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I flung my still-new Earth Warden powers deep into the foundations of the building in whichup the structure It was taking a beating, but the wood responded tointo an at least teher, but it also fell within -fast shell of stability in a world that wouldn’t hold together for long

I reached out, in the aetheric, and connected with the other Earth Warden; together, ere able to blanket part of the rift with power, like pouring superglue on an open wound Not a h I didn’t know enough about how to balance the forces of the Earth; it was different froy of Fire or the massive, ponderous fury of Weather It had all kinds of slow, unstoppablein its way

Help, I said to the other Earth Warden - not that talking was really talking on the aetheric It was crude coe I watched as he spread himself thin, and his aura settled deep into the heart of the boiling red of the disturbance

Oh, hell no No as I going there

Then again, if I didn’t, I was leaving him alone to do the dirty work - the potentially fatal dirty work

I took a deep metaphorical breath, steadied myself, and stepped off the cliff

Sensations are different on the aetheric - properly, they’re not sensations at all, because all the nerve endings are still firmly planted down on terra firma But the e, and so what it felt like to ue, waspressure - being squeezed, lightly at first, thendeeper and deeper, but this didn’t feel like liquid; it felt hter

I faltered and nearly bugged out, but I caught a glimpse of the other Warden He was below me, only a bit farther, and I decided that if he could do it, I had to Doent, and if I’d had an actual, physicalby the tiot there

His aetheric forth hair and the ghost of a guitar slung across his back - was kneeling down, studying so I joined hi

I’d never seen anything like it in the aetheric, but I didn’t need a college course to tell it was very, very bad It looked like soes, wickedly pointed at the end It was plunged deep into the ground, or what represented the ground up here

The Earth Warden reached out and touched it, and from the way he jerked back, it was a very painful experience

Well, I hadn’t cohon the receiving end of a live power cable, only not aselse - and looked wordlessly atwe should rise I nodded Up ent, slowly, letting the pressure bleed off I didn’t suppose we’d get the bends in the aetheric, but it didn’t see froh esture that was clear even in the aetheric - thuer toward histo call me I nodded and waved, and dropped out of the aetheric, back into my body

The earthquake had stoppedtemporarily, at least The dress shop was a mess - plaster cracked, ner label So me Cherise She had her hands fisted in er and she was shaking too e

I helped her out by lurching toon the store’s other occupants, including the clerk Apart froh hair, makeup, and wardrobe had been sacrificed to sweat, tears, and sifting plaster dust

I made Cherise sit down on a bench and stood for a h the structure, looking forthat couldn’t be braced, and nothing that would come down unexpectedly, unless there was another hard jolt like the first one, which I couldn’t guarantee wouldn’t happen

I pulled , and walked to the front, where plate glass s had once been They were now a glitter of broken frag out in the street, which was a hazard in itself, as drivers tried to navigate their way through to check on their families, their homes, their businesses Nobody looked badly hurt, but everybody looked shell-shocked Earthquakes in California came with the territory, but in Florida?

I answered the call "Joanne Baldwin"

"Warden, it’s Luis Rocha Earth Warden We , up in the aetheric I didn’t know his voice, but I liked it - warm, brisk, efficient No wasted words "Everybody okay there?"

"Looks like" No wasted words here, either, apparently "Good work up there"

"You too, but I’ is , but whatever it is, it needs looking into"

"You think it’s the cause of what just happened?"

"Any place can have earthquakes, but not without sons, and there weren’t any External cause, has to be That thing - it seems to be the epicenter, and no way is that supposed to be there"

I frowned "You think it could do e?"

"Don’t know, but I wouldn’t leave it there We need to figure out what this thing is, fast"

"My job," I said "I’ll get the Djinn on it You do your thing, Warden Rocha, and thank you Excellent job"

I heard the grin in his voice "Yeah, well, put it on my bonus schedule Adios, señora"

"Adios," I said, and hung up I slipped the phone into my pocket and wondered, for the first tiht here," David said, appearing out of thin air in midstride He was dressed for business, not pleasure - sturdy blue jeans, a plain shirt, thick boots, and his long olive-drab coat Glasses, too They glittered like ice in the reflected shine frolass He didn’t halt at a polite distance; he caht up and put his hands aroundaway plaster dust, and placed a warm kiss on my forehead I felt the various aches and pains o still and calm I hadn’t even realized how tense I was

"What kept you?" My tone stayed dry, although I had a strange desire to burst into tears "Next tihed and put his arood idea; it’s the law," he re way that only Djinn can He’d noabout not wearing white after Labor Day "Sorry We were busy"

"Yeah, no kidding Busy here, too What’s - " My phone rang I stepped back froetic what-can-you-do lift of my hands, and answered, "Baldwin"

It was my friend and (technically) boss, Lewis, and he was uncharacteristically angry "What the hell did you think you were doing?" he demanded He was someplace close, or at least equally affected; I could hear the rising babble of confused voices and car alar to be damn lucky if the whole eastern seaboard isn’t in chaos by the end of the day!"