Lupi 08 - Death Magic

cheep.
    Her eyes popped open. It was dark—dark as in nighttime. Normal night. She was not in Dis . . . stupid damn nightmare. Blindly she groped for her phone on the bedside table, sitting up. Rule was gone. Maybe it wasn’t the middle of the night, after all. Her hand connected with the phone and she thumbed it on. “Lily Yu here.”
    “Lily, I’m so sorry if I woke you.”
    It was Deborah Brooks. Lily glanced at the clock. 6:35. It wasn’t night anymore, though it was still dark; sunrise was thirty or forty minutes away. Rule must have messed with the alarm again, dammit. He did that when he thought she needed sleep. “Not a problem,” she said. “Something’s wrong, or you wouldn’t have called.”
    “It’s the elemental. It’s leaving.”
    “Everyone’s leaving.” No, wait, Deborah didn’t know about the exodus of dragons and Rhejes, and this couldn’t be connected. Could it? Lily reached for the lamp and switched it on, hoping light would get her brain working. “What do you mean?”
    “It’s difficult to put what it tells me into words, but it’s being called—or maybe offered something. I think someone has promised it something. Or perhaps it wants to see the others. There are other earth elementals there. I’m not sure how many, but it wants to go where they are. I think I should go with it.”
    “Wait. Go with it? Where and why?”
    “The National Mall. I’m almost sure it’s going to the National Mall. That’s where those Humans First people are. That can’t be good, can it? So I need to go with the elemental. I thought you and Rule should know. I wasn’t sure who else to tell.”
    “You did right.” She threw back the covers and headed for the chest of drawers. “Stay where you are. We’ll be—”
    “I’m sorry, but I can’t do that. I need to go now, Lily. It likes me and is happy for me to go with it, but it won’t wait for me. You won’t be able to call me because it doesn’t like cell signals. It says they itch. I have to go now.” The line went dead.
    Lily didn’t waste time cursing. She called Rule loudly as she grabbed underwear from the drawer. She never slept naked when there were people in the house, but last night they’d made love so late and she’d fallen asleep without dragging on a T-shirt or anything else and . . .
    The door slammed open. “What is it?”
    “Deborah Brooks called. Fagin’s elemental is headed for the National Mall. At least that’s where she thinks it’s going, and she’s going with it.” How? Deborah couldn’t ride on the thing. Follow it in her car? On foot? Lily had her panties on and was fastening a bra. “I tried to get her to stay put, but she wouldn’t. She said there are other earth elementals there now. And someone’s offering them something.”
    “Cullen,” Rule called as he moved to the closet. “To me. José! Send someone for the van, double-time. I want ten guards downstairs and ready to leave immediately. The rest here and on high alert.” He pulled something dark from the closet and tossed it at Lily.
    She caught it. A T-shirt. Good. She pulled it on and went to get her weapon. A pair of jeans sailed her way, but landed on the floor.
    Cullen burst in. He was wearing even less than her—as in nothing.
    Lily grabbed the jeans as Rule continued briskly, “Earth elementals are headed for the National Mall—we think. So is Deborah Brooks, who called Lily with the information. Can you stop or interfere with a summoning?”
    “Depends on what they’re doing, how far along it is, and how close I can get.” He scrubbed at his face with both hands, clearly trying to wake up. “Why would Humans Firsters summon elementals?”
    “Bet it will look like me or Ruben is doing the summoning,” Lily said, fastening her slacks, then reaching for her shoulder harness. “They plan to use the elementals to inflict damage—the Washington Monument, maybe? The Smithsonian? —and blame us. The Gifted in general, but specifically the Unit. They want the Unit completely discredited.”
    “It won’t be you doing the summoning,” Rule said. “Ruben. He’s in hiding so he won’t be alibied, and too many people know that sensitives can’t work magic.”
    “Shit.” Cullen said. “Yeah. I’ll get dressed.” He dashed out.
    “Dammit,” Rule said. “Where’s my phone?”
    “Here.” Lily plucked it from the dresser and handed it to him. “Do we have a plan?”
    “We’re winging it.”
    “One good