"Okay, we're about to meet with an angel, people!" Tori said as she pulled her rented car into Yomiel's driveway in Byron Heights. "Yomiel may be the sweetest angel I've ever known, but she's still an angel. In other words, she's fucking crackling with holy power. She's a senior servant of God."
"Is God th' same bein' as Faither Day?" asked Fiona. "Matriarch Clíodhna said that Faither Day is th' equal 'n' opposite o' Mither Nicht."
"First of all 'Matriarch Clíodhna' is actually named Drusilla von Wisborg," said Tori. "Second, that's pretty much correct. I'm actually pretty fucking surprised that old Drusilla told you the truth."
"Father Day has many names," Erzulie nodded, fingering one of her dreadlocks. "God, Jehovah, Yahweh, Allah, the Entirely Merciful, the Lord, the Heavenly Father, Adonai, HaShem, Elohim, El-Shaddai, Brahman, Ishvara, Ahura Mazda, Ra, Zeus, Jupiter, Odin, Tengri, Olorun, Gitchi Manitou, the Most High, King of Kings, Lord of Lords, Lord of Hosts, and the Ancient of Days. These are just a few of Father Day's better-known names."
"Vampires worship Mother Night, right?" asked Megan. "Does that mean that Father Day is my enemy if He's the opposite of Mother Night?"
"It isn't that simple," Erzulie chuckled. "Father Day is Mother Night's opposite, but he isn't entirely Her enemy. They are sometimes rivals, but both understand the importance of the other to a healthy cosmos... deep down, anyway."
"Very, very deep down," Tori said darkly. "They may not be out to destroy each other, but they're still polar opposites. Mother Night is all about nature, mystery, and femininity, and Father Day rules over civilization, illumination, and masculinity. You're kinda the antithesis of Yomiel, Megan. Her mere presence will give you a headache."
"Really?" Megan asked nervously.
"Just be fucking grateful that she isn't a goddamn archangel," said Tori, running a hand through her messy blonde hair as she spoke. "Those guys have an aura of radiance so powerful that it fucking burns vamps like you. Also, don't swear in front of Yomiel; she doesn't like that."
"Make's me glad ah'm human again," muttered Fiona.
"Don't scare them like that, Tori," Erzulie frowned. "Yomiel may be an angel, but she's a sweetheart. She doesn't even judge me for being a witch. Hell, she doesn't judge Tori for nicknaming her Twinkles, of all things!"
"Hey, she likes it!" Tori protested as she got out of the car. "Don't judge me!"
Tori led the little group to the front door and rang the doorbell. The door was answered by a radiantly beautiful blonde girl with peculiar golden eyes. She smiled softly at Tori. "Hi, Tori. It's good to see you again."
"Same here, Twinkles," Tori chuckled. "Y'know, you still look like a freaking angel even in your human disguise. Hey, where's Mandy?"
"She's shopping for wedding dresses," Yomiel smiled starrily. "I can't believe that I'm finally engaged to her!" Yomiel noticed the women standing behind Tori. "I see you've brought friends."
"That's right," Tori smiled, gesturing behind herself. "Meet my team, Twinkles. You already know Erzulie, of course. The redhead's Fiona MacGorrie. She's a Scottish girl who was forced into a rogue vampire clan. No worries, Erzulie cured her with witchcraft. The brunette vampire's Megan Swanson. We picked her up on the same job where we saved Fiona. She was an American tourist who got sucked into the rogue clan's rituals. We'd have cured her like Fiona, but Megan really wanted to stay a leech... errm... a vampire." Tori threw an apologetic look back at Megan.
"A rogue clan in Scotland, you say?" said Yomiel, her eyes glowing with concern.
"It was a splinter branch of the scattered Clan von Wisborg from Austria, Twinkles," answered Tori. "They were led by Drusilla von Wisborg. You may remember her as Count Tiberius von Wisborg's old seer. Don't worry, she's dead now."
"It's a pity it had to come to that," Yomiel sighed, a single pearly tear falling down her cheek, "but I suppose the world is safer that way. Well, now that we've properly met, come on in and we can discuss Beck Hamilton's apparent werebeast transformation. Please, follow me." Tori and her friends followed Yomiel into the house.