by Eileen Wilks
“Damn, you are turning into such a grown-up.”
Cynna’s grin widened. “I am, aren’t I? So will you do it?”
Lily nodded. “It’s a deal.”
“Good. Thanks. I guess you need to get back.”
“I really do. Checkin’s at ten, and I’ve got a ton to do before then.” Lily started off at a slow jog, but Cynna seemed to have her breath back, so she moved into an easy lope. After a bit she said, “Things keep changing, don’t they?”
“All the fucking time,” Cynna agreed. She sounded annoyingly cheerful about it, though.
FOURTEEN
RULE was leaving the house when Lily returned. He told her he was heading over to Eric Snowden’s to get Toby, touched her face as if he, too, regretted the lack of a private moment, and left at a lope. By the time Lily showered, called Ruben, called the local FBI office to delegate some of her cases, and texted her parents that she’d be out of town for a while, he was back.
So was Toby. So were Emmy and Danny. Rule vanished into the study with Isen, and Lily ate breakfast with a noisy and inquisitive crowd. The three kids charged back out as soon as they finished downing the pancakes they’d drowned in maple syrup. It seemed the self-defense refresher course planned for their age cohort had been moved up to today.
Lily approved of the clan’s custom of teaching basic self-defense to its kids. She suspected that today’s class was at least partly to keep them busy, maybe wear them out a bit. They were all wired after last night. But it would also reinforce the idea that being young and small might mean taking orders and running or hiding if necessary, but it did not mean they were helpless.
As soon as Toby and company left, José told Lily about the arrangements for their trip. The bulk of the guards who’d accompany them had left while Lily was still asleep because they were driving up. But Scott would fly there with her, Rule, and Cullen.
Scott was Leidolf. So, she realized, were the guards José named who’d already left. That had to have something to do with Rule’s newly found sense of himself as Leidolf, but what? Lily put that on her mental list of things to discuss later, when she and Rule were alone.
At ten till nine she finished packing—she’d gotten really quick with that—and rolled her suitcase out to the living room. Cullen sprawled on one of the couches, a battered duffel near his feet and a cup of coffee in his hand. He nodded at her. “José is bringing the car around.”
She glanced at the hall that led to Isen’s study. “Rule still in with Isen?”
“Yeah.”
In addition to the steel plates in the walls, Isen’s study was soundproofed. No point in asking if Cullen had heard anything. Lily parked her suitcase by the hallway and started for the kitchen. “I’m going to grab a cup of coffee.”
“Don’t bother. This is the last of it.”
“You took the last cup?”
“Is that a rhetorical question?”
She sighed and plopped down on the hassock. Maybe Isen had given Rule the brief report she’d printed off for him and they were talking about it. The Bureau didn’t have a lot on Jasper Machek, but what they did have made interesting reading. “How did you rig the coin toss?”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Right. You’re fine with Cynna coming with us if she wants to. You didn’t do a thing to influence that coin she tossed.”
He grinned. “Nothing anyone can prove.”
Lily wasn’t about to tell Cullen that she approved, but she did. She’d call Cynna if they needed her in San Francisco, but her promise on that score didn’t mean she couldn’t stress the danger. Cynna shouldn’t be kept penned up at Clanhome every minute…but there was a chance this whole deal was a setup designed to get as many of them as possible away from Clanhome, where they could be ambushed. Cynna was nursing. Where she went, Ryder went. Best if she sat this one out, at least for now.
“Last night I kept getting interrupted when I was questioning you,” she said, pulling out her notebook and flipping it to the next blank page. “You said you didn’t have a picture of your prototype, so I need a description.” An omission she’d noticed with a cringe when she reported to Ruben.
“A skull.”
She stared. “It looks like a skull?”
“It is a skull. The runes are written on it in black ink—specially prepared, but you don’t need to know about that. And of course the yellow quartz is adhered in a carefully composed pattern that—”
“You used a human skull for your prototype?”
“You’re really slow on the uptake this morning. Maybe you did need that cup of coffee.”
“You can’t be ignorant of the laws about using human relics in magical practices. If you—”
“Of course I know the law,” Cullen said testily. “The skull’s over seventy years old, which exempts it from most restrictions. It’s been blessed and certified clean of taint or ties to its original owner. I bought it from the Catholic Church. Paid a pretty penny, too.”
“The Catholic Church sells skulls.”
“At a huge profit, but they’re the most reputable supplier around, plus the only one that can offer sufficient quantity, so if you’re worried that I hadn’t considered how many I’d need if—”
“No. No, that wasn’t my concern. Why in the world did you use a skull for your prototype?”
“Congruence, first of all, plus bone has useful properties. There’s an element of theater, too, of course. The magically ignorant require a touch of showmanship to believe something is working the way it should. Skulls impress the hell out of them.”
She shook her head. “You’ve got a weirdly malfunctioning magical device. It’s made from a human skull. You don’t think there might be a connection?”
He frowned. “That’s what Cynna said, but there is no theoretical support for the idea. The skull tests neutral in every way that matters—mortal ties, transference, elemental imbalance—”
Her phone ran through the opening bars to the theme from Jaws. She grimaced. “Hold on a minute.” She pulled it out.
