He swept her up into his arms and hustled her over to the sofa. The bewildered team moved like jerky robots, bringing the supplies Car�los had bellowed for them to bring while Marlene ransacked her black bag with shaking hands.
"Oh, shit, Marlene, seers, healers, medic! Get over here!" Carlos was on his knees on the floor beside Damali, his palm hovering over Damali's injured cheek, silver tears of rage in his eyes. "Baby, it's gonna be all right. I'ma take the pain, Berkfield is gonna open a vein to clean out the gashes. Mar is gonna do her thing. We got you. It's all right."
Damali groaned as Carlos's hand came nearer to the jaw wound and he ran his fingers over her jugular, seeing where a huge, battle-bite entry indentation had been attempted.
"Oh, my God, I'm gonna cut his heart out," Carlos whispered. "Twelve inches of battle-length from jaw to shoulder."
Damali clutched the center of Carlos's T-shirt to pull him near so she could hide her face against his chest.Baby... she said in a garbled mental whisper,Iwasn't being arrogant. I thought he had slaughtered you and my family. Sobs came out before she could pull it together. Hu�miliation tore through her; the whole team was watching.
"Shhsssh, shhhsssh, I know," Carlos murmured, rocking her as the healers gathered. He buried his face in her hair and kissed the crown of her head.
He kicked my ass,she sputtered mentally, unable to admit the un�thinkable in front of the team.I ain't never been-
"I know... I know. It's gonna be all right, 'Mali. Just breathe, baby," Carlos said, rocking her harder.
What if I can't fight anymore?her mind shrieked, as she became hys�terical in his hold. When he wouldn't let her go and she realized how much his strength eclipsed hers, she wigged. "Let go of me!"
She rolled off the couch to a wobbly stand, meeting his bewildered gaze. "I'm still a Neteru," she said, tears streaming down her cheeks. "I will not let some motherfucker just take me like that! No!" she screamed, wrapping her arms around herself. "He had no right to vi�olate me like that! Never surrender, never give up!" She was scream�ing and looking around for her blade like a madwoman. "My queens left me down there ass-out," she said, covering her mouth with a hand. "How could they?"
"Oh, Father," Marlene said, coming closer and pausing as Damali put her hands out in front of her.
"Don't touch me!" Damali shouted. "I'm so unclean... the images, his filthy touch is all over me, Mar. I'm dirty! I need a white bath!"
Carlos was on his feet and he rubbed his palms down his face, sip�ping air.
Tears wet Shabazz's face. "Baby girl, we'll smoke him, don't worry, ya hear?"
Big Mike left the circle with tears of frustrated rage streaming down his huge, ebony cheeks, and began packing shells. "We ride." He sucked in a huge breath and threw a shoulder cannon to Rider, who caught it with both hands.
"We ride," Rider said, his jaw muscles jumping.
"I gotchure back," Jose said to Carlos, shaking his head. "Not on our watch. Uh-uh."
Inez flung a kitchen blade and impaled it into the wall. "I'm down!"
Several clicks echoed through the villa as every Guardian Glocked-up and slammed in a clip.
"This is family," J.L. said, breaking a stool, and instantly creating a wooden stake.
"Oh f**k no," Berkfield said low. "Not one of my daughters."
"No,I wanna kill him!" Damali shrieked, her voice so shrill every�one slightly cringed. "After what he did to me? Throw me my blade."
Baby, how bad?Carlos asked mentally, coming to her slowly. Trying to hold her hands, trying to reason with her and calm her down be�fore she had a stroke.
"He-he-he... held my legs open with his tail," she said, look�ing at the floor. "He's morphed into something... twenty-foot wingspan... twelve-inch fangs... seven feet tall, breathes f**king fire... put me on my back na**d on an inferno floor-oh Jesus..." Damali walked away.
Carlos stood numb, staring at her back.
"I couldn't get away," she said, shuddering and wrapping her arms around herself. She began to shake her head slowly, her voice a shat�tered mental whisper.Iwas calling on Heaven, warrior angels, the Most High, hiccup crying, moved two seconds past two late and he bit the wall...and he knocked the taste outta my mouth. I've been in many battles, but I don't think I've ever been that afraid, and all it did was turn him on more- you know the vamp power paradigm...but I couldn't even summon enough mental discipline to hold that in check. That's why I'm bugging.
"Baby, if he raped you-" Marlene said in a gentle murmur, tears coursing down her face. "We can clean you out... me and Marj. We'll call the queens, all right, suga... please just let me hold you."
Damali turned around, her face crumbling as she bit her split lip. She glanced at her husband's ashen expression and at Marlene and choked back a sob. "He didn't rape my body, Mar," she whispered. "Eleventh-hour escape." Damali closed her eyes and hugged herself tighter and sucked in a deep breath. "He gangbanged my mind."
Cain returned to his throne room, quietly chuckling to himself and shaking his head. Nuit and Lilith stood holding their breaths, awaiting his news. He flopped into his throne and sighed. "She's the one," he said. "I found her."
Nuit cocked his head to the side in a silent question. Lilith slowly approached Cain with a goblet outstretched in an offering, unsure of his mood.