"I should have seen it," Marlene whispered.
"You were spent," Damali said, trying to stem any additional hys�teria. "That's why Carlos is right; all the seers have to rest for a few hours and recharge their batteries."
"This... this turn scent," Marjorie said, blinking as quickly as she spoke. "Carlos, what are you saying?"
"I'm saying that, this evening, if Gabrielle shows up at a window, a door, or calls to you from a vent... unescorted by a Guardian, even if she's with Yonnie-youdo not, underany circumstances, let her in this house. We clear?"
"Oh, my God." Marjorie's voice was a lifeless whisper.
"Berkfield, you get it straight with everybody that went out of this kitchen in tears. I want all of you in the same room, barriered-up," Carlos said. "This is the hardest part for the family and the new turn... night one."
"My sisteris dead? You know this?" Marjorie broke from Berk-field's hold and stood in front of Carlos with her hands wrapped around her waist, shifting from foot to foot. "How do you know?" she said, her eyes pleading, and then she suddenly flew at Carlos, slap�ping his chest and shoulders, as though trying to swat away the ugly truth as she screamed at him. "She could just be abducted! You won't maim her with a stake or cut off her head-I won't allow it! She might be fighting her way to us! She's a witch-she can see into a crystal ball and would have escaped! Yonnie wouldn't do that to her. He's family and wouldn't make her the walking dead, Carlos! It's a lie!"
"Marj, no," Berkfield said, struggling with her as she fought him to slap Carlos again.
"Let her get it out," Carlos said, taking the blows as Marjorie broke Berkfield's hold when he tried to move her away.
Damali blinked back tears and swallowed hard but didn't move. "She has to get it out and be clear now, because if she sees her later..."
Jose pulled Juanita's head to him and rubbed Inez's back as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"It's the truth, Marjorie," Rider said, coming back into the kitchen with Mike and Shabazz. His calm delivery made Marjorie go to him and leave Carlos. "I was there, Marj. I smelled what I have learned over the years... is what it is."
Rider set his drink down on the side counter and opened his arms. "I loved her, too." When Marjorie barreled into his arms, Rider stroked her hair. "But if you see her tonight, sweetheart, for the love of your children, don't let her in. We all have to be strong."
Damali stood outside on the front steps with Carlos and touched his back. "Com'ere. You look like you need to lie down before you fall down." She pulled his rigid body into a hug and rubbed his back. "Baby, why don't you go rest... save it for tonight."
"If I lay down right now, I'm so beat I might not get back up."
"I'll stand watch."
He kissed her head and kept his eyes on the sky. "I gotta go get Hubert. He's lost. I can feel it."
"Me, too. But give him an hour-so you can get an hour. Do that for me?" She looked up at Carlos. "Just stretch out on the couch and I'll bring you some water, something to eat... you need fuel. Every�body does."
"Maybe for a half, on the sofa. Then I gotta go." She touched his face. "How's your head?"
Carlos closed his eyes. "Fucked up."
"I'll meet you in the living room with some spring water and OJ, and some fruit and whatnot... You need to get something with sugars in you. I'll watch the sky."
He was so tired that he was practically staggering like a drunk by the time he reached the sofa and fell down on it face-first. There was no way he could argue against Damali's point. Rest was imperative, or he'd be slow and sloppy, and could put the entire family at risk.
But preternatural heat in the room made him push up and look around, readying for something to attack. Adrenaline shot through him, even though he was running on fumes. When a gold obelisk opened in the room, Carlos almost shouted.
"We need to talk," a disembodied male voice said. Immediately recognizing Adam's familiar baritone, Carlos was up and off the sofa in a flash. He slipped into the golden light as it closed away, and was face-to-face with Adam in a distant glen he didn't rec�ognize. Renewed energy washed over Carlos as he stared at the more senior Neteru king.
"I am not supposed to be here, but under the circumstances, Ausar was gracious enough to turn a blind eye." Adam paced, his white and gold court robes billowing behind him. "I need a personal favor. My sons, Abel and Seth, cannot be involved. They could jeopardize their pure light by doing vengeance-even on behalf of their mother's honor." He stopped and looked at Carlos hard.
"I got you, man, if it has anything to do with slaughtering Cain's foul ass, you know-"
"That goes without saying. We have discussed that ad nauseum. I need to get word to your Neteru Queen, Damali."
Carlos folded his arms over his chest to keep Adam from seeing that the request had sucker punched him. If anything else had hap�pened to Damali..."Aw'ight," Carlos said in a tense voice. "What's the problem?"
"Last night, Queen Eve went into a violent seizure." Adam's voice hitched. "My wife is in a coma. The other queens are at her bedside, sitting vigil. Aset tried the Caduceus, to no avail. We were wondering if we could ask Damali whether or not... anything happened to her womb? We cannot fathom what could have stricken Eve so badly, and without her consciousness pulsing, we have no way to find out. We began to wonder if the sudden loss of a grandchild could have killed what was left of Eve's hope."
Tension wound its way up Carlos's vertebra. "Naw, Damali's all right. She didn't get injured that way. I can ask her for you and send word, if you'll accept a transmission, but she didn't purge her womb or sustain a mortal injury like that."