Windfall

And Jonathan must have known that, too. Maybe this was his way of apologizing.

Cherise gulped and said, “Jo? Is this some kind of alien thing? Are you really, like, from space and a thousand years old and going to take over the planet? Is this an invasion?” She was serious. But then, I supposed that explanation made more sense than the reality.

“You’re kidding, right?” Imara asked, gri

Cherise took her eyes off the road for so long I was afraid we were going to find out the crash-test rating of a Mustang. “Yeah,” she said. “Well, you do. With the eyes and all.”

Imara winked at her, and through the touch of her hand on mine she poured power into me, healing power, easing my various cuts and wounds and restoring some of my life energy.

“Maybe I am,” she said. “You never know, right?”

Cherise was oddly cheered. “Nope,” she said. “Jo? Where do you want me to go?”

I raised my eyebrows at Imara, who shrugged. So strange, seeing myself from the outside. Although I could see hints of David in the highlights of her hair, and the golden wash of her skin. Me, made exotic.

I couldn’t feel anything yet, but I knew this was going to hit me later, in big, strange ways. Grief and love and terror and awareness of my own mortality, in ways I had never considered.

“New York,” I said. “The Wardens need to get their act together, right now, if I have to kick every ass from here to Beijing. We can’t afford to lose.” Because if the Wardens folded, then there was nothing between the 6.5 billion people on the planet and Mother Earth in the grip of dreams, nightmares, and rage.

With the Dji

David had told me, explicitly. Tell them they need to stop her. Stop us.

The Wardens were at war with the Dji

Track List

Music to read by (or at least, it really worked for me to write to…)—and this time, it’s a double album!

School… Supertramp

Paper in Fire… John Mellencamp

Larger Than Life… The Feelers

I Scare Myself… Thomas Dolby

Pain and Sorrow… Joe Bonamassa

Harder to Breathe… Maroon 5

Mado

Let Go… Frou Frou

Tell Your Story Walking… Deb Talan

Travelin’ Shoes… Ruthie Foster

A New Day Yesterday (Live)… Joe Bonamassa

Better… Brooke Fraser

Building a Mystery… Sarah McLachlan

Budapest by Blimp… Thomas Dolby

Serve Somebody… Bob Dylan

I’m Ready… Aerosmith

One Way… Amelia Royko

Lifeline… Brooke Fraser

Woke Up This Morning… A3

Highway Robbery… Amelia Royko

Ca

CrescentHeights Shuffle… Jude Christadel

Woke Up Dreaming… Joe Bonamassa

I Love You, Good-bye… Thomas Dolby

Support these artists. Without your contributions, they can’t continue to devote themselves to making music. And none of us want that.

And go buy Had To Cry Today by Joe Bonamassa. A special request from me… and a treat for you, too.

—Rachel Caine

A Public Service A

Do you know what to do to prepare for most emergencies—especially those pesky weather-inspired ones? Follow this simple advice:

1. MAKE A PLAN. Create a list of important phone numbers, including an out-of-town contact. Agree on a meeting place with your family or loved ones in case you become separated. Keep your list of numbers and meeting places with you at all times.

2. GET A KIT TOGETHER. Assemble everything on the Ready Kit Checklist below, or pick up a Ready Kit at a local store. Keep it in a safe, dry place at home. This is a recommended list of items. You may want to add things to it, especially if you’ve got pets, small children, or elderly people depending on you.

3. BE INFORMED. Know your local emergency plans, including those at your child’s school. Participate in workplace emergency drills.

Battery-powered flashlight

Battery-powered radio

Extra batteries

Whistle

First-Aid kit

Dust mask or cotton T-shirt

Three-day supply of food and water

Wrench to turn off utilities

Plastic sheeting

Duct tape

Moist towelettes

Rain gear (ponchos and hats)

Warm clothes

Emergency blanket

Container for extra water

Extra doses of important medications

Personal identification

Leather gloves

Garbage bags and ties

Family communication plans

Special needs items

Visit www.ready.gov to find out about different emergencies and how to prepare for them. Always listen to weather warnings from your local authorities, and seek shelter if bad weather approaches.

And please… leave stormchasing to the professionals.

Best wishes,

Rachel Caine

About The Author

Rachel Caine is the author of more than fifteen novels, including the Weather Warden series. She was born at WhiteSandsMissileRange, which people who know her say explains a lot. She has been an accountant, a professional musician, and an insurance investigator, and still carries on a secret identity in the corporate world. She and her husband, fantasy artist R. Cat Conrad, live in Texas with their iguanas, Popeye and Darwin, a mali uromastyx named (appropriately) O’Malley, and a leopard tortoise named Shelley (for the poet, of course). Visit her website at www.rachelcaine.com.