Lilith nodded and looked out to the smoldering battlefield that had previously been intact city streets. "He will weep, as will all the ones from the era of the night, but yet we shall become used to the new order of things. This chaos is temporary . . . the heir brings the promise of perpetual night and with it a level of evil that the world has never known. Humans will shudder in fear, the fumes of it rising with their every breath, and we will feed off that as much as their blood and flesh."
"I will still miss the game. The enchantment of the hunt. This is pure slaughter. Not very sporting, after it has all been said and done."
Lilith clucked her tongue and petted the side of Nuit's face until he closed his eyes. "There, there, yes, I know," she whispered seductively. "I think this is why he's left us the Neterus and some Guardians to still hunt, don't you?"
Their eyes met and an evil smile found its way between them to silently savor, but neither would openly say what was on his or her mind. To even breathe that the Dark Lord had left the Neteru team alive because he'd been bested by the Light was a death sentence.
"I suppose I should rejoin the battle," Nuit said, sensing that his private moment had come to an end as Lilith's hand fell away from his cheek.
"You are aware that our Dark Lord only knows brute force as an extreme measure. For centuries he toyed with the chess games between him and the dreaded Light. And now it has come to this. He is tired, stressed, and has grown impatient for unequivocal victory. My suggestion is that each of you show yourself to be of constant value to the new empire he's creating ... or I don't know how long I will be able to protect any of you. He's on a mission."
"No country for old men?" Nuit said with a sad smile.
The sly half-smile Lilith had been wearing disappeared from her face. "No. Not at all, Fallen."
The moment Damali dipped her necklace into the balmy Bermuda waters, the six precious stones in it lit and the oracle pearl blushed rosy pink and cooed. Small waves lapped Damali's calves and she had to admit the water felt great against her skin.
"Oh . . . Damali . . . that feels so good after all the drama." Pearl giggled.
Damali and Carlos stared at each other.
"She's been hanging around the team too long," he muttered. "Since when does an ancient oracle start talking about . 'drama'?"
"Hi, Carlos," Pearl said in a sexy voice. "I'm so glad you're all right."
"Hey, Pearl, glad you made it, too," Damali said, slightly peeved.
"Oh, yeah, hi, Damali." Pearl laughed in a good-natured tone, totally oblivious to the slight. "Glad to see you, too."
Damali just shook her head as she held the oracle under the water in the shallows.
"So, I hate to rush you, or anything, but we're in--"
"Bermuda," Pearl gushed. "Just off the coast of Atlantis. There's so much white-light power beyond the vortexes."
Carlos shot Damali a look. "Okay, you can say I told you so."
"Told her what?" Pearl asked, her voice curious and playful.
"Uriel said to wait here for word, and our credit cards just got slammed by Homeland Security and the darkside," Damali said, not answering the pearl's question as she launched into the problem at hand. "So, we're trying to figure out a next move. At least what the Divine motivation was for dropping us off here."
"With no money," Carlos interjected, walking onto the damp sand to stand closer to Damali, and not caring that his jeans and Tims got wet.
"Right," Damali said, looking up at Carlos from where she squatted.
Carlos bent down to get a closer look at the small bubbles rising from the submerged necklace.
"Hmmm . . . I'm not sure," Pearl said, giddy from the rush of water that flooded over her.
"The oracle is not sure," Carlos said flatly. He gave Damali a look and then stood up and stretched his back with annoyance. "Perfect."
"Give her a minute, baby," Damali warned, when Pearl's glow dimmed. "You'll hurt her feelings."
"I'm not a machine, you know," Pearl snapped, her tone hurt and defensive. "I need to acclimate myself to the environment, Carlos, and it's not as though anyone had the courtesy to immediately revive me in these crystal-blue Caribbean waters . . . oh, nooo . . . you just left me on a dresser until you wanted something. No one thought that maybe Pearl might need a little sea surf after all the horrible things I saw in those battles with you. Humph!"
"Apologize," Damali whispered. Or we won't get anywhere, she added in a telepathic barb.
Carlos let his breath out hard and then looked at the necklace. "I'm sorry, boo . . . I'm just a little tight. Didn't mean to take it out on you."