(no subject)

[sunnydalealum]

It's a bigger room, this time. The better to fit two dozen zhirelin in addition to the sorcerers themselves.

The conference room setup this time is much hastier, at Emma's orders. The table's been upended against the wall instead of removed entirely; the blood in the spell diagram is still tacky. Everything's in place, including the two most vital components: the real Kshaartian mandrake, and the Scythe.

Emma's trying hard not to pace as the two red-robed apprentices bend to light the first candles, as the priests in their darker robes begin chanting.

We're in the homestretch. Go. Go. Go.

Comments

[gavemea_45]

"Jer." Sam sounds pleasantly amused. "If she's behind the times on something like this--"

A quick wave of his hand takes in the room, the sorcerers, and the watching zhirelin.

"--it's no surprise she's not been keeping up with internal memoranda."

A beat.

"George Wendt. My colleague's Jerry Karlin; we're in from the Cleveland office for a meeting with Greg Matheson."

He doesn't introduce Mel immediately, but his glance goes from Emma to her and back again.

"I'm sure you can guess the reason for our interest in local events."

[sunnydalealum]

Wendt's clearly the one in charge, if Karlin's got nothing better to do than make snide comments.

"Gentlemen," she says, and while the professional tone's back, it's layered over with brisk impatience. "I don't have time for guessing games. I've had to jump up my schedule once already, and I really can't afford any delay right now that's not absolutely necessary. And if there'd been any internal memoranda on this subject I'd have seen them, so I have to say I'm not sure what you're talking about."

In a tone that means I'm not sure you know what you're talking about.

[hopeitsworthit]

Dean raises an eyebrow.

"I'm pretty sure that pushing through with a spell that's only set for one, not two, Scythes is the kind of dumbass move we're talking about."

Now both eyebrows are up.

"Didn't figure you for someone that wanted everything to go ass over teakettle, but, you know, guess there's no figurin' some people."

[gavemea_45]

"I don't know about that," Sam puts in, blandly. "After all, if she's willing to write off every single zhirel who--"

[sunnydalealum]

Emma cuts him off, her voice suddenly a touch brittle.

"If we're going to have this conversation ... let's clear the room." Her eyes flicker over the watching young women, but don't stay on any one of them for long. "Ladies, this could be a while."

She turns to Brianna and lowers her voice. "Take the others and raise Security. Get a perimeter guard up. It's probably nothing, but after the breach we almost had earlier I don't feel like taking chances."

[sunnydalealum]

Brianna nods and starts for the door, passing almost (but not quite) close enough to shoulder Dean aside. The rest of the zhirelin fall in behind her, filing out of the room.

One of them moves more slowly, looking over her shoulder at Emma in what might be fear or might be horrified realization.

Emma doesn't look back at her, and Beth finally drops her gaze and hurries out with the others.

[slayer_fray]

Mel touches her tongue to her upper teeth as she watches them file out.

After the last reaches the door, she clears her throat.

"Hey, you guys sort this out," she tells Dean. "I need the bathroom."

And she spins on the ball of her foot and follows the other girls.

[sunnydalealum]

The demon sorcerers are watching, but making no move to follow. Emma's given the cliath'tah a discreet palm-down sign: wait.

As the last of the zhirelin file out, Emma steps over to shut the door behind them.