"Everyone OK?" Morpheus could see his companions were present and alive, but that wasn't the same. The fact that the Djinn were in beastly forms meant they felt a need to intimidate, if hiding weren't an option.

"Cold." River crawled beneath the shirt Morpheus had formed.

From the way it shivered against his leg, the rat had felt it, too.

"We were in the Void too long." Morpheus took a breath of tunnel air and sighed. Next to no time had passed here, as the uptown train was still rumbling away from them. Evidently next to no time was time enough for adverse effects. "We need to get off the tracks."

Morpheus pushed away from the slumbering wolf and started to drag it towards the west platform, but loosed his grip as the rat clawed at his leg.

Hepburn, still in camel form, paced quickly along the tracks, halted, and raised a forelimb to kick the rat.

And the rat dispersed.

Morpheus froze a moment, realizing the implication. His wings spread reflexively, but no invisible attack came. So, he returned to his task and heaved the wolf over the rail.

Hepburn's white camel form dispersed into the dim tunnel.

Morpheus finally dragged the wolf into the lee of the west platform. He crouched there looking out into the subway tunnel.

Loren stood on the nearby downtown track, appearing to track movement along the tunnel supports. Loren stotted into the air like a gazelle and landed again on four legs.

"Does Hepburn need help? I can handle the wolf."

Loren dispersed but quickly condensed again into the familiar form of Sophia, costumed in that disco pink outfit Julien had wished to see. "Djinn matter."

Morpheus nodded. Obvious now the rat was one of the Djinn, though he hadn't noticed such a presence earlier. He could feel the movement of Djinn and caught occasional wavers across his vision. "If you need me."

Loren made a sharp nod, back to Morpheus, as if guarding him.

A moment later Hepburn materialized on the tracks, in a similar kitschy harem outfit, although in green with a high-waisted skirt. Hepburn picked up the somewhat abused fashion magazine and then dashed to the west platform.

A waver came to a stop over the downtown track and then briefly taking the translucent form of a boy in a fez, continued to assume the form of a red-haired woman in a purple and green costume.

Morpheus didn't know if he should speak, yet, it had been a long while since he'd had to deal with other Djinn.

Hepburn and Loren shifted into the forms of Audrey and Sophia in stylish mid-century coats and leopard print pillbox hats.

That third one shifted in turn, but Morpheus didn't recognize the form. Definitely not a fashionable lady in a comical caper, but like a contemporary law enforcement agent trying to look intimidating by not looking too pretty.

Morpheus shook his head.

"Seriously? Silence of the Lambs? Anybody?"

"That's—" Morpheus teetered and nearly fell back against the slumbering wolf. "That's a movie?"

"Frickin Oscar winning. And a book."

"Like Dracula."

The agent shifted into Professor Van Helsing in a drab jumpsuit like a prisoner or a mechanic might wear.

Maybe they were finding common ground to communicate if the same actor had been in both movies.

Loren shifted to Mina in black velvet. "So kind to me, Doctor."

Hepburn then bowed and offered the magazine she'd stolen from Julien's room with both hands.

The Djinn's fingers seemed to touch as the magazine passed from one to the other.

Morpheus put his hand over his pocket where he kept a small mirror. If this didn't go well, he'd have to scry after all. While the Djinn worked things out, Joy was still drowsy in a Vampyre lair.

Their street rat shifted again from the actor to the supermodel on the magazine cover. Linda if Morpheus wasn't mistaken; one of the Big ones, like Blade, who appeared in every kind of media.

Linda Evangelista as a cabbie or mechanic, stranded motorist or sleepy passenger, boyish and pretty, edgy and couture, with bold chain jewelry.

"This speaks to me," said Evangelista.

"Kinda does something for me," Morpheus whispered. Honestly. He was surprised.

Hepburn glanced down at him, but then turned to sign to Evangelista. Julien, the one with a flower on his wrist, was lover to their companion — Hepburn gestured to Morpheus — and had arrived here with Siouxsie Sioux eyes, a Goth.

