"Oh, now it getstruly interesting," Lilith said as she walked away from the dark vision mist within the pentagram-shaped table. The fanged crest immediately closed down over it as she coolly regarded the flaming pike that had careened through the vaulted ceiling, disturbing screeching bats, to lodge in Sebastian's throne.
Billowing smoke and the stench of burning vampire flesh filled Vampire Council Chambers, causing the Harpies that hunkered near the hem of Lilith's gown to squeal in discontent. Gray-green little gargoyle bodies fought with one another to hide under tables and behind thrones, agitated at the intrusion, while transporter bats began to take diving swipes at crackling skin, hoping to snag a tasty morsel.
"Away, you little thieves," Lilith admonished, going up to Sebastian. "Sad but true, he is still a councilman and you may not feed on his remains-even though he does look like a spitted barbecue pig."
She dispassionately watched Sebastian scrabble at his throat with blackened, skeletal fingers, and then slow amusement made her chuckle until she outright belly laughed the moment she realized what had happened.
"Oh, this is priceless!" she screeched, walking in a circle. "Elizabeth is truly a woman after my own heart. I didn't know that royal bitch had it in her!" Pressing her hand to her stomach, Lilith howled and then finally blew Sebastian's flames out. She clucked her tongue in amusement. "No . . . not a barbecued suckling. I was wrong. You look more like a roasted marshmallow . . . all gooey and icky and sticky . . . and, ugh-crusty."
She shook her head and walked around him. "The females are always the best at exacting revenge, we are so much more creative than you, darling. This is what I was after. I needed them to rise to the occasion . . . to stretch and grow into their full fury." Lilith tapped a tapered finger against her lips and sighed. "I so hope Lucrezia deals with Fallon andputs his arrogant ass in its place. Then we will have true balance of power on this council."
Sweeping away with a flourish she collected a goblet of blood to sip while she studied Sebastian, trying to decide what to do. "So . . . Vlad is back.Interesting. You accidentally allowed Elizabeth to get ambushed and to burn, thus screwing her; for the favor, she had her husband shove a pike up your ass and then let you burn . . . exquisite. Ahhhh . . . balance. And were we not so resource-bound, I'd leave you here for at least a hundred years, but I cannot afford to let a decent necromancer get exterminated all due to a domestic dispute. How fortunate for you . . . but maybe not, since Vlad will now take Yonnie's vacant throne at council."
Lilith chuckled when Sebastian's body twitched in protest and she waved her goblet under Sebastian's nose with a shrug, teasing him mercilessly. "How can I not invite him when he's sent me such a powerful request-and I take it that Liz is probably installing him now? Council sessions should be delightful going forward. And weall must be at his coronation."
She leaned in and flicked a serpent tongue into Sebastian's vacant eye sockets, tasting where his eyeballs had liquefied from the heat and had run down his cheeks."Definitely leaning toward marshmallow." The moment the gore touched the back of her palate, Lilith shrieked and began laughing all over again.
"You stupid bastard-you actually allowed Vlad to suck the daylight out of you, too!"
Owa beamed as Sister Sylvia came up the stairs with a large aluminum pan filled with savory stir-fry vegetables, followed by several team members bringing in warm breads, brown rice, jerk-style seitan, vegan pasta dishes, salads, succulent fruits, fresh squeezed juices, raw honey-sweetened homemade lemonade, and an array of all natural ingredient desserts.
Even though the Neteru team tried to assist, they were met with jovial protests from the hospitable Detroit squad. Long meeting tables had been pushed together in the general-purpose room and covered with brightly hued African tie-dyed cloths, and meeting-room chairs were added to create banquet seating. A huge potted fern with wide, low fronds temporarily graced the center of the table, and Owa gave explicit instructions to the Detroit crew about making sure all the food to be blessed was on the table before they began. This included any utensils, paper or otherwise, that were to be used. Damali and Carlos nodded with Marlene and Shabazz, taking note that they might have unwittingly misjudged the due diligence of their hosts.
