Lupi 04 - Night Season

didn’t say anything until they reached the next street. No cars. She started across. “You said ‘it.’ You don’t know the sex?”
    â€œFor that you’ll need ultrasound.”
    When? When did the growth inside her become enough of a baby to have a sex? She had no idea. She knew nothing about babies—carrying them, bearing them, raising them.
    She knew one thing, though. If this one was a boy, it would be a lupus. It would Change when it was old enough, but that was okay because it would have a clan, people who cared about it, knew how to help it through the Change. But…“If it’s a girl, it will still be Nokolai, right?”
    â€œYes.”
    There was such satisfaction in his voice. Because his child wouldn’t be clanless, as he had been? Maybe because he would give his adoptive clan something wonderful. Lupi were nuts about babies.
    All of the above, Cynna decided. And that was all she was ready to decide tonight. She’d had enough shocks for one day—that damned purple color in the tester window, the arrival of Gan and the delegation, the news about her father…
    My father. Two words that had never held much meaning for her. Even in prayers it was “Our Father,” not “my father.” Now… uh-oh. Thinking again, and not the productive kind. “So how come you aren’t still at Headquarters? Don’t tell me you left a shiny new spell just to stalk me.”
    â€œDon’t tell me you aren’t curious about that shiny new spell.”
    â€œNow that you mention it…how’s it sourced?”
    He grinned. “Outside the caster.”
    The law defined sorcery as magic sourced outside the spellcaster—which was, as Cullen often said, a nice blend of stupidity and blinding ignorance. Even Wiccans drew on power from other sources, though the plants and gems they used didn’t have much juice. “Think Congress will hold an emergency session to rewrite the law?”
    â€œThey’ll come up with some way around it. They want this too much.”
    Trade with another realm…yeah, that was huge. Cynna didn’t figure it could be kept quiet much longer. “What kind of spell is it?”
    â€œFull draw.”
    That meant it drew on all four elements. “Balanced draw?” The more balanced the draw from the elements, the harder the spell, because spellcasters weren’t themselves balanced. Cullen found Fire ridiculously easy and was good with both Water and Earth, not so good with Air. Cynna aced Air, did okay with Earth, and struggled with Water and Fire.
    â€œIt’s ley line magic.”
    â€œJesus!” She immediately felt guilty and apologized to God for using His son’s name that way. She was trying to break herself of the habit. “Definitely a balanced draw, then. Uh…have you ever worked a ley line spell?”
    â€œA few times. I’ll in-blood the elements.”
    â€œThat’s—”
    â€œThe best way I know to do it.”
    Ley lines carried magic throughout the Earth, but as that magic left the nodes where it originated, it lost its uncolored intensity, splitting into the rainbow colors of the elements. That’s why you had to use a balanced, full-draw invocation to tap one. In-blooding was a risky way to achieve balance, but so was every other technique if you were dealing with ley line energy. After a moment Cynna nodded. “You’d know what works best for you, I guess.”
    â€œI’m weak in Air. You’re strong there. Keep an eye on me after the in-blooding. If I get distracted and lose the balance, I’ll probably stop breathing. Remind me.”
    â€œI’ll do that. What about the rest of the spell?”
    He shrugged. “There are material components for the invocation. The list he gave me is interesting in one way—Edge must be Earthlike if we have the same herbs.”
    â€œUnlike Dis.”
    â€œRight. But he’s not revealing more without payment. When I left, negotiations had stalled while they flew in some gnome expert who lived in the underways for a few years.”
    â€œSo you’re waiting for the government to pay this councilor dude for his spell.”
    He tilted his head. “You’re thinking that’s why I left to stalk you—that I’d still be there if I had the whole spell to play with. You’re wrong.”
    â€œAnd you are not telepathic.” A