Evangelista's hands rose and showed palms. "Yous guys are even more recent arrivals than the ones you're lookin' for. Yous can't just come demanding, we got no pact. And I can't read signs."

"Not a foot or tongue of clay," Loren said, shifting again to the vampire-slaying cheerleader outfit.

"Not so 'politically correct', Comrade," Evangelista spoke in some accent, using quote fingers.

"Logocrat." Loren pouted at Hepburn over Eva's shoulder.

"Seriously, most of my grandparents wouldn't call Humans 'altiyn'."

Hepburn moved between them, with back to Morpheus, to make the next gestures private.

Morpheus averted his eyes, but some part of it was revealed as Eva sounded out the received message. "Shapes­—us genies—al Jinn­­—speak­—no? No mouth, no ear. OK. Yes. All." Eva nodded. "I understand, but my family back to my grandparents spoke Arabic or English at home. I always thought 'one who knows your tongue' meant spoken...or...."

Hepburn's posture was that of laughter, but then when gliding back and straightening, Hepburn briefly showed a tongue between parted lips.

"Euphemism?" Loren generated a tongue of flame in the palm of one hand.

Eva's expression went vacant, maybe puzzled, but then Eva's head shook. "Train."

Morpheus braced himself under the platform as the downtown train approached with the rush of air, hiss and roar. The Djinn dispersed, but the warmth of them was still about him.

The train rushed past the abandoned platforms of the ghost station behind the transiscopes, car after car, rattling sooty dust from below the tracks. The noise must have woken River, as he climbed up to his usual shoulder perch. Morpheus sensed a similar shift in consciousness from the wolf, but flicked a wingtip to put the animal back to sleep.

When the train had passed, the Djinn assumed visible forms again. Hepburn appearing as Audrey in a cheerleading uniform with leggings, Loren in a similar Slayer costume, and Evangelista as the supermodel taxi driver.

"Yous gonna tell me what's up? I see the Vampire Slayer thing yous two got going on, but this is my place, OK? I got a good thing here and I don't take orders from any spooky kids. I lost siblings in the Satanic Panic, understand?"

Morpheus shook his head.

"People thinking Satanic cults and devil worship are everywhere," River explained. "Can make it difficult to distinguish real cults or abuse."

"Oh. I guess it might also inspire amateurs to mimic reported rituals or make pacts with demons?"

"Humans don't have a monopoly on believing what they see on TV."

"Sorry about your family."

"Is what it is. What's your interest in the Vampyres?"

"It's the newest one."

Evangelista's dark blow waves shifted to Julien's blond.

"The girl he's with," River corrected.

Morpheus smiled tightly. "I know you don't have to help, but we need eyes in there, so can you tell us how you went unnoticed until my Djinn arrived?"

Evangelista gestured towards the wolf. "Troy there ain't Wolfbreed, he's real wolf on Vampyre blood. Can't see the Hidden, but can smell a recent shift. He's got some level bond with his master." Eva took on the appearance of the tall, dark Vampyre and struck a pose as if Shade were trying to look handsome. "And this one has The Sight."

"The other Vampyres don't sense presence?"

"They sense each other...mostly."

"So avoid Shade's eyes and Troy's nose?"

"For you. They're used to my rat form. There's also the Devi who visit."

"They won't likely be around just now." Morpheus looked up, towards the east platform, though he couldn't see through the slats of the transiscope. "How many Vampyres are in that...family? I can sense six from here."

"That's all of them."

"Some of them might sense me now," Morpheus said, looking to River on his shoulder and then Loren and Hepburn. "We're nearly back where we started. I can't get too close without notice and you can't mimic their presence which makes disguise pointless. I need you to creep again."

⁂

Later, Morpheus sat on the rooftop above Mother's Williamsburg flat waiting to hear just how much trouble they might be in. River was fidgeting on his shoulder and Hepburn was visible in a headscarf and large sunglasses.

The access hatch rose slowly with a creak and then quickly sprung the rest of the way and clanged heavily against its surround. Mother moved up onto the roof where the collection of mismatched and makeshift furnishings showed residents used the space, though probably in milder seasons.

Morpheus looked up as Mother approached; her expression seemed puzzled.

