Carlos walked away from them with his hands on top of his head and his eyes closed. "I don't know."
Val gripped Damali's wrists and spoke through her teeth, in a low, urgent whisper. "No disrespect, Queen . . . but can heleave ?"
Damali leaned her head on Val's damp forehead. "I have to transmit whatever I learn to him, girl. You know that."
Val nodded roughly and sucked in a deep inhalation through her nose and bit down harder on her lip. Instant understanding slammed Damali.
"Carlos, do me a favor-take a walk."
He looked at her and headed for the door. "That's why I'm pissed at my boy-he didn't have to send her in here all messed up like that. Darkside bullshit gets on my last nerve!"
The door slammed with a rattle just as Val collapsed into Damali's arms, almost making them both fall. Helping her to the desk, Damali caught Val around her waist as Val stumbled forward and sat on the edge of it with a thud.
"I can never look at the King again, I am humiliated beyond all understanding," Val whispered. "And before you . . ." She covered her face with her hands.
"Girl, Carlos can't say shit about this. He did it to me in front of my whole team-even my mother-seer and a coupla clerics."
Damali smiled when Val's mouth opened and no sound came out. "Yeah, brotherman has a dark side, too . . . but that's what they're exploiting." Her smile faded. "We've gotta get him out of here, away from the team so he isn't a bullshit magnet-and then to the Neteru Councils for a serious purge." She put a hand on Val's shoulder. "Mi casa es su casa-you come live with us, all right. Thank you for bringing serious word. Let me get you sealed up in silver, then give me a minute in here with Carlos alone. I'll send Marlene word so you can just squeeze in at the table like everybody else."
Val hugged Damali as she silver-sealed her mind, just rocking."A true home.A true family. How can I ever repay you, Queen?"
"By staying alive and healthy," Damali said, holding Val away from her."Seriously. My heart can't take it."
Val nodded and gave her a warrior's handshake.
"Yo, Rivera!"Damali hollered. "It's safe!"
Carlos opened the door and peered in, keeping his gaze to the floor. "Okay, what's the word?"
Val slipped past him and Damali simply chuckled.
"Marlene has on purple, silver locks, you can't miss her. She knows you're coming. I just sent it to her."
"Bless you," Val murmured and then closed the door.
Carlos folded his arms. "How bad is it?"
"C'mere," Damali said. "It's real bad. Like, so bad that I'm beyond hysterical. You know that point where the absurd just takes over and you have to laugh to keep from crying?"
"Been there," he said with a weary sigh and walked over and hugged her.
"Let me show you how bad." She looked up and touched the side of his face. "And it's not you-you have to get a purge, and probably so do I."
"Damn! I knew it!Been off all day!"
"Yeah, well, it was for a good cause . . . was there any other way? Ask yourself, would you be you if you didn't try to step in and take a bullet for Father?"
Carlos closed his eyes, resting his forehead on Damali's. "Sad part is,it didn't do any good."
"The man is still alive, Carlos. He has a fighting chance. The moment you give up hope, they got you-you of all people should know that."
"And here again my wife has been exposed to some toxic shit I dragged in the door."
"Not because you weren't where you were supposed to be. This is what we do, baby. You were in a cathedral trying to get between the Devil himself and one of our family . . . you don't think I respect that?"
He pulled her in closer and rested his cheek against the crown of her head. "I just needed some of your light after it all went down, D. Something to make me see that silver lining, because what's inside me right now is so angry I can barely see straight."
She rubbed his back and kissed his Adam's apple. "I know . . . that's why I haven't been arguing with you." She could feel him smile against her scalp. "I love you. That's the one thing that always chases out the darkness. It may be hard, but until we get to the Neterus of Light, I want you to concentrate on loving Father Pat more than you hate the Nameless. This doesn't mean you ain't mad at them for what they did, or that you don't have the right to be fired up . . . but if Father Patrick needs your love, your hope, your strength; mess the dark-side up by doing exactly what they don't expect you to do."