Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

Jose and Jacob, both Nokolai - weapons ready.
    Lily frowned. "Code Three means I'm requesting an escort. That's one guard, not two, and no immediate threat."
    "Yes, ma'am." Jose gestured for Jacob to move ahead, and Jacob - tall, dark hair and eyes, slim as a willow and just as supple - began circling the garage's echoing expanse. "But you never call us. I figured you'd probably seen a hostile, or thought one was around."
    "And assumed your judgment was superior to mine?"
    "Ah - "
    "No, wait. Rule told you to go into emergency mode if I ever requested an escort, didn't he?"
    Jose grimaced. "I, uh, really don't - "
    "Never mind. I'll take it up with Rule later. Since you're both here, let's pretend I'm in charge. Which of you has the best nose?"
    "I do," Jose said. "But I'd need to Change."
    "Okay. Jacob, unless you've found something you need to check out, pull in close and stay alert. I had a visit just now from... Well, he's muscle, but muscle with brains. He works for an enemy of mine who might be acting as an ally at the moment. Or he might not. He left that for me." She nodded at the envelope, still shiny white against the black SUV. "I thought you could sniff it and make sure it's just paper."
    "Okay. I can't Change back as fast as Rule does," he added. "If I smell anything suspicious, I'll growl." Jose gave Jacob some kind of hand signal and set down his weapon. Then he Changed.
    Lily never got tired of seeing that. Or not quite seeing it, but being present as reality took on a tilt her eyes couldn't follow. The space where Jose stood folded both into and away from itself, and his shape tilted and folded with it - until a large black wolf stood on the collapsed pile of clothes, panting cheerfully.
    Jacob joined them. He faced out, not watching Jose, who trotted up to the SUV, lifted up onto his hind legs, and planted his forefeet on either side of the envelope. He gave it a good sniffing, then dropped back on all fours. He wagged his tail.
    "Smells kosher, huh? Okay, thanks. Let's head upstairs."
    They rode up in the elevator together - a man, a woman, and a wolf. It was just as well that none of the building's other inhabitants wanted to go anywhere right that moment.
    Lily didn't feel bad about calling out the troops when it turned out they hadn't been needed. If you waited until you knew for sure you were up that shit creek before hunting for the paddle, it was probably too late.
    The guards on the door were Leidolf, which surprised her. It wasn't a weekend. She asked them how the weapons training was going, and got a grimace from one and a grin from the other. The grinner - his name was Mark - had won the last round at the shooting range.
    Leidolf, like most lupi, had a strong distaste for firearms of all kinds. Nokolai was different because Benedict insisted that those he trained learned to handle a gun. The Leidolf guards had arrived unsure how to hold a gun, much less fire it. Rule was having his Nokolai guards train them.
    So far neither side had taken a shot at the other. That had to be good. She congratulated Mark and told the two Nokolai men they could go.
    Jose shook his head. "Me and Jacob have this watch. Mark and Steve stood in for us so we could respond to your Code Three. Guys, you can get back to your Nintendo."
    Lily shrugged and went in. She supposed it was progress that Leidolf guards were working well enough with the Nokolai ones to switch off sometimes.
    Harry was glad to see her. She gave him some ham and kib ble, then at last sat down to open the envelope. Harry elected to join her, having gobbled the ham. He curled up beside her, purring. She stroked him as she read the handwritten note.
     
    The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
    So said our people long before these Americans existed, and so I will tell you some things about our enemy. You may know some of these things, and more I cannot guess.
    He calls himself Johnny Deng, and says he is a sorcerer. He is more than this. He has powers not seen since demons mingled with people centuries ago, and so I think he is demon or he answers to a demon.
    He wishes to own the city. Not your part of the city, Lily Yu, but mine. He has taken over two small gangs already and makes an offer for my enterprises. I laugh. My brother dies. Still I would have stayed and fought for what is mine, but I receive your warning. If an enemy of your revered grandmother lives, he is a powerful man. Or more than man.
    As you read this, I am no longer in San