said, glancing up and remembering to step into the room.
"You okay, dude?" Rider asked, frowning, setting his cards down slowly on the dining room table. "You look like something's been chasing you..." His nostrils flared slightly, and he and Jose stood at the same time.
"Good night, people," Rider said, glancing at Tara. She didn't say a word, just waved.
"Adios," Jose said, rubbing the back of his neck. "I'm just glad you're cool, man. We was worried. But it's all good." His hand slid into Juanita's, making her smile as he passed her.
"Night folks," Juanita murmured, and then just shook her head.
"Okay," Mike said, stretching as he stood. " 'Nez, we can stand down. It's just like old times." They were out the door before Damali could say good-bye.
"Mar, you got our message, right?" Carlos said, trying to preserve a little of their dignity.
"Yeah," Marlene chuckled and then dropped her voice as the rest of the team moved out slowly. "It was a sputtering, garbled transmission saying, 'About in an hour or so my husband debriefed his mind. Can't talk, gotta run.' Now what was I supposed to make of that?" Marlene's hands went to her hips with a wide smile. "I guessed it was delayedreaction balm ... but after it got dark and you guys didn't come back, we all started getting nervous."
"I'm sorry, Marlene," Damali said, and then tucked her trembling hands into the bends of her elbows as she hugged herself.
Just seeing her do that made Carlos begin to walk in a circle.
"Not a long one, though, Mar," Carlos said, walking to the window, dragging in air as the
team thinned out in their suite.
Shabazz shut the door behind Berkfield and came back deeper into the room. "Damn man, you're in here sweating like a junkie and got the shakes - ain't seen you look this bad since you got a vamp nick and turned."
"That's what this shit feels like," Carlos said, looking at Damali and unable to keep up the front any longer. "But the hunger ain't for her blood, and I'm about to vamp-snatch girlfriend in two seconds... so say what you gotta say quick." Marlene and Shabazz looked at each other and then fo cused on Damali.
"Honey, your color is off. How's your appetite?" Marlene asked, trying to inspect her for bites.
"For him - outrageous," Damali said, wiping sweat off her brow with the back of her forearm. "But he never bit me, never presented fangs while we were, uh, out ... ya know. Everything's all right, guys, in the morning - "
"You'll be sick as dogs." Marlene glanced between the two of them. "When you went to the Neterus - "
"We was cool there, Mar," Carlos said, his voice brittle. "Can't this wait until tomorrow?"
"Looks like Louisiana roots, if I didn't know better," Marlene fussed, crossing her arms.
"Haitian is my call," Shabazz muttered, sitting on the back of the sofa.
"Look at the whites of their eyes, getting cloudy, just a tad," Marlene said, speaking to Shabazz as though a doctor in a clinic.
"It's in their sweat. I can pick up the taint. Must have been dormant while under the intense white light in council, but went full blown the minute they came back to the earth plane."
"Oh, shit..." Carlos groaned, rubbing his neck. "I knew something came out of Lilith's pit - "
"No, you were okay, and so was every other guy on the team," Damali said, going to him.
"The only weird thing we saw was the pearl, when we dunked her in water." Carlos looked up. "Yeah ... the way the lionesses at tacked it."
"They went after your necklace?" Marlene asked in a tone of disbelief.
"Yeah, after the pearl in it turned black," Damali murmured, stepping closer to Carlos.
"Wait, D, a Neteru oracle went black in front of your eyes and you guys didn't tell anybody? That's a fucking team hazmat, folks." Shabazz was off the back of the sofa raking his locks.
"He and I both lowered it into the water... his hands touching mine, because I knew she always liked Carlos ... we were trying to coax her out," Damali murmured, staring at Carlos.
"I remember," Carlos said in a low, sensual rumble, "hi the water... my hands were touching yours, your hands were touching mine, then the charge ran right through me ..."
"Like it's running through me right now," Damali murmured.
"Hold it!" Shabazz and Marlene shouted, breaking their trance.