Lupi 09 - Mortal Ties

as his words hadn’t. “No. Of
     course not.”
    C ULLEN accompanied them. The guards didn’t. They were among those excused, which reassured
     Lily somewhat. Isen might be throwing a Rho-sized hissy, but he hadn’t stopped thinking
     entirely. He’d left essential personnel on duty.
    Some of them, anyway. The guards were guarding the scene, not investigating it. That’s
     what Lily should have been doing instead of tramping back down half a mountain. That
     and calling in the crime scene techs, dammit.
    For several minutes none of them spoke. Lily was thinking hard and not liking the
     answers she turned up. She figured the others were in the same boat.
    It was a brisk, clear night. The sky was heavy with stars the way you only see it
     this far from the city. The moon was a thin fingernail clipping lodged high overhead.
     That would have been plenty of light for the two men with her, but fortunately Cullen
     had remembered that it wasn’t enough for her. He’d held onto one of the mage lights
     and kept it bobbing a few paces ahead, giving her a good view of theground and throwing weird shadows. The wind was soft, brushing at her hair and cheeks
     with airy caresses. It smelled of burning.
    It would take them about twenty minutes to reach the meeting field, going at her slow,
     human pace. Might as well make use of that time. “Did you learn anything from the
     perp’s scent trail?” she asked Rule.
    “Yes. José and his squad followed the strongest scent trail. Usually that means the
     most recent, but not this time. The thief had laid a false trail earlier by taking
     off his shoes and going back and forth barefooted along one stretch. Had José been
     less distracted by his own loss of smell, by the sudden blare of the klaxon, he’d
     have seen that the footprints changed from shod to bare.”
    “Clever. He expected his pursuers to trust scent over sight. He knows something about
     lupi.”
    He nodded grimly. “Too much.”
    “There may be a traitor, but don’t lean on that idea too heavily. Yeah, the perp could
     have learned about lupi from a confederate here at Clanhome. Or he might know someone
     who knows a lot about lupi—an
ospi
friend or girlfriend or whatever—or maybe he hacked into the FBI database. There’s
     a lot about you there. Or he could just be damn good at research. He’s a planner.
     Cullen.”
    He didn’t answer. She glanced back at him—he was trailing slightly behind her and
     Rule, frowning faintly as if he found the ground ahead of him perplexing. She suspected
     he didn’t even see it. “Cullen,” she repeated.
    His frown tightened as he looked up. “What?”
    “Who knows about the prototype?”
    “That it exists? Four executives at T-Corp and whoever they told. Also most everyone
     here at Clanhome—most all Nokolai, anyway. No one was supposed to speak of it outside
     the clan, so our guests aren’t supposed to know, but some of them probably do.”
    “People will talk,” Lily agreed. “And kids repeat stuff they hear—especially if they
     think it’s a secret.”
    “Which is why,” Rule said evenly, “silence was part ofthe agreement between Laban, Vochi, and Nokolai. They are bound not to reveal anything
     they learn while staying here, except to their Rhos, should they ask. Children can’t
     be bound by such an agreement, but the Laban and Vochi children have had no opportunity
     to speak with anyone outside Clanhome since they arrived.”
    Laban and Vochi were subordinate clans, which was basically a feudal setup. Their
     Rhos were subject to Isen the way a minor lord used to be to an earl or a count or
     whatever back when titles were more than an attraction for the paparazzi. Back when
     titles were connected to real duties and responsibilities…duties that flowed both
     ways. “Vochi’s supposed to be good with money,” she said after a moment.
    “Abe trained me.”
    “Abe’s the Vochi Rho.”
    “Yes.” Rule’s voice was tight. “I have a degree, but that only gave me the blocks
     to build with. Abe taught me how to build, what to watch for, how much fluidity to
     retain under various conditions, how to…he taught me so much. I can’t believe—” He
     cut himself off abruptly.
    That his teacher had betrayed Nokolai. That’s what Rule meant. That’s why Isen was
     so furious. The Vochi Rho could have learned all about the prototype from his people
     living here. He could have learned everything the thief had needed to