"Kateri? What is it?"
She heard Ren speaking, but she couldn't respond. It was as if she was torn between two worlds and grounded in neither while her head swam with out-of-context events and images she didn't understand.
Finally, one came into focus. Dressed in formal Victorian attire, Urian fed off the blood of a woman. There was so much pleasure on his face that it sickened her.
Then the image shifted to show him in modern times, dressed in black pants and a black button-down shirt. Fire was all around him as he worked to save the life of a beautiful blond woman. She was terrified as he held his hand out to her.
"Trust me, Phoebe. I won't let you die. I swear it."
From there she saw him and Phoebe alone in an apartment where he held her so tenderly it brought tears to her eyes. Leaning back against his chest, Phoebe fed from his wrist while he stroked her hair and nuzzled her neck.
"I'm not taking too much, am I?" Phoebe asked.
"Don't worry about me. Take what you need."
Kateri could feel the love between them. It was so strong, it was tangible.
Then she left them to find Sasha in ancient Egypt embroiled in a furious battle where he fought with a clan of wolves against an ancient Greek army. Kateri sucked her breath in sharply at how young he appeared. While he fought, it was obvious he lacked the experience of the others.
And as one of the Greek soldiers came at his back with a spear, a wolf launched itself to take the fatal blow instead.
"No!" Sasha screamed, reaching for the wolf. But it was too late. The wolf had died instantly.
He was still holding the wolf when one of the soldiers came forward to seize him by his hair and pull him into a cage. "I hope they roast you over an open pyre," the soldier snarled at him.
Then those images faded while more flashed like a panicked strobe light. The motion made her sick to her stomach until everything settled again.
This time, it was Cabeza in ancient Tikal. Dressed as a Mayan warrior with his face painted into a fierce mask, he was under attack by a group of seven men led by a prince from Calakmul.
"We will feed on your blood," one of the men shouted in Cabeza's face.
Cabeza laughed. "Crawl back to Calakmul, Chacu. So long as I live, my father will own this land and yours."
Kateri's heart pounded as she realized that this was the same Chacu who'd attacked her in her lab. No wonder Cabeza had lost his mind. Their enmity was centuries old.
And still the images shifted again, making her feel like Alice falling down the rabbit hole. But the next time she was able to focus, she gasped.
Coyote stood with Buffalo in the same hall where she'd seen Buffalo's body after Coyote had killed him-wearing the same clothes he'd died in. It was strange to see this version of the cowboy. While their features were the same, Buffalo had long black hair and wasn't nearly as well muscled as Sundown Brady. Nor did he have the same cockiness or sense of humor.
Buffalo glanced around the room in confusion. "Where's Makah'Alay? I received a message that he needed to see me. He's not hurt, is he?"
A tic worked in Coyote's jaw. "No, he's not hurt. He's healthier than ever."
"Then why-"
"I was the one who sent the servant after you," Coyote said, interrupting him.
His scowl increased. "I don't understand."
"I'm your future chief, Buffalo. Not my brother. You'd do well to remember that."
"Is that a threat?"
Coyote scoffed. "Why would I threaten the man who stood by and allowed my torture? I ask you?"
"I didn't know what he was doing to you."
"You didn't bother to find out, did you?"
Shame filled Buffalo's eyes. "I never dreamed he'd do something like that. It wasn't really him, you know. Getting Grizzly out of him almost cost the First Guardian his life."
"How commendable of you to keep defending him. How sweet."
Buffalo went ramrod stiff at the insult. "What are you implying?"
"Nothing. I merely find it odd that you have always been so quick to defend a mentally defective retard when no one else will. Tell me honestly, don't you get tired of kissing his ass all the time?"
Buffalo took a step toward him, then stopped. "You're not going to goad me into a fight. So you might as well stop this now. I protect him because I owe him a debt that cannot be repaid. My sister and mother were on the brink of starvation until he began bringing us meat. I wouldn't have them now but for Makah'Alay, and for that charity, he will always have my loyalty."
"How nice for my brother. It's a shame your loyalty goes no further."
"How do you mean?"
Coyote moved to stand just before him. He raked a condemning sneer down the length of Buffalo's body. "You know exactly what I mean. I saw you earlier today."
Buffalo's face blanched at the last five words.
"Oh yeah ... I see the guilt in your eyes. You have stolen the affections of my promised bride."
"I stole nothing."
Coyote snorted. "Bullshit! That was why you didn't help me when Makah'Alay tortured me. You were hoping I'd die so that you could have her and a clear conscience."
"That's not true."
"Isn't it?"
Buffalo shook his head. "I never meant to love her. I didn't. Any more than she meant to love me. But when you went missing, Butterfly refused to leave until she knew you were safe. She worried herself sick over you. For hours on end, she'd walk the halls, weeping and begging the spirits to bring you safely home."
