also begun to question his adherence to the team - what if his infiltration strategies have not worked?"
"I lost track of him in the mountains ... there are a lot of ancient Native American sacred grounds near where he'd been that create interference sometimes," Lorelei said, sounding unsure. "I'll find him, though."
"We will put out a call," Lilith said crisply. "We must also be sure he is still with us at all times."
* * *
She was in no shape to meet the Covenant this morning, much less to go meet the Neteru Queens in order to check on the status of her oracle. About the best she could do was possibly hobble down to the kitchen with Carlos holding her up to eat breakfast. Damali looked at Carlos, and he glanced at her and winced, trying to lift his leg into his jeans.
"This don't make no sense," he said, finally laughing and falling back on the bed. "You've gotta heal a brother, for real."
"Me?" she said, aghast. "You were the one just playing with - "
"I know, I know, my bad," he said, chuckling with his eyes closed, sprawled out. "But, maaan, was it good."
"My voice is still hoarse," she said. "I need some herbal tea or I'll be sooo embarrassed when the clerics get here, Carlos - why do you do this kinda stuff to me all the time?" He leaned up with effort and offered her a big grin. "If I have to tell you that, then I guess it's worse than I think... I'm losing my touch."
* * *
hugs and warm welcomes passed through the new compound, otherwise known as the house. It was far from a house - part dorm, part base station, part studio; it was truly a citadel just missing visible cannons. But this morning, be fore the Covenant arrived, it was home.
Damali smiled and tried not to talk so much. Her body aches had been healed in a long, solo, Epsom salt bath, much to Carlos's dismay, but the team - even if the clerics didn't -
would have to know there was only one reason she sounded like a bullfrog. It didn't matter that the rooms were reinforced against sound for privacy's sake. The night before she'd sounded normal at dinner, and all the pollen in the world wouldn't account for the vocal loss. Her attempts to heal herself hadn't worked, and the fact that Carlos found it to be a badge of honor simply got on her last nerve.
The vibe radiating off the kitchen was so white-hot, she had to check to see if the oven had been left on. She was not about to inquire and was just glad to see that Inez's mood was so buoyant that the chile was practically skipping - which meant the grub would be off the hook for the visit.
Dan and Heather had even braved coming into Inez's world to teach her how to separate various foods and kitchen equipment out properly to keep certain dishes kosher for Rabbi Zeitloff. To her surprise her normally prickly girl friend was in such a good mood that she took it all in stride. Inez even let Marlene and Marjorie come in there to help, while Krissy, Jasmine, and Heather set the table, with Tara and Juanita on detail to bring fresh flowers in.
At loose ends, she saved her voice by prepping rooms, making sure guests would have linens and towels, and watching the male squad racing around trying to get the last of the boxes unpacked and furniture in place. Why every body was so hyped about the Covenant's stay, she wasn't sure. But in the absence of parents, and regular neighbors and such, she figured it all had to do with the semblance of normalcy thing... and having good vibes and blessings cover one's union didn't hurt at all.
The vibe in the house from the tactical squad was so pow erfully positive and uplifting that furniture kept levitating a few inches off the floor when one of them passed. Coffee table books, magazines, vases, silverware, nothing would stay put as they walked by. Finally they got sent to ground their energy in the earth outside. Murmurs of "My bad" and swallowed smiles just made Damali shake her head.
The seers were no better and were making her eyeballs hurt. Their auras were neon and when they walked across the floor humming they left multi-hued footprints for a second. The trackers were the worst. Every few minutes