they'd really know what to say, if they could. The fawn's information before it died would just be one more thing to add to the morning war meeting. Dawn would be here soon, and both team generals were still human and needed to rest. However, there was one thing they didn't speak on, maybe because they already knew that to open that particular can of worms would take a lot longer than the five minutes of energy they had to endure. But how could they sleep at night knowing that the balance of power, oddly, in Nod - Cain - had left, and now innocent angel hybrids and multiphyla hybrids were being slaughtered wholesale? Wasn't that part of their mission, to protect the innocent, if they had souls? Where did one draw the line? What made one life or one soul more valuable than another, just because of geography or DNA? When did one turn a blind eye and say it's not happening here, so hey? Or when did one jump in and say if it could happen to them, it could happen anywhere, and wherever there's genocide, it must be stopped?
Now, that required a call by the Covenant, because neither she nor Carlos really wanted to wind up in a battle in a biblical banishment zone ... not again. Mitigating circumstances had been on their sides before, but hoping that would keep them out of trouble again was like hoping lightning would strike in the same place twice.
Her mind was so weary she practically fell through the door with Carlos. What had started out as a really cool day just devolved into the utterly ridiculous. She took great comfort in how he headed for the sink to wash his hands, shaking his head.
"I know, baby," Carlos said quietly. "You ain't gotta say it I know."
* * *
Lilith stroked two of her battered Harpies' heads as they squeaked and squealed for her attention, climbing up onto her lap in her private chambers. She kissed them and cooed to them and clucked her tongue.
"My poor little babies," she said with a sigh. "Your wings are torn and you've been so abused, but you still did my bidding and the Neterus bought it hook, line, and sinker." She scratched behind their ears and shooed them away. They looked at her with longing and then fled her bed to scramble up the marble posts to stand watch. "I'll bring you a tasty morsel soon, my pets. Just as soon as Momma regenerates and can go topside, a small child will be yours."
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
The Battle at Masada
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Daylight couldn't come soon enough, but at the same time, she felt like she could have used twelve more hours of sleep. The emotionally harrowing night was over, but then after such things always came a cold-light-of-day review. This morning, like no other in recent months, she was ready for the whole team. They were gonna squash the internal drama once and for all. She could feel a spirit of dissension wafting about the atmosphere around her like an unseen slurry of negativity that literally made the air thick. Damali patiently waited as Marlene sealed the room with prayer. Carlos went right for logistics, and she gave him a moment on the floor before jumping in. That allowed her a chance to watch body language, see how bad it was, where people's heads were at. Damali folded her arms, not liking what she saw at all.
"All right," Carlos said, clearly exhausted. "The Covenant came in yesterday. Rabbi Zeitloff got 'em all situated at their safe house so they can summit. That gives us a day or two before we need to meet up and thoroughly debrief the clerics, and in my opinion, we need to get out of this hotel. I'm feeling boxed in."
Damali watched as no one agreed or disagreed. It was as though everyone's hackles were up for no reason at all. Carlos glanced at her, but pressed on.
"So, all right... Dan said we can pick up the keys any day - the place was for immediate availability and a full-cash-on-the-barrel-head wire transfer means we own the joint. We just gotta furnish it and - "
"How we gonna furnish a joint that big that fast? Be serious. It'll be weeks, if not months before we can get settled," Berkfield complained.
Carlos frowned. "What are you talking about, man? We do like we always do. The Covenant seers have a blueprint from the images you all sent