"Did she say something? How is she?"

"I—" Mother started. Her appearance as usual was glamor, but she appeared to take a seat before continuing. "Morpheus." It didn't sound as friendly when she used his full name like that. "I think you should tell me first what you think happened."

"Know happened."

"Know. Sigh. Murph, something unknown has happened, 'cause I don't believe you or Joy would lie to me, but the way she's acting and the way you came here acting do not match up."

"How—?"

"I don't know. Do you want to just show me?" She looked right at him.

Morpheus blinked slowly. "I'll tell you. I'm not sure where to start."

"It has something to do with Julien being a Vampyre?"

"Yeah." Morpheus knew she'd seen him.

"Did he hurt her?"

"Yes. But that might have been consensual."

Mother's expression changed, eyes downcast, softer. It was glamor, but her image showed how her soul felt. The expected follow-up didn't come. Instead she said, "He didn't look well, I mean, even for a Vampyre. He knows."

Morpheus nodded.

"How did they end up together? Was it...Blade?"

Morpheus paused to think about it. He hadn't questioned the coincidence of it before, but now he had doubt. "Indirectly it was definitely Blade. Joy was painting a jacket for her, after they met on Halloween. But, I don't know if It was more. I don't know, because I lost track of her Friday morning. I mean." He swallowed. "I wasn't watching her."

Mother nodded.

"I have no excuse. I just thought—I did send the Djinn to check. I got distracted by Splendor and Pam. It was my fault, and—"

"Splendor Splendor?"

"Yeah. Xe was the one who told me Julien was dead."

"How did...?" Mother trailed off.

Morpheus answered anyway, "Splendor and I have been friends for a while now and Xe knows how I feel about Julien. And Xe was there when Psyche said whatever made Julien want to kill himself which!" Morpheus sucked in a breath. "Made Athen give him the blood, I guess. But none of this is important now! Joy can't be OK."

"It is important, to me, if Psyche drove a soul into my domain and handled it without me. Her duty hasn't passed to me."

Morpheus scrubbed his hands through his hair. "I'm sorry. I should have called you right away. I just—Splendor was telling me in confidence it seemed, but that's my assumption. And I didn't call you. I—I revealed who I am to Pam and then I heard that the jackets were gone. And I didn't call you then."

Mother moved towards Morpheus. She took his hands in hers such that he could feel her presence and the pressure of the air she manipulated. "I don't judge you. Even if it becomes my place, I couldn't make a judgement against you."

"Mom."

"You were hurting. Julien was hurting. You knew Joy might be taking the jacket to Blade."

"But I got there after. They'd been there and left. But I used the sight. I saw Julien: bloody, shivering, drawn into himself. And Joy came. And it did seem she let him bite her, but I didn't hear the words. No one else stopped them."

"Well, they're Vampyres." Mother removed her hands and sat down on the rooftop.

Morpheus nodded. "Even Splendor says Athen is terrible to most Humans."

Mother nodded.

"They left with him, I found them in the underground, in one of those abandoned stations. I couldn't get in without revealing myself, and the Djinn offered. But we got delayed by Troy, that's their wolf guardian. And," Morpheus hesitated a moment. "We found another of the Djinn there who helped us. But..." Morpheus winced remembering it.

"Athen is terrible to Humans?"

"We­—" Morpheus glanced to his sides, to check with River and Hepburn. "I wasn't physically there, but we interfered. And we're decided." He gestured quickly between himself and the two nearby companions. "We agree that interfering the way we did was the best we could do at the time in the circumstance, but it didn't take away what had already been done." Morpheus sighed. "I've tried that before. One can't go back in time to change a thing they know just happened."

"You didn't do anything to Joy?"

"No. But to stop it from being more, worse, we...we violated Julien in ways we shouldn't. We made him see, and, I'll have to beg his forgiveness in the future. But I don't know what else we should have done in the moment. What do we do when there are only least worst options?"

"You do your best." Mother smiled tightly.

"And it still doesn't seem good. This feels like a mess."

