The Dark-Hunters, page 650
She was still there when the maidens came and dressed her for Coyote.
At sundown, he returned for her. But before they could begin the ceremony that would join them together, the First Guardian … Kateri’s father … appeared in the middle of the room. His dark eyes radiated fury as he glared his hatred at them both.
“I am here to claim the life of the one responsible for killing two Guardians.”
Coyote gasped in terror. His mind whirled as he tried to think of some trick that could save his life. And while Ren’s magic was powerful and had allowed his brother to battle the Guardian for a year and a day, it wasn’t Coyote’s magic. And it wouldn’t be enough for him to save his own life.
Kateri’s father crossed the room in a determined stride that promised retribution. From his belt, he drew the sacred Dagger of Justice, and without hesitating, plunged it straight into the heart of the one who’d caused such turmoil and misery.
Butterfly staggered back as blood saturated her dress and ran across her braids. Instead of showing pain, she sighed in relief. Blood ran from her lips as she turned to Coyote. “I will be with my love now. Forever in his arms.” She sank to the floor, where she died with the most blissful of smiles on her face.
His features contorted by his confusion, Coyote shook his head. “I don’t understand.”
Her father shrugged. “You were the tool who killed Buffalo. But Butterfly was the cause. Had she not been born, you wouldn’t have taken the Guardian’s life. She is the one responsible for his death, and for that of Makah’Alay.”
“No, no, no, no. This isn’t right. This wasn’t how it was supposed to end.” Raking his hands through his hair, Coyote went to his true love and cradled her in his arms one last time. She was so tiny and light. Her blood stained his wedding clothes and he wept at the loss of her.
And it was his loss.
She wouldn’t be waiting for him on the other side. The pain of that knowledge tore him apart. She would greet that bastard Buffalo. A man who had caused him infinite grief and tried to alienate him from his father and from their people.
No … it wasn’t right that bastard would have her. Not after Coyote had endured torture and pain to come back to her and take her as his wife.
Damn you all!
Throwing his head back, he screamed in outrage. It wouldn’t end like this. He’d been a good man. Obedient. All his life. And one by one, all of them had killed that.
First Makah’Alay, then Buffalo, and finally Butterfly.
They’d ruined his life and changed him forever. There was no way he would let them live a happy eternity together. Not after he’d assumed an immortal Guardianship that would leave him alone for eternity.
He reached into Ren’s pouch and summoned the strongest demon elements there. “I curse you, Buffalo,” he growled between clenched teeth. “You will live a thousand lives and never be happy in any of them. You will walk this earth, betrayed by all who look upon you. There will be no one place you call home. Not in any human lifetime. And you will never have my Butterfly.” He blew his magic from his palm into the air so that it could be carried to the spirits who would make it so.
Then he looked down at the serene beauty of the Butterfly. So gentle. So sweet. The thought of cursing her stung him deep.
But she had scorned him. Betrayed him.
“Because of what you did to me, you will never marry the one you love. He will always die on his way to unite with you and you will spend your lifetimes mourning him over and over again. No peace in any of them. Not until you accept me in my true right. And if you do marry another, he will never trust you. You will never be happy in any marriage. Not so long as you have human blood within you.” He reached into his pouch and drew the last of his brother’s magic, then sent it into the wind.
“Do you know what you’ve done?”
Coyote looked up at Choo Co La Tah’s approach. “I settled the score.”
Choo Co La Tah laughed. “Such magic always comes back on the one who wields it. Whatever you cast for, you bring to shore.”
“How so?”
He gestured out the window, toward the sky and the trees. “You know the law. Do no harm, and yet you have done much harm here today.”
“They hurt me first.”
Choo Co La Tah sighed. “And you have sown the seeds of your ultimate demise. When you curse two people together, you bind them. With that combined strength, they will have the ability to break their curse and kill you.”
Coyote scoffed at him. “You don’t know what you’re talking about.”
