Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

all along. Lily suspected he was right.
    She tore up a half slice of ham and put it in Harry's dish, and he fell upon it like the starving beast he wasn't. Harry approved of ham.
    So now the Leidolf guards lived in two of the smaller apartments in this building. More compromising had been needed there due to the question of who would pay for their living quarters. Nokolai was wealthy and could afford to subsidize them, but initially Isen insisted that Leidolf pay rent. Rule, wearing his Leidolf Rho hat, had refused. Nokolai benefited from having its Lu Nuncio guarded.
    Of course, Rule could have done what he wanted about the rent, since he controlled Nokolai's investments. But that would have been a clear - to him - violation of his duty to Nokolai, so he'd brought the matter to his father for negotiation. Only Isen could deal officially with another clan - even when that clan was represented by Isen's heir.
    It was sure as hell complicated. Lily couldn't recall the exact details, but she thought Leidolf ended up paying utilities for the two apartments plus a token rent.
    Kind of like her. She sighed and shut the refrigerator. Then for a moment just leaned against it, so tired she hardly knew what to do next. She let her eyes close... and saw once more Cullen's motionless body stretched out on the ground, his eyes blank and staring.
    Lily shivered. The sound of the front door got her moving.
    Rule was in the little entry foyer, emptying his pockets. Unlike her, he had no problem dumping things the moment he stepped inside, which was why she'd put a small bowl on the console table for his keys and change.
    His hair was messy. It so seldom looked mussed. His eyes were tired, distracted. And he was wearing that silly T-shirt.
    Her heart turned over. "Hey," she said, walking up to him and sliding her arms around his waist.
    "Hey, yourself." He ran his hands down her arms, then rested them at her waist. "Why aren't you in bed?"
    "Harry," she explained. The warmth of him settled her, and if she was a bit warmer some places than others, that, too, was pleasant. "Then I got to thinking... Rule, was Cullen dead? Before Nettie got to him, I mean."
    "It depends on how you define death."
    "Define it for me."
    He sighed and straightened. "His heart had stopped, but our magic sustains us for a time without a heartbeat." He paused. "It was close, though. Too damned close."
    "I'm told close counts in horseshoes. When it comes to staying alive, it's pretty much yes or no. We got a yes tonight."
    "So we did." He nuzzled her hair. Sighed. She felt some of the tension drain out of him.
    "I've got a question."
    "Why am I not surprised?"
    "How long can you go without a heartbeat?"
    "If you mean me, personally, I'm pleased to say that I haven't checked," he said dryly. "It varies from one lupus to another, and also with the amount of damage involved."
    "Give me a rough average."
    "This is very rough, but perhaps double the time a human could survive. Ten minutes or so. I know of one lupus who went substantially longer, but he's unusual."
    "Who's that?"
    "My father."
    "Oh. Yeah. Your ability to last without a heartbeat isn't a deep, dark secret, but it isn't exactly common knowledge, either, is it?" She considered that, frowned. "Yet this perp didn't expect a thrust to the heart to be enough. He reinforced it with a spell."
    "Or she."
    "I'm tired of saying he or she. I don't mean it. The perp's male. I saw him."
    He brushed her hair back from her face. "You're just plain tired."
    True. "I'm thinking the perp knew about the party. Seems like a pro would have, and I'm leaning that way. He's got the moves of a professional. If the timing was intentional, why? What advantage would there be to killing Cullen with everyone around?"
    "He - or whoever hired him, if this was a paid hit - wanted to make a public statement."
    "Maybe." Was Rule still fixated on the marriage-as-motive deal? "Or maybe he likes having a crowd. Some pros like to take out a target on the street, at a game, someplace where they can blend with a crowd to get close. This killer wouldn't have trouble blending, would he?"
    "Not if he can make people think he's someone else." He fell silent a moment. "Cullen would have seen the killer's Gift if he hadn't been struck from behind."
    "Yeah." Lily straightened. "Yeah, I should have thought of that. I should have asked Cullen... Maybe Cynna will know. Is it more likely a spell or a Gift that lets him hide in plain sight? Gifts work