Lupi 08 - Death Magic

fact.”
    Progress. Lily jotted a few things down. “For whatever reason, the perp used a lot of power. That’s why I assumed human sacrifice. The dagger was still loaded with the nasty stuff over an hour after doing its job.”
    “If you’ve got an ignorant asshole in charge, that would make sense. Overloading the power, I mean. I need to see that knife.”
    “I’ll try to arrange it, but so far Drummond isn’t cooperating.”
    “Yeah, Rule told me I’m not getting paid.”
    “Speaking of ignorant assholes, Drummond may yet approve the consult, which would let me get this on the record. So do you think we’re talking about Friar as the perp? He lacks experience.”
    He shook his head, looking frustrated. “I don’t know. It doesn’t fit for me. If she passed a killing spell to him in a dream, she did a pisspoor job.”
    “Maybe he had to find one on his own. Maybe he used some flunky. It’s a place to start, anyway. Next question. Why would someone suddenly leak death magic?”
    He frowned. “You’d better explain.”
    She told him about the trail she’d found and followed to a bench in the park.
    “That doesn’t make sense.”
    “That’s what I said.”
    “I don’t . . . wait.” He sat up straighter. “If your perp didn’t do the deed himself—if he gave the knife to a null—”
    “A null? Someone unGifted could use the spell on the knife?”
    “Sure. Remember those sleep charms I made? A death spell on a dagger is a charm, basically. More difficult to shape than a sleep charm, and it takes more power, which is why I assumed . . . but they’ve got the power. That would explain why they used death magic. Blades will take a killing spell readily, but they don’t store magic well. It can be done, but then it would take magic to trigger the spell. A null couldn’t do it.”
    “And this makes you think a null used the knife? Because he couldn’t?”
    Cullen rolled his eyes. “Let me take you by the hand and lead you step by step. We’ll call the guy who did the actual killing Perp Number One. He’s null. Perp Number Two, who probably was part of the death magic ritual, is Gifted. Perp Number Two meets Perp Number One at that bench. Number Two activates the spell on the dagger and hands it to Number One. It doesn’t start leaking until it’s activated.”
    It fit. It fit really well, and yet it bothered Lily. She couldn’t put her finger on why. Maybe it was the sheer complication. “Why have a null do the killing? What’s the advantage? You’re talking about a pretty elaborate conspiracy.”
    Rule spoke. “We’ve been talking about a conspiracy all along.”
    She looked at him. His mouth was grim. His eyes were dark and clear. “Yeah, I guess we have been. But I—shit.” She’d caught a glimpse of the clock on the stove. She shoved her chair back. “I have to go.”
    Cullen shoved his chair back, too. “Okay.”
    Suspicion dawned. “Why are you agreeing with me?”
    “I’m going with you.”
    “Drummond isn’t going to let you—”
    “Lily.” Rule stood. “You can’t drive, so Cullen will. You passed out last night. It could happen again at any time.”
    Her lips thinned.
    “You could take one of the guards instead, but there are advantages to having someone with you who can see and work magic. And answer questions about it.”
    “I hate it when you’re right.” She looked at Cullen. “You’ll have to wait in the car, maybe for hours. You’re going to be bored.” Cullen hated being bored.
    He snagged his phone from the table. “Got a new app. I’ll play while I wait.”

THIRTEEN
     

     
    LILY did ask her driver a few questions on the way to Headquarters. No pain gods sent lightning bolts through her skull as he parked in the underground garage. She thought about Aunt Mequi as she rode up in the elevator.
    Her aunt had migraines. Serious migraines. A couple times she’d ended up at the ER with one, though no one was supposed to mention that. Aunt Mequi’s dignity was much affronted that she’d been unable to endure the pain without help. Of course, Mequi’s migraines lasted for hours, not the few moments Lily’s bolts-from-the-blue had occupied so far. But there were bound to be different types of migraines, right?
    Rule feared that Lily’s malady was rooted in some terrible malfunction, either physical or magical, but Rule was lupus. He’d never had a headache without a concussion. Lily could see plenty of other possibilities.
    There was