Cullen grinned. “If your mother ever finds out what ringtone you gave her, you are toast.”
“If anyone ever tells her, he’s toast. Remember that. Hi, Mother,” she said. “I guess you got my text.”
“Of course I did, though I’ve told you I don’t like text messages. They’re too impersonal. I wanted to make sure you talk to your sister while you’re in San Francisco.”
“Oh. I probably will go see Beth, but I’m going there on a case, not for pleasure, so—”
“You have to talk to her about this man she’s seeing. He’s older than she is. A lot older,” Julia Yu said ominously. “I don’t know why she had to move there in the first place. I said it wouldn’t work out well.”
“She’s seeing someone in particular?” Lily said, surprised. Beth dated a lot, but she hadn’t mentioned anyone special. A whiff of guilt drifted in when she realized she hadn’t talked to Beth lately. A few texts, yeah, but she hadn’t called in…three weeks? Maybe more. Given the way Beth flamed through relationships, that was plenty of time for her to be head over heels. “Beth falls for someone every other month. I don’t think we need to worry.”
“This one is different. She didn’t tell me about him.”
“What do you mean?”
An impatient sigh. “She’s mentioned him, but she doesn’t say she’s in love. It’s there in her voice, but she hasn’t said it, and when I ask, she says he’s just a friend. Clearly this one is different.”
“What’s his name? How much older is he?”
“Sean something-or-other. He’s over forty.”
That was a pretty big age difference. Not as big as the one between her and Rule, but Lily’s mother didn’t know that. Rule looked about thirty. Still…“I’ll ask her about him if I get the chance. I can’t promise. I don’t know how this case is going to go, but…” The study door opened. “I’ve got to go, Mother.”
Rule raised both brows. “You couldn’t have heard us.”
“I didn’t. That’s why I’m asking.”
“There is news, but it’s for Isen to speak of.”
As he said that, Isen joined them. “Got to go, Mother,” Lily said hastily. “Bye.” She disconnected quickly.
Isen was looking cheery again. The twinkle was back. “Lily, you’ll like this part of my news. Young Hank acted on his Rho’s orders, so Nokolai does not hold him responsible for his misdeeds. He won’t be allowed to remain here, but he will be released without further punishment.”
“You’re right. I do like that.”
“You’ll also be pleased to hear that I decided the situation did not require Leo’s death.”
She’d bet he was pleased about that, too. Isen could be ruthless if he thought it necessary, but he preferred to be devious. “Good.”
“Leo was under the impression he was being clever. He thought I’d appreciate his, ah, sneakiness. In his mind, by selling worthless information—he knew the prototype had problems—he benefited his clan, thereby benefiting Nokolai as well. I explained the flaws in his reasoning.”
“You did more than that.”
“True. However he may have justified his actions to himself, he deceived and betrayed Nokolai. I can no longer trust him. I required him to pass Laban’s mantle to his heir—”
The quick “son of a bitch!” came from Cullen.
“—who will be joining you in San Francisco to assist in your investigation.”
FIFTEEN
LILY snapped her seat belt in place. “I’ve never wanted to punch your father more.”
Rule smiled at his nadia, seated between him and Cullen in the backseat of Isen’s oversized and armored Lincoln. No doubt it was perverse of him to find her aggravation comforting. “It’s not an uncommon reaction.”
“There is no reason for him to be so tight-lipped about his reasons!”
“He did explain.”
Lily snorted. “Oh, yeah. He’s just making things easy for me.”
“That’s Isen for you,” Cullen said. “One considerate son of a bitch.”
Isen had informed Lily that it would be convenient for her to have Tony around to question in person. True, but Lily’s skepticism was justified. There was more to Isen’s arrangement…not that Rule assumed he knew all of that “more,” but he knew some. “You will want to talk to Tony about the deal his father made with whoever wanted the prototype.”
“Of course I want to talk to him. Isen didn’t get any information about that from Leo. At least that’s what he claims.” She shot Rule a look. “You were with Isen for a couple hours. You know more about this.”
“Most of our discussion this morning involved clan politics. Isen’s manner of handling Laban’s betrayal will have repercussions.”
“Why?”
“It’s meddling,” Cullen said. “Meddling in an internal Laban matter.”
“It’s okay for Isen to kill Leo, but it’s meddling if he makes him step down?”
“Pretty much, yeah.”
Rule could tell how little Lily understood that. “A subordinate clan owes obedience to its dominant, but is governed by its own Rho. Isen was well within his rights to require Leo’s death, but telling him he must pass the mantle to his heir…he has the authority, but some will question whether he has the right. Only a Rho makes decisions concerning the mantle.”
“Yet killing Leo would have the same effect—the mantle would go to his heir. Plus Leo would be dead.”
Rule nodded. “And that’s how Isen will present his decision, as the symbolic death of an oath-breaking Rho. The Rho ‘died’; the man did not. Some will still see it as a usurpation of the Laban Rho’s authority. Ah…this isn’t a perfect example, but think of how testy local cops get when your Bureau intrudes on what they consider their turf. The feds have the authority to do so, but local officers sometimes think they abuse that authority.”
