Rachel Caine - Thin Air

“Paul,” I said, and he hugged me. Full-body. “Um, hi.” I resisted an urge to struggle, because he seemed to want to hold on a little too long for comfort.

“Kid, I thought you were gone,” he murmured, lips close to my ear. “Don’t do that again, all right? You’ve given me plenty enough heart attacks already.” And then he pecked me on the cheek and backed away. The way he looked at me, I wondered…No, surely not. Surely I hadn’t slept with every guy I knew.

“I-I’ll try to be more careful,” I said. Awkward. I didn’t know where I stood with this guy-kissing-close, obviously, but not much else. He was a little intimidating up close, which was funny, since I’d been spending time with Lewis and David, guys who defined intimidating. I swallowed and forced a smile. “I need to go with…” I mimed following Lewis. Paul studied me for a second, brows pulling together in a frown, and let go.

“Yeah,” he said quietly. “I was hoping…Yeah. You probably should get yourself looked at, too. Call when you’re done, okay? We got to talk. Things to work out.”

I nodded, kept the smile going, and walked quickly after Lewis, who was helping Kevin and Cherise into the black cargo van, the one with the Handi-Lift on the back that was already lowering for Marion’s wheelchair.

I didn’t make it to join them. Another person stepped into my way, and I felt whatever nerves hadn’t already been alarmed wake up and start screaming.

“A moment,” Rahel said softly, holding up one graceful, long-taloned hand between us. She looked at me, close range, and yes, Djinn eyes were frightening. Her expression stayed blank and still, and I hesitated, wondering whether or not to yell for help. Her eyes flicked past me, focusing on the Wardens behind me, and she reached out and took hold of my shoulder. “A moment of your time, my friend. I have been so concerned for you.” She didn’t wait for agreement. She steered me sideways, away from the Wardens but also away from any potential rescue from Lewis. When I tried to pull back, her fingers dug deeper, and I hissed in pain. “Sistah, you come whether you like it or not,” she warned in a very low tone. “I have news for you, from David.”

The use of his name got me at least willing to listen. She kept hold of my shoulder, but loosened her grip so I wasn’t in danger of deep-tissue bruising.

“I don’t remember you,” I said. Seemed best to get it out of the way. “I’m sorry. It’s…this problem I have.”

“I’m well aware,” she said. No smile at all, and her tone was dry and cool. “You shouldn’t be here, Snow White. Not as you are, neither here nor there, living nor dead, human nor Warden. They think to bring you back. I think it is a foolish concept. It opens doors that are dangerous for us all.”

“Gee, thanks,” I said with no sincerity. “That’s the news?”

She snorted. “Opinion. At least you haven’t lost your sense of the absurd. David wishes me to tell you that he is on Ashan’s trail, and for you to stay with Lewis.” Rahel smiled. She had pointed teeth. I mean, seriously. Pointed . “You know what happens to little lambs who wander from their herd.”

I yanked myself free this time. “Hey, Creep Show, save it for the cheap seats. Aren’t you supposed to be on my side or something?”

She blinked, and I had the satisfaction of seeing a Djinn thrown just a half step off balance. It didn’t last. “I am,” she said. “As your kind is measured, you’re not insufferable, only infuriating. And…you loved the child. I count that in your favor.”

“Imara,” I said. “You’re talking about Imara, right?”

Her expression composed itself to instant formality, and she tilted her head. Beads clicked as the braids slithered over her shoulders with a sound like dry paper shifting. “Ashan was fortunate the Oracle took him before we could reach him. Had he been in my hands, he’d still be screaming.”

Which was supposed to be comforting or something.

“Great,” I said faintly.

That made Rahel look up again, sharply. “You don’t remember the child, either,” she said. “Do you?”

I started to lie about it, then shook my head. To my surprise, Rahel put her hand to my cheek in a gesture that was almost human. Almost affectionate.

“I can pity you for that. You will remember, though,” she said. “Such emptiness must be filled.”

And in a weird sort of way I suppose she did comfort me. A little. “Thanks,” I said. “I…Will you tell David I’ll be with Lewis?”

“I will.” She stepped back. “Ashan is lucky once again. David would have hunted him and ripped him into nothing by now, had he not been distracted by concern for you. It appears he needs Ashan alive and functioning to try to fix what was done to you.” A slow, cool smile revealed even, white teeth. Nonpointed. “After his usefulness comes to an end, well, maybe David will organize an entertainment. We haven’t had one of those for ages. ” I was sure she meant it literally. The ages part, anyway. I shuddered to think what entertainment might mean.

“So David’s okay, then,” I said.

She shrugged. “David’s obsession with you puts his leadership of us in some doubt. But he remains the conduit to the Mother, and so may not be easily challenged. Still, he is not secure. His insistence on repairing what was done to you has been taken badly in some quarters.”

“Including your quarter?” I asked her, looking her right in the eerie eyes.

It was very quiet. I could hear the whine of the rotors powering down on the helicopter, the hiss of blowing snow, the engines starting in various SUVs around the landing area. I could hear my own heartbeat pounding fast.

“For my part,” Rahel finally said, “I should think the world less interesting without you, sistah. Take that as you wish.”

And she turned and walked away, misted into nothing, and was gone.

Wow. Not sure how I felt about her, but I couldn’t dislike her. Fear her, sure. Dislike her…no.

I hurried over to the black van, which was starting its engine, and piled into the back with Lewis, Kevin, Cherise, and Marion. Lewis slid the door shut with a solid thump, and whoever was driving-just a black silhouette against the dim gray sky-turned the van in a tight circle and headed out, bumping over uneven ground.

Marion let out a slow sigh. “That was about as civil as we might have expected,” she said. “Lewis, be careful. They’re going to pull you aside and talk politics.”

“Politics? We’ve got time for politics?”

“There’s always time for politics,” she said. “Something you never could grasp, I’m afraid.”

“What a load of bullshit. How’s the rehab?” He gestured at the wheelchair.

“You know that Earth Wardens are always slower to heal themselves, and besides, there haven’t been any shortage of victims to tend.” She shrugged. “I’ll be all right. Another month, maybe two. I’d have been walking already if I’d had the time to devote to it, but we’ve been a little busy. As you’ve probably heard.”

“Guessed,” Lewis said. “Between the remnants of the California fire, the earthquake in Kansas City, and the hurricane in North Carolina-”

“We’ve been stretched thin,” Marion agreed. “Not just here in the U.S., of course. Latin America’s having a hell of a time. Even Canada’s being pummeled. Europe’s an icebox, Africa’s an out-of-season swamp, Asia’s got all of the above, and Australia and New Zealand keep flipping from summer to winter from one day to the next.”

“Great. Anybody not having a climate shift?”

“Middle East,” she said. “But they have other problems. So. You going to explain to me what I’m looking at here?”