“Arrogance. The number one cause of death among both peasant and king. Beware its sharp blade. More times than not, it injures the one who wields it most of all.”
Coyote dismissed Choo Co La Tah’s words. He had no interest in them. He would never suffer more. He’d already paid his dues. It was time for him to get his just rewards.
And he would ensure that they did, too. For all time.
Kateri pulled back as she experienced Coyote’s hatred firsthand. It was a malevolent beast all its own. She left it there in the past, and looked up at Ren while he held her.
“Am I doing something wrong?” Ren asked with a furrowed brow. “I haven’t hurt you, have I?” The concern in his tone warmed her.
How could anyone not treasure someone so sweet?
“No, honey. You definitely haven’t done anything wrong. I just felt a jolt of hatred from your brother for you. It was so foul, it momentarily stunned me.”
He started to speak, but she placed a finger on his lips to stop him. “Don’t say it’s your fault. You have suffered far more than he ever did. Yet you are still human. You never left that part of you behind.”
“I wasn’t always so.”
“You were possessed. That’s different.”
Ren wasn’t so sure about that. Yes, he’d allowed the Grizzly Spirit to take possession of his body, but he’d been aware even then what he was doing. And the Grizzly hadn’t been inside him at the point he’d killed his father.
That, he’d done on his own.
He glanced down at the scar near his left hip where his father had almost gutted him. It had been a brutal fight. For all of his age, his father had still been an accomplished warrior. Ren was lucky he’d survived the fight.
It was also his self-awareness that had finally allowed him to break from the Grizzly and free himself. But that was a lot easier said than done. It’d taken weeks to get his life back.
And a mere heartbeat to lose that life again.
Kateri laid herself over him. He sucked his breath in sharply at the sensation of her naked breasts on his chest as she began to lave his jawline. All thoughts scattered. His body erupted as his head swam from sensations he’d all but forgotten.
Straddling him, she pressed the center of her body against his groin, making him even harder. Please don’t let me embarrass myself. Afraid he wouldn’t last long for her, he rolled her over so that he could peel her shoes and jeans from her.
His heart stopped beating as he saw her lying there, completely naked and inviting. She opened her legs for him and bent her knees, giving him a prime view of the part of her body he craved most. Her smile was warm as she reached for him.
He wanted to tell her how much that meant to him, but his mind couldn’t formulate a single word past the thrumming heat in his blood.
Kateri arched a brow at Ren’s hesitation. She saw the deep-seated need in his eyes. Still, he made no move to touch her. Rather, he licked her entire body with his hungry gaze.
Finally, he approached her like a feral predator on all fours. Crouching low, he slid his cheek against her calf in a tender caress that sent chills all over her. His gaze held hers captive as he reached to gently finger the part of her that was begging for his touch. He ran his thumb slowly down her cleft in a move that only made her want him more.
A slight smile curled his lips as he used his thumb to open her up for him, then he replaced his hand with his mouth.
Kateri cried out as pleasure singed her. Reaching down, she sank her hand into his thick hair while his tongue teased her mercilessly. For a man who hadn’t had sex in eleven thousand years, he was doing a mighty fine job of it.
Ren closed his eyes as he savored the taste of her and let her cries wash over him. He took a lot of pride in the fact that she was enjoying his touch as much as he enjoyed pleasing her. The last thing he wanted was to be compared to her other lovers and be found lacking in any way.
He wanted her to be more than sated. Her hands played in his hair, stroking his scalp while she murmured endearments. And then, in one heartbeat, she tensed up and screamed out as she spasmed.
Amazed at how quickly she’d come for him, he waited until she was completely through before he undid his pants. When he went to remove them, she stopped him.
At first, he thought she’d changed her mind, until she rolled him over and pulled them free of his body.
Kateri took a moment to appreciate the sight of his tawny, naked body. Never in her life, other than on the cover of a bodybuilders’ magazine, had she seen a man more ripped. Dang, he was fine. He could eat crackers, soup, anything he wanted … what the hell, he could come to bed covered in sand and she wouldn’t care.
