What options?

I could stay here with the Oracle. If I go outside the borders of Seacasket he cant help me anymore. David shook his head. Staying here isnt really an option. I cant do much here to help you, and I cant protect you.

You can protect yourself.

Not really my focus.

Theres nothing wrong with

Second, he interrupted, I could leave with you and try to resist the Mothers call. Its possible I could, for a while; I have before. But that was when she was only partially aware. You heard what the Oracle said: shes waking up. I wont be able to stay apart from her for long. Shell be much, much stronger.

I swallowed, throat tight, and waited for the other shoe to drop. Presuming there were three shoes.

Last, I can go directly from here to the aetheric, to Jonathans house. Its kept Whitney safe and uncompromised. Itll do the same for me. I can do you some good there, as long as the avatar stays with you.

But It was hard to get the words out. But you wont be with me.

Staying with you was never a choice, he said. Thats what I meant. My options are limited, and all of them take me away from you. If Id stayed human, Id have died in the cavern. If I stay with you, Ill turn against you. If I leave, I wont be able to be with you, to Djinn or not, David was distraught. He was just handling it much better than I was. But Ill always do what I can. Always. It may not be enough, Jo. I may fail you.

He sounded so unhappy about that, and it broke my heart. Youve never failed me, I said. Never. And you never will, because this isnt a pass/fail kind of score, David. I love you. I want you to be safe. Thats all.

I meant it, though my knees had started trembling at the thought of leaving this place without his presence at my side. It wasnt even so much the power he could bring to bear on our behalfit was the sheer comfort of him. I needed him.

And I was going to have to do this without him, or lose everything. David on the opposite side of this was a death warrant for all of us. He was just too powerful.

I smiled. It actually felt warm, and real, and confident, even if I truly was scared to death deep down. Ill be fine, I said. Well be fine. Walk me to the car before you go, okay?

He took my hand, and for a moment we just stood together, drinking in each others warmth, the reality of our bodies standing in the same space, the same time.

He kissed me. It felt so warm, so sweet, so real that I felt tears burning in my eyes. It was so perfect with him, and we never had time.

He kissed away my tears, put his hands on my shoulders, and leaned his forehead against mine for a long, lovely moment, and then, without a word, we walked together to the waiting Mustang. David handed me into the passenger seat. He lifted my hand to his lips and kissed it, and I felt his lips against my skin like the warmest summer sun.

Well be okay, I told him again. He nodded, shut the door, and as the Djinn behind the wheel gunned the motor and sent the car hurtling down the deserted, silent street, I turned to watch David.

He disappeared into a mist. Gone.

Wait, Kevin said, and twisted around to look. Where is he? Where did he go?

Hes not coming, I said.

But

Well be okay, I said again, firmly.

I was, I realized, a damn good liar. I could make everybody believe it, except me.

Leaving Seacasket was like living in a jump cut in a movie. One second, the world was still and hushed and silent and perfectly ordered, as if someone had pressed a giant pause button. . . . The next, we were in chaos.

By chaos, I mean it was worse than when wed arrived. Much worse. The gray vanished, and suddenly the skies were crowded with black, bloated clouds that bloomed constantly with greenish lightning. Wind lashed the car hard and shoved it from one lane to the other, even with the Djinns uncanny reaction time. The sides of the road were littered with wrecks, shattered trees, downed power lines. I couldnt see any electric lights at all in the houses and buildings that blurred past us. I could see occasional smaller lightsflashlights and candlesmoving inside, and I wondered how terrified those people must be. All they could do was wait.

All we could do was keep moving.

Cherise reached over the seat to try the radio, but no matter where she dialed there was just pure static, or one of those emergency alert broadcasts telling people to stay in their homes and wait for more information.

I imagined Twitter had probably exploded from the strain, if the internet had survived thus far. Not to mention Facebook.

Where are we going? Cherise asked.

The radio hissed, and the slider took over on its own like a transistorized version of a Ouija board. I expected to hear Whitneys dulcet Southern tones.

I heard Davids.

Jo, he said. All right?

Yeah, were fine, I said, which was a brave interpretation, given the outside world. Where are you?

Jonathans house, with Whitney.

The station changed, lightning fast. We are not going to be good roomies, Whitney cooed. I already want to kick his pretty ass across the room. I wonder if I can.

David regained control of the radio. From here, well do what we can to lessen the dangers around you as you go. Whitneys going to continue to pilot the Djinn whos driving you.

None of which answers the vital question of where are we going! Cherise said, hanging half over the seat.

Youre heading for Sedona, he said. But be warnedthat entire area is under siege. Its not going to be easy.

It never was. Were going to need to stop, I said. We cant keep going like this. Rest and food, water and bathrooms. Very important.

Well find you shelter, David promised. Try to rest for now.

Easier said than done, as the thunder crashed and the lightning struck with the regularity of a strobe light to the eyes, as the Djinn driving swerved to avoid first one unseen obstacle, then another. It was like being back at sea again in a full-force gale.

But eventually, inevitably, even that couldnt keep me from sliding away into dark, dreamless sleep. Cars have that effect, even dodging, swerving ones, if you get used to it. Weirdly soothing. If the Djinn had been on its own, it could have blipped easily from one spot to another by taking a shortcut through the aetheric planes . . . but with humans it was tricky at best. Even the Djinn who had the most experience and ability at taking humans through the aetheric in physical form, not just spiritual, had a less-than-confidence-building success rate. Say, fifty percent.

So we traveled the old-fashioned way, miles passing under wheels. It was a lot of miles, because we were moving very fast despite the dangerous and unpredictable conditions. I woke up periodically, prodded by anxiety or bad dreams, hunger or thirst, or the more basic bodily functions. Food and drink turned out to be no challenge at all; shops were deserted, and many had already been looted. I didnt mind drinking store-brand cola if it was all that was left. I tried not to see what it all meant, what all this widespread smoking devastation and desperation meant for civilization as a whole.

Things were falling apart. There were people in small groups, and they ran when we roared by.

The internet on Chers mobile phone had gone down in a haze of 404 Not Found errors. Then her mobile had failed, too. And mine. And Kevins.

We all had different network providers. I assumed that, too, was not a good sign.

We were just heading into the St. Louis area, from the Missouri sidea long and exhausting ride, with as few stops as possible in places that were only marginally dangerous. Id hoped that maybe the calmer center of the country might still be holding its own.