“Then there’s the Civil War,” Cullen said cheerfully. “States’ rights and all that—what powers belong to the federal government and what belong to the states. People still get hot under the collar about that. Laban is subordinate to Nokolai, but it still has rights.”
Rule nodded. “It doesn’t help that Tony was Leo’s heir, and Isen didn’t allow him to change that before passing the mantle on.”
“What does that have to do with it?”
Rule and Cullen exchanged a look. Rule answered. “Until this past July, Leo’s heir was his older son, James, but he suddenly replaced James with his younger son, Tony. It’s widely believed that the two of them argued and Leo wanted to teach James a lesson, and that Tony, the younger son, is a temporary placeholder for his brother.”
“What’s wrong with Tony?”
“Nothing,” Rule said firmly. A little too firmly, maybe, and she raised her brows at him. He sighed and gave a partial answer. “Tony doesn’t have a son. And yes, I’ve told you that’s essential for a Lu Nuncio, but it’s a cultural requirement, not a distinction the mantle makes.”
Cullen put in helpfully, “It’s like the way Jasper Herron named Myron the Lu Nuncio for Kyffin. Myron’s a lousy fighter.”
She nodded slowly. “A Lu Nuncio is supposed to be proven in battle, but Jasper made his uncle his heir because his son’s too young and Myron doesn’t want to be Rho, so he’ll be glad when his great-nephew is old enough for the position. Everyone’s wink-wink, nudge-nudge about it. Does everyone wink at Tony being Lu Nuncio, then?”
“More or less. We’ve assumed Leo would remove Tony before long.”
She nodded again. “Okay, so there’s an issue of territory and rights with Isen telling Leo to step down. I get that, but how does letting Leo live change the way the boundaries are drawn?”
“It was Leo who was responsible, you see. Not the mantle.”
Lily chewed on that a moment. “In a weird, lupi sort of way that makes sense. Leo took responsibility for his actions, so he’s personally culpable, which lets his clan off the hook. But Isen’s decision was about the mantle, which makes it about Laban.”
“Some will see it that way.”
“Is my head spinning? It feels like it’s spinning. And all that doesn’t explain why this new Rho is ordered to join us. Or why we should let him.”
“You and Cullen and I are exposed to risk because of Laban’s actions. Laban’s Rho will therefore be exposed to risk, too—and given a chance to help recover what his clan caused to be taken from Nokolai.”
“Grandmother says that if you make an enemy lose face, you have to either kill them or give them a way to regain face.”
“Laban is not our enemy, but otherwise…yes.”
Lily fell silent, thinking that over. Or maybe she’d reverted to worrying about him.
His fault. He hadn’t found time to have a word with her alone. He took her hand. She looked at him once, a slanted glance from under her lashes. She wanted to ask him questions, but she wouldn’t, not here. He looked away, stroking his thumb over the fleshy base of her thumb. He didn’t want her questions. Shame clung to him, vague and sticky as a spiderweb. He saw no reason for it.
It had been a shock to learn he had otherkin. He hadn’t reacted well. No doubt some of that was due to the timing, falling as it had on Mick’s birthday. But he wasn’t shamed by his reaction.
How did he feel now? That’s what Lily would ask if they were alone. Or perhaps not. Much as she loved questions, she did understand that some answers arrived more fully without tacking words to them. He was…curious. Yes, now that the shock was past, he wanted to know more about Machek. He didn’t want the man
in prison, if it could be avoided—a goal Lily might help or hinder, and there was a question he needed to ask when they were private. But there was no real bond between him and this newly discovered kin, even if Machek had called him brother on the phone last night.
But Jasper Machek was fifty-three years old. Rule knew this because Lily had asked Isen while Rule was still reacting. And while Rule might have been utterly unaware of Jasper Machek’s existence, Machek had known about Rule. So Isen had said just before Rule left the room last night. The man had had ample opportunity to call Rule brother before now.
Easy enough to see what had changed. He wanted something.
Rule roused from his thoughts, feeling Lily’s gaze on him. “Yes?”
“I think we should be sure we’re all on the same page here,” she said. “Cullen wants his prototype back. I do, too, but even more I want to find out who has it and why. What’s your priority, Rule?”
“Determining if Friar has any connection to the theft, of course. Which puts us very much on the same page.” He added very softly, “I’m okay, Lily.”
She nodded, but not as if she believed him. More like she was willing to let him say that. “We don’t have any reason right now to think there’s a connection. This could be good, old-fashioned corporate theft.”
“You said Ruben had a hunch you should be there.”
“His hunch didn’t include why, though. It doesn’t mean Friar’s involved.” She drummed the fingers of her free hand on her thigh. “I’ve got two good witnesses, or will have. Your brother and what’s-his-name…the new Laban Rho.”
“Tony Romano.”
“Right. Tony and Jasper both had contact with whoever commissioned this theft.” She gave him a quick glance. “I’m assuming that information is part of this deal your brother wants to make.”
“I think of him as my alius kin.”
“Okay. I think of him as your brother.”
He didn’t respond. Eventually Lily would understand, but she didn’t now, and he wasn’t inclined to explain while they had an audience.