its own

"I love a good mall," I said to David, "but I really have no idea e’re supposed to do here I mean, I could use a pair of shoes "

"If you’re going to shop, you’d better get Cherise, or she’ll kill you," he pointed out "But I think we’re supposed to do so else"

"Well, it’d be nice if son"

At the far end of the food court was the neon- lit entrance to a iant TV screens, which I supposed was easier than the old stick-up letters

One of theest possible letters It said ENTER HERE

I cleared n?"

The letters ied to read ENTER NOW OR DIE

"I’d say so," David said "And not a welcon, either"

Didn’t see ofpast baby strollers and people just standing in the way When ere still twenty feet away, the lettering changed again

It said, in red flashing letters, FASTER

"Crap," I said, and dropped David’s hand to race him to the entrance That drew stares I wondered why nobody could see the sign, but then decided that the Oracle wanted it that way It was meant for us And it was

I plunged through the door under the flashing sign, just a step ahead of David, and stu, cool and da ondown onin the thick white mist

I reached back and flailed for David’s hand

He wasn’t there

I spun around and scissored ht there but he wasn’t He was nowhere within reach "David!" I shouted "David, can you hearIt felt as ifaroundsound It was like drowning in a cloud, andof claustrophobia intensified I held out --to tellblind, somehow It felt like I should be able to see, and

"Hey!" I yelled "Oracle? You wanted me, here I am!"

Theet a breath that didn’t feel like a ball was being shoved down my throat

A shape appeared out of the lass filled with the sa but a chilly kind of , and I realized that I was seconds away froet the Air Oracle to stop tor I could

I gave up

I stopped struggling, stopped trying to choke in a breath, and relaxed The hme in intimate and cold ways that felt repulsively invasive

I let it happen

The pressure of s let up, and I whooped in a breath of air just as the edge of en deprivation

Huht either It was ister in h asped, and suddenly theme to my hands and knees on the featureless white floor--except that it still felt likesensation that I was standing on a cloud, that only the Oracle’s whih the vapor tens of thousands of feet down to ht vibration came, this tiht