Part 28 (1/2)

She'd walked along the beach and had found a quiet place of meditation, where she'd hidden within her own thoughts for hours until the sun dipped down beyond the horizon. She watched the waves, hoping their timeless constancy would unravel the mysteries of the universe... the mysteries of this erratically behaving man she loved. Damali stood and gave up her search, walking to her vehicle, her spirit in pure chaos.

Tonight she wouldn't say a mumblin' word when she saw him. She'd be on her most effervescent behavior as they all ate dinner together. She'd put on the best performance of her life. She'd act like everything was all right and smile.

But she still had hot tears in her eyes that wouldn't recede like the tide. The mission is first, she told herself, and looked up at the sky.

Tears, a distant female voice whispered in her mind.

Damali froze. She knew that angel's voice anywhere. ”Mom?”

Tell no one, child.

Damali nodded as her own tears fell. ”I know, Mom. This was horrible. I can't stop crying. I just hate that you saw it.”The angels weep, the voice murmured. We hear you. Find the tears.

”They're inside of me,” Damali whispered, and kept her gaze to the sunset. ”Believe that.”

No, the trinity, child, the voice whispered gently. The tears of angels at the roof of the world... those that never touched the ground when the Lamb was slaughtered. Find the temple that holds those tears yet still. Ignite that heavenly compa.s.sion with the energy of the Creator. Then remember the blood... and cure the world.

”The antidote?” Damali almost shouted. ”Mom?”

Yes. Angelic tears have dried to salt and never hit the ground. The Creator's hand parted that sea, Red, and is in the salt. Salt is in the blood and walks beside you, but living. The Father, the Son, and the Spirit; Red Sea salt, for the Father, the living blood for the Son, and then spiritual tears for the sacrifice. In that order, as it was done.

”That's why the salt was killing them... The Covenant needs-”

Tell no one, not even your mate or mother-seer. You have two of the missing elements at hand. The last element could be at risk, and only your mind is strong enough to hold the secret.

Damali ran her fingers through her locks. ”The Red Sea salt is no problem, we have that.” She nodded, instantly knowing.

”Berkfield has the blood in his veins.”

Yes. Be swift.

”The roof of the world is where?”

The Himalayas. Tibet is called the Roof of the World. Seek those who have sheltered these tears for centuries in the greatest temple of all. Only once in history have the angels wept so hard that their tears left Heaven to nearly reach the ground-when the Lamb was slaughtered.

”Mom,” Damali whispered with renewed panic. ”The Chairman is in the Himalayas. He's got a lair there!”

Yes. Dante knows to seek this missing element. The Chairman would offer a trade for it-you or Eve or both for the world antidote... and Heaven might have to indeed comply for the good of the whole. The Light might sacrifice a Neteru in the flesh and one in the spirit for all of humankind, and how would we angels argue such a decision, since the Creator has already sacrificed His Son?

”They would do that,” Damali stated, but with a question in the flat response.

I don't know. But you're my daughter. I'm not as evolved as the Most High, and I don't care about the current raging debate about your possible compromise... or your soul mate's potential compromise. My love for my child is stronger than warrior angels' admonishments, even at my lower ring. I will always give you insight, living or dead. This is why Dante established his lair in the Himalayas. It was not coincidence.

Damali could hear her mother's voice becoming farther away, as the last thing she said became strident with conflict. ”Mom,” she whispered. ”I love you. Thank you. Just tell me which temple, and I'm there with the quickness. Don't leave, yet.”

I have told you all I can without being seriously reprimanded. It is the greatest temple of all. Heal yourselves, Neterus, then the team, first; then heal the world. In that order. Anoint each forehead with the antidote, that minds become clear and spirits unclouded. You, him, then the team, first. The trinity, always. Ohhhh... sugar... Mommy misses you so...

”I don't want to get you in trouble, Mom,” Damali said, her voice catching in her throat. ”I won't fail. I promise. I won't let what you told me go to waste. I love you, I love you, I miss you and Dad so. Don't get yourself involved anymore. Not even for me, hear, or risk-” But you are my daughter. You are my daughter. You are my blessed daughter, my gift. My life. I saw them take your baby. I was there through it all. I wept. This is why I challenge the warrior ranks and have secretly brought this to you, out of pure mother's love. They cannot argue with that, or stop it, even in Heaven. Enough has happened, and you held the line. I trust you, even if the other angels are wary. Know that I hold my first grandchild's light in my arms. They didn't get it. I will love you till the end of time. I will give you an edge, but do not forsake this information. This is why you tell no one. Not even Carlos, until you are both synced up. fust go and find it to heal the world. Ohhhh... child of mine... I love you. I must go.

