Gale Force

''But . . . what about the others?''

''The other New Dji

they're interested. Intrigued. It's possible that if we exchange vows, the Dji

measure of the additional power they had under the old agreement with the Wardens-but still

retain their autonomy. As I said, we all consider it worth a try.''

''Especially since it's temporary,'' I said. ''Right? Till death do us part. Once I'm gone, the vow

is broken.''

Sadness softened the metallic glitter of his eyes. ''Yes,'' he said. ''Exactly. Unlike the

agreement Jonathan made, which was to a group, this is to an individual. But the Old Dji

don't want to take the risk. They're the more conservative force, and they worry about

consequences. About precedence.''

He was describing a lot more to me about Dji

admit, I was intrigued. ''The Mother said to let me fight my own battles, didn't she? That was

why she summoned you both in, you and Ashan. To lay down the law.''

''Yes.''

''Which you promptly broke by racing to my side.''

''Ashan broke it first,'' David pointed out. ''He came to kill you, and I have no doubt he'd have

done it. He didn't see you as worthy, not in any way, of what I'm offering.''

''Flattering.''

David shrugged. ''Ashan's not known for being overly fond of mortals, but if he was going to be

impressed by any human, it would probably be you.''

''Why? Because I didn't whimper and die?'' I shoved eggs around on my plate. I needed food,

but everything seemed distant, lacking any kind of attraction or urgency.

''Because he saw what I saw. He saw your strength, your power, your beauty.'' David paused,

studying me with an expression so tender that it melted my heart and gave me shivers. ''He saw

what I saw in your core, and it shook him. It shook all of them. You have a peculiar gift to make

Dji

''But less easy to kill, I hope.''

He tilted his head. No answer. I chewed eggs. They were good, I supposed. More importantly,

they were fuel for a body that had spent its reserves recklessly. My body fat was gone, and my

blood sugar in the negative numbers. David's infusion of energy last night had kept me alive

when my mortal flesh tried to shut down, but now it was up to me to get things back in order.

''The Sentinels,'' he said. ''Did you get anything from them? Anything that could help us?''

I dropped my fork and stared at him. ''I didn't tell you?''

''Tell me what?''

''Oh my God!'' Of course I hadn't. I'd been busy trying not to die, and then I'd been completely

consumed by the novelty of still being alive. Until he'd asked the question, the knowledge had

been lurking somewhere in the back of my mind, waiting for the right moment. ''I know where

he is! The-the anchor, the leader, whatever! Well, where he was, anyway.''

''Where?'' David was already up and on his feet, and looking more Dji

''Where?''

I picked up my fork and gobbled down mouthfuls of egg as fast as I could, grimly intent on

getting my strength back. ''The Florida Keys,'' I said. ''Key West, or somewhere close to it. The

bastard is our neighbor.''

Chapter Nine

I rested for a couple of days. My appetite returned with a vengeance on the second day out from

the attack, and David was at first amused, then a little appalled at my lust for calories. ''Are you

sure that's wise?'' he asked when I opened up the fourth bag of barbecue chips. ''There's such a

thing as overdoing it. . . .''

I knew there was, but the food and the sleep were recharging my body, and I wanted to hasten

the process. Impatient, that was me. And scared. I knew the Sentinels now, in aetheric form if

not in actual physical shape. I knew how much power they were packing, and it was terrifying

indeed. I wanted my body back and balanced, fast.

I knew that bags of chips weren't the way to go, but they tasted so good.

David distracted me from the chips by proposing an outing: shopping. ''You,'' I said, gazing at

him approvingly, ''are getting to know me way too well.''

He raised his eyebrows. ''I plan to research you in the biblical sense later.''

''Mmmmm, maybe shopping can wait.'' Those words were a sign of just how much that

invitation really meant. I hardly ever delayed shopping.

''No. I want us out and visible,'' he said. ''If the Sentinels are watching, I want them to see that

you're alive, well, and strong. I don't think they'll try that again. You surprised them, and you

scared them.''

''I did?''

''If you hadn't,'' David said, ''they'd have come back for you already.''

Dressing took on a whole girding-for-battle significance now that I knew my enemies were

going to be watching me. I bathed, scrubbed, exfoliated, shampooed, shaved, tweezed,

moisturized. I spent half an hour on my hair, and another half an hour on makeup. Choosing the

right sundress required another long stretch of time. When I finally appeared in the doorway,

David was stretched out on the couch, feet crossed at the ankles, reading a battered paperback,

which he dropped on his chest at the sight of me.

''Yeah?'' I twirled for him, just fast enough that the floating hem of the light floral sundress

showed my thighs. ''Healthy enough?''

He pressed his lips together and struggled to sit up. ''That's one word for it.''

''What's another?''

''Seductive.'' That note in his voice made me shiver, but I put my shoulders back and shook my

finger at him anyway.

''You said we needed to get out. So out we get, Mister.''

He sighed, stood up, and slipped into his coat.

''David?'' I hated to say it, because this was a kind of dividing line, and I wasn't even sure why.

''The coat. If you want to be taken for human, only flashers wear coats in Fort Lauderdale in the

summer.''

He seemed honestly surprised. ''But-ah. Yes. Right.'' He took it off and put it back on the

chair, petting its olive-drab surface as he did, like a favorite pet he was sorry to leave behind.

''Everything else okay?''

I gave him the walkaround. ''Not bad,'' I said, ''but we can do better.''

''Oh no,'' he said.

''That's right. We're shopping for you, buster.''

I knew all the good places to shop, but if I hadn't, even JCPe

supply a decent alternative to the ever-present checked shirt that David seemed to think was the

height of fashion. But I wasn't going for better; I was going for make women stop and stare,

though with David, that wasn't exactly difficult.

He was made for Versace.

The salespeople thought so too; David was bemused by the whole affair, clearly wondering what

the hell he'd gotten himself into, but as always, he was willing to experiment with the most

trivial of human pursuits. I conspired with the lead saleswoman to do before and after digital

pictures. Going in, David was a good-looking man, a bit conservative with his blue-and-white

checked shirt and jeans.

Going out, he was so attractive that he was a menace to passing traffic. He wore a black, skin-

tight Versace knit shirt, long-sleeved to give him sleekness, and his black Diesel jeans that

hugged his ass and thighs, and flared out at the ends just enough. Because we were in Florida, I

gave him a bit of a surfer fashion sensibility, and it suited him brilliantly. The coppery tan could

have been stoked by days paddling in the surf. I added a very fine Hugo Boss sports coat, in