Gale Force Page 0,101

just tried to swallow the growing, acrid lump of dread in my throat, and followed the confident shimmy of Cherise's stride.

Holding open doors, hotel staff smiled at me as I passed. I had no idea where we were going, so it was a surprise when the last set of doors opened on blinding sunlight. The strains of a highly accomplished string quartet - good enough to overcome the barrier of surf noise, conversation, and humidity's effect on wood and strings - hung luminously in the air. It was an absolutely perfect day. The sky was a breathtaking ceramic blue, washed clean of all imperfections.

I felt so much dread that I was afraid my knees would collapse underneath me. They'll hit us. They can't not hit us. And there were so many people to protect. So many people I couldn't swear wouldn't be hurt in this.

Cherise squeezed my hand one last time and said, "Stay fierce, Jo. We'll get through this." And then she moved through the rose-covered archway, taking the arm of a tall, elegant man who I only after the fact realized was Lewis. A drastically different Lewis. Smoking hot, in fact. She was right: He was made for formal wear. The severe black-and-white tailoring made him look extraordinary.

I fidgeted slightly, clutching the small, perfect bouquet of ivory roses that Cherise had handed me, and the security men on either side of me scanned the perimeters for any threats. I spotted Wardens, Wardens everywhere, waiting. If the Sentinels were coming, they were coming into the teeth of the buzz saw.

If the Wardens watching me aren't undercover Sentinels . . . I had to leave that terrifying thought behind. It was too much.

I knew mere security wouldn't stop Bad Bob, or the thing that was wearing his face. The bigger the clash, the bigger the boom; he'd love to smash us here, in this most public of settings.

The string quartet shifted into the traditional bridal march, and the security man offered me his arm. He looked good in a tux, too. A little beefy, but you really wanted that in a quality bodyguard.

We passed under the arch and began the long, long walk down the rose-petal-strewn path to the graceful, arched gazebo.

For some reason, I hadn't thought about who'd be here. Mostly Wardens, of course, mostly friends. Cherise had even managed to get some of our old TV station colleagues here at the last minute, including some of the crew, who were looking highly uncomfortable in their suits and jackets, but were beaming at me in universal accord.

In the front row was my sister. Sarah looked elegant, perfectly coiffed, and terribly pissed off. She was glaring hard at Cherise, and if looks could kill, there would have been a warrant out for her arrest. In fact, now that I thought about it, I was a little surprised there wasn't a warrant out for Sarah. She'd scammed a lot of money, and if her old boyfriend (psycho but strangely honest) was to be believed, she'd been one step short of Master Criminal status. I hadn't planned on inviting her, but in retrospect, I guess I shouldn't have been surprised that she'd shown up anyway. If there was any chance of notoriety coming from the day, she'd be right in front to tell her story to the cameras about growing up with the Freak.

I forgot all about that momentary stab of distraction, because Lewis moved aside, and David turned to look at me, and the world just . . . stopped.

I knew why Cherise hadn't said anything about how David looked. There simply weren't words in the human language to describe his vividness, his presence, his - his beauty. He was wearing a tuxedo, very much like the one Lewis was modeling so effectively, but no matter how flattering the clothes, it was David, and David's essence, that blazed forth in that moment.

I saw it clearly: all his love, all his hope, all his commitment. He was immortal, and this was no act for him, no temporary amusement. I'd been told Djinn loved intensely, but in that single, crystalline moment, I knew.

It felt like a dream. I extended my hand - no longer trembling - and his fingers closed around it, drawing me to his side. I felt the aura fold around me, warmer than sunlight, and the euphoria was like nothing I had ever felt.

Somewhere, the minister was speaking. I had no idea what kind of service Cherise had cobbled together