Triumvirate

I glanced back at them. Richard was still by the door, looking unclothed and inviting. Jean-Claude stood by the couch utterly still, like a three-dimensional picture of a wet dream. The sexual potential in the room was astronomical. The fact that nothing was going to happen was almost sad.

(The Lunatic Cafe, page 273, paragraph 10)
Commentary * A triumvirate is a group of three preternatural creatures who combine their powers in order to create an even bigger whole. When the powers are combined, they create a unified force that is greater than the sum of the parts.

* There are three triumvirates that are described in the series. The main one, being Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard, and two others. One in KD consisting of Sabin, Cassandra and Dominic and the other in BO consisting of Padma, Thomas and Gabriel.

* The combination appears to consist of the following:

Animator
Necromancer, or
Human Servant		 Anita Dominic Thomas
Vampire
(Master)
Jean-Claude
 		 Sabin Padma
Lycanthrope
Richard
 		 Cassandra Gideon

* The participants need not be the strongest of their respective groupings, but the higher the level, the more powerful the triumvirate.

* In order to activate the triumvirate, one of two venues are needed: a ritual, or sex. It then must be finished with blood.

* When Anita, Jean-Claude and Richard first shared power, it was a shock to all of them. Anita acted as the conduit between Jean-Claude's power, a cool rushing wind, and Richard's power, all warmth and electricity. When the power was pumped into her, she had difficulty controlling it, her natural inclination  was to channel it into an activity, namely, raising the dead. She ended up not only raising zombies, but also raising vampires, namely Willie, Liv and Damian.

* When Anita and Richard made love, this served to bind both of them closer to each other, and closer to Jean-Claude. It is a detail that the vampire told to Richard, but not to Anita.

* Damian admitted to Anita that with the fourth mark, she could gain all of Jean-Claude's powers without having to give up her humanity, but Anita is not willing to go that far.

* If the participants are strong enough, holes can be formed in their auras if the marks are not "married." Mystical defenses will be down unless they are touching each other.

* Marrying the marks involves closing the holes at one's chakra points, the points at which each participant in the triumvirate is linked to the other.