CHAPTER THREE
The call had gone out, one that lifted heads and stopped the daylight gorging. Within the time span of a vapor whirl, every councilman, including the Chairwoman, was prostrate on the black marble Vampire Council floor. Only Lilith dared to lift her head as the slow, ominous echo of footfalls reverberated off the marble. She cringed.
All the signs of a painful session were there; she knew him that well. The hard clatter against the floor could only be hooves. His topside visit must not have gone as planned. Clearly her husband was in a very foul mood. The silence that surrounded them was deafening.
Bats scurried to safety and hid among the high crags in the endless ceiling above the Vampire Council table. The large transport funnel cloud of the vicious little beasts that always hovered in the vaulted ceiling awaiting commands was gone. Messenger demons and bulking Council Chamber guards were conspicuously absent. Lilith watched it all in her mind as her forehead rested on the warm marble.
As her husband passed theSeaofPerpetual Agony , even the tortured souls stopped moaning and screaming. Yes, he had that effect on anything in his wake. Twisted pride filled her, and despite her terror a smile graced her face. Fear battled with arousal, but she was never a foolish woman.
Before he could even think to reach for the doors, the fanged, golden knockers drew themselves inside the doors, trying desperately to disappear. The doors flung themselves open on their own accord and this seemed to amuse him, regardless of his mood. A low chuckle preceded his entrance, but Lilith knew better than to misread his mirth as a pass. Thrones shuddered behind her, almost coming out of their onyx marblemoorings, and the fanged crest in the center of the pentagram-shaped table screeched like an owl before burying itself into the table's interior.
"Rise," a low, even voice commanded. "I have no need of fawning sycophants with so much work to be done."
Sebastian checked with Fallon Nuit and Yonnie as each councilman warily stood, before looking at Lilith for cues to her husband's mood.
"Top of the morning to you, gentlemen."The Unnamed adjusted his white shirt cuffs beneath his jacket and loosened his tie.
The vampires before him just stared at him.
"Oh, come now. Surely one of you has the balls to say good morning?" He shook his head. "Fallon, you're the eldest, did you not enjoy the dawn this morning . . .or should I rescind the gift?"
"Yes, Your Eminence," Fallon croaked, going down on one knee and lowering his gaze. "I was rendered speechless by the power of your presence and the immeasurable debt of your gift."
The Devil laughed and shook his head. "That is such a punk bitch answer, but quite acceptable coming from you. You're welcome.Stand." He walked along the assembled row of councilmen and then gave his wife a dashing smile. "This morning while you were reveling in the sun and dining, I was walking to and fro. I found this marvelous little cathedral to stop into inLos AngelesCounty ." His smile remained easy, his tone casual as Sebastian genuflected. "Yes, I do broken houses of worship, gentlemen. Those are the best sites for stand-up comedy. Nonetheless, it was strictlybusiness this time. It was all about breaking a Neteru."
"You got Rivera?" Nuit breathed out, despite his fear.
"In due time," the Devil chuckled. "I have his heart and conscience through the demise of one old man."
"The priest," Lilith breathed out. "Oh . . . Lu . . ."
"I just had to get him on broken ground," her husband said, straightening his lapels. "Now that I have done the hard part, I trust that you all can keep the pressure on that Neteru team until I safely position my heir?"
"Done," Lilith said, her narrowed gaze raking her councilmen. "We will keep their focus on putting out small fires everywhere, we will fracture them,we will have them chasing their tails and never the wiser of where your heir will surface."
"Good," he replied. "Because right now in this little test run I did, their Neteru Councils are united. This is precisely why I went topside to test for myself. I went after the father-seer, and Rivera showed up-and the moment an imminent threat to his mortality from me was detected from On High, they sent in their A-squad, along with the female Neteru."
"Adam showed up?" Lilith stepped back, aghast.
"With Hannibal, Nzinga, and Eve, as well as Adam's son, Seth."
Lilith began to pace with her hand over her heart. "Lu . . . you could have been maimed."
