Lupi 04 - Night Season

I had to do this if Bilbo got killed. I wasn’t going to. First Councilor thought the medallion wouldn’t eat me because of me still being partly demon, but maybe it would. She wasn’t all the way sure, so I wasn’t going to do it. But then Steve Timms saved my life, and you helped, and I understood. Getting a soul hurts because then you start getting friends, and things that hurt them hurt you, too. I couldn’t let my friends get their brains eaten. Just like Steve Timms couldn’t let the Ahk throw those rocks at me and kill me. Because maybe I’d be okay, but none of you would be.”
    She looked at Cullen then, and there was something…more…in her eyes. “Not you, either, Cullen Seabourne. Your shields are good, but the medallion has been very lonely and very confused. It would have kept calling and calling, and people would have killed you to get it. And I’m one of you, so I couldn’t let that happen.” She giggled. “I’m one of a lot right now, but that’s okay. It feels good. Like having lots of friends. Hey.” She cocked her head to one side. “Cynna Weaver? Do you have any of that chocolate left?”

THIRTY-FOUR
    C YNNA collapsed onto a grassy mound. Cullen sat beside her. They’d escaped from the court proper to a space that was more outdoors than in, though the enchantment of the court lingered here. The air was warm and summery.
    The sky overhead was still dark, of course. Cynna stretched out in the grass. “You think they’ll be talking long?”
    â€œFor at least the next three days. I’m not sure how sidhe settle who will make the land-tie, but I’m pretty clear that it involves a lot of talking.” Cullen eased down onto his side, propped up on an elbow to smile at her. “Don’t worry. We’ll leave long before then.”
    â€œI guess that means on horses.”
    â€œI’m afraid so. Cynna…”
    Something in his voice worried her. “Yeah?”
    â€œI know you were playing Aduello. Pretending that his glamour had stuck so he wouldn’t kill you and maybe the others. I want you to know that it’s okay. Whatever you had to do to keep him from guessing you were free of the glamour, it’s okay. I don’t mind.”
    She searched his face and found it…blank. Showing nothing at all. Happiness dawned slowly inside her at what she saw. “Yes, you would.”
    â€œLupi don’t—”
    â€œMaybe not, but you would. You wouldn’t hold it against me, but you’d mind.”
    Cullen didn’t move or speak for a long, long moment. Then his smile cracked the blankness. “I damned sure would. I’ve been fighting my own mind for days, and fighting it worse once I knew…trying not to think about what he…I knew the glamour wouldn’t stick, but you were in his power. And, uh, sometimes the glamour does stick for a little while.”
    Cynna laughed. “Stuck to you at first, didn’t it? Well, don’t worry. He didn’t really want me, just wanted me dazzled. And the glamour didn’t last long.” Within an hour of being woken by her self-proclaimed Prince Charming, she’d gone from being desperate to jump his beautiful elf bones to thinking Aduello was a gorgeous, manipulative bastard.
    Instinct had kept her quiet, warning her not to let him know she’d come unglammed. Instinct…and a lifetime’s accumulation of cynicism. Or maybe that was a distinction without a difference.
    â€œOne thing I don’t understand,” Cullen said. “Why did Aduello keep you around? Just so you could send everyone off on a wild-goose chase for where the medallion was supposed to be?”
    â€œSince he wasn’t lusting after my body, you mean? That was the idea. I was supposed to tell you that the medallion’s trail led back to the City. What I think, piecing together some of the stuff he said, was that he’d arranged for a group of would-be rebel humans to take the blame for a while by dying in a terrible fire or explosion or something. He wanted more time to solidify his control of the thing. He’d just have gotten crazier, of course. The hellhound guy was right about that. It didn’t eat his brain the way it did the others’, but it sure unbalanced him.”
    â€œHmm.” Cullen settled down the rest of the way, sliding one arm beneath her so he could rearrange