The guardians kept their aim steady, but didn't fire as the panther loped to the fore and slowly transformed into a lush, tall, black leather - clad female form.
"This is between her and me," the female entity said, straightening out the triangle of her leather halter-top and then studying her razor-sharp French manicure. "Has been for a long time." She nodded toward Damali, and then glanced at her squad, smoothing out the leather of her skin-tight pants. "You can feast on the others when I'm done - two of them for each one of you - I ate earlier. Italian. But first, she and I have some unfinished business."
"We can't feed on the blond - the one called Dan," one vamp in Raven's group replied evenly. "Remember what Nuit told us?"
"He'll get over it," Raven snarled. "It's a moot point - two minutes, she's dead."
Rider and Mike exchanged a look and glared at Dan, and then returned their focus to the threat before them.
"Later," Big Mike murmured in Damali's direction.
She glanced at him, conceding. This was a part of a larger equation, but she still sensed that Dan was innocent.
"What do you want, Raven?" Damali asked, her voice carrying across the expanse that separated both groups.
"You take my mother, and then my men... and you ask me what I want?"
"Damali," Rider said with caution, "she's a second generation, and I don't think - "
Damali held up her hand to quiet Rider.
"Your mother?" Damali opened her mind, her awareness so sharp now that what felt like an electric current ran through her.
Raven laughed, the sound cold and dead. She narrowed her eyes. Damali heard a car approach at a high speed and swerve to a stop, but she didn't turn. Damali kept her gaze trained on her vampire targets. The Jeep door slammed, her guardians glanced at it over their shoulders. Mike raised a weapon in Marlene's direction to cover her from a possible surprise attack. Dan's terrified eyes darted between the approaching guardian and the unbelievable sight before him. Damali didn't flinch. The male vampires tensed, considered the new Jeep and guardian, then glanced at Raven, but didn't move.
The desire to attack the haughty thing that was laughing at her lit a new fire within Damali. However, she garnered patience. A false move could cost a member of her team their lives. She could hear Marlene's footsteps behind her. Remain in control. Her odds had just improved as a seasoned fighter joined her ranks, and stepped beside her. She already knew it was Marlene. Damali studied the vampires, her focus on the one called Raven as it laughed even harder.
"Hello, Mother dearest," Raven said softly. Her tone was lethal and her expression was filled with hatred.
Daughter? Damali's concentration wavered. Pure shock gave way to disbelief as she held onto a thread of hope. No. Impossible. She knew vamps were masters of deceit, but something in Marlene's countenance told her to be still. This wasn't necessarily a lie. She watched Marlene and the entity claiming to be her daughter. There was no rage in Marlene, just bitter resignation. The realization made it hard for her to breathe.
"It's over, Raven," Marlene said flatly, her battle-ax raised.
"Fuck you! Follow what you said, or have infinite power, fame? Are you mad? You sound so pathetic, Marlene! It's on!"
"Then, bring it!" Damali hollered, stepping away from the group and Marlene as Raven hissed, and began circling.
"Gladly," Raven said with a snarl.
"Leave her to me, Damali," Marlene said. Deep, incomprehensible sadness made her command sound almost like a plea. "This is something I should have done years ago."
The guardian team glanced at each other. Damali stared at Marlene for a moment. A shudder went through her as she assessed Marlene. Her focus went back to Raven.
"Tell her, Mother. . ." Raven taunted from the thicket as she walked, bearing fangs, her eyes now glowing, her vampire henchmen snarling behind her. "You've told so many lies that you can't even remember, can you? But I was your first baby girl."
Damali glanced at Marlene when she didn't respond. Tears glistened in the older guardian's eyes as she stared at Raven. The center of Damali's chest hurt for a moment, and it felt as though her lungs were constricting as Marlene's pain became her own.
"Don't listen to her, Marlene," Damali said, still unable to process what she'd just heard and trying to break the trance Marlene was in. "They lie! Screw with your mind, and get things twisted. Shake it, Mar, and let's do this."
She could hear Rider and Big Mike suck in air hard behind her, as though battling for composure.
"Do her for Marlene," Big Mike said in a low murmur from where he stood. "Mar ain't got it in her. Shouldn't have to put down her own daughter."
"That's right," Raven interjected, her statement dissolving into a hiss. "Marlene never had it in her... couldn't take care of either of her girls." Then it laughed as Damali's gaze darted between Raven and Marlene.
Suddenly, Marlene lunged forward, her ax held high. Raven ducked. Marlene missed. Now Marlene was trapped on the wrong side of the line. Raven was between Damali and Marlene, with Marlene only feet away from the vamp henchmen, and the older guardian didn't move.
"Me and you," Damali shouted, trying to get an opening to her separated guardian. "I don't know what you're talking about, but you gotta come through me to get to Marlene!"