Lupi 04 - Night Season

do not develop shipbuilding capabilities. Due to our relative dearth of magic, we’ve had no need for shields and haven’t hung on to that knowledge. Their realm, apparently, does have a need.”
    â€œThat makes sense,” said one of the men Cullen didn’t know. He looked at Cullen. “I understand you know something about gates, Mr. Seabourne.”
    Cullen twitched one shoulder in an impatient shrug. “Something. Theoretical knowledge, of course,” he added in his first lie of the day. Three months ago he’d assisted in making a hellgate, but since that was even more illegal than being a sorcerer, he wasn’t planning to add it to his résumé.
    â€œThese, ah, people arrived at a node. Is that typical?”
    â€œFor a gate? It’s necessary. Nodes are the points of greatest physical and temporal congruence. Also, you need the power. Like Lily said, gates gobble power.”
    â€œSo you believe the councilor created a gate to come here.”
    â€œAh…no. Is he claiming he did it alone? Gate building is a team effort. Even the dragons have to work together to do it.”
    â€œDragons? Do you mean they…what are you doing ?”
    Cullen had yanked the headphones off the tech guy’s head and was holding them close to his ear.
    On one screen, the inky tracery on Cynna’s face stood out in sharp relief against her sudden pallor. He saw her throat work as she swallowed. From the headphones came the thread of her voice saying, “No way.”
    The tech tried to grab his headphones back. Two of the men started toward Cullen. He looked at Lily. “That bastard just told Cynna he’s got her father.”

FIVE
    â€œY OU is not believing of me,” the little gnome said. “So the Daniel is saying…is said? English verbs difficult.”
    Daniel. Her father’s name had been Daniel. Daniel Weaver.
    Cynna’s mouth was dry. Spiking feelings jabbed at her—disbelief, anger, a nameless feeling all shaky and fierce…the shaky part seemed to be winning. “Maybe I’ll just sit down for a minute.” But she didn’t move.
    â€œIs hard talking of the father?” The gnome’s voice was gluey with sympathy.
    â€œI don’t have a…I mean, he’s gone. Long gone.” She’d been two days shy of her third birthday when he walked out on them. She had a couple photos of him. She had a half load of his genes. That was about it.
    â€œGone from here, yes. Gone to Edge. The Daniel is being one of the Theilo…fall-through-cracks people. Fall into our realm.”
    â€œHe didn’t…you’re saying that he didn’t go there on purpose.”
    â€œThis realm is being closed then. No one of Earth is coming to Edge on purpose. He fall in. Accident.” The short green robe the councilor wore wrapped around his skinny body was held at the waist with a wide leather belt. It was a fancy thing, that belt, with gems and scroll-work and several little pockets sewn on, their flaps tied down. He unfastened one of the pockets, reached inside, and frowned, muttering in that other language.
    He had to be lying. Didn’t he?
    The gnome undid another pocket and dug inside it.
    He knew her father’s name. He knew English…more or less. He knew Cynna was a Finder. How could he know any of that? Gan could have told them some things, but Gan didn’t know about the sperm donor.
    That’s how Cynna thought of Daniel Weaver—as the sperm donor. He sure as hell hadn’t been anything else to her.
    Actually, Cynna didn’t see how Gan could have told them anything at all. Communication between realms wasn’t possible. No, it wasn’t supposed to be possible, but what did that mean anymore? Gan had said the gnomish elders talked across the realms. Gan had expected the others to show up. And they had—almost on top of her and Lily. Surely that wasn’t coincidence.
    But… her father .
    â€œThe Daniel is said you not believing the words, so I giving you a thing from him.” The gnome was holding something out in his soft little hand. A ring. A man’s gold wedding ring. “You Finder. Check. See if I is speaking of true.”
    She stared at that ring as if it might leap up and bite her.
    The room’s only door opened. Lily, Cullen, Ruben, Timms, and a guy in a suit came in, and a whole bunch of stuff happened all at once.
    Cullen swung toward