By the time they rejoined the combined teams at the table, Val had found a spot between Krissy and Heather, and was sitting directly across from Marlene. Phat G's squad was taking rotational visits, popping into a few open chairs, grabbing some appetizers, andchatting it up before they went back on duty. Inez's mother was in a deep, private conversation with Marjorie Berk-field, while Ayana had finally warmed enough to allowherself to be passed from lap to lap.
Female Guardians fawned over her, and Carlos touched Damali's elbow, leaning in to speak into her ear.
"We knew this was inevitable," he said. "And I'm all for it during times like these. But, Damali, my gut just ain't sitting right with it."
She nodded. "I know. But I don't know what else to do."
"Me, either," he admitted. Then, motioning quickly with his chin, he indicated his Guardian brothers. "Cascade effect is about to happen. Krissy got her on her lap making origami out of her place mat, while J.L. is over there having a mild stroke-envisioning the future."
"Oh, shit . . ."
"Uh-huh. And look at your boy, Bobby.Eyes wide as saucers. That's the look of a man having heart failure. Then I want you to get with Dan. Heather's all snuggled in, the man is sweating bullets, and if we get back home in one piece I put twenty dollars on it he'll make one of his own tonight. Jose is just done-because out of 'em all, 'Nita's bio clock is ticking loudest."
Damali squeezed his arm.
"Yeah . . . and you wonder what keeps me up at night? Ever think about what we'll do if every Guardian female in the house is pregnant at the same time? Only balance beam is Marj and Marlene . . .Tara is still fifty-fifty, who knows. But fact is, since we all live in a group and every woman's cycle has synced up . . . that means the window of fertility is the same, which means all them can-"
"Carlos, stop," Damali whispered. "I can take gruesome images from Vamp Council and sleep better at night than worrying about the horror you just described."
"Me, too.That's why I'm saying, this is so dangerous on so many levels, D. And I haven't left myself out. Every time you hold Ayana in your arms I gotta take a walk . . . can't deal. Because it's one thing to have an image in the back of your mind, but a clear visual makes everythingcrystal ."
"Let's go eat. Go get a purge. Go do that general stuff that we do . . . aw, Lawdy Miss Claudy."
She strode ahead of him, unable to handle any more. Bright smiles greeted them both and Ayana gave her a big grin, holding up the paper fan and bird Krissy had made.
"Look, a birdie an' a fan!"
"That's beautiful, baby," Damali said, forcing a smile and picking at her very cold food.
Val glimpsed the plates and leaned in to connect with Inez. She glanced at Big Mike's stack of bones. "Is your mate half-demon-carnivore, too?"
Mrs. Filgueiras gasped in so hard that three Guardians had to dislodge corn bread from her windpipe.
"No no, no," Inez said quickly, slapping her mother's back. She gave Damali a brief look that contained a plea for help. "Mike eats big. That's all."
Openly curious, Val cocked her head to the side. "He's not hybrid, is all human . . . but built like a cross between-"
"Girl, Mike's just from the South," Damali said, cutting off Val's query with diplomacy.
"I will have to learn these regional differences." She looked at Bobby and J.L.'s thinner, wirier frames. "You are not from the South then?"
"Uh, no," J.L. said, stuffing food in his mouth to keep from laughing."West Coast."
Val nodded. "I will have to study a map." Then she turned with a big smile and looked at Carlos. "Where is Yolando from?"
"The South," Carlos said warily.
Damali gave the other Guardians the eye and they swallowed smiles. That's all they needed was for Mrs. Filgueiras to have a screaming jag in the middle of Phat G's joint.
Marlene was so tore up with repressed laughter that every few moments she'd wipe her eyes at the corners and swat Shabazz's teasing hand away from her sides.
"Ah," Val said. "Then the South is good."
Jose sprayedLynchburg lemonade in his plate and started coughing.
"Who's Yolando?" Inez's mother asked, still wheezing and fanning her face.
"A very nice hybrid," Val said."Honorable-best friend of the male Neteru."