Carlos nodded and stared at Yonnie. "Aw'ight. Straight, no chaser."
"If I say what I gotta say, you gonna need to find a bar that's still pouring drinks with a little color. Feel me?"
"Just spit it out, man." Carlos stopped pacing and folded his arms over his chest, quietly hanging on Yonnie's every word.
Yonnie sighed and materialized a toothpick into his mouth and chewed it, thinking. "You saw that motherfucker, right? Need I say more?"
Carlos stalked away and punched a tree. The blow took out a section of the huge oak, making it groan and lean precariously. "He got into her head, man. An outright seduction!"
"That's because you left a section of it unguarded, brother. He's a man. That's what he's supposed to do--amass territory. If your boundary was weak, hey."
Carlos cocked his head to the side. "What?"
"You can get pissed off if you want, man. I ain't the one to be arguing with, though."
Carlos spit and rolled his shoulders. "Fine. What you think I didn't guard, since you out here signifying on my skills. We supposed to be tight, so tell me something."
He'd tried to stop the question, but it slammed into his mind and jumped out of his mouth so fast that he was about to slip into a hot flurry of Espanol. His worst fears were coming to life right in front of his eyes. His boy was standing there about to drop some heavy, hard-to-swallow science. All he had to do was think about Rider's situation or Shabazz's. He wasn't going out like that; never wanted to be standing in those old dawgs' shoes. "You know that little thing that happened when you sat on Dante's throne for a minute?" Yonnie asked casually.
"Oh, so it's back to that--I told you I was sorry, and--"
"I'm cool," Yonnie said, his voice as smooth as silk. "Brothers can fall out, fight like dogs in the street, but once it's over, the bullshit is squashed."
Carlos let his breath out hard, but was listening to Yonnie's every word.
"Tara, although she understands what happened and forgives you, is still a little skittish around you. Hangs near me, holds onto me, just in case you flip again. She don't understand, 'cause she's female--and they never forget."
Yonnie leisurely strode around Carlos in a wide circle with his hands behind his back. "Mr. Councilman, open up your third eye and take a deep look inside. You ain't gotta answer to me, you gotta answer to yourself. Your woman's a seer. She see some shit with Juanita? She see some shit with, maybe, a were demon, or some other vamp? She see some new dragon tail... I heard the bitch's voice clear as moonlight, so--"
"Oh shit." Carlos wiped his palms down his face.
"Uh-huh... just like that. You left the door wide open for a new motherfucker to step into your yard, take your world, jack your throne as your woman's king, and from all accounts from where I'm standing, this bastard ain't to be trifled with. I'd fight your ass, Neteru blade swinging and all, before I went up against that Old World, gold armor and protect-th-kingdom type shit. You know who his daddy is by seed--not just by blood, man? You know who you f**kin' wit?"
"I know, man. You ain't making me feel better."
"That ain't my job to make you feel better. Shit. My job is to protect my boy's ass. To watch his back. Get his head right so he can make wise choices. Put him in a position of power, at all times. That's my job as your friend."
Yonnie looked at Carlos hard. "You go blow for blow with him, your ass will lose. You have to be strategic on this one... and I can't believe I'm the one having to tell you that shit. But I guess, under the circumstances, with it being Damali and all, your head is about ready to bust."
It was the stone-cold truth. Yonnie hadn't lied. He couldn't detach from the situation, or get distanced and rational. As much as Damali got on his nerves, this was his boo, his baby girl.... Carlos finally nodded and walked away toward the leaning tree, hoping it would just snap and fall on him. He was already crushed. "How'd you deal with that shit with Tara, man?"
"Waited. Bided my time."
Carlos stared at him.
"You heard me," Yonnie said, lifting his chin. "Rider had a heart lock on her, f**k a mind lock. She still loves him. I can see it in her eyes every time she's near him. Same with him. That ain't never gonna change. But something happened when... hey, I have to thank you, man, truth be told. You whipped my ass, almost killed me, it did something to her, don't ask me why. After that, she and I don't struggle about much anymore. And, when she goes to him, it's as an old, platonic friend who cares, but in a mellowed-out sorta way."
Yonnie sighed and smiled with satisfaction, manipulating the toothpick in his mouth with his tongue, making it do a slow somersault off his fangs and the roof of his mouth while studying his manicure. "Bot-tom line is," he finally said, pulling the toothpick from his lips and temporarily using it as a pointer to address Carlos. "She ain't jonesmg for him no more. Not like that. When she wants that, she comes to me. So you might have to just let her go do this Titan and--"
"I can't even... man, if he takes her up in his lair again . . ."
Carlos walked in an agitated circle. "You wasn't over there, Yonnie. You should have seen his spot, man. That wasn't even his palace, just his cliff-side joint. It was worse than that shit she saw over in Sydney, which was massive, but just a retrofit of an old, abandoned forte. This brother conjured from nothing, okay? Pure freakin' energy, with a sound system like you wouldn't believe. Rock solid illusion. White marble and gold everywhere. Damned sphinxes and shit... brother, this ain't even negotiable. The bed is solid gold conductive metal, built-in sense-around-sound--total studio, you hear me? Plus, the brother's got this Olympic-sized pool right in his f**king bedroom, can you get to that? And it ain't even water! It's this mind-blowing sensory holding tank, I mean, the brother has crazy energy up in there, and sustaining it all without even breaking a sweat or feeding." Carlos shook his head. "Naw. I don't care what you say, I can't get with having D even go near--"
"Well, you gonna hafta get with that, because, by rights, if she does, hey." Yonnie shrugged, becoming philosophically cool and grating Carlos's nerves. "The only reason you buggin' is 'cause you were her first, that's your boo, I can dig it. Yeah, it's a little different pulling one from a situation, than having it pulled from you, and then having to get her back, but--"
"Yonnie, that's' my baby... you don't know, man. I can't... brother, for real ..."
"Listen to yourself, man. Damn!" Yonnie began walking in an agitated circle. He stopped and looked at Carlos, pointing at him. "You'd better get your head together with the quickness. What I saw out there, the brother got a mind lock that can melt steel. His ass is stronger than any master vamp I've ever seen. And you've got some unforgivable recent history with your woman. Bad combination."