He waved her away. "Ach-it was nothing. But I needed to draw their fire to see just how tapped into our movements they are . . . and trust me when I say, they are very, very strong at this juncture. Too strong to be hunting my heir, who is still inchrysalis. Therefore, your mission is to wear them down, fatigue them, break their spirits, and keep their spiritual forces of Light protecting the Neteru team-while I move my heir apparent safely around the globe, positioning him to step into his full inheritance."
"It will be our pleasure to serve your desires," Lilith murmured, her eyes burning black.
He nodded, seeming distracted. "Excellent. I need not tell you how failure will be viewed. We are too close, at this juncture, for me to be disappointed."
"You will not be disappointed," she whispered, watching fire burn behind his black, bar-shaped irises.
"Yolando, where do they live-this Neteru team?"The Unnamed One had spoken without turning his searing gaze on Yonnie. A second of silence too long caused fangs to fill his mouth, as the beast tilted his head and addressed Yonnie again in a deeper tone. "Am I speaking a foreign language?"
"I don't know," Yonnie said in a strangled voice, holding his throat. Power choked the words from his mouth, and the Ultimate Darkness hadn't even moved.
"Now, you know they say the Devil is a liar . . . so don't you think I can spot a lie a mile off?"
"I used to know," Yonnie said,struggling as his feet began to lift off the floor. "But I tried to breach the compound this morning and they silver-burned the location out of my head and barred me from crossing the threshold!"
"You did what?" Lilith screeched and flew at Yonnie with claws extended, her black gown billowing behind her. "You tipped our hand; you have jeopardized everything!" She raked his face, opening up five deep gashes that ran the length of his cheek.
"Patience, my dear," her husband crooned. "I'm curious.
"Why were you there?" the Unnamed One murmured, staring at Yonnie until he began to holler, holding the sides of his skull. "I will go through every one of your synapses until your gray matter is jelly-thus we can do this the easy way or the hard way . . . as always, it is your choice."
"While they were partying, eating, and drinking," Yonnie gasped, "I went to meet with Rivera on the beach-to freak him out, to get inside his head and ultimately inside the compound."
The pressure eased as a sly smile tugged at one side of the Devil's mouth. "Admirable. You used your time well, I see." He inhaled deeply. "I can smell the male Neteru's signature all over you-a hug . . . nice.Brotherly. He still considers you a friend, which means he hasn't completely departed from his old heritage with us.Very nicely done." He chuckled and shook his head. "And you also may very well have contributed to them sending the A-squad of the Neteru Council when I taunted the old priest. Now that they know of the existence of daywalkers, they may be edgy," he added with a murmur."Frightened and prone to excesses of retaliation . . . which will lead to the breakage of the black horse seal."
Lilith backed away from Yonnie, claws retracted, but there was still a glimmer of distrust in her eyes.
"Who owns this councilman? Who turned him?"
"I did," Fallon Nuit admitted cautiously. "He owes me."
"But I have his soul in escrow, due to a little dispute between councilmen that is boring," Lilith interjected, glaring at Fallon.
Sebastian lowered his gaze, trying to remain as inconspicuous as possible as Yonnie fell to the floor.
"Release that trivial debt tohis own recognizance for now. We cannot have any dissension in the ranks at this juncture." The Unnamed One glowered at Yonnie and then smiled. "Fair exchange is no robbery, Yolando . . . but if you screw me, you are well aware that I will return the favor in spades."
"Hold your fire!" Marlene shouted, and then sent her vision of the incoming Neteru squad to the other seers in the house.
Inez, Heather, and Juanita picked up the image before Marlene had jettisoned it, creating a quick mental handoff process that caused the full team to lower arms.
The team met Damali, Carlos, and Father Pat in the family room. They stared at the badly disheveled cleric and then Carlos's ripped and bloodied clothing as Damali and Carlos lowered the elderly man to rest on the sofa. Healers in the group immediately rushed forward. Berkfield almost bumped into Marlene as he dropped to his knees to touch Father Patrick's pulse points.
"God in heaven," Berkfield whispered as he looked at the very thin, very frail man who had once owned a robust, vibrant frame. He took up one knobby hand within his and brought it to his chest.
"What happened?" Marleneasked, eyes wide as she stroked long, white hair away from the father's forehead.
