Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

human."
    Your grandmother chose to return to her original form, but she has been dragon. It is impossible for one who has been dragon to ever be fully not-dragon. The treaty binds her, and you are of her blood.
    Lily went blank. She wasn't - couldn't be -
    Did you not ask earlier why I can mindspeak you despite your Gift?
    She had, but he couldn't be right. That couldn't be the reason.
    Rule squeezed her hand. His eyes were dark, concerned. "This troubles you? I remember Fagin saying something along those lines. That he'd heard a suggestion that sensitives were born of dragon magic, or something like that. You weren't upset by the idea then."
    Because she hadn't believed it. Besides... "That's not the same. Being touched by their magic isn't the same as being, well... " She couldn't say it. It sounded stupid. Presumptuous.
    She received what felt like the mental equivalent of... a chuckle? In this, you are not like your grandmother. I do not believe Li Lei is capable of applying "presumptuous" to herself. In this, she was dragon before she was dragon.
    No, you are not a dragon, Lily Yu, but you partake of a portion of dragon nature. You sense magic directly, as we do, although you are blind to it and unable to shape it. You have already begun to manifest one ability common to dragons, though you seem determined to overlook it.
    What was he talking about?
    You are capable of acquiring mindspeech and possibly other skills common to dragons, though I have seen no suggestion that you know this or wish to spend the necessary years of study to do so. Most notably, you possess an immunity to worked magic that is equal to that of an adult dragon.
    Her Gift. He was talking about her Gift, which he claimed wasn't a human thing at all. It was a dragon thing. All these years she'd insisted that being a sensitive didn't make her anything other than fully human, and now...
    Your mind is unpleasantly noisy.
    It was pretty noisy from her perspective, too. "You think this treaty enacted however many thousands of years ago will affect me?"
    Affect you, yes, and be affected by you. I do not know to what extent. Neither does the Chimei, for the situation is unprecedented. For now, she goes warily. She does not strike directly at Li Lei or at those of Li Lei's blood.
    "Strike at Grandmother." Who was missing. "And us. Me and my sisters. She wants to strike at us. You mean the Chimei intends to hurt my family."
    She craves revenge as a human drunkard craves alcohol. More. I believe she remained here chiefly so she could seek revenge.
    "For over three hundred years?" Lily asked, incredulous. "If this Chimei has been seeking revenge all that time, she isn't very good at it."
    She has been largely unable to act. The Turning changed this.
    "More magic around, you mean." With sudden urgency, Lily asked, "Where is Grandmother?"
    Unhurt. And hidden.
    "And my mother. God, my mother isn't of Grandmother's blood. If this Chimei wants revenge and doesn't dare go after those of us who might - who partake of dragon nature - "
    Two things protect your mother. Li Lei gave her a charm carved from one of my scales. It may not be necessary. Your mother is mated with your father and has borne him children. This comprises a bond which the treaty will recognize, though again I cannot say the precise degree of restraint it will impose on the Chimei. In essence, all residents of San Diego are at risk. Your mother's risk may be higher than most. It may be lower.
    "But if mating with someone creates a bond that the treaty recognizes... " Lily couldn't figure out how to arrive gracefully at the end of that sentence. She glanced back at Li Qin.
    Who rose gracefully, smiling, and came to her. "You are kind to be concerned, and to offer respect for my privacy. Clearly, I have not borne your grandmother's children, Lily. She concluded this was a critical factor, and that I would not be safe from the Chimei. That is why I am here. The Chimei will not attack those directly under Sam's protection, for in such a case he would be allowed to strike back."
    "Okay." Lily nodded. "Okay." She had long wondered about Grandmother and this woman, whom she'd been raised to think was a distant cousin. A few months ago she'd decided their relationship went beyond that - if, indeed, Li Qin was any sort of blood relation at all. But it was weird to have Li Qin confirm it. Weirder than she'd expected.
    Not really because of the same-sex thing. Grandmother was precisely as conventional