Eileen Wilks - Blood Lines

"Ten minutes, maybe."

Which would put them over the time limit. Lily didn't think Jiri would kill Toby if they were a few minutes late; he was too valuable to her. But it wasn't a chance she wanted to take.

Neither did Rule. "Then we'll ring her doorbell before entering." He moved on.

They didn't bother being quiet after that. Their path veered slightly away from the creek, skirting a large, rocky outcropping. Trees had just closed in overhead, their branches scratching each other in the breeze, when Cynna spoke quietly. "She's just past those evergreens, about ten yards away."

Rule held up a hand. They stopped in the shadows beneath the trees. He tilted his head up—scenting the air, Lily realized. But the wind blew the wrong way.

After a moment he shrugged. "We may as well keep our appointment." He moved forward.

Their path had led them true, right to the stone bridge. A tall woman dressed in black sat smack in the center of the bridge's arch. Her skin was so dark it blended into her clothing—a leather catsuit, black and form-fitting. She was easy to spot, though. No trees arched out over the bridge to block the moonlight, and one of those fake gaslights was on the other side of the bridge.

She stood. "You may as well come out of the trees. As you see…" She gestured widely. "I am alone."

"Not entirely." That was Cynna, her voice hard. "Your familiar is on the other side of the creek."

"Cynna," she murmured. "How you hate me. I am sorry for that. In so many ways, though, you wouldn't be here if not for me, would you? Yes, Tish is near, but I had him wait at enough of a distance that you would know you could escape him, if necessary. I need your help."

Rule's laugh was harsh and brief. "You've an odd way of asking for it."

"I'll admit," she said, walking slowly to the near end of the bridge, "that I wanted to control the situation. I trust you no more than you do me. You think I'm behind the attacks on the heirs. Cynna has no doubt convinced you I am evil."

"You killed my men. You enspelled my son. What do you call yourself?"

"Desperate." That came out flat and oddly convincing.

"What do you want?" Lily asked, her own voice as expressionless as she could make it.

Jiri looked at her. Lily felt the unmistakable tug of a shared gaze and knew the woman saw better than average in the dark. Better than human? Cynna said she had a fair amount of demon stuff in her. "Lily Yu. Do you love your lover's son?"

The question rocked her out of her professional detachment— as, no doubt, it was intended to do. Did she love Toby?

She'd only begun to know the boy, so some of what she felt for him was more readiness to love than a feeling centered on

Toby himself. But she thought of an eager young voice, quick footsteps racing up or down the stairs, the stubborn set of a small chin in a young face both like and unlike the older face she loved. "Yes." Her voice came out hoarse. "You have the control you wanted. We're here, ready to do just about anything to have the spell lifted from Toby. What do you want?" she asked again.

"Your help. I haven't hurt the boy. I won't hurt him. This much Cynna should be able to tell you—I don't harm children."

"Freddie had a son," Rule said.

"Freddie?"

"One of the men you killed today."

"Ah." For a second her face went blank, as if his death came as news to her. "I am sorry for that. Does the boy have a mother?" There was a curious intensity to the question.

"He does. That doesn't make up for the loss of his father."

"But children need… no, we aren't here for that. Never mind." She tilted her head up, and light shivered down over a face Lily saw clearly for the first time. An exotic face, the nose broad and flat, the forehead high and rounded. Sloe-eyed, thickly lashed. And skin not truly black, but brown. The filigree of tattoos overlaying it was so dense, far denser than Cynna's, that at first you saw only darkness.

"I've worked so hard for this," Jiri murmured, "for so long, and now that the time has come, I'm afraid. How foolish. But I've been afraid for so long… it becomes a habit. Well." She faced them again. "What do I want? I want you, Rule Turner, to lead as many of your people as you can summon. I particularly want your sorcerer friend. I want to attack a man who was once my apprentice."

"Tommy Cordoba," Cynna said.

Her eyebrows arched in surprise. "You found out that much? Yes, Tommy. He's behind the attacks on lupi, not me." Her lip curled in scorn. "He would say he's made a powerful ally. You know who I mean—She's your enemy. He has taught some of Her servants—you call them the Azd—to summon demons, but he is the master. You won't take my word for this, of course. Tish. Show yourself to our visitors."

Beside the fake gas lamp on the other side of the bridge the air grew fussy, like smoke swirled with a finger. Within seconds it had resolved into… a thing. He was humanoid, as Li Qin had said, but nothing about him made Lily think of a person. He was massive, like pictures Lily had seen of a troll: ten feet tall and twice as broad as the biggest man she'd ever seen. His neck was thicker than her hips. His skin was the color of dried blood and the texture of rock, and tusks a foot long curved out from either side of a wide, lipless mouth. His tail curled neatly around his feet, broad and sinewy like a boa.

And yes, he was male, in a gargantuan sort of way.

"Hold fire," Rule said softly.

Lily had snugged the rifle to her shoulder automatically. She kept it trained on the demon.

"I can still lie," Jiri was saying. "I admit that. But Tish cannot. I have taught him English. Ask him who is behind the attacks. He will answer."

"Cynna?" Rule said in a low voice.

"Demons can't lie, but you have to phrase your questions carefully and pay close attention to the answers. They'll make technically true statements that add up to a lie if they can."

"You've experience with questioning demons?"

Cynna took a long breath, expelled it. "Yeah."

"Then you do the questioning."

"Rule." Cullen's voice was sharp.

"From here," Rule added. "He can hear us from here."

Lily thought Cynna could have a career as an attorney if she decided to change professions. Her questions allowed no wiggle room: Is the woman standing on the bridge in front of me, whose use-name is Jiri, your master? Yes. Do you have any knowledge or reason to suspect or surmise that your master has summoned, aided in the summoning, or caused to be summoned demons other than yourself who have attacked lupi in this realm? No. Da you have any knowledge or reason to suspect or surmise that she has lied to us tonight? No. Do you know who summoned the demons who attacked various lupi four nights ago? Yes. Who? You know them as theAzd. Who mastered those demons? Tommy Cordoba is their master.

Cynna looked at Rule. "Best I can do. I think it's true."

"Tommy is behind the attacks," Jiri insisted. "If you kill him, they will end. The ones he taught would still be able to summon demons, but only a master can control them beyond the summoning circle."

Rule spoke coldly. "Do you expect me to believe you engineered all this to persuade me to kill someone who is my enemy?"

"No. I brought you here to kill my enemy. It's your good fortune that he's yours, as-well."

"Why did you attack me?" Cullen asked.

"Why do you think? You're a sorcerer. I hoped to bring you back with me and avoid… all this. Had I been able to do so before the second shifting, when Tommy gained so much power… but I failed. You fought me off."

"Your demon defeated four lupi, one human, and… another fighter today," Rule said. "Why do you need us?"

"Tommy's warded his place against demons. Tish can't get through, and I can't get in by myself without setting off alarms. I hope your sorcerer will be able to undo the wards. And—and you and I have something in common." She drew a shaky breath. "He holds my daughter hostage. That's the other part of my price. I want you to get her away from him."