Mortal Danger

FIFTEEN

AT ten-fifty-seven, Lily took the elevator down with her eyes closed, leaning against the wall. She was beyond tired, into the lightheaded stage when giggles or tears are equally easily come by.

Probably she should have left earlier. Okay, definitely she should have, but they had so little time—maybe a day. Then Harlowe would kill again.

The good news was that Rule wasn’t around to nag. And the bad news… well, the bad news was that Rule wasn’t around. She’d grown used to curling up with him at night. She’d miss that, at least for the few seconds between getting horizontal and falling asleep.

She got her eyes open and her back straight before the elevator door opened. The building had decent security, a mix of the old and the new—an electronically operated door plus a guard with a sign-in sheet. He teased her about having a “real patient date.” She looked out the heavy glass doors and saw Benedict waiting.

It had been tempting to take a taxi home. Tempting, but stupid. If they made another try at her tonight, she’d lose precious seconds yawning. So she’d sucked it in and done the sensible thing, calling Benedict to let him know she was leaving. Just as she’d been told to do.

Her lips tightened. Rule thought she was being stubborn about needing protection. There was a pinch of that, she admitted as the guard hit the button that unlocked the door. But it was his high-handedness that infuriated her. He’d made a decision for her this morning and then waited all day to spring it on her.

She stepped out into air with barely enough snap to qualify as fall, air that smelled of concrete and car exhaust, yet it perked her up. It hadn’t been groomed and filtered and pimped into a consumable product. It was just air being air.

Or maybe it was stepping from safety into possible danger that quickened her heartbeat. Whatever. She took a second to breathe in, feeling more awake than she had in hours.

“We’re exposed here. It would be best to get to the car.”

She glanced to her right at more than six solid feet of annoyed male. “Hello, Benedict. I’m pretty good, thanks. How are you?”

The smile that touched his mouth looked like an uncommon visitor. “It’s good to see you again. Especially when you aren’t bleeding. Can we go to the car now?”

She sighed. “Sure. Where… wait a minute. That’s my car.”

“I drive a Jeep. No doors, no protection.”

“I suppose Rule gave you the keys.”

“You’re pissed.”

“Good guess. Not at you, though.” She fell into step beside him, feeling dwarfed. Rule was tall.- His brother was just plain big—six-four and two-forty, at a guess, and every inch hard enough to bruise yourself on.

They didn’t look alike. Benedict carried the human side of his ancestry on his skin—a coppery color that suggested native blood, as did his silver-shot black hair and dark eyes. He wore jeans with a black T-shirt and a denim jacket that hid his shoulder holster. And he was not, thank God, wearing the scabbard that sheathed the three feet of steel he favored at Clanhome. “What are you carrying?”

“This and that. Main weapon’s a Sig Sauer.”

“I use a Sig, too.”

“Good choice. I wanted to bring my SAW, but there was a chance someone would check out the car. I wouldn’t be much use to you if I got locked up.”

“SAW… Squad Automatic Weapon. You’re talking about a machine gun.”

He nodded. “Good stopping power.”

“I’ve more to be grateful for than I’d realized.”

They reached her Toyota. He claimed the driver’s side before she could, so Lily got in on the passenger side, frowning. “I could drive. My reflexes are almost as good as yours.” She took after Grandmother that way.

“Almost as good a Rule’s, maybe.” He started the car. “Not mine.”

She looked at him, wondering just how fast he was. Lily had seen him in action once, but he’d been a wolf at the time—one of several—and she’d been busy getting shot and shooting back. Aside from Rule, she hadn’t known which wolf was which. So she felt a certain professional curiosity about Benedict’s abilities. What would he be like in a fight in his human form?

Not that she wanted to find out tonight. She fastened her seatbelt. “Rule told me once you should have been Lu Nuncio. Not just because you’re older than him, either. He thinks you’re a better fighter.”

Benedict made a small, impatient sound. “I thought he’d outgrown that.”

“What do you mean?”

“I am a better fighter. That doesn’t make me a better Lu Nuncio.”

“The Lu Nuncio defends the Rho and answers any formal challenges, right? Fighting’s a big part of the job description.”

“He’s also the heir. The one who will eventually be Rho. Rule will lead our people far better than I could.”

“So you don’t feel skipped over or slighted?”

He was silent for so long she wondered if she’d offended him. But when she glanced at him, he seemed to be thinking, though his eyes remained watchful, keeping track of the cars ahead, beside, and behind them. Cop eyes, she thought. It was odd to find them in someone who’d been on the other side of the law most of his life, until the law changed.

Finally, as he accelerated into the traffic on 1-15, he said, “You’re thinking about Mick. He wanted to be Rho. I never have. When our father named Rule heir, Mick was angry. I was relieved.”

It was Lily’s turn to fall silent. The twinned ribbons of taillights seemed to draw them along, just one more bead on a string. Her eyes grew heavy. She leaned her head against the headrest… then jerked it up again. She’d been close to drifting off.

