Queen of the Night

Mina's office was dark and cramped. There were no windows, of course, but enough light could get in from the humming florescents in the hallway. And the door was open an inch or two, which was all the light the three women needed. They stood in a tight circle; Mina leaning against the front of her desk, still wearing her gaudy pirate costume from the party, with her fedora; Rosa against the wall in her usual black dress and usual scowl; and Brie, the most beautiful of them, dressed as Joan of Arc, with her back to the door. Within their little circle was the chair.

From a distance, it looked rickety and old. One might even mistake it for something hastily assembled from wood. But the gleaming white rods of the chair were bone. Naked and exposed. And the women could feel power trembling from the chair. More than just power. Emotion. Fear. Which was only logical.

"What do we do now?" Rosa asked. It was easier for her to be businesslike about it. After all, she didn't know the poor man.

"He can't survive like that much longer," Mina said. She, by contrast, was struggling to remain businesslike. Although she had no special affection for Luke, there was an association that she couldn't ignore.

( Poor Brie, unfortunately... )