"The Unnamed entered a cathedral inLos Angeles ," Damali said quietly as Carlos sought a window for refuge. "Carlos tried to battle the beast, but . . ." Her words trailed off as she shook her head. "The Neterus came and white light protected us and did what they could for Father Pat . . . the rest will take time."
"You went up against Lucifer alone, dude?" Rider wiped his palms down his face and leaned against the wall with a thud. "Remind me to just shut the fuck up if I ever have issues with you."
"Word," Jose said, his gaze going between Carlos and the dozing cleric. "But the question is, areyou all right, man?"
When Carlos didn't answer, all eyes went to Damali. She simply nodded and drew a shaky breath.
"We need to get Father Pat among his fellow clerics-folks that can devote twenty-four-seven vigil around him. His body is healed but his mind . . ."
Damali looked at Carlos's back slowly expanding and contracting, and she briefly closed her eyes as she heard him swallow hard.
"The Beast gang-banged his mind," Carlos said in a thick, angry tone. "Every offense of the Catholicchurch throughout history-the very thing Father took issue with-is eating his brain from the inside out. He can see it, feel it,smell it . . . just like I can. We're linked, and he was my father-seer. Only difference is, I been to hell and lived there a while, so the shit is ugly but ain't bugging me out. Although some of the scenes from the Inquisition ain'tno joke."
"Baby . . ." Damali started across the room and then stopped as Carlos held up one hand without looking at her.
He turned slowly, his eyes closed, lids fluttering. "I'm siphoning it to me, wrapping that shit up in silver, and sending it back to that sonofabitch on a hot wire. That, I'm sure he didn't bank on . . . that I'd been through enough shit on my own to step between his assault and Father P. Father don't have to take the brunt of this, not ever."
Before anyone could protest, Carlosspun around, pointed toward the window, and a white energy jolt left him in a pulse that rattled the house.
"Fuck you!' Carlos yelled, blowing out the windows on the south side of the house. He whirled on the team as Father Patrick opened his eyes. "They would have turned that man into a vegetable! Not having it!"
"Okay, we need to get this man into the custody of Imam Asula, Rabbi Zeitloff, and Monk Lin, stat." Damali rushed over to Father Patrick and took up his hand from Berkfield. "Father, can you understand me? Can you travel?"
Father Patrick nodded, tears streaming down his face, his lips moving with no sound coming out. A thin line of drool ran down the corner of his mouth, and Damali quickly wiped it away and kissed his forehead before Carlos saw his mentor's true condition.
"I'm on it," J.L. said, flipping down a comm board that was encased within the walnut paneling beneath the wall-mounted flat-screen TV. His fingers became a blur as Carlos's incessant pacing left a trail of blue-white flames that scorched the rug.
"Patching through to safe houses 336, 255, and 156.Hello,Brooklyn , you there? Come in,Chicago . San Fran, you there?"
"Shalom.Asalamu alaikum.Namaste."
Three windows opened on the large flat-screen monitor, each with a member of the Covenant within it. J.L. blotted the perspiration from his brow. "We've got a situation urgent.A Covenant seer down.Primary breach of a cathedral. The man took a black charge. One of our Nets is drawing mental poison-Net Council did the body healing. They got Father P."
"Tell them we might need a really high-level exorcism," Rider said, his eyes holding a battling combination of empathy and worry. "Not even Marlene can go in there behind that."
"Patrick," Rabbi Zeitloff yelled into the receiver. "My friend andbrother, do not allow the liar to take root in your mind. We will call upon the Archangel Raphael, as in the Book of Tobit, where he is one of the seven spirits before the Throne of God. His name means God Heals, do not forget this!No matter what you were shown."
"We rebuke Asmodeus, the destroyer. Allah will have no mercy upon he who attacks His own."
"My friend," Monk Lin said quietly, so calmly that his voice was like tranquil, flowing water. "I honor in you the divine that still exists . . . that I honor within myself and I know we are one. You are not alone in this."
"Asula," Father Patrick gasped, "I saw what we did, what terrible, terrible things we did!"
Berkfield restrained the elderly man and helped him to lie back when he tried to fight to stand. "Easy, easy there, Father. Listen to yourfriends, they are telling the truth-you-know-who lied."
