through her. She shoved it back. No time for that now—but it was just as well she had plenty of help with this parenting business. She wasn’t very good at it yet.
The crowd was moving, most heading for the south end of the field, as instructed, while a few swam against the current to come forward, also as instructed. Isen directed them to wait about twenty feet away.
They were all so orderly—no panic, no one complaining or assuming that Isen couldn’t possibly have meant him. Or her. They scarcely spoke. She felt Rule move up beside her. “It’s kind of eerie.”
“What?”
“Them.” She gestured. “Everyone’s just . . . They’re so calm. Earlier one of them got so excited from watching a dance that he Changed. No one’s Changing now.”
“Isen is drawing heavily on the mantle.” He paused, then added, “They don’t smell calm. They trust him to deal with the situation, but they aren’t calm.”
“Hmm.” Scent-blind , lupi called humans. They had a point. She turned to Rule. “I need to talk to the wits. You can help with that.”
As Lu Nuncio, he’d smell it if they lied—the lupus ones, anyway. According to Rule, lupi couldn’t lie to someone carrying a portion of their clan’s mantle without reeking of guilt.
Rule didn’t respond. He was looking at Cullen, his face blank. Shut down.
Lily realized she was staring, too, watching Cullen’s chest as if her eyes could keep it lifting, ever so slightly, with his breath. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and touched Rule’s arm once. Then moved away.
Keeping Cullen alive wasn’t her job. Nettie and the Rhej were in charge there, and thank God for that. She’d do what she knew. She moved closer and crouched down beside Cynna. “Can you answer a couple questions?”
Cynna nodded without taking her eyes off Cullen.
“You were with Cullen when it happened.”
“Yeah, I—I was standing beside him. Someone came up to congratulate us. I didn’t know him, but Cullen called him Mike. They were talking when he . . . Cullen jerked, then he fell. He just collapsed. I don’t know who was behind us. It was crowded. I didn’t notice.”
Suddenly Cynna gripped Lily’s arm, her fingers digging in. The bones of her face stood out starkly. “You’ll find him. Or her. Whoever did this, you’ll find them.”
In the face of that need, Lily didn’t speak of jurisdictions. “I will. Cullen’s going to make it, Cynna. He’s got too much holding him here. The Rhej and Nettie will hold on to him in their way, but you and the baby—you’ll keep him here, too.”
Cynna jerked out a single nod and looked at Cullen again. One hand went to her belly, rubbing gently. Her lips moved. Lily caught the words, just barely . . . “Hail Mary, full of grace . . .”
Among her other improbabilities, Cynna was Catholic. Maybe that helped right now. Lily hoped so. She stood.
Twenty or thirty people had collected where Isen told them to. They didn’t talk to one another. They were waiting, as they’d been told.
Lily shook her head, more aware than usual that lupi might look human—but they weren’t. She headed for her witnesses, and had a small shock. One of those waiting so quietly was her sister Beth. Jason the hunk had his arm around her. Lily paused, absorbed that surprise, and asked, “Who’s Mike?”
“Me.” The man who spoke was the skinniest lupus she’d ever seen. Not emaciated, but stringy, and well over six feet tall. His hair was a dusty black, straight and shaggy, his skin a pale caramel. He looked sick.
“Last name?”
“Hemmings.”
“Okay. I need you to come with me, Mike.” But she didn’t move right away, instead glancing behind her.
Rule was coming. “You okay?” she whispered when he reached her.
He made a single brushing-away gesture. “You’re doing your job. In this case it’s my job, too. I’ll need to Change. I can probably tell even in this form if anyone lies, but we need better than
The crowd was moving, most heading for the south end of the field, as instructed, while a few swam against the current to come forward, also as instructed. Isen directed them to wait about twenty feet away.
They were all so orderly—no panic, no one complaining or assuming that Isen couldn’t possibly have meant him. Or her. They scarcely spoke. She felt Rule move up beside her. “It’s kind of eerie.”
“What?”
“Them.” She gestured. “Everyone’s just . . . They’re so calm. Earlier one of them got so excited from watching a dance that he Changed. No one’s Changing now.”
“Isen is drawing heavily on the mantle.” He paused, then added, “They don’t smell calm. They trust him to deal with the situation, but they aren’t calm.”
“Hmm.” Scent-blind , lupi called humans. They had a point. She turned to Rule. “I need to talk to the wits. You can help with that.”
As Lu Nuncio, he’d smell it if they lied—the lupus ones, anyway. According to Rule, lupi couldn’t lie to someone carrying a portion of their clan’s mantle without reeking of guilt.
Rule didn’t respond. He was looking at Cullen, his face blank. Shut down.
Lily realized she was staring, too, watching Cullen’s chest as if her eyes could keep it lifting, ever so slightly, with his breath. She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and touched Rule’s arm once. Then moved away.
Keeping Cullen alive wasn’t her job. Nettie and the Rhej were in charge there, and thank God for that. She’d do what she knew. She moved closer and crouched down beside Cynna. “Can you answer a couple questions?”
Cynna nodded without taking her eyes off Cullen.
“You were with Cullen when it happened.”
“Yeah, I—I was standing beside him. Someone came up to congratulate us. I didn’t know him, but Cullen called him Mike. They were talking when he . . . Cullen jerked, then he fell. He just collapsed. I don’t know who was behind us. It was crowded. I didn’t notice.”
Suddenly Cynna gripped Lily’s arm, her fingers digging in. The bones of her face stood out starkly. “You’ll find him. Or her. Whoever did this, you’ll find them.”
In the face of that need, Lily didn’t speak of jurisdictions. “I will. Cullen’s going to make it, Cynna. He’s got too much holding him here. The Rhej and Nettie will hold on to him in their way, but you and the baby—you’ll keep him here, too.”
Cynna jerked out a single nod and looked at Cullen again. One hand went to her belly, rubbing gently. Her lips moved. Lily caught the words, just barely . . . “Hail Mary, full of grace . . .”
Among her other improbabilities, Cynna was Catholic. Maybe that helped right now. Lily hoped so. She stood.
Twenty or thirty people had collected where Isen told them to. They didn’t talk to one another. They were waiting, as they’d been told.
Lily shook her head, more aware than usual that lupi might look human—but they weren’t. She headed for her witnesses, and had a small shock. One of those waiting so quietly was her sister Beth. Jason the hunk had his arm around her. Lily paused, absorbed that surprise, and asked, “Who’s Mike?”
“Me.” The man who spoke was the skinniest lupus she’d ever seen. Not emaciated, but stringy, and well over six feet tall. His hair was a dusty black, straight and shaggy, his skin a pale caramel. He looked sick.
“Last name?”
“Hemmings.”
“Okay. I need you to come with me, Mike.” But she didn’t move right away, instead glancing behind her.
Rule was coming. “You okay?” she whispered when he reached her.
He made a single brushing-away gesture. “You’re doing your job. In this case it’s my job, too. I’ll need to Change. I can probably tell even in this form if anyone lies, but we need better than
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