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"It doesn’t work that way"

I took one step closer and refused to look away, no th "You heal David, or I swear, I’ll tear you apart I’ll make it my mission"

Silence She didn’t answer irl Alice with her neon-blue eyes and ancient smile

"She can’t," Alice said "She was healed because she took power froer, and because of the death There’s no one here stronger than Rahel now And no death"

"I could arrange that" I glowered at Lazlo, who raised his eyebrows fastidiously

"It wouldn’t matter," Alice said "You need Jonathan, and he would have to give of hio with you to retrieve him He can’t remain in the hands of a" She made a face and said a word in Djinn A few of the other Djinn looked shocked Alice actually blushed

Whatever "Good Anybody else want in on this?"

The Djinn looked at each other One by one, they voted silently with their disappearances, until all that were left were Ashan, that cold bastard, and Alice

Ashan gave me an utterly subzero stare and said, "I will hold you responsible if you fail," and then he was gone

Alice gave ed, and skipped off into the shadows

So much for Djinn loyalty, apparently

"Fine Me and Rahel" I leveled a finger at Lazlo, as conferring quietly with two more of the Ma’at "Yo! Laz!" He didn’t respond ienteel frown, as if I’dafter Quinn Who have you got?"

"I’," Marion said immediately "You’ll need me"

"You’re in Thanks" I waited for Lazlo to step up to the plate "C’ht to at least co? Maybe present a nice distraction while I find a way to take hinity, even in the face of my sarcasm I didn’t consider that a positive

"Detective Quinn has been of assistance to the Ma’at from time to time, but only as an associate," he said "We encountered hio when he helped save one of our me tabs on theand freeing Djinn froot little or no power of his own, and we don’t see hianization"

"Really" My voice had gone flat "Don’t hurt yourself, covering your ass like that The Ma’at are in this up to their necks Sure, Quinn was in with Chaz, ss, back in the day, but then Quinn discovered so How much would a Djinn in the bottle be worth on the black ular human can use them-not as effectively as a Warden, but they’d be pretty da involuntarily of his stepht? When you heard about Djinn that you ht be able to retrieve and set free, you sent him out to ’rescue’ them How often did he fail?"

Lazlo looked unsettled "Failure was expected No one can retrieve every-"

"How many times did he come back empty-handed?"

Silence And then Ashworth said, "At least twenty in the last few years"

Marion indicated Lewis "What about the ones Lewis took when he left the Wardens? Where did they go?"

Left was eupheht have been a little ue Wasn’t Marion’s fault that she had the job of getting rid of the Wardens’ erous problems In fact, I was happier that she had it than anyone else I’d everNobody liked an incompetent executioner

"Freed," I said on his behalf "Lewis set the Djinn as slaves"

And then I realized what I’d just told her What she’d witnessed, here in this room

She knew that Djinn could exist outside of the bottles, now that they could live on their own ternificance That they could interact with us freely

Just what I didn’t want the Wardens to know

Only Marion hadn’t exactly looked shocked

"You already knew about the Free Djinn?" I asked She inclined her head "How?"

"I’d be a fool if I didn’t"

"Does anyone else-"

I got her war the syht to know that, Joanne Truthfully, they’re so caught up in their own lives, I doubt they notice much else The world is full of secrets, anyway Most people see what they want to see, and nothing more I sometimes think it’s the secret to sanity"

The Ma’at were buzzing around , fairly loudly, about the Ma’at not being soldiers, which was true enough; I didn’t hold it against them Besides, I wasn’t absolutely sure I trusted any of theainst Quinn He’d been part of their organization for too long for the

"Well?" I asked "Just the three of us?"

"Four," said a new voice Lewis levered hiet his balance, and walked toward us Around him, the Ma’at’s frantic discussion fell silent "I’an querulously, then shut his mouth with a snap when Lewis cut a look his way "Fine Kill yourself, then For my part, I’m finished with this nonsense"

He turned and walked away, flourishing that daht by her grin that this was the best entertainot in his path and blocked the door They played a silent ganity orth more than a dramatic exit, and tried to look like it was his own idea to stay

"That is, if you want o," Lewis said dryly, and I realized that I hadn’t acknowledged the effort it had taken for him to rise and walk Maybe his pride was hurt I hadn’t exactly colad I was he’d survived

I was, in fact, glad, but da to show it now There ork to be done

"Depends You going to fall over?" I de to look like asto catch ift horse, he was pretty creaky, but the color in his face was better, and I could feel that soothing vibration coht with the world in his presence I experimentally reached out and touched his hand

Zap Blue sparks jus were definitely back to nor into do with current taking the path of least resistance I wouldn’t be sharing any beds with Lewis again soon, no uarantee my oillpower

"So that’s it? The four of us?" The Ma’at were taking themselves off as quickly as the Djinn had done if in a less etherealaround, mostly fascinated by the spectacle of ene h I kneas), not to nificence of Rahel in her sleek black silk