"Yeah, but, not how you might think." Mother's face screwed up. "Don't know if you've realized. Hate to say it, but things like this have probably happened to Joy before."

Morpheus shook his head, but even then, he caught onto what Mother was hinting, what he should have realized but hadn't allowed himself. "Just not to this Joy."

Mother nodded.

"I don't know much more than you. I know Joy isn't, like, conscious of her nature. But we have to accept that she is a being of Dream. She's like a Human, but she has some instincts and tendencies that make her suited to serving others."

"But she's a person, she gets to consent."

Mother made that tight smile.

"Except we don't ask her when we just assign her a new life every decade. Athen's only the latest."

"'Fraid so."

"She lives all these lives, a woman who can only remember a family that doesn't exist, just alone in the world? Why?"

"I don't know, but now we're involved. I must teach her my summons. She apparently teaches Steven. We give her the bottle. And then, I don't think she can change after that."

"So, we already broke the cycle."

"Yeah. And I still don't know what that does to her or people around her."

"What can we do for her now?"

Mother's brows rose and she made a slow reverse nod. "She doesn't remember."

"What?"

"I told you, her reaction does not match what you know happened. She's not hiding it. There's a gap. She was happy, Murph. She introduced Julien. He looked terrified of us; got out of here fast as he could. But Joy was happy. She just outright tells Elle and I she's met Vampyres and how they're real, and there was not a hint anything bad had happened. And I looked at her."

"Was it trauma?" River asked.

"I can't say right now," Mother said, including them both in her gaze. "Psyche would know, but we can't exactly rely on her at the moment. Are you sure none of you did it?"

"I don't have mind powers."

Morpheus glanced to River on his shoulder. "He doesn't. River and I do have a low-level link because I made his body, but it just lets me locate him. I try not to read anyone's thoughts without some permission or need. Casting dreams doesn't remove anything. I only had the most passive contact with Joy, enough to sense where she was and her state of consciousness."

Mother's eyes shifted to Hepburn.

Morpheus already knew how Hepburn would answer, but Hepburn did sign a reply in Mother's direction.

"Can you translate?"

Morpheus looked to Hepburn first and saw assent. "Hepburn had contact with Julien." He relaxed his left hand and touched his fingertips to his right forearm. "This means Julien."

Mother made a slow nod.

"Hepburn saw—sensed Joy, Djinn senses are not specifically like our seeing or hearing, but did not have contact like with Julien." Hepburn had actually signed "enter the vessel", but Morpheus wasn't sure he should tell Mother that.

Hepburn shifted form to Holly Golightly knitting.

"What are we saying here?" River asked. "Joy really doesn't know what Athen did? What if she's around him again?"

"Maybe one of them did it," Mother said, her tone almost questioning. "Vampyres. To spare or deceive?"

"It's not possibly part of how she is, like the different lifetimes?"

Mother shrugged a shoulder. "I don't know, but I don't think so. She totally knows she was in an underground lair, then there's a small fire, and then: 'Julien was so sweet to escort me. He didn't want me to be alone, in case I was weak from blood loss.' She fully means to see him again."

"It wasn't that small a fire," Morpheus said. He almost asked what Joy could see in Julien.

"She mentioned it like a small distant thing. Was that how you interfered?"

"What?" It hadn't even occurred to him Mother would think that. "No. Loren was with me when we heard the Vampyres shouting." He didn't say that Loren had been in the awkward position of keeping him from going in there.

Mother glanced up at Hepburn. "Sorry. I don't know the Djinn as well. Where are the others?"

"Loren wanted time in a bottle and our new friend didn't come with us."

"We should cover that song."

Morpheus couldn't help but break out in laughter. "I shouldn't."

"No. It's good." Mother looked to River and up at Hepburn. "He looks good when he laughs, doesn't he?"

River just nudged Morpheus with his tail, but Hepburn shifted so that Holly's hair was in a towel.

"Sorry. I got guitar and...tongue?" Mother was trying to read Hepburn's signs.

Hepburn stooped and clarified in combination of signs and gestures.

"Yeah, it's better sometimes if I don't interpret. There's a lot of personal and layered meaning that gets lost. It's like when you write lyrics."