I trust him, she thought, startled. Somewhere inside, she’d decided Benedict could be counted on to watch out for both of them. This wasn’t like her, and she wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Unlike Rule—or most of the other people she knew, for that matter—Benedict didn’t have the radio on or a CD playing. Maybe he was listening for danger as well as watching. So they drove on through the crowded city night in silence, with only the glow of the dash lights to smudge the interior darkness, leaving more to be guessed at than revealed.

Why had she asked about his feelings? No doubt he had the usual assortment, but he kept them so far out of sight she wasn’t sure he knew any more about them than she did. He wasn’t likely to open up to her.

Yet instinct prompted her to believe him. There was something reassuring about Benedict, something oddly peaceful. He seemed so at rest within himself.

Not her. Now that she’d stopped doing, stopped talking, the discomforts of a healing body spoke all too loudly. She shifted, trying to find the best way to rest her shoulder, and then shifted again. And her mind was anything but quiet.

Finally, she broke the silence. “I’d like to ask you something, but it might be rude by your standards.”

“Our standards aren’t that different from yours.”

“Maybe it’s just plain rude, then. It’s… about your daughter.”

He gave her a quick glance. “Rule told you.”

“Just tonight, yeah. And last night I learned about the, ah… the age thing. I’m still trying to get it sorted out.”

“Shook you up.” It was a simple observation, lacking either sympathy or judgment. “What did you want to know about Nettie?”

“Was her mother your Chosen?”

“No.” The hitch between that flat answer and his next words was brief, a fraction of a breath. “I met Claire when Nettie was twelve. We didn’t have children together.”

A dozen more questions pressed at Lily. She was pretty sure Benedict’s Chosen had died, but she didn’t know how or how long ago. She wanted to know what happened when one partner in a mate bond died. How did it affect the one who remained?

She wanted to know more personal things, too. Had he loved Claire? Had they been friends as well as lovers? What had been the limits of their bond? Had they ever had their abilities cross over the way she and Rule had?

Lily was used to asking deeply personal questions, often at a time when feelings were raw. But this wasn’t an investigation, and Benedict’s reserve went deep. “Thank you for telling me,” she said at last.

There was a hint of amusement in his voice. “That was all you wanted to know?”

“No, but—”

Her cell phone rang. She reached into her bag and thumbed it on. “Yes?”

“Lily Yu?” said an unfamiliar male voice.

She frowned. Very few people had this number. “Who is this?”

He chuckled, a pleasantly masculine sound. “I suppose we haven’t spoken before. I’m Patrick Harlowe.”

Exhaustion evaporated in a white-hot rush. She sat up straight. “Thoughtful of you to call. I’ve been looking for you.”

“So I understand.” He had one of those rich voices that invested everything he said with significance and a hint of intimacy. Like a televangelist, she thought, or someone selling kitchen gadgets on a late-night infomercial. “Haven’t had much luck, have you?”

“Not so far.” Keep him talking. She’d play whatever game he had in mind and keep him talking. People always gave up more than they realized if you could keep them talking. “How’d you get this number, anyway?”

“The same way I’ve learned so many interesting things recently—from One who is almost omniscient. I imagine you’d find that handy, in your job,” he added. “Being able to watch or listen to anyone you wanted.”

“That I would. But ‘almost’ means that She isn’t omniscient, doesn’t it? She can’t watch lupi. Or me. And She can’t talk to you directly.” Could She? God, if the staff really had made Harlowe telepathic, able to get instructions and information directly from Her—

“Pretty sure of that, are you?” He might have been a favorite uncle indulging a pert niece. “But you’re correct in this case. She isn’t quite omniscient. As this call illustrates, however, we’ve found ways to work around those few limits She possesses. But the telephone is limiting, too, isn’t it? So much more pleasant to become acquainted in person.”

“You’d like to do lunch?” Lily kept her voice dry. “Gee, let me check my calendar.”

“Lunch won’t work for me.” There was laughter in his voice now. He was enjoying himself. “How about right now? It’s a bit late, but my schedule is so full these days.”

Lily glanced at Benedict. His face was wiped clean of everything but focus.

Of course. He was listening to Harlowe, too. “I’m free tonight. Where shall we meet?”

“You’ll have to come to me, I’m afraid. And I must insist that you don’t tell anyone. No one at all, Lily—other than your driver, of course.”

He knew someone was driving her? Lily looked at Benedict. She could still subvocalize, even if she couldn’t hear it anymore: “Are we being followed?”

He shook his head.

“That goes for your driver, too. No phone calls. If anyone finds out about our little rendezvous I’ll be hurt, and I’m afraid I don’t react well when my feelings are hurt. And I will know, Lily.” His voice dropped. “The One I serve may not be able to watch you directly, but She doesn’t have to. She can observe the others—any and all the others—you might be tempted to call. Like your associates at the FBI, or the police… or even your family.”

