Tidal Creatures by Seanan McGuire

Author:Seanan McGuire
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Tor Publishing Group

Lacus Spei

TIMELINE: AUGUST 18, 2017. THREE DAYS TO THE ECLIPSE.

Chang’e is still staring at the doorway when two women appear, one strawberry blonde with a peaches-and-cream complexion that looks like it would be personally offended by the suggestion that it might either freckle or tan, the other black-haired and brown-skinned, expression implying that she would rather be walking into a dentist’s office in Hell than this simple residential kitchen. Behind them, Chang’e hears the door swing shut and then open again, more sedately this time. Footsteps ascend the stairs, the two women in the doorway blocking whoever they belong to from view.

The blonde folds her arms as she looks at the group, slowly taking their measure. The black-haired woman looks less self-assured. She’s trying not to seem concerned, but she’s clearly worried about being in the house, surrounded by people she has to know aren’t entirely human. All three Lunars are stepped up, and the air around them sparkles like it’s been filled with floating glitter. Roger and Dodger are less visibly inhuman, but their calm acceptance of the shimmer in the air has to mark them in some way as outside the norm.

Roger lifts his chin toward the new arrival. “Erin. ’S’up?”

“I feel like I should be the one asking you that, since you’re apparently hosting a kitchen party without having warned your housemates.” The blonde continues to eye the group, somewhat dubiously. “They’re sparkly. Elementals or Lunars?”

“Lunars,” says Roger. “Erin, meet Chang’e, Artemis, and I’m sorry, I forgot your name.”

“Máni.”

“Right, Máni. Two of the big three, and one of the Scandinavians, if I’m not mistaken.” Roger phrases that like he could be mistaken, when everyone in the room knows he physically can’t be.

Or at least Chang’e assumes he can’t be mistaken. She doesn’t actually know what the Doctrine is capable of, especially not now that she knows it’s been divided between two bodies, Math distinct from Language and possessed of its own motivations and desires. This is all far more complicated than she was expecting, and she doesn’t like it. Judy was right to do her best to stay away from the incarnate Doctrine, and all Chang’e can do now is wish her mortal aspect had been a little better at playing keep-away.

“Moon gods, fascinating,” says Erin. She gestures to the woman next to her. “This is Isabella.”

“Oh, the head of Smita’s little coven,” says Dodger. “She’s told us about you.”

Isabella lifts her chin, expression composed and stubborn. “I’m an hechicera,” she says, almost like a challenge.

“I’m a mathematician,” says Dodger. Roger rolls his eyes and drinks more coffee. She slants him a sideways look. “What? I thought we were making declarative statements. She’s an hechicera, I’m a mathematician, we’ve presumably both trained and studied for our positions, why shouldn’t they be on the same level?”

“Because she just confessed to being a sorceress, and you’re being flippant.”

“I’m not being flippant!”

Isabella frowns, deeper with every second that passes. She looks to Erin. “These are the housemates you wanted me to meet?” she asks.

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