Lupi 08 - Death Magic

nonverbal.”
    “Not making sense yet.”
    “Elementals can use words, but only in the most literal way. They think spatially rather than verbally. The agreement is both spatial and verbal. Fagin’s blood . . . um, you might say it activates the spatial portion of the agreement. That’s why the elemental erected the wall and wards—because Fagin bled. There are two ways the elemental is allowed or required to act: first, if Fagin specifically invokes its protection. Second, if Fagin’s blood is spilled within the defended space.”
    Lily chewed that over a moment. Scott had brought Cullen’s nesting materials out; she watched as he made Cullen a pallet several feet back from the wall. “So if Fagin had cut himself shaving, the elemental would have closed down the property?”
    “It’s literal, not stupid. It knows the difference between an attack and an accident. Accidents don’t invoke it. But if it had been invoked in error, Fagin could ask it to remove its protections.”
    “He didn’t do that.”
    “So I noticed. Since he hasn’t, we have to negotiate a second agreement to get all of you out. First we remind the elemental of the original agreement, which does not require it to keep you inside the defended space. Then we persuade it that allowing you to leave will benefit it.”
    Rule settled Cullen on his new nesting spot. Cullen frowned at Lily briefly, then turned his head to study the earthen wall. “What does an earth elemental consider a benefit?”
    “Power or love.”
    “It wants love?”
    “The stories say that Earth elementals have sometimes formed a loving bond with a human and will go to great effort on their behalf. But love can’t be arranged or bartered, which is why blood is the usual initial offering.”
    Yuck. “Initial? And whose blood are we talking about?”
    “Possibly a small amount from each of you, with additional non-blood offerings at subsequent full moons for an agreed-upon period. At least that’s what we’ll try for. Which reminds me—Fagin probably won’t be able to make his offering tomorrow. Tell him one of my people will take care of that for him.”
    “Will do. How long do you think this negotiation will take?”
    “Anywhere from an hour to the rest of the day and into the night. And now I need to talk to Cullen.”
    “Wait—one last question. This one really is quick.”
    She asked, Sherry answered, and Lily got off the phone with a real sense of relief. Sherry was willing to speak to the press about elementals. After Lily gave the piranhas of the press her brief spiel and promised them a press conference with Croft, she could hand them off to Sherry. Which was really mean, but Sherry wanted to do it. She was sort of the Wiccan equivalent of Rule: the public face of her people. She considered it her duty to educate people about her faith and about magic in general—preferably in ways that made it all less scary.
    Lily wasn’t sure how she’d explain an ancient and powerful elemental in a way that made it less scary, but if anyone could, it would be Sherry.
    Lily went to stand beside Rule and looked down at Cullen. “He looks terrible. Why is he out here instead of decently unconscious?”
    “He wants to study the ward while it’s still up.”
    Of course he did. Lily looked at the pale and strained face of Rule’s obsessive friend. Her friend. Who could have died, but hadn’t. “The elemental won’t be taking down its ward anytime soon. You can study it later.”
    “You sure about that? If the original bargain was done right, there should be a mechanism for terminating—”
    “There’s a problem with that,” she said firmly, then subvo-calized so those on the other side of the wall wouldn’t hear: “If the ward stays up, Fagin’s library stays safe. Sherry knows we want that, for now.” In a normal voice she added, “Sherry wants to talk to you, if you’re up to—”
    On cue, Cullen’s phone beeped. He fumbled it from his jeans pocket, touched the screen, and said to it, “I’m here. Hold on a sec.” He looked at Lily. “Go see if Fagin’s computer got crisped and if he has DVDs or whatever for backup. If you can’t find them, or if they’re cooked—”
    “Cullen, shut up.” Lily knelt beside him, bent, and smacked a quick kiss on his forehead. “I am deeply, completely glad you’re going to be okay, but you’re not okay now. You need to rest. You need to let me do my job.” She looked at Rule. His eyes were