Lily’s nape was suddenly clammy, as if someone had touched it with a cold, damp cloth. “So where do we meet?”

“I’ll give you directions in a moment. First, there’s someone here who’d like to speak with you.”

“Wait—”

But he’d passed the phone to someone else. Someone whose voice struck Lily dumb and blind with fear.

“Lily?” Beth Yu spoke in her usual quick, lighthearted way. “Patrick wanted me to reassure you that I’m all right.

I’m not sure why. Really, I don’t even know why he wanted to come here—this is so not my kind of place. But it’s all right, you know. Patrick said so. He’ll take care of me.“

The candles had burned halfway down. They’d discussed much and settled little, and it was almost time for Cullen to leave for his second performance.

Not that he had to dance anymore. Not for money, at least, and Rule had expected him to quit when the Rho put him on retainer for the clan—“like a damned lawyer,” Cullen had said. But he continued to do two shows a night, two days a week. He’d told Rule he was hanging on to the part-time gig because the extra money helped.

Perhaps he believed that. Rule didn’t. Cullen had never been much interested in money, seeing it mostly as a means to acquire the scraps of paper that were real treasure to him—bits of old spellbooks and such. No, Rule had to believe that dance gave Cullen something he needed.

At the moment, though, it was a confounded nuisance. “We’ll need to wind this up soon,” he said when he was able to get a word in. “Remember to be cautious about what you discuss after the circle is broken.” There would be a number of meetings after this one, he was sure—less formal, but maybe more meaningful.

“I still don’t know what you want.” Ben was cranky. “What is it you want us to do? It’s all very well to talk about doing battle with Her, but She’s not here.”

“Keep your eyes open,” Rule said promptly, “and your noses to the ground. See if what I’ve said about the realms shifting, bringing changes, matches with what your clan is experiencing. I told you about the banshee sighting in Texas, for example.”

“Possible sighting,” Javiero corrected. “But I checked into it, and the stories of the witnesses hold up.”

“What’s happening in your own territories?” Rule asked. “Send word back about anything you learn that’s unusual. Try to find out what others of the Blood might know or guess, too. You, Ben, might send word to the trolls, see if they’re aware of any changes.” Ben’s clan was based in Scandinavia, which possessed the only remaining troll population of any size.

“Trolls.” Ben snorted. “You ever tried talking to one? Might as well talk to a tree.”

“Speaking of talking to trees,” someone said, “I’ll volunteer to check with the dryads.”

That sally earned several grins and chuckles. Dryads were notoriously shy… and notoriously amorous, if you could overcome their timidity.

Ito shook his head. “I don’t know dryads or trolls, but I know trees. With trees, you don’t talk. You listen.”

There was a moment’s silence, all of them mildly embarrassed on Ito’s behalf. He was well liked, but not well understood.

“We’re getting off-track,” Randall said. “Asking us to look for abnormalities is like telling us to pay attention to the letter s. Once your attention is called to it, you see it everywhere. Of course people will find oddities if they’re looking for them.”

“The letter 5 is common. Oddities are, by definition, uncommon. I’m not asking for news of, say, your sister’s new hairstyle… however odd it may be.” There were grins and a couple of chuckles. “But if you hear rumors of creatures or those of the Blood who shouldn’t be in our realm, the rest of us need to know.”

“So who do we tell? You?” Randall’s upper lip lifted in scorn. “There’s a plan. You can use everything you hear to further ‘prove’ your case, increasing your chances of being named war-leader if the clans fall into line with your father’s megalomaniacal—”

“Best stop there.” Rule held himself very still. “As 1 haven’t spoken about your father’s habit of killing from ambush, so you—”

“You may all tell me, if you like,” Stephen said calmly.

“I’m willing to act as clearinghouse for such reports. Unless any of you doubt Etorri’s ability to remain impartial?”

Randall didn’t dare go that far, but he narrowed his eyes as his head swung toward Stephen. “You’re buying into this absurd theory about the realms shifting?”

“Please,” Ito said to the man beside him, “what is ‘buying into’?”

Randall answered without taking his eyes off Stephen. “Believe. Agree with. Think it’s more than cat box scrapings.”

Stephen was unmoved. “Etorri was already considering the possibility that the realms were shifting when we received the invitation to a pax circle.”

“Why?” Randall exploded. “For God’s sake, what proof do you have?”

“First, it accords with the prophecy—” That set everyone off. “What prophecy?”

“—Etorri loves all that mystical mumbo-jumbo—”

“If you’ve been sitting on a prophecy and haven’t told anyone—”

“And second,” Stephen said, “I have myself seen the Great Hunt in the northern forests.”

Dead silence. Into that silence, Cullen’s voice. “Rule.” Rule’s head swung, his nostrils flared. “What?”

“We have to break circle now. Benedict’s pushed the panic button.”