"Mother! Laughter. Yes. Music would be his mother tongue." Mother lifted a hand to the base of her throat mimicking the sign.

"My mother," Morpheus said, "Someone else's mother could be:" He positioned his hands over different parts of his face and head as he signed.

"Oh" Mother drew out the word. "How would 'father' be?"

Hepburn questioned Morpheus.

He shifted his flesh to appear as his father including the winged crown, but omitting the wings. He then did his best would-not-wake-a-soul voice, "And he sounds like he's lulling you to sleep."

Mother smiled wide at the impression. "He has a very calming presence."

Hepburn gestured facial hair.

Morpheus shook his head. "Not when I see him." He shifted back to his root form.

Lip pouting and brows raised Hepburn then fanned a hand at the side of the head, as if showing a wing.

"Father," Morpheus said, making the sign aside his head.

"I'm going to have to report to mine," Mother said then.

"OK."

"He has ways of watching, but I know he expects it."

"Like father like daughter."

Mother smiled. "I realize these last couple days have been bad. Elle and I will see to Joy, but right now, honestly, she seems to have little memory of Athen and is totally focused on fabulous and awesome Julien is."

Morpheus attempted a smile. "He's kinda a cool person. I know you don't see it yet."

"We'll see. For now though, if you need a break...."

"No, but, I do need to look for a new place to live." He continued before Mother could question, "Things are still good with Pam, but it's just better if we live apart and stay friends."

"Oh." She sounded sorry.

"It's fine. So, you'll tell Jibril everything?"

"Anything else I should tell him?"

"No."

"It's unclear how Joy lost her memory and how­—"

"Except," Morpheus added, "It must have happened during or after the fire. She looked troubled. I didn't go in, but at that point, I did scry on them. Joy looked hurt when Julien led her away."

"You did it because it seemed necessary."

Morpheus nodded. "And, Jibril probably knows, but I also cast one dream into Julien's mind to suggest he see Joy to a safe place."

"Yeah, thanks for leading a Vampyre to my house."

Morpheus grimaced. As Shade and Blade had met Mother on Halloween and Julien had now encountered her as a Vampyre, it seemed likely they might realize she wasn't Human. It was possible Athen or Shade had noticed Tyron wasn't as Human as he looked. Now, Joy made them all a degree closer.

⁂

Morpheus saw Pam as he approached the café on Bleeker, gloved hands holding closed the collar of his faux fur. He gave a start when Morpheus called his name.

"It's you." Pam sighed. "You changed your look."

"Yeah. Were you waiting outside?"

Pam smiled, but it didn't match the way his eyes looked aside. "Just got here, but I had this feeling someone was on my tail."

Not waiting; checking reflections. Morpheus didn't notice anyone looking toward them at the moment, but there was something. Like a pull not quite there, yet in a specific direction.

He shivered. "Let's go inside."

They found a table along one wall. Pam took a seat on the banquette and set the shopping bag he'd been carrying beside him.

Morpheus took the chair opposite. He reached inside the blue raincoat he'd formed to offer River a hand.

"We expect someone else?"

Morpheus set River on the table. "Yeah. Later. I thought it would be OK for us to talk first. Haven't seen you since the storm."

Pam smiled; his eyes crinkled. "It's been a minute. You look good."

Morpheus shrugged. "A manager at my hotel was wavering a bit on whether they had longer term rooms available, but then I saw some other residents and decided to glam it up a bit."

"So you got the place? Union Square?"

"Gramercy. It was no problem when I went back."

"Your face is your brand. I got another offer to host."

A waiter approached and they ordered coffee to start.

"Things are good with you, though?" Pam picked up his menu.

"Still doing street team for Robert's Pill. Volunteering a bit. It's getting cold, not as much traffic, and those who are out don't want to stand around."

"This time of year you can make it in shopping areas, but there's competition and you have to know the carols. January and February are a bitch. You should start asking around about gigs. Open mike, whatever, to get noticed for paid work."

Morpheus nodded as the waiter returned with their coffee and asked if they wanted anything to eat. They ordered burgers and fries.

