Lupi 09 - Mortal Ties

of Nokolai, implicated in the attack on Rule’s
     father [Books 1, 2, 3]. Randall Frey is the Lu Nuncio (heir) in the first two books,
     but is killed in Book 3. The Rho in Books 1–5 is Victor Frey. Victor’s other son is
     Brady Gunning, a sociopath: “tall, blond, and bony; nice chest.” Their Rhej is Ella—African
     American, tall, broad frame, Baptist. Leidolf currently has no subordinate clans.
    After Book 3: Randall Frey is dead; Rule is Leidolf heir; Alex Thibodeaux (grizzled,
     just under six feet, built like a prowrestler, with skin the color of burnt toast) is Lu Nuncio for the clan; and their
     Rho (Victor Frey) is in a coma and dying. He dies in Book 5 (
Mortal Sins
).
    Szós: Hungarian clan that immigrated to the United States; Rikard Demeny is Lu Nuncio in
     Book 2. After that, Lu Nuncio is Lucas, third-born son of Rho Andor Demeny. Fierce
     fighters. One subordinate clan (Czech; didn’t immigrate).
    Ybirra: Large Spanish clan; the newest clan, founded in 1882 by Tomás Ybirra. Javiero Mendozo
     is Lu Nuncio; Manuel Mendoza is Rho. Clanhome in New Mexico. One subordinate clan
     four years before the opening of the series.
    Wythe: A midsized clan with a Clanhome in northern New York; the last clan to immigrate
     to the United States. Originally from England. Lu Nuncio is Brian Whitman, younger
     brother of the Rho Edgar Whitman. Both Edgar and Brian die in Book 8.
    Canada
    Etorri: A tiny clan with great
du
(honor, face, magic, history); Stephen Andros is Lu Nuncio. Previous Rho was William
     Carr; current one is Frederick Andros. Follows different rules for succession and
     does not accept subordinate clans. Clanhome is in eastern Canada. Etorri is said to
     be Greek, though the identity of its founder is one of many secrets kept by the clan.
     Etorri is a puzzle to the other clans.
    Kyffin: The smallest dominant other than Etorri, based in western Canada; Jasper Herron,
     the Rho, is unusually young (forty) and a friend of Rule’s. Subordinate to Nokolai
     for a year and a day, starting in middle of Book 1. The Lu Nuncio is Jasper’s uncle,
     Myron, as Jasper’s son is too young. Kyffin’s influence is due largely to their friendly
     relations with pretty much every other clan.
    Europe
    Ansgar: Scandinavian; Clanhome in Sweden. Ben Larson is Lu Nuncio. Not a large clan, but
     three very small clans are subordinate to Ansgar, increasing its voice.
    Cynyr: A Celtic clan; most live in Ireland and Scotland, some in Wales. Lu Nuncio: Connolly
     (Con) McGuire. One subordinate (English) clan.
    Africa
    Mondoyo: The only African clan, started by a small group of lupi who went to northern Africa
     after the Great War. Out of communication with other clans until eighteenth century
     and have different customs. Lu Nuncio is Ato Tsegaye.
    Subordinate Clans
    Laban: One of Nokolai’s subordinates; their small clanhome is near San Francisco. Their
     mantle is unusually strong for a subordinate clan, but they do not do well without
     a dominant. They like to fight too much.
    Vochi: Nokolai’s other subordinate clan in the United States, they are known for their financial
     acumen. Vochi births few fighters.

Read on for a special look at
Eileen Wilks’s next Lupi novel
RITUAL MAGIC
    Coming in 2013 from Berkley Sensation!
    S HE blinked and swayed, so dizzy she had to reach for the wall to prop herself up. Could
     you pass out without falling down? That’s what it felt like—like she’d blacked out.
     Which she’d never done, not in her whole life, and all of a sudden she was Sleeping
     Beauty and years and years had passed. Except she was still on her feet, so obviously
     years hadn’t passed. The ladies’ room was right behind her. She was still in the narrow
     little hallway of…
    Of where?
    Fear struck, quick and hot and dark, flapping its wings in her throat like a trapped
     bird. Where was she?
    She didn’t know. She didn’t have any idea. She’d been…what? She couldn’t remember.
     She remembered going to bed last night but not to sleep, not right away. She always
     had trouble falling asleep the night before her birthday. She’d sat up past bedtime—a
     sin overlooked on special nights—writing in her diary, with the light from her lamp
     warm and yellow on the lined pages and her lavender bedspread pulled up to her waist.
     She’d told her diary what she couldn’t tell anyone, not even Debbie, and for sure
     not hersisters. Everyone was so “I can’t wait” about being a