"That's just it-it wasn't lies!" Father Patrick shrieked.
"It was truth," Imam Asula bellowed, his voice seeming to calm the upset priest. "But it was not the Almighty. No matter what house of worship, these evil deeds were the misdirected deeds of sick and twisted men. Even as we speak my own faith is splintered in factions that have killed and smote each other in the so-called name of righteousness. This shames me also, but it is not of the truth. It is of the Ultimate Liar. You must see past the horrors and know that these abominations done by man, in the name of your sanctuary, were not of heaven . . . they are not of the All. And, yet, even with these horrors, there are still men and women of good that have moved mountains and helped many."
"Bring him toBrooklyn ," Rabbi Zeitloff said with a husky, tear-constricted voice. "Patrick, don't you worry. In Revelations 9:16, does it not say there are two hundred million angels at the ready? If it's war, then we need you in that number-but alive, fighting those rat bastards to the very end. So you keep remembering that."
"Yeah," Carlos said, "Brooklynit is. I like how you're rolling, Rabbi. That's whatI'm talking about."
"The brothers will envision you in the purity of the center of the Lotus, and we shall hold you there in constant, unrelenting meditation," Monk Lin said, his voice tight with emotion.
Father Patrick closed his eyes and nodded, too overwhelmed to speak.
"I wanna send some encapsulated messages to the Guardian teams worldwide," J.L. said, his fingers becoming a blur on the keyboard again. "I need a white-light burst."
"Psalm 91," Father Patrick said weakly. "As my brethren . . ."
"Consider it done," Imam Asula said and he bowed his head in unison with the others displayed on the monitor, and before long they began the solemn prayer in a monotone chant.
"Send it," Rabbi Zeitloff said.
J.L. nodded and pushedSEND . The tension in the room made the static over the system microphone crackle. The three clerics looked up at once, having received J.L.'s transmission that day-walkers were afoot.
"Bring that man toBrooklyn !" Rabbi Zeitloff shouted into the mic. "We have something for them here that they will not soon forget!"
"Done," Carlos said, walking back toward the window. "End transmission, brother. We're out."
J.L. nodded. There was no reason for him to repeat the command; the clerics heard it, and each signed off with a silent prayer. J.L. could feel each one literally coat his skin with a low, buzzing blue charge of protection.
"Point of order," Big Mike said, drawing Carlos's attention. "If we've got a daywalker problem, and the real McCoy is strolling topside-y'all can go toBrooklyn , I'm heading south with 'Nez like I told her to go get the baby and her momma."
"Right now they're inAtlanta , D," Inez said, looking away from Carlos, whose expression hadn't softened to her plight. "When the flooding hitTexas , the Covenant sent them there to higher ground-remember, girl?"
"I feel you," Carlos said in a sullen tone, "but here's my issue. Right now, they are flying under radar. The Ultimate Darkness doesn't know where they are, and just like he can't see where we are, due to the white-light barriers in full effect, they can't see Ayana and your momma. We go splitting the team up, thenthere's four of you at risk, not to mention it weakens the hub here." He shook his head."Too dangerous, y'all."
"They went intoa church, Carlos," Inez said between her teeth, pointing at Father Patrick. "They got toa priest ."
Carlos rubbed his palms down his face. "They breached a parish and a specific cathedral that had issues. That's how they were able to attack a seasoned veteran . . . so if they did that to him, you've gotta know, 'Nez, that my stomach is twisted up just thinking what they can do to a three-year-old and your mother-I don't want them anywhere near this compound.Comprende? Your baby girl and momma are probably in the safest place, with Covenant members who don't have the issues that cathedral did, so their haven can't be breached."
The team's focus followed the slowly escalating debate like it was a tennis match, but no one was ready to jump in. Each member held the line, standing firmly in the neutral zone, agreeing with both sides, not sure who was right or wrong.
"I want you to listen to me, Carlos," Inez said, her hands finding her meaty hips."Youcomprende this, brother. You said the word 'probably.' Ain'tno such fucking word acceptable when it comes to my kid-or my mother. Second thing you said which is giving me the hives, you said you don't want to think what they could do to a three-year-old or my momma. You, brother, who done been to hell and back telling me some shit like that means I'm out this gotdanged door right now, you clear. I don't care if all three councilmen show up inAtlanta , they will get they asses beat the fuck down."