She purred at him, causing him to arch a brow at the sound. Laughing, she slowly crawled up his body, stopping only long enough to lave and tease him.
Ren cried out at the sensation of her sliding her mouth over his cock. Windseer had never done that for him. His breathing labored, he knew he was forever lost to Kateri. For this kindness alone, there was nothing he wouldn’t do for her. Nothing.
It’s just sex.
Yeah, but she didn’t have to have it with him. And the care she took, it was almost enough that he could pretend she had real feelings where he was concerned. What he wouldn’t give, just once, to make love to a woman who would cry over his body the way Butterfly had cried for Buffalo.
The way Abigail would cry for Sundown.
I sound like an old woman.
But as soon as he had that thought, he heard Kateri in his head—one of the oldest human needs is having someone to wonder when you are coming home at night. As much as he hated admitting it, she was right. While jealousy was the root of all evil, love was the source of all good. Jealousy brought out the worst in everyone. Love created the best. It was for jealousy that he had destroyed his own brother. But it was love of his best friend that brought him back and made him a defender again.
What about Coyote? He loved Butterfly. And there was nothing beautiful in that relationship.
That wasn’t true and he knew it. Coyote hadn’t loved her. He’d lusted for her and he’d wanted to possess her. If he had really cared about Butterfly, he would have rather seen her happy with Buffalo than miserable with him. It was why his mother had released his father. She’d loved him enough to want to be with him only briefly. But she’d known that he would never be happy with her. Not while his heart belonged to another.
It was why Choo Co La Tah had married the love of his life to his best friend. Because they’d grown up together, Choo had never told her of his feelings. They were from the same clan and a marriage would have been forbidden. While Choo had dreamed of it, he’d let that dream go when she’d met another and fallen in love with him.
That selfless sacrifice was why the First Guardian had chosen Choo Co La Tah to be one of the Gate Guardians. Choo was able to put aside his interests for the benefit of others. While the Guardians had competed for the honor of their posts, those competitors had been chosen from warriors who had proven that they knew how to love. Warriors who understood that others came first.
Ren was the only exception. Forbidden by the First Guardian to compete for his stewardship, Ren had been chosen because of the hold Grizzly had on him.
If anyone understands why evil must be kept locked away, it is the one who danced with it for over a year. The one who has tasted its sweetness and then been burned by its bitter taste.
But Ren had never known the flavor of love. Not until he looked into a pair of gold-tinged eyes that reminded him of the man he’d once wanted to be.
He shook all over as she slowly licked her way up his body. She lifted herself up to look down at him with the most amazing smile he’d ever seen. Biting her lip, she slid herself onto him. Growling low in his throat, he shuddered at the sensation of his body inside hers. It took every bit of his self-control not to come instantly.
She took his hand into hers and rode him slow and easy while she smiled down at him. Ren lifted his hips, driving himself in even deeper. Until this moment, he’d never understood what it felt like to be welcomed somewhere. To be wanted. But as he looked into her eyes, he finally felt the warmth of home. Of belonging to someone other than himself.
Kateri watched the play of emotions on Ren’s face. She wrinkled her nose teasingly at him. “Sorry I broke your record.”
He scowled at her. “My record?”
“Longest stretch of celibacy ever. Guinness would be most impressed. And I seriously doubt you’ll ever find a contender for your title.”
He rewarded her with a warm, rich laugh. One that ended in a moan as he released himself inside her. He drove himself even deeper while he shuddered.
Once he was finished, she started to move to his side, but he held her on top of him. For once his emotions were completely hidden as he cupped her face in his hands, then kissed her.
Pulling back, he nuzzled his cheek against hers so that he could whisper in her ear. “I won’t let anything happen to you.”
“I know, sweetie. And I won’t let it get you either.”
