have been angered by my betrayal of his plan. I did not know how far he would go to punish me, if he learned that I would not stand with him. I have seen him in battles. His valiance knows no bounds-- just as his rage knows none. He is the son of Dante, after all, and you do know who sired Dante, of that I'm sure. It is all for the best. I could not risk being captured and forced to go back after I felt the change within Cain. This plane, and a blood feeding, did something to him that I did not like. He frightened me."
"Okay," Damali said quickly, a new level of panic cresting within her. "How do I beat this guy? Get him secured on the other side?"
"You must find a way to seal him in Nod. In ether, he is an honorable king. In the flesh, he is something dark that frightens me. Although I don't like what his grandfather's wife did to him on the earth plane, I do love him, but he has a sickness."
"Lilith! She--"
"Oh, please, Damali, do not say her name around me. I am a sensory creature, vibration driven... after what I felt, I could not be with him again. I was moving too swiftly to stop... my neck... I am in a better place now."
"But it was suicide. What level of Hell--"
"No. I willingly gave my life for a family headed by two Neterus. That elevates." The dragon giggled, humming. "One day, there may be a baby?"
"Oh," Damali whispered.
"I received my desire," the dragon's spirit said brightly. "I'm free! I am in an ocean so vast and so beautiful, you can never conceive it until you come here... which will hopefully not be for a very long time. Live well. Keep me close with the other stones. I will not abandon you. I am the sixth of the seven you will need. Be gentle with Carlos's heart--do not stay angry with him for also being wild, uncontained, passionate energy. I so enjoyed him. He makes me smile." The pearl flickered. "Be also gentle with Cain, in Nod... he is wonderful."
"Don't go out," Damali said, her tone urgent. "How do I keep him in Nod, or close the rip, or whatever?"
"You know how. You already have. Deplete his energy. You know this method."
"I don't know anything!" Damali said, nearly screaming at the pearl. "I do know that I've gotta get to my queens, drop this science on them, gotta protect the family--make sure they're battle-station ready, gotta make contact with Father Pat to be sure the Covenant knows what we're up against beyond their theories, gotta talk to Carlos and get his head right.... Girl, come on, I don't have time for riddles. How do I get Cain to temporarily stay in Nod and not bring an army over the barrier, and get the Caduceus back from him?"
The pearl flickered once more and then went still. "Thoroughly seduce him."
The SOS to Queen Aset fired in Damali's mind so quickly that she didn't even need the long process of divination, stones, or anything else. She was on her feet, looked out to the ocean, and hollered, "Queen Aset! Private counsel, stat!"
Instantly the violet pyramid opened before her. She didn't have to walk into the Light; it practically yanked her through it. When she landed on the other side, she was in the regal queen's private chambers. Lazy white lions grumbled but didn't get up as Aset moved toward Damali with panic in her eyes.
"Queen Daughter. The level of distress in your tone... explain."
Breathless, Damali stood before Aset, opened her palm, and produced the pearl. "Great Queen Mother, I have news so crazy that I don't know what to do. An army is about to be raised against humanity! But they aren't exactly vampires, per se... I don't know what they are, but they come from Nod. Cain might have even hooked up with Lilith, or something wild like that to take Dante's throne."
Aset looked at her with alarm in her eyes, and then down at the pearl. "You were given a dragon's pearl as your sixth stone?" She carefully lifted it from Damali's hand and studied it for authenticity. Her exotic Kemetian gaze returned to Damali slowly. "Do you know how rare this oracle tool is?" Aset gaped and pushed it around in her palm. "This, with the others, gets set in platinum and silver, my darling. When you receive