"Remain her friend and guide, as you've begun. Completing her destined tasks will be both difficult and dangerous, particularly since she must remain largely unaware of that destiny, and her powers must remain mostly latent, until the true Protector manifests." He gestured, and they were inside, standing beside the cot that served Cortin as a recovery room, with Chang on the other side.
The man kept his attention centered on Odeon, though he was clearly addressing Chang as well. "When she wakes, the final phase begins. You will be severely tried, Michael in particular, by pain and loss great enough that you will be sorely tempted to reject me." He raised a hand to forestall Odeon's instinctive denial. "I said you would be tempted; I did not say you would succumb, though even Cardinals are not immune."
Odeon frowned again. In the light of last month's murder of Pope Anthony and Cardinal McHenry's near-unanimous election—he was now Pope Lucius—that had an ominous sound. "There was something fishy about the Papal election?"
"Let us just say that were his true identity known, most people would prefer a fish in that position. The former Cardinal McHenry introduced himself to Sister-Lieutenant Chang as the Raidmaster."
Odeon stared at Chang, then at him. "The Raidmaster—are you saying that Shayan is the Pope?"
"The Cardinals' free will includes the freedom to accept temptation," the man said drily. "Yes, he's managed that. But for now balance must be maintained, which means giving Joan a core group he can't touch, and nudging temporal authorities to give her mundane power to match his. All of which will have to be done without her knowledge, or she loses her temporary immunity before she's strong enough to fight him. If that's how she chooses to handle it."
Gently, he pulled the coverlet down to Cortin's waist, then touched her breasts. "If you choose, you two will be her chief support—and for that, you'll need support yourselves. You've both offered your lives to me and been accepted. That hasn't protected you from sin, because that's part of the Protector's covenant. And it's too early for it to protect more than her core group—but if you're willing to surrender that fragment of your free will so you can serve her fully, I can give you the help and protection you need to do it."
"You've got it," Odeon said without hesitation, and Chang nodded.
"I expected no less of you," Jeshua said, obviously pleased. "Then drink from her, for hers is the protecting and healing Milk of Life."
Chang obeyed immediately, but Odeon hesitated, looking at the drop of white that had appeared on her nipple. "Even for that," he said softly, "I can't take advantage of her. That's not the way to help her."