"I've seen flyers around, so you're getting some work."

"I'm living with Cary."

It took a moment to process the announcement. "Your artist is Cary Merisi."

"Yeah. I was going to tell you, earlier. I wondered if you'd guessed. But, you can't tell anyone."

"OK?"

"We're cool, me and him," Pam said, his gaze direct, "Really. I told you, he's going through some stuff, and he needs privacy. But I'm getting noticed more, which is good. That's my career. I can be in the public eye. But I can't have my need to keep working risk his need to live in peace."

"Sounds like you care."

Pam grinned. "I always cared. I said I wasn't going to rush, and I didn't, but, it has been a few weeks."

"Time enough to decide."

"I really like him." There was a faint rosiness to Pam's tan skin, like the winter air had returned, but it hadn't. "It's not just my terrible need to take care of someone."

"You know about that?" Morpheus laughed.

Pam's head bobbled ever so slightly.

"It's a beautiful flaw. I trust you won't let too many people use it against you."

"I've learned." Pam straightened a bit, leaning away from the banquette cushion. "I brought you something."

"Like a present?"

Pam lifted the graphic shopping bag — House of Field — above the table. "It's not from Patty's."

"It's the intention that's important." Morpheus took the bag. Then he looked inside.

"I hope it's OK."

"It's scary beautiful," Morpheus whispered as he peeled the edges of the bag down the frame of the sepia-tone portrait. "I'm afraid to look at it."

"That over-the-shoulder glance is very."

Morpheus touched his fingers to his mouth. When he looked at the drawing he could almost see the tattooed orchids and gold torc, but they weren't there. There was a sexy, Human man warm with midtone artists' crayons.

"Cary was glad for you to have it."

"They were together, weren't they?"

"Yeah." Pam nodded. "It must have been several years ago, before Cary dropped out. He mentions it sometimes. Usually as part of a rant."

"I see."

"Oh, he's not mad at 'sweet and giving' Jules. It's the people who came out of the woodwork claiming to know his sister, offering him all kinds of opportunities."

"Take advantage of him?"

"Probably. Cary couldn't handle them, just got himself sucked in. But Athen."

"A Vampyre might keep lesser predators at bay." Morpheus carefully drew the shopping bag back over the portrait. "It's good Cary has you. Now."

"It is," Pam said firmly. "I don't expect anyone to forget an ex, just remember who's with them now."

The waiter arrived with a tray and asked who had ordered the veggie burger.

"Here." Morpheus lifted his right hand. He removed the bun from the patty once the plate was set before him, so River might share.

River wiped his front feet on a napkin before breaking off his share of the burger.

Morpheus looked up and saw Pam watching them, french fry poised before his lips.

"I have something for you, though it's not a present." Morpheus reached into a pocket then offered the shimmering blue-black rounded triangle to Pam in his fingertips.

"It's a pretty pick." Their fingers touched as Pam took it.

"I made it. If you think of me when you hold it, I'll know."

It was faint, but already there: a spiritual tug in Pam's direction. "Or I could just call your hotel."

"Yeah. That works, too." Morpheus laughed.

"I'll keep it safe, Murph." The pull lessened when Pam put the pick in his coat pocket. Morpheus could still sense it existed but the sense of connection was gone and the sense of direction was all the more slight.

It reminded him of that something they'd felt as Morpheus arrived at the café. Maya had the feather, but she was in the Night Regions. Splendor had the pager and should soon be arriving. River was here.

Morpheus looked to the front windows and into the street. The other three corners of this intersection of Bleeker were also eateries or cafés of some sort. Splendor's pale yellow hair was visible near the window hung with musical instruments and xe wasn't alone.

Maybe he had only sensed Splendor?

The door opened not a minute later and Absinthe entered, followed by Splendor and then Laudanum.

"Splendor brought friends?"

"My family."

Absinthe looked dressed to dance on a refrigerator box with matchy-matchy studded green leather accessories and Laudanum was like a cowboy in an herbal tea ad wearing a duster over satin pajamas, but Morpheus stood and greeted them both with open arms.

