"I stand ready," Penthesileia said, holding an Amazon battle-ax. "If cauldron parasites emerge, they will be slaughtered."
The Aztec Queen removed a long, sharp, golden-handled dagger from her sleeve.
"Anesthetize the oracle as you lower the black-box, Aset. It will be traumatic as I remove her from the necklace and submerge her into an alabaster bowl of Ma'at's truth elixir." Aset nodded. "If she's beyond repair, then, Chalchihuitlcue, you have the swift hand of sacrifices ... don't allow her to suffer."
The Aztec Queen nodded. "I shall indeed be merciful and make it swift."
* * *
"I know this isn't normal," Damali said, racing across the room to kiss Carlos the moment Shabazz and Marlene shut the door.
Both on the same mission, he cleared the sofa in a one-handed hurdle and they bumped into each other and almost fell.
"I knew it wasn't straight up when my fangs didn't drop," he said between urgent kisses, cradling her face as she worked on his clothes.
"Or I didn't see your silver," she said, stripping off her tank top. When her br**sts bounced free, he covered them with his palms and leaned in, causing them both to release a long moan riding a shudder.
"Yeah, your wings didn't come out," he finally said, now panting and working harder to get off her clothes, tugging on her jeans zipper while her hands set fire to his chest. "Dead giveaway."
"We should take a white bath," she said, devouring his mouth.
"Uh-huh," he mumbled into her mouth, pushing her back on the sofa. "In the morning."
"Yeah, in the morning."
"Oh, yeah, D, in the morning ..."
"Oh, God, Carlos ... in the morning ..."
"Uh-huh, like that, in the morning."
* * *
She didn't remember if she went to sleep or simply passed out, but Marlene hadn't lied, they were both sick as dogs. It felt like sunlight was chiseling a hole in her temple, and for a while she lay on her side hoping it might just be so the pressure inside her brain could leak out. Her entire body felt like it was purging, even her cycle had come on and she'd now have to deal with that, too, for a couple of days. When this was all over, she was gonna personally kick Lilith's ass.
Keeping her body as rigid as possible to stave off the dry heaves, she tried to sit up to move to the bathroom, but Carlos's grip tightened on her arm.
"Touch me again," she said through her teeth, "and I'll stab you."
"Oh, Jesus, don't move, I'm gonna hurl. Don't rock the bed."
"We're on the floor."
"Oh, God, the room is spinning."
"Breathe slowly," she said, sipping air with her eyes squeezed shut. "I'm gonna crawl to the bathroom and make us a white bath."
"Bring me the wastebasket on the way, if you can reach it."
* * *
"How you guys holding up?" Marlene said quietly, touching Damali's forehead and looking at Carlos with concern. "You still feel clammy." Shabazz and Marlene shared a look.
"That's 'cause girlfriend is trying to be ultraladylike," Carlos muttered, sipping peppermint and ginger tea with his eyes closed. "I got all mine out - both ends. I'm way better this morning, Mar, trust me."
Damali dry heaved and covered her mouth, her eyes wide, and then dashed for the bathroom.
"She'll be good in twenty minutes," Marlene said philosophically. "Told y'all if you didn't catch it last night, you'd be sick as dogs."