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He shook his head "There’s no danger If there was, I’d know"

Which was just crazy But he earnestly see me the truth

I took the cell phone and called Lewis "Where are you?"

"Just got here," he said I heard his breath huffing; he and what sounded like an elephant herd of people were jogging up the stairs "Okay, I see it Box in front of the door"

"That’s it," I said "Be careful"

"I’ a boot bomb robots now? Cool"

"It’s on loan fro to like it if I get it blown up, though I’ll call you back"

Hoear? Wow When had we actually come up in the world like that? Apparently, while I’d been unconscious in a hospital bed for so or other, or on the run I wasn’t sure if I liked it Part of the reason the Wardens had existed for so long in secrecy had been the low profile The encies, the et attention, and any attention was bad

I remembered the reporters, and shivered They had a job to do, and although they’d grant e the subject," David said "The wedding Where do you want to have it? At the chapel?"

There was only one chapel for us - Imara’s home, the Chapel of the Holy Cross I nodded slowly "But we’d have to have it in secret," I said "After hours They don’t do official weddings there"

"I could work it out," he said I was sure that was true, actually "It won’t hold tooreception It works"

He nodded, staring straight ahead into the rolling surf, the eternal sky "Are you all right?"

"Me? Sure" I dredged up a laugh "Why wouldn’t I be? Just because soh the ently "If you’re worried about the wedding, you can still change your mind"

I draped an elbow overmy chin on my forearm "I really don’t think I can," I said "And I really don’t think I want to" I felt a cold breath ofso doubts about us - "

"No," David said immediately "I’m just concerned for you You seemunreasonably upset I just can’t understand how you can be so convinced and upset about soht I was crazy "David," I said, "we’re not going to convince each other on this stuff Are we?"

He shook his head ruefully

"Then let’s stop trying" I reached out He tookin my stomach quieted "So if we can have only twenty people at the cereo first"

"All right One name at a time" I took a deep breath "Cherise" Safe He nodded

"Lewis," he said, which surprised me, but I supposed it shouldn’t have He and Lewis had known each other long before I ever set eyes on David

"Uetic smile "I can hardly leave her out of the invitation She’d only show up if we didn’t invite her"

She would, just to be a pain in the ass Djinn What can you do? "Fine," I said "Howus? Six" He studied ain "Seven with a minister Do you want to invite your sister?"

"Oh hell no," I said "Psycho sister Sarah is not welcome She’s caused o withVenna"

David’s eyebroitched, either in surprise or amusement, or maybe some of both Venna was a Djinn, but she was on Ashan’s side of the fence; she’d done both of us favors, but as with ood or bad, really Still, she was alwaysinteresting "She ht interest her But she wouldn’t coot an actual laugh "It would be politically wise"

"And personally stupid because if I see hiain, I swear I’ll rip off whatever passes for his - "

He kissed me It was meant to be a shut-me-up kiss, quick and sweet, but it turned warainst hi Ashan," he said when he letto play nice if he shows up Which he won’t But it will be wise to ask him"

I made a noise that brides-to-be probably shouldn’t ain

We had so , dresses, tuxedosWe didn’t talk about any of it Instead, David pressed his lips to the pulse atLet’s plan the honeymoon Better yet, let’s rehearse"

I’d been recovering for weeks, andwith my body, but when he said that, I felt a fast, hot flush of desire Aside fro I was fragile

Now he sent waves of energy flowing into ht ht here?" I asked "In the car?"

"I think I said before, the seats do recline" Being a Djinn, he didn’t even have to crook a finger to make it happen My seat slipped back, nearly level, and I made a sound low inthe strap ofback fabric

"Wait," I said, and sat up again "There’s a motel half a mile back"

He looked surprised, and a little disappointed I kissed hi no," I proI want lots of time, and a bed If it’s a rehearsal, let’s make it a full undress rehearsal"

"Oh," David ht, then"

Chapter Five

The rain hit while ere lying twined together, sweaty and completely satisfied, on thesleazy, and the roo ocean views We’d drawn the curtains, though, for privacy No s really aren’t ers on the beach

I listened to the patter of drops on glass and rested ainst his bare chest He had a heartbeat, and his lungs worked just like any man’s In fact, he was all the way hu his postcoital drowsiness His fingers co, the way it had been when he’d first seen me

"How’d we do?" I asked, and his hand left my hair to softly stroke my arm, skim my side, wrap possessively around me

"I think we need more practice," he said "I don’t think I quite had that last part right"