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My eyes, in the mirror, ide and empty He can have me, any time he wantsto fight Bad Bob

Then I had to

We settled up daure, for which I was very grateful I hoped the Wardens’ bank account wouldn’t snap under the strain I changed out of the lovely wedding dress alone, not daring to let anybody - especially Cherise - catch a look at the brand-new black tattoo I was sporting When I came out of the bedroom dressed in jeans and a purple knit shirt, the entire crowded roo

"What?" I snapped "Never saw anybody left at the altar before?" Wow Being dumped made me bitchy, which was, of course, a brave front I didn’t feel bitchy; I feltalone I felt as if one the dead, burned color of the torch on, preferably Bad Bob, until the sun burned out, but I’d have settled for anyone who said soht at that moment

Nobody did Cherise finally stood up and said, "Let me take that"

Oh The dress It was draped over my arm like a limp silk corpse I held it out to her, and she zipped it safely back in its protective plastic cocoon

"Probably should get that back to the store," I said I was trying to disconnect, trying to shut off allpretty successful at it, too

Cherise looked devastated, as if I’d admitted defeat "No," she said "Ue" She put on her determined face, which was just cute, and dared me to say otherwise "You’ll have to keep it"

"What for?" I asked "Not like we’re going to get a do-over on the wedding" And that nearly broke me I wanted David I wanted him to manifest out of the thin air and sweep one and all to be right with the world, for once

That wasn’t going to happen At least, it wasn’t going to happen unless I made it happen All that is necessary for evil to triu I supposed old Edmund Burke had meant to include women in that And if he hadn’t, well, screw him

"What’s the plan?" I asked Lewis Lewis seeht, but that was probably because, in his typical fashion, he was s at once Now, he looked up, met my eyes, and I had a second of icy doubt Could he see what Bad Bob had done to me? No If he could have, Paul would have been busted for a Sentinel the second Lewis laid eyes on him Whatever Bad Bob had done to me, it was invisible to the Wardens And the Djinn, I reminded myself David hadn’t tipped to Paul’s betrayal, either

I knew I should say so it real

I’d be adot most of his support, I think; he’s isolated, et hi to go after the Oracles," I said "After hter, Lewis I can’t let that happen"

He didn’t argue the point "He won’t go after anybody if we don’t give hi that can counter what he’s got?" Meaning, the Un And his sheer, horrible power

"Maybe," Lewis said "But I think this is going to behie than a blitz attack"

The light dawned "You knohere he is"

"He’s at the Wardens’ safe house, on the beach," he said "He didn’t try to hide it He’s inviting us to coet him"

"Which means it’s a trap"

Lewis nodded "But what are our options? We’ve lost the Djinn, but if we don’t go for hiain Even if Bad Bob’s got control of Rahel, we may never have a better opportunity"

No, I didn’t like it This was Bad Bob’s version of our wedding - an obvious, juicy target, just waiting for us to strike it "We can wait hih the aetheric, like a Djinn How do you propose we seal him off, without the Djinn’s cooperation?"

Lewis had a point We needed to get Bad Bob to fight us on our ter

Thatready to turn the trap to our advantage

Leas thinking of so I hadn’t, but then, he usually was "Your link to David It’s still holding?"

I went still, listening It was - slender as a silk thread, but strong as steel I couldn’t reach hi me, but I could feel him I nodded

"Can you draer frole of energy creep along the link froolden, unfocused glow formed in my palm

Lewis didn’t look happy with the outcome, which surprised me until he said, "Then you’re the one who has the best chance He’ll send you energy to keep you alive, and as the Conduit, he’s got access to ive you the edge you need to defeat Rahel, if it comes to that And Bad Bob"

I needed to tell hi and fatal truth any longer I shook the glow out like a match and opened my mouth to explain about the mark Bad Bob had burned into my back - about le word

"Jo?"

I focused past him, to the delicate, antique desk in the corner There was creaht there, just waiting forif I couldn’t force my voice box to cooperate

Except I couldn’t so much as uards

"Nothing," I heard ht Send me in I think I’m your best bet"

Lewis didn’t seem happy with it, but I knew he’d do it "Not alone," he said "I’ve already got teao with you"

"No, you won’t," I said, and I h The Wardens need a leader, and like it or not, you’re it I’m expendable"

"Don’t say that," he said Not, I noticed, a denial, just an avoidance Leas far too practical not to realize that I was right about that "I said you had the best chance, but we can do this another way, Jo All you have to do is say the word, and we’ll - "

"Lose? Yeah, that works great Good plan" I felt tears sting my eyes "Come on Have I ever backed off fro to live for?"

He flinched at that one, but he didn’t look away "No," he said "Bad Bob knows that, too He’s going to count on it Don’t let hi I don’t think I can stand that You mean too much tohow he felt about ht out in public The rooh whether they aiting for more revelations or for me to reject him, I couldn’t tell