He’d been offered it by…an angel, he supposed, the same one who had spent time with him when he lost himself in the gray, then had forgotten almost completely. Of course angel was the wrong word. He knew that. The wrong word, the wrong everything, for whatever had offered this work to him, it so far surpassed his understanding of beings and boundaries that it made words meaningless. So he thought of it as the angel, and left it at that.
“Whatever it was Friar took out of there with him, it was nasty. And tied to this side of the line in a way I don’t like at all. Neither did the, uh…whoever offered me the job.”
She nodded seriously. “I heard something about that.” When he looked surprised she laughed again. She’d always laughed easily, but the happiness seemed to bubble up even more freely now. “Come on, I told you I’d been meeting people. Looking around a bit while I decide what I’m going to do now.”
“Yeah, but I never see anyone around for you to talk to.”
“Because you don’t want to. If you’d been interested…but never mind.” She reached across and took his hand. “Al, it’s okay. When did I ever kick up a fuss because of your job? I don’t want or expect you to spend a few eons sunbathing on the beach with me.”
Now he smiled. “You hate sunbathing.”
“True. So. When are you leaving?”
His hand tightened on hers. “Not yet. I need more time with you, more time to…but when I do take the job I won’t be gone constantly. I’ll be able to take…not weekends, but time here, now and then. Time with you. I won’t remember things here when I’m back there, not very well, but I’ll know I’ve been with you.” He felt sure of that now.
“Memory works differently there than it does here,” she agreed. “But the good things stay with us.”
“Yeah.” He looked at their joined hands, at the rings that glowed on each of their hands. “Yeah, the good things stay.” He grinned suddenly and looked exactly like the wicked twenty-nine-year-old man she’d first fallen in love with. Exactly—because memory did indeed work differently here. “And I’ve got to admit, I’m really looking forward to seeing Yu’s face when I show up again.”
CAST OF CHARACTERS
Al Drummond: FBI agent who went bad, he was killed at the end of Death Magic—yet remained as a ghost somehow tied to Lily.
Beth (Elizabeth) Yu: Lily’s younger sister. Twenty-five in Mortal Ties. Roommates are Deirdre (short, shiny blond hair, a nose stud, five piercings in one ear and three in the other; doesn’t trust even numbers) and Susan (same name as Beth’s oldest sister).
Celeste Babineaux: Rule and Jasper’s mother. Bipolar. Deceased.
Cullen Seabourne: Sorcerer and lupus, adopted into Nokolai clan after being expelled from his birth clan (Etorri) and living for many years as a lone wolf. Sixty. Married to Cynna Weaver.
Cynna Weaver: A Finder and spellcaster who follows a Swahili tradition that imprints spells on the skin like tattoos. FBI agent. Thirty-two.
Isen Turner: Nokolai Rho. Burly and bearded, he’s ninety-one years old but looks around fifty.
Jasper Machek: Rule’s newly discovered half brother or alius kin (means otherkin) on his mother’s side.
Leo Romano: Laban Rho until forced to step down, passing his clan’s mantle to his heir, Tony Romano.
Li Lei Yu, aka Grandmother: Lily’s grandmother on her father’s side. Much older than she looks.
Lily Yu: Homicide detective in Book 1 (Tempting Danger); joined the Unit (FBI) at end of that book. She’s twenty-nine in Mortal Ties. She was abducted by a child rapist when she was eight. Rule’s Chosen, Lily is a touch sensitive—she identifies the presence of magic through touch, but cannot be affected by it.
Michael Machek: Jasper’s father.
Ruben Brooks: Head of Unit Twelve of the FBI with an incredibly accurate precognitive Gift. Became both lupus and Rho in Death Magic.
Rule Turner: Nokolai Lu Nuncio or heir; Leidolf Rho. The press call him the Nokolai prince. Dark hair and dark eyes, he is fifty-five, but looks about thirty. He was raised by his father at Nokolai Clanhome.
Ryder: Cynna and Cullen’s new baby daughter.
Sarah Drummond: Al’s wife, killed by Martha Billings.
Toby Asteglio: Rule’s son. He’s nine and lives with Rule and Lily.
Tony Romano: Laban Rho. Tall, muscular, and gorgeous, he suffered brain damage as a child, and while First Change enabled him to heal the neurological damage, he still thinks slowly—but thoroughly. Often underestimated.
THE LEIDOLF SQUADAlanBarnabyChrisIanJeffrey JoeMarcusMikePatrick McCauseyScott White (in charge)SteveTodd
OFF-STAGE OR BRIEF APPEARANCE
Arjenie Fox: Benedict’s Chosen; a researcher for the FBI; part-sidhe
Benedict: Rule’s oldest brother; in charge of security at Clanhome
Brenda: Questioned by Lily; she talked too much to her Laban lover
Carclass="underline" Isen’s houseman
Carrie Ann Rucker: “Mule” for drug cartel, fifty-nine, a placid woman with graying blond hair and a crooked front tooth
David: Nokolai guard
Hank Jamison: Young Laban culprit
Hannah: Previous Nokolai Rhej
Isadora Bourque: Nokolai’s chief tender
Merowitch: Explosives guy
Mick: Rule’s brother who died
Pete: Benedict’s second
Sherrianne: Questioned by Lily at Clanhome
The Sidhe
Alycithin: Co-leader of the trade delegation; a halfing with tawny fur, a darker ruff atop her head, and bright green eyes. Muscular and about Lily’s height. Came up through the warrior class.
Aroglian: The other elf with Alycithin. An expert spellcaster who specializes in body magic, including healing. White hair.
Benessarai: The other co-leader of the delegation. Son of a sidhe lord, heavily outranks Alycithin socially, which means he’s really in charge. Copper-colored hair.
Dinalaran: One of Alycithin’s assistants; armed with a SIG, does the driving. Creamsicle-orange hair.
Lord Sessena: Benessarai’s mother and Alycithin’s sponsor. Powerful sidhe lord in her realm.
Lord Thierath: Benessarai’s father.
GLOSSARY
Elfin or Sidhe Words
arguai: power from an unknown source; not magic, often spiritual
dielgraf: soul-enemy
Rekklat: a catlike race in Alycithin’s realm, known for their skill as warriors and remarkable endurance; Alycithin’s father is Rekklat
seurthurin: one who practices the arts of the mind (mind-magic, such as illusion)
so’amellree: one of the sixteen words for enemy; describes one who might be a friend, were circumstances different (fem. form)
so’elriath: an enemy for whom one feels no hostility, one who is simply on the other side