The rest of them exchanged glances and settled back more comfortably into their places.
I reclaimed the microphone and nervously clutched it in both hands. “We worked out that we should have three teams: Fire, Earth, and Weather, with Ma’at and Djinn equally distributed among them. The Djinn will interface us directly with the Oracles of each of the three types to ground us.”
Someone out there gave a disbelieving snort. “It’ll never work.”
“Maybe not. But I’d take it as a personal favor if you could try.”
That caused a stir, albeit a discreet one. Nobody knew quite what to make of me, really, but the rumor had already flown like lightning through the ranks of the Wardens-and no doubt the Ma’at as well-that I was falling into the more-than-human category. They didn’t know I, like Lewis, was now a triple threat…that I controlled all three elements. I wasn’t too comfortable with anyone knowing quite yet.
I wasn’t sure what it meant, either personally or professionally. Or even if, long-term, I planned to stay a professional Warden. I was kind of interested in what the Ma’at had to say, although I still didn’t much like their leadership.
Half of the Djinn were looking at David, half at Ashan. What a scary bunch they were-all packaged up nicely in human form, but with a slight edge to them that let everyone around know not to get too comfortable. It was going to be quite an adjustment between the Wardens and the Djinn. Wardens had lorded it over the Djinn for thousands of years. Djinn had worked as slaves, handed off from one master to another, their will subjugated to the needs of the moment or their masters’ whims. That kind of thing doesn’t just stop because somebody waves a magic wand, not even in our world. Too many of those Djinn had been abused, and all of them were wary of it ever happening again.
Ashan nodded, after keeping David in suspense for long enough to make his point. David said, “The Djinn will cooperate in this. All of us.”
Lazlo cleared his throat. “The Ma’at will of course help any way we can,” he said stiffly. “We’ll be happy to demonstrate our way of channeling forces. It might be helpful for this. Of course, we’re shorthanded, and the Ma’at were never as widespread or powerful as the Wardens…” He was backpedaling so fast that if he didn’t watch it, he’d fall under the wheels.
The Djinn suddenly transferred their attention as a unit from David to Lazlo. It was like being hit with a truck, and then being knocked into a black hole. I watched his throat work, pale, wrinkled skin trembling as he struggled to stay calm.
“But of course,” he amended, “we will give our full support.”
The Ma’at had never participated in the slavery of the Djinn. The Djinn that helped them-Rahel among them-were always free to come, go, or stay. It was an easy and practical arrangement, and the Djinn had a level of trust in the Ma’at that they did not have-and might not ever have-in the Wardens.
But the Ma’at had no illusions about the Djinn, as the Wardens had… We’d gotten lulled into a false sense of security over the millennia of ordering around creatures far more powerful than we could ever hope to be. We thought that if a predator took orders, it was no longer a predator.
We’d learned better these past few weeks.
We got down to the operational details. I let Lewis and Lazlo handle the fierce debate. I was mainly there to act as a moderator, and wield a mean shoe when necessary. And terrify anybody who got out of line, of course.
David was still holding my hand. I looked sideways at him without turning my head, and saw he was openly watching me.
He leaned closer, put his mouth to my ear, and said, “What do you think? Can we do this? Together?”
“It’s day one of the new world,” I said. “These things take time. But yeah, I think we probably can. It’ll be messy and bumpy, but we’ll get through it. And next time it’ll be a little better.” I turned to look at him, and our eyes met. I felt that warm shiver go through me again, as if we were still connected in some odd, unexplained way, although the bond of master and slave-Djinn was long dissolved. “David. Are you going to be all right?” I meant in this thing with Ashan.
He shrugged. “It’s complicated.”
“What, and this isn’t?” I raised an eyebrow at the debate, which was rising in volume. “Spill.”
His eyebrows climbed, too. “Why?”
“It might have escaped you, but what affects the Djinn pretty much seems to roll downhill to humanity. So I’d like to know now, instead of later, when I’m fighting for my life. Also, I love you, and I’ll kick his fine Djinn ass if he hurts you.”
He glanced around the room, looking innocent. Entirely false. I had reason to know. “You really want to talk about it here?”
“No,” I said. “I want to talk about it someplace a lot quieter than this, with a hot tub, but if we leave, things are going to slide downhill without us, and you know it.”
He nodded slowly. “This had to happen, Jo. The Old Ones weren’t going to endure having someone like me as their conduit. I’m not like Jonathan. I can’t…step away from the world and take the long view.”
“Too close to humans,” I said, remembering what Venna had said. “Too close to me. I caused this.”
“No,” he said. “And change isn’t destruction. It’s just change. Maybe we’re adapting into two species-the Old Ones as pure Djinn, the rest of us into something that can-and should-remain closer to you. To help.” He glanced over toward Ashan, who was watching us with eerie concentration. So was Venna, frowning slightly. “When they’re finished today they’ll go, and they won’t interact with humans unless they have to, for the good of the Djinn or the good of the Mother. But my people will. We’ll stay with the Ma’at. We’ll stay with the Wardens. We’ll stay part of everything.” He lifted my hand to his lips. “Everything.”
My heart rate picked up a few dozen beats per minute. The debate was slowing down, Lewis was making notes on a big wipe-board with names and procedures, and already there was a sense of purpose in the room. A sense, strangely, of excitement.
It was day one, and we were going to change.
And change wasn’t a bad thing.
“Well,” I said, “when this is over, you’re mine, David. I expect to have your full, undivided attention for at least twenty-four hours. Maybe longer.”
He kissed my hand. There went the heart rate, edging up again.
“You have it,” he said, “for the rest of your life. When this is over, we can go for a drive. I understand the seats recline in the Mustang.”
I closed my eyes and soaked that in, and then I stood up.
I addressed the entire room. “Let’s go save the world.”
Because from this day forward, that was officially our job.
SOUND TRACK
Once again, music saves my sanity. Enjoy this track list on your iPod…I sure did!
“Ain’t No Sunshine”-Bill Withers
“Ballroom Blitz”-Sweet
“The Bitter End”-Placebo
“Black Horse and the Cherry Tree”-K. T. Tunstall
“Blockbuster”-Sweet
“Bother”-Stone Sour
“Boulevard of Broken Dreams”-Green Day
“Bridge to Better Days”-Joe Bonamassa
“Calling Card”-Rory Gallagher
“Coming Undone”-Korn
“Crazy”-Gnarls Barkley
“Cry”-James Blunt
“Dani California”-Red Hot Chili Peppers
“The Denial Twist”-The White Stripes
“Face Down”-Red Jumpsuit Apparatus
“Give Me Your Love”-Reef
“God Is a Bullet”-Concrete Blonde
“Going to My Hometown”-Rory Gallagher
“Gone Daddy Gone”-Gnarls Barkley
“I’m Still Awake”-Hybrid
“Inertia Creeps”-Massive Attack
“The Jean Genie”-David Bowie
“Jenny Was a Friend of Mine”-The Killers
“Judith”-A Perfect Circle