Lupi 04 - Night Season

nastier beasties in the river, so she hadn’t argued when Wen told her humans shouldn’t go in the river.
    Especially pregnant humans. Her secret wasn’t much of a secret anymore. Too many of these people could spot a pregnant woman instantly—by scent or magic or whatever. She didn’t think Ruben knew yet. At least, he hadn’t said anything. But all the Edge people seemed to know.
    There hadn’t been much to do on the barge except talk, but that worked out okay. They had a lot to learn about this place. No one would discuss the medallion, but that left a long list of other topics they were ignorant about. Ruben had asked each of them to concentrate on a specific subject. Cynna’s task had been learning about the various races here. Wen and Tash didn’t mind talking about that sort of thing, so she’d had an easy assignment.
    She’d also learned the mage light spell and taught Cullen how to key his diamond so no one else could use it…then been keenly flattered when he keyed it to her, too. She’d gotten to know Steve better, too. They’d played many, many hands of poker with the deck of cards she’d dug out of her old denim bag.
    â€œBetter climb back on board,” Cullen said to Gan. “We’re nearly there, so your swim buddy will be—”
    But Gan had ducked back underwater.
    Cullen shook his head. “Guess she’ll come out when the triton does. He’ll have to come topside before we dock.”
    â€œWe’re nearly there.”
    Cullen sighed. “Bathtubs.”
    â€œIndoor plumbing, period. And clean clothes.”
    â€œShoes. Pants. I grow eager for a pair of pants. And a toothbrush.”
    â€œOh, man. I hope so.” The Ekiba had given them these little sponges. First you wet one, then you chewed on it so it released this oozy stuff which was not at all like toothpaste. Then you scrubbed your teeth with it. She sighed, thinking of toothbrushes, and added, “Vegetables. Tash says they have plenty of fresh produce in the City.”
    Cullen looked at her quizzically. “You’re longing for stir-fry, not pizza?”
    â€œNo, it’s just that…it gets what I eat, doesn’t it? The baby, I mean. I breathe for it. I eat for it. It’s kind of like a parasite, only—”
    Cullen made a muffled sound. His arm dropped away. “A parasite.”
    She felt herself flush and was glad he wouldn’t be able to tell. “Maybe I didn’t put that well. I mean, some parasites are helpful, right? Like bacteria. We’ve got lots of bacteria in our bodies that we need to survive, and they need us. There’s a word for that, but I can’t remember it right now.”
    â€œSymbiosis.” Cullen barely got the word out. He seemed to be strangling. “You’re talking about symbiosis.”
    â€œThat’s it. I guess the baby and me are kind of like that now—in symbiosis. It can’t survive without me, and I…well, I’m not sure what I get from it, but I figure there’s supposed to be an emotional payoff. I’m not there yet, but—”
    The laughter he’d been choking on won. He laughed so hard he gasped for breath.
    She stared at him coldly. “I’m ridiculous, am I?”
    â€œYes, but that’s okay. I’m an ass.” Grinning, he slid an arm around her waist.
    She shoved it away. “Go play with yourself.”
    â€œEntertaining as that can be, I’d rather not. Cynna.” He touched her cheek. “I’m glad you’re coming to terms with the baby’s presence. Sharing your body with another being, however tiny, must feel strange.”
    If she told him it reminded her of when she’d been a rider herself—of demons—he probably wouldn’t laugh. Cullen wasn’t easy to shock, but that ought to do it. “Yeah, it’s pretty weird. Did I tell you what Gan said about how Bilbo and Company arrived right where Lily and I were?”
    â€œHow they knew where to open their gate, you mean?”
    She nodded, pleased with herself for changing the subject so neatly. “She said it was a congruence problem. Well, she put it another way, but that’s what she meant. Edge is geographically congruent to lots of realms, but not always time-congruent, and the realm they entered from wasn’t time-congruent with Earth at all.”
    â€œI know. We went over that. It