They found seats at the table, Absinthe sliding onto the banquette and Laudanum sitting beside Morpheus. Splendor, who appeared to be wearing a yachting outfit this time, pulled a chair from the next table to sit between Morpheus and Pam.

"Sorry we're late," Splendor said, "We focused on the wrong coordinates somehow."

"It's fine. You remember each other?"

"Bartender, right?" Pam asked.

"Bartender, street dancer, muse to rebellious artists everywhere."

"Absinthe's a cousin or an aunt." Morpheus waved the topic away. "Laudy here is my brother."

"I help people sleep."

The waiter stepped to their table to ask if the new arrivals wished to order. Splendor ordered a cappuccino, Laudy a decaf latte, and Absinthe tea.

"Then you have another job, too, Splendor? You're not only a chauffeur?" Pam asked.

Splendor tipped xir head. "I encourage others to follow their bliss."

Pam looked about to speak, but only nodded.

"You remind me of my father."

"I do?"

"He favors leopard skins."

Pam touched the front of his coat. "It's faux."

[Still WIP]

⁂

[Temporary Author's Note: This chapter is still WIP. I got the new material written for the scenes above, but now I still need to greatly edit/rewrite this previously-existing scene below. I need to incorporate that Morpheus now lives at Hotel Seventeen, on what basis Evangelista has agreed to work with them, that Pam is present for some part of the meeting, and possibly how some characters know what Julien has been doing. There's also the information Splendor is still intended to reveal about what xe's learned about xir parent's motivations and possibly what happened to Psyche.  ]

Splendor lamented over a large cappuccino. Morpheus and Laudanum listened quietly; Absinthe was draped across the table top twining the daisies from the vase into a wreath. People were staring from the other tables; it seemed to be all the colorful hair.

"I feel pulled in so many directions," said Splendor, "I wonder if this is the way real Angels feel just before they split, or fall." Xe looked up and took Morpheus' hand from the table. "And how terrible for you, to know that it's my father's arrows directly that have made Athen desire Julien...it must offer little consolation to know Tristopher had no choice but to inspire Julien to truly love the Vampyre."

This was news to Morpheus. He held Splendor's hand tightly, stared at the frightened Halfangel. "And which of those in The Palace crashes the plane?"

Splendor's violet eyes grew large and bright. "Absidus. How else was she to fix things?"

"Julien and I suffering years and years of pain - just fallout - because Eros was jealous Psyche preferred Athen?"

Splendor nodded.

Morpheus dropped its hand, when Absinthe sat up and touched his arm. "Be at peace," she whispered. "Laudy, tell him to calm down."

Morpheus shook his head. "I'm fine, Laudy," he said quietly, knowing it was within his bother's abilities to induce calm. "Splendor?"

"Yes?"

Morpheus sighed as he was distracted by the view out the window. The other three corners of this intersection had cafes at then as well, Julien was walking past the one hung with musical instruments, a pale, thin, fine-boned human man under his arm.

Morpheus knew Julien was a Vampyre, it didn't seem too bad a thing to feed Julien. It didn't seem any worse than feeding his flowers or Djinn. Yet, it made him feel sick and sad knowing Julien would lead that pretty boy away to some secluded place and bleed his life away. He didn't do it on purpose, but Morpheus had a good idea that Julien was choosing victims who were not only in beauty but desperation the reflection of himself. "Opium will feel bad when she realizes...."

Laudanum nodded. "Some of those boys want to die as badly as Julien ever did, at least Death will be happy about it."

"Splendor, is Eros as mad as Psyche?" Morpheus asked.

Splendor looked into its cappuccino and licked its lips. "Well, haven't you heard the story about Psyche leaving him for the Vampyre? He hates Athen. And he thinks Julien very strange; he was trying to curse Athen with loving the strangest person he could find."

"I've know the story," said Absinthe, "Athen won Psyche in a contest...or something nearly that."

Morpheus frowned and looked up. "Ya know, Laudy, I bet Opium knows the way Julien kills, too, even without the mirrors; she's got to stay close to Joy, and Joy's always with Julien now. She won't let me come see her shows anymore because they are always so close."

