that this bull we just went through wasn't for nothing - we need you and the clerics, with the other tacticals to package up an In ternet bomb for the darkside. You up for it, brother?"
"Like never before, man," J.L. said. "I will blow their... yeah," he said, curtailing his language. "I got it."
"Cool," Carlos said, stretching. "Then, healers on your marks. I'll debrief senior staff on what happened in Nod while Damali works on the ladies with Berkfield." He let out a weary breath. "Everybody else just pack for Jerusalem - the clerics will tell you what to wear, but I suspect everything is covered up and conservative, especially for the ladies." Rabbi Zeitloff nodded. "It is."
* * *
it had been a very long time since she'd seen her husband so thoroughly fatigued. Physical
exhaustion was one thing, but the mental toll of this last attack that Nuit had launched unexpectedly was something entirely new. But she had to ad mit that she was able to relate, because just healing a minor concussion had almost put her flat on her back. She knew for a fact it had everything to do with what they'd seen in Nod. How did one ever get used to, or harden themselves to see ing the bitter devastation of war? On television from far away it looked like shock and awe, but up close and per sonal, right there on the ground, it was horrific - topside's version of Hell.
Heather's light knock on the bedroom door gave Damali a start. She abandoned her packing job and called out for whomever it was to come in, already knowing which Guardian sister had come calling. But as Heather opened the door, Damali ran across the suite. All the color had drained from Heather's beautiful face, her eyes were wild, and her lips almost bloodied from biting them. Her chest held a hic cup wail so close to the surface of her skin that Damali felt her own lungs constrict. She collected Heather into her arms, pulling her toward the sofa.
Damali knew that look. She'd owned it once herself. Sympathy pains for her Guardian sister made her heart beat fast. Heather spoke in halts and jags in such a tiny voice that all Damali could do was make her lie down and kneel beside her, petting her hair.
"I'm bleeding," Heather whispered, her Scottish brogue becoming more pronounced as her voice became quieter and the hysteria blossomed. "I d'not know what to tell Daniel, I cannot tell him yet. I never really knew if I was ... I never got a test from the drugstore -
with this crazy life, when was there time? I never saw a doctor, so I know God wouldn't do this to us, so I cannot believe that this bleeding is our baby, tell me it's not, angel, please. My husband will never be the same, he'll swear it was his fault ... his pulling me to safety, or the bike ride, or whatnot, I d'not know - but, oh God, me Daniel cannot suffer such thoughts." Heather's hand became a fist clutching Damali's as she turned her face into the sofa and let out a soft, piteous sob, just shaking her head.
"It's not, it's not, listen to me," Damali said as she lay her cheek against Heather's back and covered her shaking body with her wings. She let the pain come to her and only left Heather with cramps. "Honey, you were just late because of all the stress, just getting married, then we were on the road, on the run, and finally, once you felt safe ... your body melted down. Shsssh . .. that's all."
She rocked Heather until her sobs abated, and held in a feral scream that came from heart anguish so deep she could barely breathe. Finally Heather lifted her head and turned to Damali and kissed their joined hands.
"Forever sisters for letting me be silly, when you have all the world on your shoulders." Damali closed her eyes, tears spilling as she kissed their clasped hands hard. "Forever sisters," Damali said, wiping Heather's face and then her own. "This kinda stuff is never silly." She gently brushed Heather's spirals of auburn curls away from her face and looked into her luminous gray eyes. "Married or single, the creation of life is sacred. To feel it in
side you, divine. Only another woman would understand that ... but there'll be your time, and when that time comes, I'll be the