"Right now, try to use your energy to change what you're wearing," Father Patrick said quickly.
Carlos turned and studied the man. Impatient, he let the thought enter his mind and fuse with kinetic energy. But nothing happened. Panic coursed through him. Satisfaction registered in Father Patrick's eyes.
"Sit down," he told Carlos. "And grab a few more pints while you're at it."
Damali stood before the refrigerator weighing her options. She felt more alive than she'd ever felt in her life. But she was still hungry as hell. Dang, they never kept the fridge stocked right. The guys always ate everything that wasn't nailed down. Sensing the entire team gathering behind her in the kitchen, she let her breath out hard, slammed the door, and turned to face them.
"Aw'ight. What now?" she asked, folding her arms over her chest.
"You can't go over there tonight," Marlene said with a sigh. She turned to the rest of the team when Damali bristled. "Gentlemen, would you give us some space? This is a woman-to-woman thing."
Begrudgingly, the male members of the team filed out of the kitchen, and Damali bided her time until they were gone before she launched into an argument with Marlene. What did she mean, "You can't go out?" She was grown, last time she checked!
"Mar - "
"Listen," Marlene urged, cutting her off. "Just hear me out, then you can do what you want."
"Fine," Damali muttered, too through for words. Carlos's call was pulling her, making it hard to tolerate the delay.
"Father Patrick called..."
Damali closed her eyes and groaned. Oh, shit... Yeah, the old dudes had a right to have their feathers ruffled, if they heard half of what had gone on. Humiliation singed her - but she was going out. Had to.
"He said that Carlos isn't himself - "
"What's wrong? Is he hurt? The daylight? Oh, God..." Damali put her hand over her chest.
"No," Marlene smiled. "Daylight didn't get into the lair, but his ass is burned out. Fried."
She released her breath and closed her eyes in relief.
"I don't even want to venture a guess what you did to that poor man," Marlene said with a wry grin, "but uh... it was his first time out, you understand?"
Damali just looked at Marlene for a moment, and then burst out laughing.
"No, this is serious, D," Marlene said, trying not to laugh. "He's in a seriously weakened condition, which is dangerous for a master vampire."
Now Marlene had her attention.
"That's right, girl," Marlene pressed on. "If he goes out with you before he fully regenerates - which you didn't allow because the Covenant said you had that man hollering past daybreak, okaaaay梐ny weaker vampires in the territory will pick up the scent of a compromised master and try to rush him for his turf. Not good, since, ironically, he's on our side."
"Oh, shit."
"Now, you get the picture." Marlene folded her arms over her chest, a look of triumph blazing in her knowing eyes. "You have to be responsible, Damali. You've opened that brother's nose so wide he can't see. Father Patrick said the man couldn't even muster projection, or change his damned clothes."
The two women stared at each other for a moment, then suddenly burst out laughing.
"Damn, girl," Marlene sucked her teeth and shook her head. "In a priests' compound?"
Damali had to cover her face and laugh harder.
"He took his virgin bite from a virgin Neteru, pure Neteru - nearly an overdose, from the looks of things, and your blood is full of antibodies that are designed to kill off the vampire virus. That part ain't funny. Endorphins rushing through both your systems are probably the only things that kept him standing. Neteru hits their brains like dopamine, blocks out all pain until they start coming down. He's probably not feeling too good at the moment, now that he can feel the virus you gave him in his system."
The words slammed into Damali's brain, instantly cutting the mirth, making her hands fall away from her face as she stared at a very serious Marlene without blinking.
"They tried to revive him with an entire case from the monks' donations, and when he still couldn't get himself together to bear fangs, me and the fellas had to each give a pint."
"Oh, shit."