Mike shrugged and pushed off the wall, then flipped open his cell phone. "I'll see y'all inNew York ." He turned to Inez. "You pack whatchu gonna take, I'll get the flight . . . calling for a Covenant lift outta here so's I can bring my shit."
"Oh, Jesus H. Christ!"Carlos yelled. "All right, all right, look . . . if we do a fold-away toAtlanta , full team, then what happens when we get to your momma's, 'Nez?" He began walking and talking with his hands. "I've got a sick Covenant cleric who needs immediate evac. That means, once inAtlanta , I'd have to fold-away your momma and Ayana with us toBrooklyn -because once they're out of the safe house seals, they're targets. They've gotta get with the supernatural real quick, might be in a firefight up inBrooklyn , and gotta be able to hang. I don't want that shit on my conscience-got enough that'll keep me up at night till I'm a very old man."
"What if you dropped us off?" Big Mike said, aiming for an obvious compromise. "We get there, roll up on mom like everything's cool-you know, take a Hummer fully loaded with ammo. Collect her and the baby and drive on up toNew York . . . we'll be there to protect 'em, and can break the news to them real easy on the way. The baby's too young to know, so she ain'tno problem."
"Mike, listen toyourself , man," Carlos said with his arms outstretched. "How long a drive is it fromAtlanta toNew York , barring traffic and any drama you might run into on the road? What . . . twelve, fourteen hours . . . longer 'cause you're with a little kid and an elderly passenger that has to stop and eat and pee? We can anoint the Hummer, bro, but what about that eighteen-wheeler they send to crush you in a multicar pileup? What about the bridge they make collapse? How many ways can they kill a Guardian with a baby on board in twelve to fourteen hours, huh!"
"What if I go with them?" Damali said quietly. "Each squad would have a Neteru with them, baby."
Carlos paced away from her, dragging his fingers through his hair. "You were there in the church, right? You saw who's up to bat-or is it just me that has a healthy respect for this particular adversary?"
"I know how to do the fold-away now," Damali said, undaunted. Her voice was serene, just like her gaze. "Ayana knows Auntie Damali. So does Mom Delores. If they see me coming through the door with Mike and 'Nez, for them, it's all good."
"And after you get them, then what, D?" Carlos whirled on her, his eyes blazing silver. "What're you gonna do, show them your wings!"
"Yeah . . . if it gets crazy," Damali said. She didn't blink and didn't stutter and slowly folded her arms over her chest. "I hear you loud and clear, I know your concern is for their safety-but this is a woman type of thing. . . . Carlos, Inez is going to go get her baby; right, wrong, no matter if it's strategic or not. And, if they see some heat in a battle, I'd rather that baby confuse me with an angel and feel like that's what helped her momma, step-dad, and nana . . . than to have you bust in there with silver eyes and fangs. The poor woman would faint dead away."
"D's got a point, Carlos," Juanita said, pushing off the love seat she'd been leaning on. "I know for a fact that, if they saw Damali's wings come out, they'd be in awe, not in fear, and would be able to hear anything she gotta say after that. But,hombre, for real,for real -if you battle bulk and drop fang to fight something off, by the time you got back to the innocents you was supposed to rescue, they'd be dead of a damned heart attack . . . sheeit, I know my momma would. An angel, hell yeah, she could deal with that. But the grille you got when you pissed off, Carlos, no way."
"Aw'ight, fine. I don't know what I'm talking about. But what about the drive, the-"
"I'll sit them down," Damali said softly. "I'll explain things in degrees, and since Inez's momma is a praying woman, I'll break it down straight from Scripture . . . then I'll do the fold-away, Hummer and all, to the Big Apple. It will be a miracle."
"And once inNew York , outside the seal . . . and when they see the rest of the team?Marj, how'd you handle it in Heathrow airport, huh?"
"I thought I was having a nervous breakdown," Marj said quietly, but folded her arms in defiance. "I cried, I screamed, I freaked out-but my children and husband were with me. And if they had not been, I would have stabbed Richard to death to get to my babies if he thought he was going to keep me from them once I'd learned what was really out there . . . the stuff of nightmares."