"I've been in their home, with Absidus," said Splendor, "that girl, Joy, she is becoming dependent on Julien's blood."

"Definitely," Laudanum said.

Absinthe was turning a matchbook that had a picture of a cat on it about in one hand, making it dance over the backs of her fingers. "Who's gonna get the check?" she asked.

"I've got a credit card," said Splendor.

Morpheus laughed. "You have?"

"I've got a driver's license too, my name is DeGrassi. Athen got them for me."

"And do you have to pay the bank that backs the card?" Laudanum asked at a whisper.

"Athen goes and changes the numbers in their computer."

"I think computers are nice," said Absinthe, "but they are still using their technology to build machines that manipulate their environment, instead of doing all the manipulating by thought."

"Yeah, they go through the trouble of building machines all networked together so they can communicate with each other when all the time, they are already connected, and they just...don't listen," Laudanum said.

Splendor took out xir credit card and turned it over so that it caught the light.

"That's a pretty one!" Absinthe said.

"A platinum card," Morpheus said.

It was very pretty, with lots of colorful holograms on it, and even a picture of Splendor in the corner.

"If you had a lot of those cards you could make something pretty out of them!" Absinthe said.

And then Morpheus got excited and explained that he had seen pictures in fashion magazines of such outfits, minidresses made of Coca-Cola cans and the like, haute couture collections often showed off such pieces. Laudanum and Absinthe laughed with each other, and supposed Morpheus' sudden interest in fashion magazines was related to the fact Julien was a Fashion Design major.

"He's going to be the most famous fashion designer on the planet!" Morpheus said, "Just wait."

Splendor paid for their coffee, and then they walked out onto the street together. They argued affectionately over which part of the city they liked walking in best. At this time of night, The West Village was certainly appealing, dark streets, spots of bright light, lots of small bars and cafes, stores open late, narrow dark streets that formed a maze as they intersected in so many acute angles. "Pink neon is pretty," Absinthe said, "we should have more of that back home."

"We could ask them to copy this whole neighborhood and put it in Los Angeles next to Hollywood," Laudanum said.

"And call it West Hollywood, Laudy?" Morpheus laughed, "You may as well go to the Humans' LA and take their West Hollywood."

"No," said Laudanum, "The Night Regions already looks too much like California, if you ask me it was Raziel's influence. He designed most of it himself, and he'd spent way too much time over there with his Aztecs and Olmecs and what have you."

Morpheus nodded. "Never thought of it that way...the Amber Palace is Greek..."

"Our whole Region is," Splendor said.

A small figure darted across the street, lit for just a second but Morpheus was sure they hadn't been Human. He ignored it and looked up at Splendor.

"But if you look at the most important central parts of the land, Nightfall and Los Angeles, they look American."

"I haven't been to Los Angeles much at all," Morpheus said. He felt Absinthe hold him back by the arm.

"The City of Angeles is full of really huge stone buildings, of really huge stones, pyramids, towers, large open squares, friezes and painted murals everywhere. And it's all laid out in a circle."

"Sounds Egyptian...almost," Morpheus said. "What's wrong?"

"I think someone's watching us," Absinthe whispered.

"Let's just keep walking," Splendor said.

They moved on down the street, avoiding the pools of light.

"Anyway," said Laudanum, "You should go to Los Angeles more often."

There was a series of bright flashes in the dark, then after images, and the sound of breathing.

"Oh no, someone's taken our pictures," Splendor said.

"This is too weird," Morpheus said, "Let's get inside. Let's go to the hotel."

"I'm leaving!" Splendor said and faded from sight.

Absinthe began walking quickly pulling the other two along by a hand each.

"These Humans are really getting out of control now!" She said.

"And there are so many of them," said Laudanum. "We can't go anywhere and not run into them."

Absinthe nodded sharply. "I almost don't blame the Angels for making The Land and moving away from here, but they should have taken all the Halfangels, not just some."

---

Video media top: "Possession" by Sarah McLachlan

Image media mid-chapter: The Nightmare by Henry Fuseli, 1781; painting is in the public domain