Lupi 04 - Night Season

admit that. She grinned. “I do. It’s a pattern spell—Air, so it won’t come easily to you, but I can teach you. But first I want a peek.” Cynna shook her hands to clear them of any muddy energy, then held her left hand over his right one. She fed a trickle of power into the tattoo circling her wrist like a dainty bracelet.
    Finding was Cynna’s Gift. She didn’t need a spell to do that. Being a Finder meant she had an affinity for patterns, but her Gift didn’t read, interpret, or remember them. For that she needed spells. She had several scanning spells scribed on her skin; the kilingo she’d activated would tell her how much magic was stored in Cullen’s diamond.
    Her wrist turned searing hot. “Son of a bitch!” She snatched her hand back, shutting down the kilingo. “You planning to burn down the city?”
    â€œI didn’t store it as Fire energy.”
    â€œNo, that’s how I measure power. As heat. You’ve got one hell of a lot of magic stuffed in that stone. Lots more than in the little one on your necklace.” Which had held enough power to create mage fire on at least two occasions.
    Cullen regarded his hand smugly. The diamond winked back at him. “I do, don’t I?”
    â€œThere isn’t that much stray magic around, not with Mika soaking it up.”
    â€œMakes a difference when you can see the sorcéri.”
    She supposed it did, and sighed. No denying the twist of envy. “Lily said you had a spell that lets others see sorcéri.”
    â€œIt’s not exactly a spell. I twist a few sorcéri together in a way that makes them visible to the eyes. It doesn’t last long, and it’s kind of tricky to do.”
    She stared at him, appalled. “You work with them directly ?”
    â€œWhat do you think mage fire is?”
    â€œI thought you shaped it with a spell!”
    â€œIt’s fire, isn’t it? I call fire. I don’t need spells for that, though it did take me a while to get the knack of calling mage fire. It’s a ticklish business, but—”
    â€œNo duh!” Mage fire was one of the most dangerous of the forbidden arts. Supposedly a lost art, actually, which was the only reason no one had bothered making it illegal. Three months ago, Cullen had reinvented it. She knew that, knew why he’d done it, and agreed with the necessity, but…“You don’t shape it all?”
    â€œYou might say I ride it. Mage fire has to be sourced from raw magic, which is why only sorcerers should attempt it. If you can’t see the energies, see what you’re doing with them…” His hands shaped a mushroom cloud in the air. “Boom .”
    â€œSometimes you scare the shit out of me.”
    â€œHow sensible of you.” Cullen reached out, touched the collar of her coat. “Great coat.”
    Her eyebrows shot up. “Thanks.”
    His fingers, restless, moved to her face, then tugged at a strand of her hair. “You keep this short so it won’t interfere with the spells on your skin, right?”
    His touch stirred thoughts of an activity that worked great to calm the jitters, one more pleasant than fighting. Down, girl. She nodded.
    â€œBut why do you bleach it?”
    â€œYou’ve heard of style? I like it blond.”
    â€œIt stinks.”
    Offended, Cynna jerked her head back. “My hair stinks?”
    â€œNot to a human, I guess. But since it’s a lupus you’re involved with—”
    â€œWe aren’t involved.” She stressed the last word. Involved meant committed. Cullen seemed to be wholly committed to the… Oh, get over it . Use the word. Cullen was committed to the baby. He wanted it, wanted it badly. He wasn’t committed to her.
    â€œNo?” He smiled in an agreeable way she distrusted. “If you say so. Want to go visit Mika with me?”
    â€œWhat?” She shook her head. “Your mind jumps around like a flea.”
    â€œI need to obtain one of the spell components. A dragon’s scale.”
    That shouldn’t pique her interest, not when she was so annoyed with him. “I hope you’re not planning to steal one.”
    He laughed. “No, you were hoping I was, though you think you shouldn’t. Sorry to disappoint you, but I’m after a trade, not a theft.”
    â€œI’m not disappointed.” Much. It would be stupid to prefer sneaking a