Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

the memories."
    The memories were literally that: incredibly vivid memories of various long-dead Nokolai that had been passed down from Rhej to apprentice for thousands of years. Since many of the memories involved battle and other calamities, there was a lot of pain and fear involved. A lot of stress for a pregnant lady, in other words. "I don't get why the Rhej changed her mind. She was going to wait on that part of your training until you had the baby."
    "There was a reason not to wait any longer."
    "You're sounding like a Rhej now. Cryptic."
    Cynna offered a vague, apologetic smile and an equally vague gesture. "I'm not supposed to talk about some stuff."
    Great. Lily dragged herself back on topic. "When you say 'agent,' you mean something specific, but I'm not sure what."
    "Someone touched by the enemy. Someone using an object or spell touched or created by her. Uh... by touch, I don't mean physically, but contacted or acted upon."
    "So if she's involved, it's indirectly."
    "Real indirectly. Someone like the Great Bitch leaves traces. Take the incognito spell the assassin seems to have used - it couldn't have come from her. Even if it passed through others before the assassin got it, it would retain something of her energy. The Rhej and the Rho would have reacted to those traces because the Lady would feel them."
    Lily cocked her head. Cynna was sure sounding cozy with the lupi's Lady. "Are you - "
    "He's waking," Nettie said crisply. "Rule - ?"
    Quickly Rule moved beside Nettie and placed one hand on Cullen's upper shoulder. Nothing happened. Cullen looked as deeply asleep as before - right up until the second his eyes flew open, bright and burning blue.
    "Be still," Rule said firmly. "You're safe. Cynna's safe. She's fine. The baby's fine. You've been hurt."
    Cullen blinked. "No shit," he said, his voice faint. "Cynna... "
    She'd taken Cullen's right hand. "Right here, not a mark on me," she announced cheerfully. Lily could see the strain in her eyes, but it didn't show in her voice. "And the little rider seems to like staying up late. He's frisking around like crazy."
    Cullen's smile was small, but the relief behind it looked large.
    "Cullen," Nettie said, "I know you're in a great deal of pain, but I need to know if your wound feels odd in any way."
    Even his scowl looked weak. "Feels like I've been stabbed, stomped on, and cut open."
    "Accurate," Rule said, "except for the stomping." He swallowed. "Cullen. I didn't like thinking you were dead."
    The scowl eased to a thoughtful frown. "I came close?"
    "You did. There was a magical component of some sort on the blade. It would have killed you if Nettie hadn't been close, and if the Rhej hadn't been able to channel power to Nettie. It's still interfering with your healing. That's why Nettie asked how your wound felt."
    "Shit." He paused and lifted his head slightly. "Ow. Shit." His head fell back. "Can't see."
    Lily knew why he'd been trying to see the wound. She felt magic. He saw it. That, according to him, was what made someone a sorcerer - the ability to see the energies he worked with. "Are you up to answering a few questions?"
    "Gods. You here, too?"
    She had to smile. That was such a Cullen thing to say. "Do you have any idea who stabbed you, or why?"
    "No. Cynna, lift my head up. Can't see my chest."
    Nettie shook her head. "Cullen, you've had your ribs cracked open and your heart stitched up. You aren't healing at your normal rate. You'll stay still and prone, and in a few minutes I'll put you back in sleep."
    "Need to look," he insisted. "Find out what's wrong."
    "Let me see what I can learn." Lily glanced at Nettie. "If that's okay?"
    She nodded. "But we're not moving him one jot more than we have to, so no turning him to check the entrance wound. Scrub first. We don't know what's going on, and I don't want to take any chances."
    Lily's eyebrows rose. Normally lupi didn't worry about infection, but with something messing with Cullen's healing... better safe than sorry, she supposed. She went to the small sink in the corner and squirted stuff on her hands. "Cullen, who was close to you when it happened?"
    "Cynna. Mike. I was talking to him. Uh... Sandra, I think. Gods. Hurts like hell."
    Nettie's voice was soft now. "I can put you back in sleep."
    "No." He was quiet a moment. "Behind me... I heard Phil behind me. Uh... " His voice sank so much Lily couldn't hear the rest, not over the sound of the tap. She looked at Rule.
    "He said that your sister