"But - "
"Deal with it, honey."
Damali grabbed the sides of her skull. "He's in my head, Mar. My full vision is back, and... oh, man... listen... Mar... for real, for real... I gotta go out."
"You wanna kill him?"
"No," Damali said on a pitiful wail. "No. I do not want him to be hurt."
"Then stay put."
"But - "
"Remember how he kept trying to tell you?" Marlene's question made Damali open her eyes and look at her. "Remember the night he came in here to deliver the information about the tunnels to the team?"
Damali nodded but didn't speak.
"Remember at the concert when you were walking around him and he kept telling you to be still, stop stirring the very air around him?"
"Yeah," Damali finally said on a quiet breath.
"Remember the look on his face when he had to carry you... and the sound of his voice when he let you go in that last battle in order to save your life?"
Remember? Was Marlene crazy? It was a tattoo in the middle of her brain. "Yeah," Damali whispered.
"Well, then now you know how hard it was for him to do that."
Damali nodded. Tears of frustration filled her eyes.
"It was just as hard for him to back off when he wanted you like this, even before he was turned. The brother loves you. Always has. He had the will power not to try to bring you into his life at a time when you were vulnerable... at a time when he knew you couldn't hang, and his life would have been dangerous for you - gotta respect that much about him."
"I do," Damali said quietly, sitting down hard on a bedroom chair. She leaned over, placing her elbows on her knees and stared at the floor. "Always did."
"Can you image how difficult it must have been for him to know how much you wanted him, how willing you were to be with him, all new to the game, filled with passion just ready to explode for him梐nd he had to push you away for your own good?"
Damali closed her eyes. Marlene's words shredded her conscience.
"Tonight, you gotta do that for him."
"Oh, Mar. I thought I knew, but damn... Now I really know."
"Pure agony."
"In a word, yes."
"It'll pass."
"I hope so."
"It will."
"It has to."
"It will."
"Oh, Mar."
"I know."