Chill Factor

I turned to Qui

He gave me a top-to-bottom look, and smiled. "That you had a little surprise for him under the pretty wrapping. Of the frank-and-beans variety."

"You told him I was a guy!"

Qui

"And he believed it?" In this dress? I think I was more upset about that than the failure of plan A.

"Some men are not very bright," he assured me solemnly. "Walk with me."

"Where?" I didn't move. Plan B was in the warm-up stage.

"Someplace quiet."

"You mean with fewer witnesses." I was too close to the exit not to take advantage. "Look… veni, vendi, vici. I came, I spent your money, and now I'm leaving. Try to stop me if you want. But in this dress, you'd better believe people are going to notice, especially when I start screaming at the top of my lungs right here in the lobby." I gave 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 dump six inches of water onto this extremely expensive carpeting and short out the slot machines. Do you think they have flood insurance out here?"

Qui

I leaned closer and put my lips next to his ear. "Let me lay it on the line for you, Qui

He took my arm. I broke free, stepped back, and raised my voice. "Hey! Please don't touch me, you pervert! I will not wear your daughter's panties!" It stopped traffic and drew even more stares. He jerked his head at some security guards. I gathered 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 time, not to the audience. "Word of advice, Qui

He stopped, staring into my eyes, and I got that sense of cold menace from him again. Qui

"Leaving," I lied. Leaving would just have multiplied my problems; I didn't have any expectation of walking out the door. The wind stirred my hair and teased it into a floating dark 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'm betting they don't like failure any more than they like bad ma

He was silent for a few seconds, then made some imperceptible sign that stopped security in its tracks. We were no longer the center of attention; tourists were exclaiming about the wind, holding 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. Qui

"I like you," he said, and flashed me a nearly genuine smile. "You know that, right? You've got style; that's rare."

"Love you too," I said. "And now I'm going. See ya!"

I turned and headed for the glass wall of doors and the gleaming ass of the sphinx outside.

Someone stepped into my path, small and neatly suited in hand-tailored excellence. Holding 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 to me.

"Bite me, Grandpa," I said, and kept walking. I let the wind become a gale, knocking people down, drawing shrieks of alarm from clerks and tourists. I targeted Qui

It didn't so much as ruffle his silver hair.

"Don't be stupid," he said. "You can't hurt me."

"News flash, Chuck, I'm not going to sit still and get fried like your chicken di

He gestured with his cane, pointing behind me, and I felt a presence taking form up on the aetheric. "I warn you, we will stop you. And we won't be gentle."

A Dji

"Rahel!" I yelled, and spun around to face the Dji

The Dji

I targeted him with a blast of wind strong enough to rip carpet from the floor and sent him flying, straight into a razor-edged black embrace. Rahel folded around him and pulled him into the shadows, both of them screaming.

Rahel was very hungry. I felt a sickening qualm about that, but dammit, the stakes were high and getting higher. Maybe she wouldn't be able to destroy him. Maybe.

Plan B, it seemed, was working too well. I hadn't actually pla

I'd lost track of Ashworth, but he a

"Stop it!" Qui

I put the Manolos to good use, kicking his shins with the sharp toes, digging spiked heels into his instep.

Ashworth landed another hard crack with the cane across my shoulders, and I felt a line of fire race through my collarbone. Dammit.. .

I twisted around. No sign of Rahel or the Dji

"Stop!" Qui