Lupi 06 - Blood Magic

arrange for Cullen's release and transport by ambulance. Cullen would go to Sam's lair this afternoon. Various bits of medical paraphernalia would be traveling with him, as would Nettie and Jason. Nettie wouldn't stay at the lair, but Jason would.
    So would Cynna, of course. Rule wondered if Sam had anticipated such a large contingent of guests when he agreed to host Cullen.
    Cynna broke the silence. "So we've got two bad guys, and one's a sorcerer. Lily saw him, so we've got a physical description, but it's kind of vague and may not help much if he can make everyone except Lily think he's someone else. The other bad guy is some kind of out-realm being hundreds or thousands of years old. She's a heavy hitter magically who eats fear and can't be killed."
    "Except by dragons, apparently," Rule agreed.
    "Good thing I'm leaving," Cullen said. "Won't take him long to find me."
    Rule looked at his friend. Cullen's skin was waxy, his breathing shallow. An oxygen mask dangled from the corner of his bed. He hated it. After some discussion, Nettie had agreed he could leave it off for brief periods. He'd interpreted that to mean whenever he was awake.
    He wasn't healing. According to Nettie, Cullen wasn't any worse, but he wasn't healing. "Lily's taken every precaution she can to keep your location secret. You're here under a different name, you don't have any hospital staff caring for you who might gossip about your presence, and - "
    "And the killer's a sorcerer." Cullen snorted faintly. "Think he can't find his own spell, which just happens to be in the middle of my damned chest?"
    "Shit!" Cynna said explosively. "I'm a Finder. I should've thought of that. Why didn't I think of that?"
    Cullen smiled faintly. "You're used to no one being able to do what you do. And maybe a little distracted."
    Cynna gripped his hand and gave him a long, intent look full of the things lovers can say in silence. Rule could see worry and promises in that look. No doubt Cullen saw much more.
    She spoke quietly. "No point in me trying to jazz up the room ward now. I'm not as good at that as you. By the time I had anything with a hope of deflecting a Finding spell, you'd already be lazing around the dragon's lair."
    Cullen's eyelids were beginning to droop. "Where Sam's wards will do a fine job of keeping out anything he doesn't want around. Though I won't mind if he lets that bastard get close enough to be his afternoon snack."
    "Sam has wards?" Rule said, surprised. "I didn't think dragons did that."
    "The young ones like Micah don't. Don't think they can. Their ability to shape magic... seems a... product of age. Sam's wards... are elegant as hell. I'm looking forward to... "
    "Oxygen," Cynna said firmly, grabbing the mask.
    Cullen grimaced. "I don't - "
    "Want to be a baby about this," she finished for him, slipping the mask on.
    Rule grinned. He liked watching these two together.
    Cullen took a couple slow breaths, then pulled the mask aside to say firmly, "Food."
    Rule glanced at Cynna. "What arrangements has Nettie made?"
    "He can eat pretty much whatever he wants," she said. "To avoid any chance of his tray being poisoned, we're supposed to go get it from the cafeteria downstairs."
    "Not we," Max said. "Him." He jerked his thumb at Rule. "He's the least useful person here."
    Rule's eyebrows lifted.
    Max chuckled. "Don't like that, do you? Sure, you could jump someone faster than the rest of us - if you could see who needed to be jumped. You can't, I can, end of story. As for the rest of this crowd, Cynna here can tell if her wards are disrupted. Jason can deal with medical problems if needed. You're just not that necessary." He grinned evilly. "I'll have a cheeseburger and fries with the works."
    Max was obnoxious, but right. Rule took down the others' requests. Jason woke up and placed an order, too, though he had to be persuaded it was okay for his Lu Nuncio to fetch his food. "You won't be able to eat all that," Rule told Cullen when he ordered three double-meat cheeseburgers plus fries. "You'll fall asleep before you finish."
    "Then I'll enjoy smelling it. What did you and Lily fight about?"
    "So that's what it is!" Cynna exclaimed. "I'd wondered."
    Rule spoke coldly. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
    "Fought about something," Cullen observed. "First, you're here without her. Second, you're pissed. At everyone. About pretty much everything. Got mad at Max for yanking at you, and you never bother to get mad at Max. What's the