Ren smiled at the endearment. For the first time in his extremely long existence, he felt truly intimate with someone. And it wasn’t just because he’d seen visions of her life, nor was it from the sex. It came from the fact that he actually believed her promise.
He believed in her.
Yeah, the world was definitely going to end. He’d had sex and he trusted the woman he’d had it with. If that wasn’t the sign of impending doom, he didn’t know what was.
She kissed him on the tip of his nose before she slid off his body and dressed.
Pulling on his own clothes, Ren knew they should hurry, but he didn’t want this to end. He’d had so few perfect moments in his life. He could count them on one hand. And none of them came close to this.
“Dadgumit!”
He arched a brow at her irritated tone. “What’s wrong?”
“I broke a stupid nail.” She held it up to show him. “I know it’s ludicrous, right? But I still hate to lose one.”
Then the smile faded from her face as she stared at him as if he was a stranger.
Dread hit his stomach hard. This couldn’t be good. “What?”
“Why are your eyes blue?”
Ren went to conjure something so that he could see for himself, but the moment he tried, he made a frightening discovery.
He had no powers whatsoever. That, combined with blue eyes, could only mean one thing.…
Dear gods, I’m mortal.
CHAPTER 12
Kateri couldn’t breathe as she stared into a pair of eyes that were so vibrant a blue they practically glowed, especially in contrast to his dark tawny skin and black hair. “What’s going on?”
“I-I-I-I…” He slammed his eyes shut and ground his teeth. After a few seconds, he tried again. “I-I-I’ve lost all m-my p-p-powers.”
“Okay, so we can’t conjure anything.”
He shook his head. “I’m m-m-mortal ag-gain.” He tried to say more, but he couldn’t get it out, which only frustrated him more. Damn it! Without those powers, he was a stammering, effing moron.
She reached up and gently pulled his head down until she had her forehead pressed against his. Smiling, she brushed her hands against his cheeks. “Breathe, sweetie. Take your time. The only part about your speech that bothers me is how much it upsets you. Give yourself a break and stop calling yourself names in your head.”
He frowned.
“Yes,” she continued, “I know you’re doing it. Now stop.”
He took a deep breath before he made another attempt. “I can die now.”
“Okay, I liked it better when you were stuttering and couldn’t get that out. Are you serious?”
He nodded.
Releasing him, Kateri took a step back. “What do you need me to do?”
He shrugged, then hesitated as if he dreaded speaking. But when he did so, his voice was calm and perfect. “I’ve never lost them completely before. I have no idea.”
As Kateri opened her mouth to speak, she heard a rustling in the trees behind him.
Ren turned at the same time a fireball came flying toward her. It was so close that she felt the burn of it an instant before Ren threw her to the ground and covered her with his body. He flung his hand out to return the fire, then cursed as he remembered he didn’t have his powers.
Beautiful timing there.
Fine. He still had his bow, and even as a human, he could do a tremendous amount of damage with it. While more fireballs bombarded them, he started to move in front of Kateri to cover her, but before he could, she let fly her own shot.
It went straight between the demon’s eyes. Three more arrows went past him in rapid succession, taking out more demons.
Damn, she was impressive.
He moved in for cover fire. “Deeper into the woods.”
She shot two more arrows, then complied.
Hiding behind a forked tree, she covered him as he ran to join her.
Gah, what he wouldn’t give to be able to conjure armor for them. While it wouldn’t save them completely, it would at least give them a little more protection than bare skin.
And at the rate they were firing, they’d be out of arrows soon.
He met Kateri’s nervous gaze. “Keep moving forward.”
She did, and he stayed one step behind her. All of a sudden, one of the black trees reached to grab Kateri.
Reacting on instinct, Ren let out his demon crow’s call. The tree shirked away from her.
A slow smile curled his lips. He might be mortal, but he still had the demon in him. While he wasn’t happy with Ravenna, at least she’d given him a few handy things no one could steal.