Damali sat down hard on the beach as her mother's voice trailed off and disappeared. It was all too much, and she did what was human-just put her face in her hands and wailed.

Yonnie instantly lifted his head from the bed, sending dozens of silken pillows to the floor. Tara sat up quickly and touched his arm.

”Get dressed,” Yonnie said. ”Carlos is outside.”

”In New Orleans?” Tara said, moving quickly to dress and follow Yonnie out of the suite Gabrielle had provided.

”Que pasa, m.u.t.h.af.u.c.ker!” Yonnie said laughing as he stopped, appraised Carlos in the new suit, then walked up to him for their familiar embrace. ”I'll just be d.a.m.ned. Look at you, man!”

Carlos smirked and pushed off the gleaming black finish of his new Lamborghini and accepted Yonnie's embrace. ”You're in a real good mood, man. You musta finally got straight.”

Yonnie shrugged. ”Hey... what can I say? You feel that surge that bubbled up to the surface? Has topspin on it like-”

”A real motherf.u.c.ker,” Carlos said laughing, and cutting Yonnie off. He pounded Yonnie's fist. But he noticed that Tara hung back, her eyes cautious. ”I hear you.”

”Hey, baby, what's the matter?” Carlos said, his tone warm and oozing with sensuality.

Yonnie discreetly stepped back from Carlos and stopped laughing. He glanced at Tara. ”I know you are not trying to get new with our boy? What's your problem?”

”Does Damali know you're here, in that?” Tara asked, her tone cool, civil, and so distant that ice could form around her words.

She appraised the car with open disdain.

”Excuse me?” Carlos said, tilting his head to one side, and then returning a hard glare to Yonnie. ”You don't have this b.i.t.c.h in order?”

Stunned, Yonnie stepped back further, his eyes holding confusion and hurt. ”Yo, man. C'mon. It's Tara. You know she's always got beef about some principle, but-”

”Then you clearly don't have her a.s.s in order,” Carlos said, shaking his head. ”I figured after the surge and you laid serious pipe, you'd have this b.i.t.c.h eating out of your hand, glad to get a wrist vein.”

Carlos narrowed his gaze on Yonnie's jugular when he didn't answer, just bristled. ”She throat marked you, and you allow her to dis you in fronta me like that?” He glanced at Tara hard and quickly studied her throat. ”Man, you let her have you so out of control that you gave her a permanent mate bite, and she's not humble? And you're my lieutenant?” He sighed and opened the car door, allowing his palm to slide across the exquisite bloodred leather interior. ”Can't blame you, though. You weren't schooled right from the jump. My bad.”

Yonnie backed away farther and pulled Tara close to him. ”Apologize to him, baby. He ain't in the mood tonight, okay? Don't take him there.”

Carlos looked up with a sly smile. ”Let's go for a ride, y'all. The new wheels are off da meter.” He chuckled as he saw the couple draw together in fear. ”Maybe we can go back to my lair and play, or go eat some real New Orleans, for a change, and listen to some live music?”

Neither Yonnie nor Tara spoke.

”Okay, maybe not. Yeah, there's a matter of protocol that I have to address, first. Again, my bad.” Carlos laughed and closed his car door.

”She's sorry, man, and didn't mean to offend,” Yonnie said, subtly pus.h.i.+ng Tara farther behind his back. ”Besides, there's this whack s.h.i.+t going down with the portal energy... that's probably affecting her. Got a coven divination on it. Seems that something's turned subterranean upside down. Levels Five on up are scrambling to the surface through broken portals, can't survive underground, and are scared to be-”

”Didn't you give her a direct order?” Carlos said, cutting off Yonnie's frantic babbling as he stared at his manicure.

”I'm sorry,” Tara whispered in a tight voice strangled with rage.

”I am, too, b.i.t.c.h,” Carlos said looking up, his eyes beginning to flicker black. ”I didn't like your tone. You took so long to respond to my boy-and you ain't f.u.c.king him the way you should be on a regular basis, anyway. I shouldn't have had to send a power surge up here to rectify that s.h.i.+t. Shoulda been automatic, just 'cause he said so. f.u.c.k Rider. He's human, and can't do nothing for you, like my boy.”

”Yo, man,” Yonnie said, his glare beginning to glow red. ”That was between me and you, as boyz. As men.”

”It is what it is, man.” Carlos folded his arms. ”Why be a punk, crying in your blood, worrying about-”