Lupi 04 - Night Season

the same thing.
    Cullen leaned forward, quiet and intense. “Most humans can’t do magic. Are you claiming that Gifted humans have nonhuman blood?”
    â€œDon’t know and don’t care.” Gan stood up. “I want to go swim.”
    â€œWait until someone can go in with you,” Cynna said automatically.
    â€œHe could.” Gan pointed at Cullen.
    â€œNo, he can’t. He hasn’t finished healing the damage from yesterday.”
    Gan sighed. “Boats are boring if I can’t swim.”
    â€œBored is okay. Bored means no one’s trying to kill us today.” Of course, the “day” had just begun. Cynna looked at Bilbo. “What will you do if the medallion is on sidhe land? Attack them?”
    â€œNo!” Bilbo looked genuinely horrified. “Is no attacking. Is political matter. Sidhe politics very complex, but Harazeed is knowing how to bargain. We is making known who has medallion, and if no true holder yet, others is making sidhe land-liege return to us.”
    â€œOthers?”
    â€œOther sidhe. Is complex. You is wanting lessons in sidhe politics? Is having year or two for basic lessons in such?”
    Sarcasm, used to distract her. “And if there is a true holder?”
    â€œIs no holder yet. We is of Edge. Is knowing if medallion has formed bond with holder.”
    Bilbo hadn’t exactly answered her question. Cynna looked at Cullen. They’d argued over which of them should play leader. He insisted it had to be her—she had the pull because of her Gift. Right now she wished she had a mindspeech Gift. She settled for arching an eyebrow at him.
    Cullen shrugged. “Some truth, probably mixed with misdirection and leaving plenty out. Your decision.”
    Cynna didn’t want to make the decisions. She wanted Ruben here. She wanted sunshine, hot chocolate, and a full-size bed—make that a queen-size bed. And for Cullen to be fully healed so they could put it to good use.
    She wanted all sorts of thing she didn’t have. She settled for taking a deep breath and letting it out slowly. “Okay. For now, I agree to keep up the hunt as soon as the tritons get here. But I want to talk about how we continue. Is it better to get more of the guard here? Should we leave the barge?”
    Cullen looked at her, his blue eyes steady. “You’re forgeting one question.”
    Her jaw tightened. She hadn’t forgotten. Denial, much as she loved it, went only so far. She gestured at him to get it said. Asked. Whatever.
    â€œMr. Weaver,” Cullen said, “why are you here?”
    Her father’s eyebrows shot up. “Why, to be with my daughter.”
    Cullen shook his head. “That might be your reason. But you aren’t in charge, are you? Why have the councilors allowed you to come with us? Why do you even know that the medallion is missing? Every other human we’ve met has been a servant, a laborer, at best a small merchant. None have any authority.”
    Daniel’s face reddened, but it was Bilbo who answered. “Daniel Weaver is bringing inventions to us, innovations from industry of his realm. We is profiting from them, so he is making deal, becomes adviser to chancellor. Cannot hide death of chancellor from his advisers. They notice,” he finished with heavy sarcasm, “if they speaking with dead man.”
    â€œBullshit,” Cullen said.
    Abruptly Daniel shoved to his feet. “They aren’t idiots, Councilor.” He looked at Cullen. “I know about the medallion because I found the chancellor’s body, not because they trust me overly much. I’m on this barge because I am Cynna’s father—which matters to me in one way and matters to them for quite a different reason. I suspect you’ve guessed why fatherhood bought me a ticket for this trip.”
    â€œYou’re supposed to persuade her to cooperate,” Cullen said coolly. “If that doesn’t work, you’ll make a dandy hostage.”
    â€œNo,” Bilbo said sharply. “Daniel Weaver, you is telling him—”
    â€œWith all due respect, Councilor—shut up.” Daniel looked at Cynna then. His eyes were hard and strange—not the warm whiskey color she was used to, but a brittle amber. “Don’t let them use me against you. Don’t let me do it, either.” And he stalked off.

TWENTY-SIX
    Two Sleeps Later…
    C ULLEN’S eyes shifted