up and take advantage of Adam and Ausar's black-box cover to rest, heal, and recover. Yeah... I'm starting to feel every blow now. Carlos rolled his shoulders and rubbed the back of his neck with a wince. In a minute, the rest of the brothers are gonna be feel ing it, too, now that the battle hype is draining away.
I'm sorry, she whispered in her mind. You brothers kicked ass the way it's supposed to be done.
Naw, you were right. Can't go on impulse like that again. He stared at her. D, I really fucked up this time, didn't I? I started the big one. I swear I didn't know who was doing her in that throne - I'm crazy but I ain't stupid. Damali shook her head. Maybe it was fate, Carlos? Maybe that's what you were supposed to do, who knows? Like Marlene said, you 're the only one, alive, who ever sat in that chair... what are the chances of a Neteru doing that, huh? The Almighty wouldn't have let you start what wasn't supposed to be started.
You think so?
She just nodded, and prayed she was right.
"Okay," Damali said quietly. "Everybody just sit down, chill out, and let me get the Caduceus ... then everybody take a white bath." She blew a stray lock up off her forehead.
"Now I see why Adam black-boxed us in here. We're gonna need it." Damali stood to go to the bedroom to collect her silver necklace containing the seven stones so that she could privately commune with her queens. But a noise and a quick flash of golden light made everyone turn to stare at the coffee table. Just as suddenly as the light glinted away, the Caduceus staff clattered against the table's glass surface. She closed her eyes. "Oh, yeah, we're definitely gonna need it."
CHAPTER THREE
CHAPTER THREE
By the time Damali had administered the Caduceus to the last Guardian brother, sweat had formed a huge V in her T-shirt, and her clothes clung to her like second skin. Even though Marlene and Marjorie had repeatedly asked to assist, Damali declined for their safety. Who knew what the guys had dragged home? Foul and funky energy, some unseen spiritual parasite, who knew? The team had been there, done that, and Damali felt way
better keeping an unknown agent, especially from the probable sources it had come from, contained within one team healer - her.
"Okay, J.L.," Damali said, slowly straightening and stret ching her back. "You're good to go, man." She gripped the long golden staff that was nearly as tall as she, watching the dual serpents on it slither into place and settle down to become inanimate again. J.L. peered up at her from the sofa with a sheepish grin. "They never landed a blow on me, D."
She gave him her hand and a smiling scowl as she pulled him up. "Yeah, but you oughta know by now that down there, they don't have to nick you - they can blow smoke up your nose with a phantom tagging along in it to have you acting crazy." J.L. held up his hands in front of him. "You're right, my bad." Rider chuckled. "Give it up, brother. We're outnumbered and outgunned. They think faster and hit harder."
When several of the younger Guardians gave Rider a quizzical look, Big Mike chuckled and shook his head.
'They'll learn," Mike said in a rumble, beginning to grin broadly. He pulled Inez against him. "Y'all don't fight fair - low blows, hit a brother hard. Dang, girl, you'd cut me off forever?"
Inez laughed. "Turn into something real crazy, hear, and see what happens."
"I rest my case," Rider said, beginning to collect his spent weapons. He glanced at Bobby and Dan, then over to Jose and J.L., finally settling his gaze on Berkfield. "You better tell
'em, medic."
Berkfield laughed. "Every man for himself. I'm already in the doghouse."
"Oh, no you're not," Marjorie said softly, going to him.
"You might wanna school some of us old heads on how you just pulled that coup, Richard," Shabazz said laughing, giving Marlene a hopeful glance.
"Oh, so now everybody's got jokes," Marlene muttered, but a smile escaped despite her clear determination to remain peevish.
Relieved laughter finally overtook the room, which Damali knew the brothers were angling for. Even Carlos had to laugh as they watched each man cop a plea and try to jus
tify the previous bullheaded move that could have gotten him killed or worse. But now that the apparent danger was