Lupi 04 - Night Season

shouldn’t be a problem on our return.”
    Or so the gnome said. They had learned a few things while on the barge.
    The Edge people had spent a couple days in the neighboring realm they crossed to first, then another couple days on Earth. When they returned here, four weeks had passed—one week for every day they’d experienced. This had seriously freaked Cynna, who did not want to get home only to find it was 2050 or something. But Bilbo insisted the discrepancy happened on their trip to the less congruent realm, and that time slippage wouldn’t be a problem between Edge and Earth.
    â€œI know,” Cynna said, “but Bilbo wouldn’t talk about why he showed up where he did on Earth. According to Gan…well, I don’t know why Bilbo won’t admit it, but she thinks he used her as a beacon. Apparently what she does naturally makes her sort of an anchor, a way to get a time-fix between realms. Bilbo didn’t target me and Lily. He targeted Gan.”
    Cullen got that distant look in his eyes that meant he was running her explanation over his own mental hurdles, checking it against what he knew of gates. Which, admittedly, was more than she did. After a moment he nodded. “That holds together. It would make even more sense if I knew how Gan can cross the way she does.”
    Cynna grinned. “It’s because she’s special.”
    His smile was softer than hers. “You’ll be a good mother.”
    Cynna blinked and tried a laugh on for size. “Where did that come from?”
    â€œYou deal well with Gan, who’s the child from hell if ever there was one. You care about her, look out for her, but don’t try to squeeze her into your image of what she should be.”
    â€œYeah, well, you know…she’s a demon. Or was. I’m not sure there’s a strong correlation here.”
    â€œYou don’t see the baby as an extension of yourself, the way so many parents do. Just the opposite. Yet you’ve accepted sharing your body with it.”
    â€œThat doesn’t mean I’ll have a clue what to do once it’s outside my body.”
    â€œNo one does,” he said, and moved so he could wrap his arms around her from behind. He pulled her up against him. “Or so I’m told.”
    She stiffened. “I’m not—”
    â€œRelax. For a few minutes, turn off that busy and wary mind of yours. I’m not seducing you or trying to force you into a decision or a discussion you aren’t ready for. Just…relax with me a bit.”
    â€œYou’re not so good at that, either.”
    He chuckled so low she felt it as much as heard it. “I’m a lively sort, it’s true. Sometimes selfish.”
    â€œSometimes?”
    â€œIt took me a bit to realize that I hurt you when I laughed. I’m sorry for that.”
    His mind was lively, all right, jumping from one thing to another without warning. “I guess it did sound funny.”
    â€œYou compared our baby to beneficial bacteria.”
    She muffled her own laugh into a snort. “I get your point.”
    For a while neither of them spoke. Cynna found herself content with silence, with the slow rocking of the boat, and even with the darkness, marked as it was by so many stars. Up ahead she could see a line of piers stretching out into the water—dark themselves, but outlined by more mage lights. There were a lot of boats around and ahead of them, too, most of them small, but a few big barges like this one. And a couple sailing ships. She wished she could see those better. They were pretty cool.
    How did they decide which boats went where so they wouldn’t bump into each other? Did they have a river version of air traffic control? Not that the river was as busy as an airport, but still…
    Cullen was very warm along her back. His arms wrapped her loosely; one hand rested on her hip, the other on her belly. She liked the feel of him, and it wasn’t all hormones. She admitted that. She wouldn’t get too attached to this sort of thing, but it was okay to enjoy a friend’s company, wasn’t it? She wasn’t mistaking this for anything more.
    He’d damned near died.
    Memory hit, cruel and breath-stealing. During the attack, she’d held together fine. She was good at crises. She’d done what she needed to do, deferring the emotions for later.
    It was later. She’d dreamt of the dondredii last sleep,