she’s had pretty much everything in Hell in her bed at some point or another. The earth is a playground to her.”
Eve looked at Hank, who tossed up his hands in a clueless gesture. “Ishamel’s right. Lilith wants everything.”
“My mother.” Fred said, lingering at the edge of the circle of light that hung over the table, “is motivated by boredom. She does things for odd reasons and oftentimes for no reason at all. I gave up trying to figure her out.”
“All right.” Eve stood and yawned. “Thank you both for your help.”
Ishamel stood along with her. Hank remained seated.
“You’re determined to jump the gun and set this off tomorrow?” the occultist asked.
“I’m just setting the stage.” Her smile was grim. “Whether the show starts or not.. . We’ll have to wait and see.”
“Don’t get yourself killed. I want to see you again”
Eve gave him a mock salute.
“Good luck”, Fred said.
“Thanks. We’re going to need it.”
CHAPTER 20
It was a little past seven in the morning when Eve left her bedroom and moved down the hallway to the living room. She checked on Montevista, usually the first one awake while on watch, but presently the last one still sleeping. Sydney sat at the kitchen island in a pale blue bathrobe and red slippers reading the newspaper report of the Lamborghini wreck.
“Coffee?” Eve asked, as she opened the freezer to grab the beans.
“Sure.” The Mark smiled. “I love how normal you are.”
Eve snorted. “This is normal? Shoot me now.”
Sydney abandoned the newspaper. “When I was first marked, I didn’t know how to take it. It seemed like such a huge responsibility to be a warrior for God. And everything was so different. I used to love coffee. I drank it all day. But I gave it up, thinking there was no point anymore since I couldn’t feel the buzz from the caffeine. Because I changed so many things about my life, I felt like a stranger in my own skin for a long time.”
Knowing that feeling all too well, Eve nodded.
“Look on the bright side, that dedication makes you a much better Mark than I am. I want to be you when I grow up.”
Sydney slid off the stool and moved to the cupboard. She grabbed three mugs. “I’m hoping to be more like you.”
“Bad with a sword and accident prone?”
“Shut up. Killing things is just part of the job, not all of it. I actually think your agnosticism gives you an advantage. You don’t take anything at face value, so you see things the rest of us don’t. Since I met you, I’ve been trying to reconnect with the things that used to define me. I bought bookshelves last weekend and an outrageously expensive coffee station the week before that. Sounds like nothing, I know—”
“No, I get it. You’re building a future instead of living day to day. And you’re letting yourself have fun with your life. Good for you.”
“Thanks.” Sydney set the mugs on the counter. “I’m much happier now that you’ve rubbed off on me.”
Eve bumped shoulders with her. “Here’s to hoping some of your kick-ass qualities rub off on me.”
There was a beat of silence as Eve poured the beans into the grinder, then Sydney whispered, “I guess the new me is more attractive, too. I’ve been working with Diego a long time and he’s never paid any attention to me as a woman. In fact, he once said I wasn’t his type.”
“I’d say that’s changed.”
“You noticed it, too?” Sydney’s eyes had a sparkle that warmed Eve’s heart. She liked both Marks, and wanted them to be happy.
“Totally. He’s got it bad.” Eve decided it was as good a time as any to broach a sensitive topic. “Hey, do me a favor. Keep an especially close eye on him. I think he’s too proud to admit that he’s not up to full speed yet.”
“Already on it.”
“Of course you would be. You rock.”
Pressing on the lid of the grinder, Eve turned the beans into fresh grounds. When she let go and the racket died down, Montevista was clearly heard stirring on the couch.
“Time to get up, sleepyhead,” Sydney called out, moving toward the living room. “We have to clear the residents out of the building.”
Eve turned the coffeepot on and washed her hands. Part of the plan she’d passed on to Montevista included informing all the condo residents of a suspected (and fictitious) gas leak. The Marks who’d been running guard duty around the perimeter were gearing up to pose