He curled his lip at Buffalo. "Yes." His voice dripped with sarcasm. "I saw her concern this afternoon when she threw herself against you with a passion she's never shown me."
"It's not like that, Coyote. Neither of us meant to hurt you. She cried herself sick every single day. I only came here in your absence to reassure her that you were still alive and that you'd be back home soon. We were very circumspect and respectful of you. Always."
Coyote backhanded him. "Liar!"
He wiped the blood from his mouth with the back of his hand, then swiped at it with his tongue. "It's not a lie. It's just that the more time we spent together, the more we realized that we couldn't live without each other. I began to live only for the seconds when I'd be able to see her face again."
"What do you think got me through a year of torture?" Coyote ground through clenched teeth. "Huh? It was knowing that she'd be waiting here when I returned. She was the only thing I hung on to. And you took her from me. Damn you! Damn you!"
"You've every right to be angry, but..." Buffalo's voice broke off into a sharp gasp. He staggered back to see the blood spreading over his tunic. Pressing his hands to the wound, he gaped at Coyote, who plunged the knife in again and again in a furious rage that descended so rapidly, Buffalo had no chance to defend himself.
Yet somehow, he managed to remain standing as he confronted his killer. "I never touched her. She never betrayed you. We never even kissed."
"I saw you hold her!"
Buffalo staggered, then caught himself. "A hug. Nothing more. We were saying good-bye so that she could marry you on the morrow. We'd already relegated ourselves to living apart. We both intended to honor her vows to you." He sank down to his knees. "Your heart is so evil, Coyote, that you have never been able to be happy. Even though you were always the favored son, you couldn't allow Makah'Alay to have even a tiny bit of your father's affection or any note of praise from anyone."
"Shut up!" Coyote shouted as he kicked Buffalo in the ribs. "Die already, you worthless bastard!"
But Buffalo had been right. She saw the images now of them as boys. Anytime someone attempted to praise Ren, Coyote would insert himself so that their compliment would go to him instead.
She saw them together as young teens. Ren was stringing his bow while Coyote bragged about a banquet being served to honor him.
"Can you believe it, Makah'Alay? After tonight, I will be considered a man!"
"B-b-but you, you, you d-didn't kill it."
"It doesn't matter, does it? Father's always said that because of your mental defects you'll be a perpetual child and that we'll always have to care for you. Now I will have all the respect of a real man." Coyote rushed over to Ren so that he could lean against his back and whisper in his ear. "It'll be our secret. You kill the game and I'll bring it in."
By his face, it was obvious Ren didn't like the idea at all.
Coyote scoffed at him. "Stop pouting like a baby. No one would ever give you credit anyway. They all think you're incompetent. So what does it matter?"
She could hear Ren's thoughts. It matters to me. Just once, I'd like for someone to tell me I did a good job, too.
"Kateri!"
The images scattered until she was staring into the face of the man that boy had grown into. "Why did you stop stuttering when the Grizzly possessed you?"
He frowned at her. "What?"
"Your stutter went away when he possessed you. Was that part of the bargain?"
Ren glanced to the others to make sure none of them overheard her question. Luckily, they were far enough away that her voice wouldn't carry to them.
"Yes. He returned it when I cast him out, but by then I'd learned to mitigate it most of the time."
And he never stuttered around Buffalo.
She winced as pain lacerated her skull. "My head hurts. Badly."
Ren brushed a tender hand over her forehead. The concern on his face touched her deeply. "You were crying out like you were in a nightmare. What happened?"
She pressed the heel of her hand to her eye socket, trying to relieve the pain of it.
"Here."
Before she realized what he intended, he swung her up in his arms to carry her.
"What are you doing?"
"I know your head hurts, but I would think it obvious."
She groaned at his density. "Let me try this again. Why are you carrying me?"
"You don't feel well."
"People don't normally carry other people for that reason."
He winked at her. "I'm not most people."
That was certainly true. "Can I ask you something?"
"If I said no would it stop you?"
She smiled. "Of course not." She laid her head down on his shoulder and savored the comfort of his arms around her. "How did you learn so much about hunting?" It seemed incongruous that anyone in his clan would have taught him given their contempt.
"Artemis is ... for lack of a better term, my godmother. Since she's goddess of the hunt, I always assumed it was a gift from her."
"Mmm."
Ren had to tighten his arms around her to keep her from falling as she went completely limp. "Kateri?" He shook her slightly. Her head lolled back.
She was out cold.
Fear shredded him. "Sundown!"
They all slowed down to look at him.
Jess came running over immediately. "What happened?"
"I don't know. She just passed out."
And in the next heartbeat, she stopped breathing entirely.