fluid Aikido leverage pivots off winged bodies, the ground, the ravine wall, energy and adrenaline shooting through her system as a flip dodge, land hard, get up quick, keep moving, side to side, rock hop, crack skulls, take heads without names. "Back off!"
Energy waning, but just get to a light band, snap off the energy, add it to her own, then... free-falling?
She was moving so fast that air left her lungs. Impressions, her name being called within a nearly dead mind. "Marlene!"
Still fighting. Navajo shaman chants running through the ground into the soles of her feet through her sandals. She could smell vamps surrounding her. Her ears ringing with Marlene's mental wails of agony. Spinning on many bodies everywhere. Back 'em off. Oh my God, they'd killed her mother-seer! They'd all die for that. Mar, Cain were down, "Back the fuck up!" Blade raised, Isis ready to take another head--no problem. Mike was down, body count. Shabazz was down, oh, she would kill these beasts!
Clarity.
"Stand down," she yelled, knocking Rider out of the way. "He's clean!" Her attention pivoted. "Jose, are you crazy? Put that weapon down!"
"He bit her, D!" Carlos shouted, grabbing her by the arm and receiving a hard elbow to his ribs that backed him up.
"No, I was there on the other side with him! He performed a tracheotomy to keep her breathing when something pulled her through the rip. He wouldn't leave her body, she'd come through the veil already burned." Damali dropped her sword, not sure which injured family member to run toward first. "What happened? Get him roused, wake him up, he--"
"Your mother-seer is over there fucking dying, Damali!" Carlos shouted, pointing toward Marlene. "You got that? And you're worried about--"
" Shut up, Carlos/ Wake him up! He's the superior healer. We've got three Neterus. Three serious seers. I have the Ancient Caduceus--do you even know what that is?" She shoved the healing staff forward and when Carlos didn't respond, yanked it back and went to Marlene. "No? Then stop jacking with my order and wake Cain up!" "Her pulse is so weak, dear one... I don't know if even I. . ."
"Try. For me," Damali said, brushing Cain's disheveled locks away from his brow as they knelt beside Marlene with the team looking down at them.
Yonnie paced back and forth behind the ring of Guardians as Carlos paced inside the circle. Tara rubbed Rider's back as the older Guardian silently wept just staring down at Marlene and Shabazz.
"It wasn't your fault," Tara whispered gently. "You didn't know. Had to do what you had to do."
Rider nodded and swallowed hard. "Two more seconds, that's all it would have taken."
Jose was so distraught that he'd sought refuge against a tree, refusing to allow Juanita to come near him. Shabazz was on his hands and knees, his palm trembling over Marlene's forehead, unable to touch her, unable to draw away from her, huge tears dropping to the ground as he sucked in and released quaking breaths. The rest of the team formed human standing stones of numb anguish, not a dry eye in their midst. "I will need the third Neteru's assistance," Cain said, still seeming a bit disoriented as he gazed into Damali's eyes and cupped her cheek. "This is not a demon attack that has damaged her. This is a purely physical injury, a mortal one, from the earth plane." He sighed hard. "Reversing black magic is one thing, intervening in an appointed hour of mortal death is another."
"It's not her time, though," Damali said, new tears brimming in her eyes. "It can't be."
"The poison from their darts is in my system, that with the density of this plane... we must make the circle of completion around your mother-seer's energies. I do not know if it will work, my love, but I will attempt anything for you, or die trying."
"Oh, shit. . ." Yonnie whispered through his teeth, rubbing his palms down his cheeks.
"I don't care what the fuck else is going on," Shabazz said, not even looking up from Marlene's disfigured face. "Suck it up, Rivera. Make the ring, and let that brother work. She's suffering, and I can't draw enough of the pain away from her to make a difference." His hands went to her temple, and then the shuddering flap of skin at her throat that wheezed in blood-wet exhales and slow inhales, but didn't touch her. "Oh, Heavenly Father, please . . ."