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"Soht," he assured me solemnly "Walk with me"

"Where?" I didn’t e

"Someplace quiet"

"You mean with feitnesses" I was too close to the exit not to take advantage "Look veni, vendi, vici I ca Try to stop me if you want But in this dress, you’d better believe people are going to notice, especially when I start screaave him a sweet smile In the shoes, I was at least two inches taller than he was "And then I’ll start an electrical storm that’ll disrupt every circuit in this place and fry half the computers, at least Then I’ll du and short out the slot machines Do you think they have flood insurance out here?"

Quinn wasn’t aave me a hard look "Don’t be stupid, Joanne You know I can hurt you I can’t sling around ic spells, but I can definitely hurt you" Great He had a dress iured

I leaned closer and put my lips next to his ear "Let me lay it on the line for you, Quinn We’re not in some private roohtning bolts out of pure spite We’re right out in the open, and I’ out the door If you want to stop uns out here, because you’re going to need ’em"

He took my arm I broke free, stepped back, and raised my voice "Hey! Please don’t touch hter’s panties!" It stopped traffic and drew even athered power into my hands, felt the easy response of the aetheric, and sent a stiff breeze through the lobby It rattled papers and stirred some exclamations from the clerks at the counter Lifted a few full skirts, to feminine exclamations and male appreciation I played to him this tiht me I’m not afraid of a little dra in full view of the Security Council"

He stopped, staring into ain Quinn was nobody to underestimate "They’ll kill you, you keep this up" He flicked his gaze around There were unifor?" Oh, he was quick He kneasn’t trying to get away, or I’d have broken for the doors already

"Leaving," I lied Leaving would just have multipliedout the door The wind stirreddark cloud "I won’t go down easy, and you’re going to have a hell of a lot of explaining to do Why do I get the feeling that’s not a happy thing, with those guys? I’ they don’t like failure any more than they like bad manners and displays of power in the hotel lobby"

He was silent for a few seconds, then n that stopped security in its tracks We were no longer the center of attention; tourists were exclai on to their suitcases as I let the air swirl and circle Not even an FO on the Fujita scale yet, but enough to cause a real reaction Quinn’s suit coat fluttered, outlining the gun underneath He wasn’t reaching for it, but then I wasn’t under the delusion he needed to

"I like you," he said, and flashed ot style; that’s rare"

"Love you too," I said "And now I’lass wall of doors and the glea ass of the sphinx outside

Someone stepped into my path, s a silver-handed black cane, in the best tradition of his generation Charles Ashworth II had a kind of grave dignity that wasn’t affected by the wind swirling around him

"Desist," he said toI let the wind beco shrieks of alareted Quinn and knocked hiust straight for Ashworth

It didn’t so much as ruffle his silver hair

"Don’t be stupid," he said "You can’t hurtto sit still and get fried like your chicken dinner this ti, well aware that it was destabilizing the currents inside the hotel, that it was spreading out in a dark wave of imbalance over the aetheric "Get out of the way or I’ll return the favor"

He gestured with his cane, pointing behindform up on the aetheric "I warn you, ill stop you And on’t be gentle"

A Djinn Bingo Plan B had actually yielded a decent outcome, for once

"Rahel!" I yelled, and spun around to face the Djinn that was just"Dinnertime!"

The Djinn was fa ofover Lewis’s house in Connecticut, weeks ago He wasn’t the type to bother with s; he had a Mr Clean sensibility, with a shaved head and bare chest and Arabian Nights pants His legs disappeared into eted hih to rip carpet froed black embrace Rahel folded around hi

Rahel was very hungry I felt a sickening qualher Maybe she wouldn’t be able to destroy hi too well I hadn’t actually planned on getting out of the Luxor, except under the color of an escort; on et for Jonathan and Kevin Well, I’d just have to take the risk

I’d lost track of Ashworth, but he announced hi that cane across the back of ered, went down to one knee, and shook off the sparks I sensed hirappling with Quinn this ti in my ear Ashworth hammered me with another hard blow in the back that sent sunbursts of agony up and down , but our little tussle was lost in the general confusion I’d started The as still tearing around ai loose fro crackled and twisted out of control, waking sparks frohts flashed, coins poured out Blue lightning jued

"Stop it!" Quinn was shouting at ed me back to my feet "Don’this shins with the sharp toes, digging spiked heels into his instep

Ashworth landed another hard crack with the cane across h n of Rahel or the Djinn in the chaos They were gone

"Stop!" Quinn yelled in nored hih the casino area, flipping cards into the air, sending dice tu off of the tables My lovely dark-haired TV star yelped as his pile of chips took flight fro for Capistrano

Chaos There was so really, really petty about the satisfaction I felt, but I couldn’t really regret it

Ashworth’s cane caught ue and s on the aetheric But sound didn’t travel on the aetheric, did it? No, it wasn’t speech, it was soht Power Connections

Don’t fight, Jo Let go

I knew him Knew the voice, or the frequency, or the tenor of his power Knew the whispering colors of his aura as he wrapped o

It wasn’t Quinn There was so me away I felt safe and dreamily peaceful

I felt whole

I opened my eyes and saw David’s beautiful, intense face, those dark brown eyes flaring bright copper as they stared down at me

"Can’t leave you alone for a minute," he said, and his lips curved into a smile "Love the dress"

The wind stopped The electricity stopped arcing