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Of course, I was interfering with Fire Wardens and Weather Wardens ere already doing their assigned jobs Well, that hy I was the boss, right? That hat bosses did Interfere (My bosses always had, anyway Although, colass door behind led the phone over my shoulder I turned, eyebrows raised in silent question, and David just shrugged his own shoulders in response

David was always lovely to look at, but he was especially pleasing at sunset, when the red sky picked up bronze tints in his skin and highlighted the supernatural sparks in his eyes Which were currently the color of old pennies, but taking on a brighter hue as I watched

He waggled the phone again, significantly I sighed and took it "Hello?"

I wasn’t prepared for the volume that erupted out of the phone "Joanne, would you please butt out already? Jeez, woo relax!"

The voice on the other end was Paul Giancarlo, and the tone was a Jersey bellow, barely contained by the phone’s speaker I held the phone farther frooing?"

"The fire is going fine, and you need to quit screwing around You are not on duty I have coverage on the da you? Because three days is kind of a long-"

"Kid Stop already We’re on top of it!"

"Let uy in the entire Wardens organization who had the right to telland-yes, I could admit it-a little insufferable

"Lewis doesn’t want to talk to you Leants me to tell you to butt out Get it? You’re on vacation Vacate"

He hung up on me I stared at the phone, surprised and a little wounded David took it froers, put it on the patio table behind me, and said, "I assume he told you your assistance isn’t required No, actually I don’t assume that I overheard"

"Eavesdropper"

"People three doors down heard it," he said "Not a great feat of supernatural detection"

Busted I glared at hiry at David Especially when he gave ain, anyway, and I heard hio I kno hard it is for you, but you need to let other people handle their jobs"

"Three days!" I said, pointing an accusing finger toward the smoke "Come on, you don’t think they could have been a little ressive about it?"

"You knoell as I do that so it out," he said, and stepped between ration Not that he wasn’t, you know, burning hot Because he definitely was, and I feltdistracted

"Stop that," I said Not with a lot of strength

"Stop what?" He reached for my hands, and I shivered as a breeze moved across my back, which was left mostly bare by the sky blue halter top I had on Florida had been kind to e; lots of sun, lots of untroubled cloud-free beaches It was as if the Wardens themselves had conspired to make my vacation uneventful, at least on the weather front

And that had been okay, for the first couple of days And then I’d gotten a little bitbored

Not that David couldn’t entle pressure of his fingershtly wounded frown

"Making you?"

"You knohat I mean"

"No, I don’t, actually You think I’ you?"

"You’re Djinn," I said "Manipulating people is basically built into your DNA But-I didn’t mean that I’ I just-"

"You want to be taking action," he said "Yes I know"

"What I don’t need is a vacation" I stepped back froalong nicely Great accoolden-browning

"Oh, I think you definitely do," David said, and draped himself over the other chair, curled toward me, chin propped on his fist "I have never met anyone who needed to learn to relaxa lot I still didn’t have any clear idea of how old David really was, only that his birth date was so far back in history that the idea of calendars had been newfangled He’d been around,ht about it

Before I could apologize to hiain I picked up the cordless extension, pressed the button and said, "Yes?"

A businesslike voice on the other end said, "May I speak with Joanne Baldwin?"

"Speaking" I rolled my eyes at David Another attempt to sell me flood insurance or steel hurricane shutters I readied the I’m in an aparts

"Ms Baldwin, hello, ative reporter with The New York Tianization known as the Wardens"

I blinked, andto behold, because David slowly straightened up in his chair, leaning forward "You-sorry, what? What did you say?"

"Phil Garrett The New York Ti about the Wardens I have soht in my throat "Got another call, hold on" In a panic, I hit the END button and put the phone down on the table, staring at it like it had grown eight legs and was about to scuttle "Oh my God"

"What?" David asked He looked interested, not alar again I didn’t move to pick it up David took it and said, pleasantly, "Yes?" A pause while he listened "I see Mr Garrett, I’ht now What’s your deadline?" Hisnot to s now I could hardly breathe, I felt so cold "I see That’s fairly soon Miss Baldwin is actually on vacation right now-maybe there’s someone else you can-" Another pause, and his eyes darted to mine "You were referred by the New York office of the Wardens"

I mouthed, blankly, What? David lifted one shoulder in a half shrug

This could not be happening

"I’ll have her call you back," David said, hung up, and put the phone back on the table He leaned forward, hands folded, watching me "You’re scared"