I knew about the Fire Oracle; Id seen it in my dream. As angry as I was, his horror and grief struck me, and I sank down to a crouch across from him. He was weeping uncontrollably, the tears of a man stretched too far, asked for too much.

Listen to me, I said, and reached out to tilt his chin up. He swiped at his face, angry with himself but still unable to stop. He was one step from a complete breakdown, and I could see it in him. Listen. I know it seems hopeless. I know you think theres nothing more we can do. But we can. We must. Whats our choice, to sit here and die when the hammer comes down? Screw that, Lewis. I didnt fight my way through what I have to give up.

Consistent, I wasnt. A few minutes ago my only thought had been to grab Davids bottle and get the hell away from Lewis, from the Wardens, from all this crushing, endless responsibility. But seeing Lewis break . . . That reminded me of something.

It reminded me that no matter what I did, how hard I tried, I could never really be free of the Wardens. I was a Warden, and always would be, until the day I died.

Give every Warden a bottle, I said, starting with the most powerful first. Its time for the Djinn to be on our side. We already broke the rules; lets make it count. And dammit, give me David!

If youll give me Venna, he said, and tried for a smile. I nodded agreement. He gulped in a deep breath, and seemed to steady himself. All right. Weve got Djinn. Weve got the Wardens Ive been able to pull together. Weve got the Maat, not that theyre up to a fight of this magnitude. What else?

Weve got Imara.

He was already shaking his head before I finished the short sentence. Nobodys got Imara, and she wants to keep it that way. I told you, I tried. She wont come, and she wont talk to us. She wont give us sanctuary. Shes locked inside her own world, and shes letting us live or die on our own.

I pulled Vennas bottle out of my backpack and held it out to him. Give me David. Give me David, and I will bring Imara in on our side.

How?

Just give me the bottle.

He had it in his pocket. As he passed it over, I felt heat emanating from the glass. David was really, truly pissed off, and I knew that the second I released him I was going to have a very hard time keeping him from breaking Lewiss neck.

Lewis uncorked Vennas bottle, and the child stepped out of thin air to stand at his side, hands folded. She looked up at him, innocence itself, and said, If you give me stupid commands, Ill kill you.

I expected that, Lewis told her. For now, help Joanne keep David from killing me. Which hes about to try to do.

Venna raised her eyebrows, but it wasnt in surprise. I was pretty sure that was amusement. Other than that, she gave him absolutely no assurances.

I took a deep breath, cradled the bottle in my left hand, and pulled the cork with my right.

A storm exploded out of the bottle, and the pressure of the room changed so abruptly my ears popped. David materialized in midstride, long coat swirling like smoke, and lunged for Lewiss throat.

Venna caught his hand about an inch from its target with no apparent effort, and said, Maybe you should greet your wife first.

David whirled around, and I saw the look that Lewis had just faced. Id never imagined David could seem that angry, or that deadly, but his beauty had taken on cold, unmerciful edges, and the glitter in his eyes was the color of blood.

He blinked, and it went away. Jo? He didnt wait for me to answer. In one step I was crushed against him and held tight, so tight I thought hed accidentally break my back. After a few breathless seconds he eased off and looked down into my face. His eyes widened, and I knew he was seeing what Id just been through. Hard to hide things from a Djinn, especially one who knew as much about me as he did.

That triggered the rage again. I knew what he was thinkinghed seen my horror and desperation, seen how close Id come to being killed out there, and he was blaming it on Lewis. Well, rightly so, but there wasnt time for it. Before he could lash out again, I grabbed him by the chin and held him still. No, I said. Im all right. And we need him as much as he needs us.

The fact that I was so baldly logical about it helped clear the anger out of him, at least for now. He shuddered as it passed, and nodded to me, and I let go. Well talk about this later, he said. Right?

Absolutely, I said. Although I plan on three days of spa treatments, with mud baths and all-day massages. So probably after that.

It got a twitch of a smile out of him before he looked at Lewis, and Venna standing so small and delicate beside him. He said, Ashan?

Venna looked down. Gone, she said. I grieve that it was necessary, but he was mad with power. He twisted nature. It cant be done, no matter his motives.

Venna had described Ashan as her brother, and from the pain that I saw in her, I believed it. What shed done would be a long time healing, I thought, if it ever did.

Youre the Conduit.

Yes, she said, just as quietly. Not by my choice. But I am the logical replacement.

Can you reach her? David asked. I knew by her he meant Mother Earth. Venna slowly shook her head.

Not while I am bound, she said. And once I am free, I become hers. Maybe without Ashans anger driving her she will be calmer, but the damage has been done. We have to find a way to speak to her before its too late.

Well do it, I said. David and I will go to Imara. Shell let us in; she has to. And once were in, we can reach the Mother through her.

Venna studied me with eerily calm eyes. That will kill you, you know. Youre not strong enough.

Ive done it before.

When she was sleeping. Shes not sleeping anymore. The matter-of-fact way she said it made me pause. You die, and David becomes hers. Its what will happen. Imara knows. Thats why she kept you away.

Venna had a turn for prophecy, too, and that chilled me deep. But shell let us in.

Yes, she said. Shes your child. Shell let you in.

Then we have to try it. I turned to David, but he didnt look nearly as convinced. He was looking past me, at Venna.

No . . . not at Venna after all.

At Lewis.

Lewis wouldnt return the stare; he looked at the floor, deliberately avoiding any kind of contact. I wondered why, until Venna turned to Lewis, adding her stare to Davids. She will talk to you, Venna said.

Lewis? I blurted. Why?

Lewis let out a sigh, and now he did look up, troubled and very tired. Because Im the first triple-threat Warden born with that configuration in generations, and I may be the most powerful one since Jonathan walked the Earth. He was right. A triple-threat Wardenone who could wield all three powers with equal strengthwas extremely rare. So rare, in fact, that the Wardens themselves had tried to capture and study him, in hopes of figuring out how to artificially create the condition in others. Lewis had spent his time as a lab rat, and as a fugitive; hed been a thief, a con man, a hero, a leader, and a ruthless general.

Before you go, David said slowly, you should know the truth about Jonathan.

That came out of left field. Jonathan had been the leader of the Djinn for countless ages, and hed been Davids friend and brother in armsmaybe more, for all I knew. I had only met the Big Grand Poobah a few times, and hed spooked me, in general, more than Venna. I knew Jonathan had been born human, and Warden; hed become a warrior general, and died in battle, with David, on a field full of slaughter. His death had sparked the Mother to create the first of the New Djinn: Jonathan, formed out of the death of so many.

David had been brought with him, because Jonathan had refused to let him go.

What else could there be to know?

Venna suddenly glanced away from all of us, as if listening to a sound that didnt register to me at all. Well discuss it later, she said. Time to fight now.