Berkfield shrugged. "Give it up, Carlos.Me and Marj been taking bets on how long Inez would last without her kid, anyway. Far as I can see it, she beat the odds making it this long."
Inez walked over to Berkfield and slapped him five."My point, exactly."
Rider held up his hands in front of his chest. "Don't look at me-I don't have kids, and me and Tara are definitely out of range for that to be a possibility. We'reSwitzerland on the subject."
"No . . ."Tara said evenly. "We are notSwitzerland or neutral." She released a long, emotion-filled breath. "I was robbed of my chance-dead before twenty. If I had a child and I knew vampires walked by day, as well as something so much worse, that child would be on my hip.Period, end of story."
"My bad," Rider said with a shrug. "I was just trying to see it from Rivera's angle . . . a baby in the compound, as well as a civilian changes things dramatically-but, hey, I go with the flow. Y'all gonna make me take up smoking again, though, I swear."
"Anybody else got a problem with it?" Inez said, pecking her neck.
"Not at all," Heather said, stepping close to Inez and then out of the blue, she hugged her. "You're blessed. We'll all share her, okay? Can I be Auntie Heather?"
Inez's gaze held Heather's shimmering gaze for a moment."Sure, girl."
"Oh, for the love ofpete ," Rider muttered and walked to stand by Carlos.
"We'll need to give her momma a full tour of the house so she knows what alarms not to trip, and I'm gonna have to work on baby-proofing the artillery room . . . that would be tragic," J. L. said as he stood up and began walking the perimeter of the room. "Need door latches, or maybe retina scans to open certain doors . . . not sure, gotta redesign the whole house . . . I'll be on it."
"It's worth it," Krissy said, nodding toward Inez. "We can make this work." She looked away. "We need to address this subject anyway."
"Why?" J.L. said, jerking his attention toward her, panic in his eyes.
"Because it's gonna come up again," Juanita said flatly.
"Could happen to any one of us," Jasmine said, her gaze going to Inez. "We'll all help take care of her. I know what it is to grow up without my mom. She shouldn't have to."
J.L.'s shoulders dropped by two inches as Dan got up from the ottoman he'd been sitting on and began to pace. Jose simply stared at Juanita without blinking. Bobby stood and rubbed his palms down his face.
"Uh, yeah," Bobby said. "We need a contingency plan."
"Lawd have mercy." Marlene closed her eyes and allowed her head to drop back.
"All right.I guess human nature is what it is, last days or not," Shabazz said in a philosophical tone. "So we do Brooklyn and connect with theHarlem team up 'round 131st while D goes with Inez and Mike to handle their business."
The silver jolt hit the back of his skull like a sledgehammer, and, enraged, his talons extended to catch the offending orb. The throbbing, hot mass made his palm sizzle as he stared at it with a slit gaze. But soon, awareness washed over him in small increments. A wry smile tugged at one side of his mouth as he summoned his wife.
"Lilith-lookwhat that boy sent us," he said, throwing his head back and laughing.
The moment she materialized he held out the silver orb, amused as she hissed and recoiled from it.
"I forgot, you prefer gold, but youmust share this with me. He sent me back my visions from the priest's mind . . . all wrapped in silver."
"I can't," she stammered, backing away from him. "Have I displeased you, already . . . the day is not even over, my Greatness."
"No, no, no, you misunderstand my intentions. This has been a glorious day."
He sighed and held the smoldering orb away from his body and made a fist to shield Lilith from it. Soon it cooled, dried, and crumbled to a fine powder, and he allowed it to sift from his palm slowly onto the end table by his massive, black marble bed. With a toothy grin he sat down, produced two golden straws, and separated the powder into narrow, white lines.
"All of the iniquity of one of the largest churches on the planet . . . since the Crusades, including the Spanish Inquisition and up to the latest American scandals." He winked at her and licked his bottom lip. "Want a hit?"
"Oh, Lu," she murmured, coming to him and kissing his shoulders as he bent and did a line. She accepted a straw and flicked her tongue over his powdered nostril. "You really are in rare form today, aren't you?"
