Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

can't put your life at risk just to blackmail me into doing - "
    "Then I will see you on Monday. This Monday. We will meet at your Uncle Chen's place at noon. I know you like his orange chicken."
    "But - "
    "Monday, Lily."
    Lily's eyes squeezed closed. Her voice sounded tight, too. "Monday. Noon. Uncle Chen's."
    "Good. It will be fun, you'll see. I have to go now, since I must change clothes. Black slacks, I think. They'll go with the charm, and I have a pair that isn't too heavy for summer." With that, Julia Yu gave her daughter a cheerful goodbye and disconnected.
    Lily's hand fell to her lap. She shook her head. "How did that just happen? How does she do that? One minute I'm trying to stop a demon from taking over the city. The next I'm agreeing to have lunch with my mother so we can talk about wedding dresses. Wedding dresses," she repeated, as if this were the most trivial thing in the known universe.
    "The dress matters to most women," he said mildly. "Clearly it matters to your mother."
    "It's not her wedding. It's mine, and... " Lily scowled. "What am I doing? I'm arguing with her now that I'm not talking to her. I hate it when I do that. And what do you mean, it matters to most women? It matters to me, too. Just not now."
    They'd reached the complex of county buildings which included the Medical Examiner's office. Rule slowed. "You were putting off making these decisions even when there was no Chimei in the picture. You don't want to set a date. You don't care where the ceremony is held. My ring isn't even on your finger. It's under your clothes. Hidden."
    "Because we haven't made the big press announcement yet, and you wanted to keep it secret until then so you could spin things your way."
    "I'm ready to make that announcement. I've been ready. You keep finding other priorities."
    "Now? You want to do it now? Sure, let's hold a press conference. It won't interfere with stopping the Chimei all that much."
    "You're missing the bloody point. You feel about marriage somewhat the way you did about the mate bond when it first hit. The way you do about the treaty geas. You feel it binds you, robs you of choice."
    "I do not! God, where is all this coming from?"
    "You need to find out why you want to marry me. I had to come to my own understanding of marriage. I know why I want this. Why I want your ring on my finger, and mine on yours."
    "I agreed because I love you, you damned idiot!"
    "You do, yes, but you agreed to marry me because I pushed." He'd known that at the time. He didn't regret it. But he still hit the brakes harder than necessary as he pulled into a parking space at the back of the visitors' parking lot. "You agreed because marriage is what you're expected to do. You don't have a clue why you want it for yourself."
    "Thanks for the psychoanalysis. If you're through - "
    "Not quite. You aren't comfortable without reasons, without knowing the what, when, and why of things. You need to figure out why you're marrying me."
    "Sure. Fine. In my spare time, in between saving the city and wringing your neck, I'll figure that out and get back to you about it." She threw the door open and grabbed her laptop. "I'm getting another car, and it's more efficient for us to split up, so you don't have to hang around."
    He knew when he'd been dismissed. It infuriated him. He'd meant to stay with her. She'd intended that, too. But maybe they'd best cool down separately. "Fine. I'll be at the hospital. I need to arrange for Cullen to be moved."
    "Right." She slammed the door.
    Rule pulled out of the parking space without screeching the tires. He allowed himself one long glance at the front of the parking lot, where a burly, dark-skinned man in khakis leaned against a sheriff's car.
    Deputy Cody Beck.
    Rule did not stamp down on the accelerator when he left the parking lot. He was not a hormonally impaired adolescent.
    But he wanted to.

 
    TWENTY-TWO

    He was calling himself Johnny Deng these days. He liked the juxtaposition of East and West, and Johnny was a friendly name, much more so than John. He considered himself a friendly man.
    Over the years he had had many names. He often used one of the characters from his original name in some form, for it is good to remember one's roots. Often, but not always. His current surname spoke of those origins only in the most general way.
    At times he missed China, but it wasn't the China of today he missed, so he didn't indulge in nostalgia often. No point in making himself