"My son," Eve said, walking closer to Damali, shaking her head with tears of rage in her eyes, "who has pure royal vampire strain all through him--you would allow another male with Council-level vampire lineage to make my boy produce fangs!" Damali shut her eyes tightly as the hot edge of the Isis pressed against her windpipe. She could instantly taste the electric discharge coming off of it on the back of her tongue. "Why do they always blame the woman?" It was the only truth she could quickly tell Eve to keep Eve from cutting her throat.
Damali panted as the steel edge of the blade suddenly yanked away from her skin. Eve lifted her chin and swept away to stand by the water, her back to Damali but her blade readied. The energy field around Damali vanished, and she dropped forward on her hands and knees, coughing, and speaking to Eve in a gravelly voice.
"Queen Mother, please hear me," Damali said, standing slowly as Eve's tight grip on the extended Isis made it vibrate in her hand.
Eve glanced over her shoulder at Damali and then turned away from her as she drove the blade into the sandy shore. She continued to give Damali her back as she stared out at the water. "Speak."
"I did not call him by name," Damali said plainly, rubbing her throat. "I called for the positive attributes I described to you. That's possibly a good sign, since that's what manifested him."
Eve nodded and wrapped her arms around herself, but didn't speak or turn to look at Damali.
"I was angry, as I told you," Damali said, hoping to at least get Eve to see her point of view, even if the woman didn't agree with her decision--whatever that might finally be. "I had been traumatized by what I saw with Carlos. Even Carlos said there was some type of black smoke--"
"Lilith," Eve whispered through her teeth. "Before the end of days, I will slay that bitch for this."
Gaining confidence, Damali pressed on. "It could be that Cain was released by the Hand of God or it could have been a Level- Seven diversion, if they intercepted my argument. I don't know. That's the problem. I was angry at Carlos when I lobbed the prayer... more like a complaint, as the case maybe. But I wasn't all the way ready to throw in the towel on our relationship. I. Am. Human," Damali said with emphasis.
"Eve, please hear me. I'm human. Prone to error, prone to all sorts of things, huge mistakes being one of them. But, Eve, you know me. I also have a heart, and wouldn't just jack with a brother in jail or play with his mind." Damali walked back to the rock to lean on it and stare at Eve's spine, putting a little distance between herself and the clearly devastated Neteru queen. "I'm many things, but not cruel."
Eve nodded and her breathing shuddered as though a sob so deep and profound was battling to come out. Damali almost cried for her.
"I knew it was too good" to be true," Eve said quietly and swallowed hard. "But a mother can always cling to hope. I also have love for my son... and faith. A mother always carries this divine trinity for her child."
Damali watched Eve wipe her face with her back still turned to her and put the straightness in her spine as a queen's carriage dictated. "You are right. I cannot blame the woman without thorough inquiry ever." Eve took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I have experienced that."
"I know. That's why I brought this to you in trust, and out of respect," Damali said. "As a matter of honor, I did not go to Nefertiti, or the others, as I felt you had the right to know above all others, first."
Eve nodded, but still didn't turn. "I deeply appreciate that," she said in a quiet tone. "Your honor and discretion will never be forgotten. Forgive me for almost beheading you, but we were talking about my son."
Damali rubbed her throat again, truly aware of just how close she had come to biting the dust. Whew... no wonder Mar was having a cow.
"Here's the thing," Damali finally said, pushing away from the rock. She needed motion to calm her nerves. "Before I can just go off with Cain, I have to legitimately resolve this thing with me and Carlos, one way or