Lupi 09 - Mortal Ties

ride.
    Mostly she thought about Rule. Had he been injured last night? Had any of the men
     been killed? Was Jasper okay? Several times she tried to reach Rule, but she could
     tell she wasn’t budging her dial. Whatever fuel mindspeech burned, hers was used up.
    He would come. As soon as Alycithin left and took her damn Gift with her, the mate
     bond should start working properly again. He’d feel her, and he’d come, but it didn’t
     make sense to just charge in. Plans took time. So the question was: Did Friar want
     to take his time with her? Or would he gloat briefly, then make her quickly dead in
     some hideous ceremony?
    He might skip the gloating and the ceremony and go straight to the killing. She didn’t
     think so. She didn’t think that would please the one he served.
    Drummond was still gone. Of course, he couldn’t show up when she was in the car anyway,
     from what he’d said, so maybe he was here but unable to materialize. What did he think
     he could do? That “thing between the two of you,” he’d said. Was he talking about
     the mate bond? He’d never said anything before about being able to see or touch it.
    What would happen to Drummond if she died in the next couple of hours? The thought
     startled her. Surely they wouldn’t still be bound. Even the mate bond didn’t endure
     past death. What would happen to him?
    The CR-V speeded up as whatever traffic snarl had had them crawling loosened up.
    “I have been thinking,” Alycithin said. “If Robert Friar does intend to use you to
     fuel death magic, he will not kill you while Benessarai is present. Nor will Benessarai
     allow him to abuse a hostage. However he feels about me, he has too much pride to
     so abandon his honor. Benessarai will be here at least another twenty-four hours.
     Our flight leaves at eight in the evening tomorrow…unless he has
lied
to me about that, too.” She laid a gently sarcastic stress on the word.
    “Alycithin, I appreciate you wanting to make me feel better, but why would Benessarai
     be at this warehouse? Robert Friar won’t want him around when you’re exchanging the
     prototype for me. He won’t want Benessarai to know he isn’t getting the prototype.”
    “No, he won’t be present now, but he will be there soon. This is why I had to hurry
     you. We must complete the exchange before Benessarai returns.”
    “And Benessarai is going to jet back to D.C. with you tomorrow without the prototype?”
    “Ah, but he will believe he has it. Sadly, it will turn out that the skull used for
     the device was damaged at some point in its adventures, so it isn’t working properly
     now. Robert Friar will apologize profusely for this. But I am assured your sorcerer
     does not know how to hide his spells,so the spellwork will seem to be intact. Benessarai will give the device to his father,
     expecting him to be able to duplicate it. Lord Thierath is highly skilled. He could
     certainly do so if he were given the actual device.”
    Lily thought that over. “Wrong skull?”
    “I do not have Lord Thierath’s skill, but once I have the original in my possession
     I can create a close enough facsimile to fool Benessarai.”
    “If this device could destabilize your realm, wouldn’t Lord Thierath know that?”
    “Your people have a saying—like father, like son.”
    “He’s a fool, too.”
    “I am sure I did not say that.”
    The CR-V slowed. Slowed more, and turned. And stopped. Lily’s heart began to pound.
    “We are here,” Alycithin said.
    She wasn’t ready. Her stomach went queasy, and her mind went blank.
    The halfling used the knife on her belt to slash the rope at Lily’s ankles and seized
     her foot before she could lash out with it. Alycithin was brisk, efficient, and absurdly
     strong. She dragged Lily out effortlessly. Lily barely managed to get her feet under
     her in time to keep from landing on her butt. Dinalaran stood close by with his gun,
     and Alycithin seized Lily by the restraints and nudged her forward.
    They were parked in front of a bare-bones style warehouse—concrete blocks painted
     a dingy yellow, with a regular door directly ahead and a dock and high-loading door
     several feet away. There was room for a semi to pull up at the dock.
    A car drove by on the street behind them. She wondered what the elf looked like to
     its driver.
    That driver wasn’t the only person around. The warehouse next to theirs was bigger
     and bustling—two trucks were being unloaded and