Lupi 04 - Night Season

Weaver is as safe as we can make her. The room has defenses that aren’t obvious.”
    â€œThe room can’t defend her against a magical attack.”
    â€œNo, she’ll have to handle that herself, should the need arise.”
    Cullen took two quick steps, but the place was too damned crowded. He nearly bumped into another one of the strangers, who stepped aside, eying him warily.
    Timms spoke without leaving Brooks’s side. “It’s her job, Cullen.”
    Cullen scowled. Lily put a hand on his arm. “I think she’ll be okay. I’ve shaken hands with all of them.”
    The touch startled him enough to break through his urgency. Lily didn’t touch often or easily. “And…?”
    â€œThey’re all of the Blood, but only the gnome is Gifted. It isn’t a Gift I’ve encountered before, but his magic isn’t…” She waved a hand. “I don’t know how to describe it, but his magic felt like it’s bound up in itself. Or in something. He doesn’t have much juice for other things.”
    â€œOf the Blood” meant they were innately magical beings. This was true of most of the nonhuman races, from gnomes to lupi to any number of less common beings and creatures. What Lily meant was that those of the Blood were seldom able to work spells—their magic simply wasn’t available that way.
    Excepting the Fae, of course. And Cullen, who was both of the Blood and Gifted. As was this gnome, apparently. “Maybe he’s using most of his magic for something else right now. I’d very much like to know what, wouldn’t you? That doesn’t make Cynna safe.”
    â€œShe’s doing her job. And she’s pretty good with spellwork herself.”
    Okay. Okay, he knew that, but…Cullen ran a hand over his hair. “You’ll know if something’s been done to her. You’ll check.”
    â€œOf course.”
    â€œWhat’s the problem?” demanded the Deputy Under-whatever.
    Cullen decided it would be easier to keep a grip on his temper if he ignored the man, so he did.
    Fagin blinked sleepily, looking like an aging refugee from the sixties. “Why, if those three come from a high-magic realm—and they do—we have no idea what they might be able to do, magically.”
    â€œWhy do you believe they come from a high-magic realm?”
    Stupidity was so hard to ignore. Cullen managed not to roll his eyes. “They got here, didn’t they?”
    On the screen, Cynna had moved closer to the gnome. Gan was saying something. Then the councilor spoke.
    Damn, but he hated watching remotely this way. He couldn’t smell them, couldn’t see any of the energies involved. Bet he could hear them, though, if he moved closer to the tech guy with the headphones.
    â€œExactly.” Fagin beamed at him. “Assuming their arrival was purposeful—”
    One of the other men broke in. “What do you mean?”
    â€œWe’ve recently seen many examples of creatures crossing accidentally, haven’t we? Fairies, brownies, gremlins, even banshees were blown in on the power winds during the Turning. But these visitors arrived without that impetus, and Gan was expecting them. This argues that they did come here intentionally, using a gate, as the councilor claims. This means we’re dealing with a culture that’s quite sophisticated magically.”
    â€œAnd has plenty of power available,” Lily added. “Gates gobble power.”
    â€œVery true. There’s also the shield spell itself, of course.”
    â€œBreak that conclusion down for the rest of us, please,” Brooks said.
    Or just shut up. That would be better. Even with his hearing, Cullen was hard-pressed to listen in on the tech guy’s headphones with all the chatter in the room. Couldn’t any of them think for themselves long enough to see the obvious?
    â€œOur knowledge of other realms is largely theoretical,” Fagin began, “since interrealm travel has been impossible since before the Purge—impossible for humans, that is. Some of the Fae have always been able to cross, though they chose not to. And imps or demons have crossed from time to time, although—”
    Brooks spoke dryly. “Fagin, we aren’t in class. I believe everyone here is aware of conditions prior to the Turning.”
    â€œOf course. The point I was wandering toward is that desert dwellers