lair in what was already a topside, hot war zone," Carlos said, not using Lilith's name as he folded his arms over his chest and stared at the wall,
"the entity that did her coronation almost broke down Christ - that's how strong that mug is. So, let's party, yo. I'm with Rider. What the fuck diff does it make at this point? Huh?
'Nita wants a hot tub in the room so she and Jose can get their freak on - I'll bring one in, pronto - she just gotta tell me what color. Dan wants to say good-bye to his mom and dad and get a blessing before his ass dies; I'm with that. It's the right thing to do. Mike wants ribs and whatever room service has - heeey. No problem. I'm so cool with all this shit, it doesn't even make no kinda sense, D."
Speechless, it took her body a moment to move when he began walking again. She understood Level Seven to mean the Nameless One, but dang, the way Carlos put it about that being the one to tempt Christ made her shiver. That was a bold mug, as Carlos called it. She ran to catch up to him and spoke in bursts from sidelong glances, passing other resort guests.
"You're right, I'm panicked, and me and you now have to work as one to do whatever we can at this point."
"I'll tell you what we can do," Carlos muttered. "After that dumb shit I just did, we can all bend over and kiss our natural asses good-bye."
"You're not giving up on me," she said, jogging to get in front of him to make him stop. He shrugged. "Naw. I'm not giving up, just being real." He tried to round her but she body-blocked him, eyes wide. "Look," he said, glancing around. "You of all people know that we shouldn't even be having a conversation like this without a prayer seal."
"You're right, you're right," she said, holding up her hands. "Thirty seconds, let's do it, because brother, I need to talk to you - maybe reality is just sinking in. Will you give me that?"
He begrudgingly nodded while she closed her eyes and murmured a prayer for white light to surround and seal their private, marital conversation.
"All right, first off," he said, leaning in close and glancing over his shoulder as he spoke through his teeth, "you didn't take the charge off that throne, I did. So don't act like I'm some punk because of what I felt and how I'm reacting." She touched his arm. "Baby, I do not think that. I trust your instincts to the letter." He stepped in closer, held her arms, and closed his eyes. "I thought I had felt dark, or twisted, or depraved, but ... oh, shit... there was no bottom to the blackness - and I'm ninety-eight percent disconnected. Can you imagine what would have hit me if I was still locked in? I'd be drowning in my own drool and fucked in the head for life." He stepped away from her, breathing hard. "They don't know. The brothers don't get it. Shit - I didn't know. I didn't get how evil the Ultimate Evil was, and I had been to Hell on a throne. You can't conceive it, can't wrap your mind around its vastness, just like the human mind
is incapable of under standing the Ultimate Light ... but as above, so below. My problem with all of this is, this time I dragged that to our team's doorstep." She grabbed his upper arms hard, frantic, and almost began shaking him. "Carlos, you might have felt what you felt, know what you know - knowledge is power, like you always said and learned as a weapon from them... but, baby, please, please listen - you didn't drag anything to us that wasn't coming for us regardless. The Armageddon was gonna kick off, and we're a Neteru team, so we are in the path of the tornado, the funnel cloud. They were coming, it isn't your fault, and anything that happens to anybody on the team isn't on your head - it's fate. They were chosen to be Neteru Guardians and they answered the call. Honey, don't blame yourself," she whispered urgently, and then hugged him hard.
They both fell quiet as a maid walked by. But she stopped and grinned at them too wide and too long as she pushed her cart. Then a flicker of glowing darkness entered