"We wanted to be sure we were following orders to the strictest adherence to your whims-I mean wishes, Madam Chairwoman." Sebastian's pale complexion whitened as he looked down and began nervously picking at his cuticles.
Lilith waved her hand dismissively. "Spare me. Lu is in such a buoyant mood right now that torching you three is the last thing on his mind."
"Be that as it may," Nuit pressed on, his gaze holding hers. "I'm sure that you can imagine how unique a visit like his was . . . in council. In past times, such an event was rare and it meant someone's imminent extermination."
"True," Lilith said, giggling and still high. "All right . . . I admit,he is given to excessive violence, so sue the man. But this morning he was very mellow. This could have been a disaster-Yolando."
A droll smile tugged at Nuit's mouth. "You've learned well from your partner in crime Rivera . . . you've gotten a pardon from the source no one can trump. But I haven't forgotten, Yolando. Rest assured."
Yonnie smiled and raised his middle finger to Nuit.
"Are we free to leave, then, is what you're saying?" Sebastian countered, glaring at the quiet power struggle between Nuit and Yonnie.
"I'm telling you to get the hell out of here before Lu possibly strolls back in here and sees you all sipping blood and not on the job." She took up her golden goblet and leaned it beneath one of the star points of the pentagram-shaped table, filling it to the brim with black blood. "Knock 'em dead," she said, raising her goblet and taking a healthy swig from it. "I'm headed to theMiddle East where Lu likes to play-I suggest you boys make nice and wreak plenty of havoc while we're gone."
Nuit blew her a kiss and stood. "My specialty is children at risk,ch�rie . I will make it the best of times and the worst of times." He chuckled when Yonnie stared at him, unable to hide both his alarm and curiosity. But he knew Yonnie could never tip his hand by showing concern in front of Lilith.
Yonnie gave Nuit and Sebastian a curt nod and then turned to address Lilith. "I'm out."
In a grand sweeping gesture, Nuit bowed."Au revoir."
Sebastian stood slowly and looked around Council Chambers and then at Lilith.
"Well?" she snapped, growing annoyed. When he didn't immediately answer, she leaned forward and narrowed her gaze. "I know," she hissed between her teeth, "that you cannot believe you are getting laid this morning?"
"No," Sebastian said, lifting his chin. "I'm talking about rebuilding." He motioned to the two unoccupied thrones. "Full council is six of us, including you as the Chairwoman, yes?"
Lilith brought her goblet to her lips, smiling around its obstruction.
"Then while the other are terrorizing the Neteru team in whatever manner most delights them, permit me to bring you some newly made masters for consideration . . . the best of the covens, Lilith," he said, dropping his voice to a seductive murmur inDananu .
"You caught me at a very auspicious time, Sebastian . . . while I'm high and recently sated by the best of the dark realms. Your request has merit."
"The others didn't think to request it-they are looking at outside conquest . . . spreading themselves and the empire thin without consideration of rebuilding critical infrastructure as quickly as we will soon be growing. I saw this bring Mother Russia to her knees socially and economically, and we cannot afford such a slip in strategic deployment at the end of days."
Lilith set her goblet down with precision, her glowing black eyes never leaving Sebastian. "Keep talking to me like that this morning, and you might get lucky in chambers after all."
A divided mind while on a mission was a dangerous thing, she knew . . . almost as dangerous as splitting the team at a time like this. Damali held Inez's hand as they walked around from behind the manicured hedges onto the front walkway of the property. She just prayed no one saw Big Mike appear like a huge genie. She could hear it now, some poor retiree in the gated community screaming her head off or some little kid trying to make his mother believe thatKazam was actually real.
But the thing that disturbed her the most was Carlos's state of mind. No matter what he'd said, he'd absorbed a hellified negative charge today. His nerves were already rattled going in, after seeing Yonnie walk by day. Then add an attack on Father Pat-too much.Now this?Civilians in the compound. No matter how hard he seemed, she knew Carlos, knew her husband's deepest fears. And it was a scenario like this, where a little kid or an elderly woman might be put in harm's way.
That was the only reason she hadn't argued, truly hadn't said much. Right now he so badly needed someone to be on his side, to see his point of view, but by the same token, regarding this-there was no other choice.
"Yaya, you're too quiet in there for grandma," Delores Filgueiras called out from the kitchen as she cut the crusts off a peanut butter and jelly sandwich. "You hear me? You'd better be behaving yourself-come on down here and wash your hands for lunch."
Fascinated, the child watched the tall man who appeared in the window.
He floated! She giggled when he put one finger to his lips. She looked over her shoulder, somehow knowing that he didn't want Nana to see him. He could put words in her mind that she understood. Sometimes she didn't understand big people, the grown-ups, but him she understood. He wanted her to open the window and say it was okay for him to come in. She never had a secret friend before. Nana was careful about friends.
"Can you open the window for me, sweetie, so we can be friends?"
He made her giggle again, sending tickles across her belly.
"Okay."
She had to climb up on her doll chair to reach the thing Nana turned and it was hard. But she was a big girl.
"I do it myself," she said with triumph, happy when the hard thing turned.