Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

getting in the way, but the Chimei or her lover could affect them." Her voice was crisp. She was thinking again, not just reacting.
    "But Ruben might not accept my word for that. And it would be my word, not yours, since you can't speak to him about this."
    "Shit."
    "Yes." And that was only one of a half dozen ways this could go wrong. A half dozen he could glimpse - how many more was he missing?
    He couldn't afford to bring Ruben in. He couldn't control the decisions Ruben or those he informed might make. Maybe Ruben wouldn't bring in troops, but the president could overrule him. Adding Ruben to the mix meant adding a spiraling number of decision points.
    No, that wasn't quite accurate... Withholding information didn't mean Ruben wouldn't act. He'd simply do so in the dark. "Bloody blast it all. Does Sam expect me to figure out what he thinks I'd do, then do it? How do I know what a dragon thinks I would do?"
    Grudgingly, Lily said, "Sam knows you best as a wolf. He'd predict your actions based on the wolf, not the man."
    Yes. Yes, that made sense. He flashed her a smile, then fell silent, letting himself slip partway into wolf... and gradually, many of the difficulties dropped away. His choices were fewer and clearer.
    He took the phone off mute and spoke crisply. "Ruben."
    "Still here." There was an uncharacteristic edge to the man's voice.
    "Your hunch was correct. Do not call in the Army or the National Guard. We're dealing with a being who can affect minds en masse - up to about five hundred at a time that we know of, based on the number of people who failed to see, smell, or hear this being's agent last night. Lily was the only exception. Her Gift blocked the illusion."
    "Yet it allows her to be silenced by this geas."
    "As I said, the geas is inherent in her Gift, though it wasn't triggered until now. But the geas doesn't delude Lily's senses, which this being can do to almost everyone else."
    "Including you?"
    "Yes. It's not mind control, but sensory control. People see and smell what she tells them to. We don't know her range, either. She may be able to affect even more people than she did last night. Since she thrives on the fear of others, calling in the Guard could precipitate the very crisis we need to avert. The Guard might begin shooting at what they thought were monsters, and instead kill innocents."
    "You said 'she.' What being is this?"
    "I won't speak of that at this time."
    "Won't or can't?"
    "Lily can't. I won't. Nor, I'm afraid, will I explain that decision."
    Ruben was silent for a long moment. "This has something to do with the treaty you spoke of before muting the phone. Treaties are the purview of the government, not your clan."
    "The treaty I spoke of predates the U.S. government." He paused, considered options. "I believe that's all I will say about it."
    "Does this have something to do with the one you lupi don't name? The one who tried to open a hellgate last year, and whom Lily and you ran up against in Dis?"
    Ruben was amazingly bright - and was reaching for precisely the conclusion Rule intended. A stupid man would not have arrived at the wrong answer so quickly. "I'm not going to answer that question."
    "That's not satisfactory."
    "We aren't in a satisfactory position at the moment. I have to gather more information before I know what's safe to tell you - or anyone else."
    " You have to gather information. Not Lily?"
    "We'll both be doing so, of course. But since she's involuntarily mute on the subject, it falls to me to decide what to tell, who to tell, and when. We'll stop this enemy, Ruben," he added quietly. "But I'm not sure how yet. The situation is extremely fragile."
    Ruben spoke very dryly. "That much I already knew. Let me speak to Lily."
    "Very well." Though he wasn't at all sure Lily would back him on this, he handed her phone to her.
    "Lily," Ruben said, "are you able to tell me anything at all?"
    She scowled. "Not really."
    "Can you tell me if what Rule has said - what little he's said - is accurate?"
    "Yes." Surprise wiped away the scowl. "Apparently I can. He hasn't told you enough, but what he's said is true."
    "You disagree with his decision to withhold information."
    "I do, but... " She glanced at Rule. "But I understand his reasons, and they're valid. He's doing this his way, which pisses me off, but he's got the right goal in mind. I can see where the scenarios you dreamed about could happen. I can see that all too easily."
    "What do you need?"
    Rule almost