Page 14 (2/2)

"Well?" I asked "What now?"

"Now," Marion said, "we see if we can detere"

"Here?"

"Here’s fine I don’t need you to wear a funny open-back dress for this"

Lealked away I stared at Marion for a few seconds, frowning, and then nodded "All right What do you need me to do?"

"Relax and let me drive," she said "Eyes closed I want you to focus on a sound"

"What sound?" I closed ht the urge to open theain

"This one"

For a brief second I didn’t hear anything, but then I did, a lowLike the sound a deep-note chi

"Do you hear it?" Marion asked Her voice was soft and slow, blending with the sound of the chime I nodded "Concentrate on the sound Only on the sound"

It got louder, and the sa bright crystal, turning and reflecting rainbows A flower slowly unfurling its petals A chair rocking on a porch on a fresh, cool h , and somehoasn’t afraid of it The sound compelled me to stay quiet, stay still, suspended in time

"Hey," said a new voice I opened my eyes, or some part of me did; I could tell that ht

But part of me was somewhere else entirely In another reality

"Hey," I replied blankly I felt like I should know theacross fro familiar about him Tall, lean, athletic; a little bit like Lewis, but erous, if not ressively short A face that seemed harsh one moment, and amused the next When he s

"You don’t know me," he said "My name’s Jonathan"

"Umhi?" It felt like the real world, but somehow, I kneasn’t Illusion, uy? He s me a clue

"We don’t have a lot of ti to be brief You just acquired some skills that you’re not ready for Wasn’t oing to need the to be a little rocky Just thought sohed Chuckled, really "Used to be a lot of things Human, then Djinn Noell, there’s not really a word for what I am But there’s a word for what you are, kid Trouble"

Thison a couch in a living room-stone fireplace, clean lines,pictureoverlooking a field of nodding yellow sunflowers in full bloo, wasn’t it? It should have been fall at least, or full winter But herehere, it was suht, cloudless su to bounce you back in a second, but first I had to tell you so to you has never happened before Never That’s a big word, in h to ht to look for Ashan, but you’re going to have to do your part, too If you screw this thing up, I can’t help you Nobody can"

"Could you be a little less vague?"

"Yeah," he said He leaned back on the leather sofa to take a pull on the beer in his hand Cold, frosty beer It made me thirsty, and I didn’t even know if I liked beer "Do not, under any circu your life away If you die-if you let her kill you-you have no idea what kind of hell will coe? Stay alive?" I felt like pounding ainst the wall, only I wasn’t sure the as real enough "Great Great advice"

"Hey, don’t blame me Most people wouldn’t have to be told, but you? You seem to want to martyr up when you lose a quarter in the soda machine"

I didn’t know Jonathan, but I wasn’t liking him much "Funny"

"Not really, because it’s true My job is to take the long view, kid And right now, the long view is that you need to be selfish and stay alive Got it?"

I didn’t, and he could see it He shook his head, tipped the bottle up and drained it dry

"Crap, you really are always a pain in my ass, Joanne Not toDavid down, he’s going to lose everything, up to and including his life," he said "You see that, right?"

"I-what? No! I’m not-" But I was Lewis had said as much Even David had hinted around at it Which of course made me defensive "David’s free to do whatever he needs to do I’ him I never asked for any of this!"

Jonathan looked amused Impatient, but a to do with it, not anymore I’m just here to tell you to use your head for once"

Which had the effect of coh I was pretty sure he was supernatural, powerful, and could crushif he wanted And besides, hadn’t David said he was dead? I was pretty sure

So of course I blurted out, "Great You toldbetter than that to offer, butt the hell out!"

Jonathan’s dark eyes met mine, and they weren’t human eyes Not at all Not even close I was pretty sure that even the Djinn would flinch froen, heldvast and chilly behind it, only remotely concerned with me and my problems