Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

people. Bodies. The car's bumping over them. I feel it. Can't you - "
    "No bodies," Lily said grimly, "yet." She swerved violently, narrowly missing another car as a semi came barreling at them, straight down the middle of the road.
    "You're sure."
    "I'm sure." Lily braked for a turn onto a less busy, more residential street, then hit the gas again. "Close your eyes if you can't deal. Rule? Is the, uh, technique Sam mentioned doing you any good?"
    This street wasn't as congested, but - "It was, but now I'm seeing people."
    Lily hit the brakes. "Those are for real."
    At least twenty people raced down the middle of the street straight at them. Screaming. The car fishtailed as Lily fought it. She got it stopped - but three people ran right into the stopped car. It wasn't the darkness - their vehicle was lit brightly by headlights and its strobing police light. They simply didn't see anything except whatever they believed pursued them.
    Two got up and started running again. The third didn't.
    "I'll get her." Cody threw the door open.
    Lily's face was pale. "The Chimei's throwing out a ton of power. If it's centered on my parents' place, the effect is widespread. We're still a couple miles from the house."
    "Apparently she's got a ton of power." Rule tried calling again. Nothing.
    In front of the car, Cody scooped up a woman's limp body. Two cars whizzed past, going the other way. "Knocked herself out," he called. "Open the back and I'll put her in."
    Lily hit a button. "Come on," she muttered. "Hurry."
    Cody slid the woman inside, slammed the door, and climbed in. Before his door was closed Lily stomped on the gas. The police radio squawked about a fire somewhere - there was a lot of static - then announced a "10-190 in progress at the Walmart at - "
    It went dead.
    "Magic surge?" Rule said.
    "Probably. And the brawl at that Walmart we passed is now a riot."
    Cody yelped.
    "Whatever it is, don't believe it," Lily said.
    "So you're not really sprouting horns right now, huh?"
    Rule watched as a dozen gang members standing in a well-lit apartment parking lot drew guns and shot at them as they barreled past. He heard the shots even over the wail of their siren - but the sound was off. Muffled and wrong. He kept his voice steady. "I'll need to Change as soon as we stop."
    "Okay," Lily said. "Why?"
    "That matter I discussed with my father." She'd know he meant the mantles. "The wolf will be better able to listen in that particular way than the man."
    "Is it helping any?"
    "I still... see things. Perhaps not as many as Beck is seeing. But my other senses aren't as affected by the illusions." They slowed for the next turn, this time onto a purely residential road. A man standing in his front yard leveled a rifle at them as they approached. "Is that man - " But he heard the gun go off.
    "Shit." Lily swerved. "Hit the rear of the car, I think. Oh, Christ." She swerved again - this time to avoid hitting two bodies lying, bloody and still, in the street. At least that's what Rule saw in the headlights.
    Two blocks later, fire erupted directly in front of them. She didn't slow, even as the flames leaped up huge and hot. Cody yelled something profane.
    He saw it, too? Or did he think they were plowing through a swamp or a crowd of innocent people? Rule listened for the roar and crackle of fire - and didn't hear it. But every window was lit with orange flame. "I can't see anything but fire," he told Lily.
    "Good thing I'm driving. We're nearly there. Shit." She skidded to a stop. "Can you see anything?"
    "Just fire."
    "There is a fire, but it's over a block away. I'm stopped because the street is blocked by a three-car pileup." She undid her seat belt. "I'll go the rest of the way on foot. We're close."
    "I'll get out on your side, so you can guide me, if needed." He hoped like hell that after he Changed he wouldn't see fire everywhere, but if he did, he'd need help.
    "Rule, if you feel the fire as well as see it - "
    "Either you lead me or I follow blindly." He looked at flames. But he didn't hear them.
    "I hate to say ditto," Cody said. "I really hate it. But ditto."
    "All right. But if either of you feels fire as well as seeing it, get back in the damned car. And don't attack anything unless I say so." She opened her door. Rule could smell the fire, the smoky burned stink of it - but she'd said there was a real fire, hadn't she? A block away.
    Rule slid across. Drew hard on his mantle. And stepped out into flame.
    He felt heat - but