Lamashtu awkwardly poured herself a coffee and added some bloodbloom nectar as Enoch left the room with Rachel. She and Maisy listened to the raging brimstone storm outside as the winds and chunks of fiery sulfur hail mingled with the pained screams of the damned laborers in the streets. For a long time, neither demon said anything.
"So..." Lamashtu said at last, nervously playing with the donkey ears and antlers growing from her otherwise leonine head. "You've certainly been having a busy few days." Lamashtu cringed at her own opening. It sounded insipid, almost like small-talk. Oh well, it would be serviceable if it got the two of them talking.
"I have," Maisy said stiffly. "So... how's Hecate been doing?"
"Perfectly fine," Lamashtu shrugged. "She's getting nearly as proficient in witchcraft as her dad. She's Baphomet's daughter, that's for sure."
"And how are the kids?" Maisy asked.
"Pazuzu's being obnoxiously rebellious as usual," Lamashtu scoffed. "Raising a teenage son can be pure torture sometimes. He actually hangs out with angels his own age on Earth, faking alien abductions! He's also fond of interfering with my attempts to collect new slave-wives."
"Can't say I blame the boy," Maisy grumbled.
"I think he gets jealous when he sees me with women other than Hecate," Lamashtu remarked. "He's too young and foolish to see that his mom is the only one who actually matters to me. The others are just lovely trophies."
"Lovely attitude," Maisy said, rolling her eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'm happy for Hecate that you aren't tiring of her. It just sounds like it sucks to be one of your concubines." Maisy forced herself out of negativity. "So, how are your other kids doing?"
"Tammuz was just elected to the senate," Lamashtu said with a proud grin. "He was elected on a platform of improving the agricultural infrastructure in the countryside. Marduk's rising through the ranks in the army. He was just promoted to brigadier general. Ereshkigal and Medea are up on Earth touching base with the human witch-cults that Mom and Baphomet run together. Empusa's doing well in school; she's a bright girl. Marzanna wants to grow up to be a great witch just like her mom and grandpa. And Trivia's busy being a baby, of course."
"Rachel would probably find that name hilarious," Maisy smiled.
"I don't see why," Lamashtu frowned, slightly offended. "It's a perfectly good Latin name meaning 'triple way.' It refers to the mystical power of the crossroads."
"Most humans know it as the word for a game where you guess little nuggets of useless knowledge," Miasma chuckled.
"How like humans, Miasma," Lamashtu sighed.
"You can call me Maisy," said Maisy. "I got fond of that alias up on Earth."
"You went far too native," Lamashtu grumbled. "Still... you ARE my sister. I..." Lamashtu sighed guiltily. "I... I really should show it more often... Maisy."
"Why haven't you?" Maisy asked accusingly.
Lamashtu shuffled her vulture talons on the floor tiles. "I was angry with you... because I was worried about your future children," she admitted. "You know how the children of court assholes like Beelzebub and Adrammelech treated us. Well, Immundus Carrionfly was pretty nice and Cruciata was trying to get into your pants, but you know how the rest of them were. They tried to make us feel like we somehow didn't deserve to be princesses, all because of where Mom was born. I don't want that for any of my nieces and nephews... and I refuse to believe you do."
"Of course I don't want that, Lamashtu," said Maisy. "But we can't live our lives afraid of bullies, and we can't teach our kids to live like that. I recall that Alecto always gave her bullies black eyes and bloody noses. Loki got back at them with pranks... and usually roped Enoch and Charon into joining him. Naamah had a winning way of turning her bullies into friends with her charm. Ammit and Nocticula went to Mom and Dad for aid. Any of these strategies are better than living in fear of someone's taunts."
"Maybe you're right," Lamashtu sighed. "Maybe I should be defending Lady Tenebra instead of treating her the way my old bullies would. I'm sorry if I hurt you, Maisy."
"Apology accepted," Maisy nodded. "Just try not to lapse back into bad habits." She glanced at her sister's wounded thigh. "Enoch said something about Iron Knights shooting you. What happened?!"
"A thoroughly terrible day," Lamashtu groaned. "It began when I discovered that some rogue sorcerers had stolen my entire fucking harem. Pallaca, Meretrix, Lupa, Zonah, Kedeshah, all of them!"
"Kedeshah?" Maisy asked. "Never heard of her."
"She's new," Lamashtu explained. "I picked her up in Paris a year ago. Naive, gullible American tourists are ridiculously easy to lure into a bad part of the city and portal into Hell. Anyway, I went straight to Dad to report the theft. I won't tolerate thieves disrespect me by stealing something as valuable as my entire harem from me! As you might have heard, it turns out that our brother Loki is missing as well. Alecto and Svadilfari were in the office trying to organize a search party. It all let to a rather raw discussion with Enoch about feelings, and then a massive squad of Iron Knight souls had the GALL to assault us on our way out! It looked like we were done for, but Lord Nergal and his agents luckily showed up to rescue us."
"Lord Nergal?!" Maisy repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Lord Nergal Deathfire? I would have thought he'd prefer to let Enoch die and get his vacant titles. He's the only other plausible Chief of Justice, after all."
"Perhaps he's more honorable than we thought," said Lamashtu. "Maybe he's just confident that he'll be named Grand Chancellor."
"Who knows?" Maisy shrugged. "I just hope all this crazy going on doesn't jeopardize the wedding... or Loki's life."
"He's a wily one," Lamashtu smiled. "I'm sure he and the new baby will be just fine." Her cracking voice revealed that she wasn't so sure.
"Do you think whoever's behind this will take Jahi?" Maisy asked worriedly. "She's pregnant, too."
"I hope not," Lamashtu shuddered. "We'll just have to put our trust in Enoch. He's smarter than he looks." The lioness-headed demon chuckled, trying to seem brave.