Lifting a large drinking gourd filled with water, Owa smiled and looked around the table. "We ask the ancestors for permission to proceed." She poured a healthy splash of water on the plant and uttered "Ashe" with Marlene, enjoining the standing group to do likewise after each recited line. "We ask the Most High and all the angels in Heaven to bless this family while on their mission. We ask for their continued protection, and the protection of any children they have or bear . . . for their elders and loved ones outside the circle of their compound . . . for their travel mercy and deliverance . . . may their Light be ever bright. Bless them, this food, this offering,their lives. Keep them whole and sustained through the darkest of time till there is light."
"Ashe" rumbled through the spacious hall. Bodies began to truly relax. Tension gave way to fatigue as breaths that had been held slowly released. By the time Owa finished her ministrations and the plant had been removed from the table to make more room for the food, the Neteru team looked like they were ready to fall down if they didn't sit down.
"Warriors . . . friends . . . family, please let us tend to you for now." She waved a gracious hand before the table like a queen mother and bade everyone to sit. "I know you think you all gotta be on guard because we just some old revolutionaries." She winked at Damali and Carlos, causing them to blanch and Marlene to chuckle. "But we gonna show you how we do up here in Detroit."
"Folks are still at work," Sister Sylvia said as the curious Neteru team began taking seats. "See . . . this here place is the fallback position . . . can't have a lot of firepower that human workers can find.But our folks who work up in them plants . . . whooo-wee, y'all. They coming before itgets dark."
Owa laughed as the team's gazes shot from one to another. "No, we ain't been up here singing 'Kumbiyah' all these years-but I ain't mad at ya . . . just meansour disguises worked."
"Oh, Miss Owa," Damali said, covering her face with her hands. "We meant no disrespect-just didn't want anything to ruin your lovely space here or to get anybody hurt."
Owa laughed in good nature and hoisted a layer of her African robes to reveal a handheld Uzi and a cell phone. "I don't know what you said to your husband, but the youngbucks was thinking all sortsa mess that was so easy to pick up." She shook her head and clucked her tongue, then ruffled Bobby's hair. "Young wizard, I'ma haftalearn you how tobe cool ."
With that, the team broke out into pure laughter. Plates got passed, dishes dug into with huge spoons and suddenly all formality fled. However, no matter what they said, they couldn't get Owa to sit. She'd eat a little,then hop up with Sylvia, constantly orchestrating the utmost of hospitality. Soon, her cell phone began to sound and a big smile crossed her face.
"They here.They got a key," she said, glancing at her watch. Hurrying to the steps she waved the incoming team up to the multipurpose room and then turned to address the long banquet tables with pride. "Desebe my people!"
A pretty-faced, athletically built Guardian with a short Afro and the deepest set of dimples one ever could encounter beamed a perfect white smile as she came to the top of the steps. Coca butter and inner light gave her flawless walnut-hued skin extra luminance as she moved past the window. Carrying a sidearm and a Glock in a shoulder holster and wearing just a simple T-shirt and a pair of boot-cut jeans, everything about her solid frame said no-nonsense.
"Yo, family," the first Guardian said. "My name's Alicia, but my tights call me Trouble. You met my sister in New York up at Monsta Burgers-Adrienne-we call her Mo' Trouble."
"Hey!" Damali instantly replied, jumping up with Carlos. "Fought with your sister on the roof, she covered me with a handheld.Tall sister with awesome braids?"
"Yeah," Alicia said, laughing, and pounded Damali's fist. "That'd be her."
"Girl, gimme some love!" Damali laughed and opened her arms. "We bled together, so we family now." She hugged Alicia warmly and passed her off to Carlos. "My other half-I know your sister told you about my version of trouble."
Alicia gave Carlos a quick warrior's embrace. "You know she did. I'm glad she told me about the silver eyes and fangs-or I'd hot this brother in a heartbeat in a firefight."
"Don't shoot. It's all family," Carlos said, laughing.
"You bestbe telling my folks about any special issues y'all got," Owa said, chuckling nervously. "They're a little trigger-happy-this is Detroit."
"I got the fangs, too, ma," Yonnie said, waving at Alicia from where he sat at the long table. "My boogot wings-plus, our grand master shogun," he added, wolfing down corn bread and pointing toward Shabazz, "he goes panther in a smooth shape-shift. The rest are general regulation seers, tactical squad, audio-that's Big Mike. But, yeah, we got some family that got a little extra somethin' somethin'."