Lilith leaned back in her throne and laughed, glimpsing Sebastian's smile. "Oh, Yolando, I can feel the Rivera influence in you so strongly, it's beautiful." When Nuit folded his arms and looked away, Lilith swallowed some of her mirth. "Okay, gentlemen. So. We have an impasse. Nuit, by rights, owns you as your maker, but due to his negligence in fulfill ing his multiple bargains, thus costing you two mates in quick succession.... Hmmm... he can either win you back from me, the one who fed you back to life - and your chairwoman, the holder of all disputed property claims, or he can strike a bargain with you that you agree upon."
"That is my property, Lilith, and you know it!" Nuit was out of his throne, but didn't advance on Yonnie.
"I am so going to enjoy holding you in escrow, Yolando," she murmured, licking her lips.
"Then, what shall it be?" Nuit raged. "We have business to conduct, and he has to make a decision!"
"I don't have to do shit for three nights," Yonnie spat. "You all better get another attorney on this council, which should be real easy since we got a million of 'em down here."
"I believe that is his right," Sebastian said, unsure.
"Shut up!" Nuit yelled, and spun on Sebastian. "You haven't even remained in your throne for twenty-four hours and you presume to know Vampire Council law? When did you acquire such skill, Sebastian? While rolling on the mar ble fornicating with Harpies?" Yonnie made a face. "C'mon, man... that's nasty. How'd you make council, handlin' your business like that?"
"It was the spell!" Sebastian shouted, making Lilith cackle. "And the three of us agreed that whatever happened in the caverns stayed in the caverns while under the spell! Now I see why your own made man has no respect for you, Fallon! That was unnecessary!" Lilith sighed. "Fine. Yolando has three nights to decide what is in his best interest, given his duplicate losses. But his loyalties aren't with Rivera, either, that's clear."
"You got that right," Yonnie said and spat. "I don't know who I'm more done with - him or Nuit."
"Pick a vacant throne, Yolando," Lilith crooned. "We need a man with your New Age thinking and an intimate knowledge of the Guardian team, especially the Neterus, on our council during these turbulent times."
Yonnie studied the choices before him, moving to the throne farthest from Nuit and leaving one open between him and Sebastian. He had to know what just went down. What kind of spell could have had enough topspin on it to invade all the way down through the realms to Level Six, and still have enough juice to have a councilman humping Harpies?
Damn! Oh, yeah, something was crazy-wrong, and the more he thought about it, it definitely sounded like his boy's handiwork. He glanced at Sebastian, wondering as he took his time making a selection. That bitch Lorelei also said something about the dark covens rising, he just wished he'd paid more attention and remembered before the agony of the ultimate call hit him.
"Don't worry, Yolando," Lilith said with a sinister smile. "I know what you're worried about."
Yonnie froze, his gaze slowly going toward a very smug Nuit, as he wondered if somehow they'd seen through his game.
Lilith waved her hand down her gown, causing it to vanish. "Since you're now in my escrow account, when you come up out of the throne ecstasy daze, I'll do the installation honors, not your maker."
* * *
Carlos pushed away from the bar, settled the tab, and stood. He needed to follow his own damned advice, he told himself, but for some reason the hair was standing up on the back of his neck and his legs had propelled him out of the hotel to take a walk. The night air smelled good. No, it smelled fantastic. Wood burning in fireplaces mixed with the surf, the breeze was steady and cool... some things would simply never leave him. They were as much a part of who he was as the Light. But it was all good. He'd learned how to appreciate the past without hankering for it to create chaos in his life. Tonight he was thoroughly appreciating how fine-assed midnight strutted out in rhinestone-studded blue-black, slit up the side with gray clouds, flossing a full moon. Carlos suddenly stopped walking for a moment and toughed. That's what was wrong with Shabazz. "Oh shit!" We laughed harder as he started walking again, shaking his head, and glad the streets of La Jolla rolled up about this time. Yeah, he was talking to himself and crazy. So what? Three-quarters of America looked like him, talking on ear cellular phones that nobody could see.
He slowed his pace as he got to the beach. His laughter had died away blocks ago. There was something so peaceful about watching the surf at night. Something about the enormity of the vast sea of sparkling black surface, and hearing it thunder while the stars reflected off it. The white foam of the breakers was the only thing that interrupted the vast dark carpet. Until daylight came, it was so hard to distinguish where the Ultimate Darkness left off and the Heavens began, and just a sliver of gray horizon lit by a heavenly body was wedged in between ... just like the gray zone - earth.
"I know," a deep and familiar voice said behind him. "Profound, ain't it?" Carlos spun. "Oh, man!" He laughed. "Brother... I been..." Something in Yonnie's eyes made Carlos stop his advance.
"What happened to you, man?" Carlos asked quietly, scanning his friend in earnest.
"You're - "
"Stronger. Yeah. And not the one you want to f**k with right now. I thought you had my back, motherfucker!"
Carlos nodded. The pain had to bleed out, first. "Yeah. You're right. I couldn't get to you and I f**ked up, man." He opened his arms and braced for the black charge. "But you're still my brother."
The black charge blew Carlos back ten feet and he landed on the sand flat on his back, dazed, with his chest smoldering. He rubbed the now very sore spot, glad that Damali's old accidental brand made taking a direct hit, black-chest charge like getting shot while wearing a flak jacket. It took a moment, but soon he was able to roll over on his side with effort and stand on wobbly legs.
"Aw'ight, man," Carlos said, speaking in jags between breaths. "I had that coming. But I need to drop some science on you 'bout what happened."
"I don't wanna hear a f**king thing about what happened!" Yonnie shouted. "I want my wife back!"
Carlos didn't move as a ring of fire ripped open the sand around him.
"Speak! Where's Tara?"
"You gonna have to chill so we can talk about this like men, brother," Carlos said, deflecting another charge and putting out Yonnie's fire ring with a hot silver gaze. "Nuit burned you, not me."
Yonnie began to pace. "I know, but you shoulda told me."