Chapter 4
Kateri stood completely still as those words sank in. She wasn't sure what reaction to have to his news. But it was a good thing that she'd told them she didn't overreact, otherwise, in spite of her bravado, she'd be running for the door.
Probably screaming the whole way.
Maybe ... if her shaking legs could manage it.
Instead, she took a deep breath and met her cousin-in-law with the calmest stare she could muster. "Have you been into Uncle Danny's peyote?"
Talon opened his mouth to respond, then closed it.
Cabeza laughed.
Talon cut a menacing glare toward him before he softened his features. "I know this is hard for you to hear and I know you're not going to believe me. But..." He hesitated as he visibly searched for words.
Cabeza gave him no reprieve. "We need to get out of here. Chacu will return for her and he'll bring reinforcements."
"Who is Chacu?" Kateri snapped, wanting real answers from both of them. "Why was he here?"
Most important, why the hell was he after her?
Cabeza put his hands on his hips. "Do you know what the Snake Kingdom was?"
Something to be avoided at all costs, no doubt. But she kept that sarcasm inside. "Not a clue."
"Of course not..." He growled low in his throat as if he found her lack of knowledge offensive, then he mumbled in Spanish under his breath. After a second, he took a breath and spoke. "Really short version, Chacu's name means 'to pillage' or 'to ravage.' The other puta with him, and yes, I'm using the feminine on purpose, is called Veneno-as in 'venom' or 'bane.'" He narrowed his gaze on her. "Is the picture starting to paint in your mind yet?"
With a clarity that horrified her. After all, their parents hadn't named them "Fluffy" or "Bunny." Obviously Chacu and friend were hard-asses. "And this time stone thing that Chacu wanted from me?"
"In short, it's called the Kinichi. With it, he can rule the world and even time itself. Your grandmother was one of the sacred keepers of the Kinichi. Your mother should have followed her into that role, but since she died before your grandmother, that role went to you."
Fabulous. She was overwhelmed with gratitude, and yes, that was sarcasm, too. "Why me?"
"The stone passes from daughter to daughter to ensure the bloodline."
Mama's baby. Daddy's maybe. That had been the philosophy her grandmother had used when Kateri had asked her why the Cherokee were matriarchal while most societies weren't. Everyone knew who their mother was without a doubt. But paternity, especially in the past, could be dicey and relied solely on the mother's character and morals ... provided she wasn't raped.
But that still didn't leave her as the sole heiress. "I'm not the only female in my family." She gestured to Talon, who was married to her cousin.
"Sunshine is half white," Talon said simply. "The stone has to go to a full-blood, Teri.... You."
Great. Could she win the lottery?
No. With her luck, she'd win the multi-mega-millions and still end up owing someone a check for it.
A sweepstakes once in a while?
Again, double heck no.
Mother of the Apocalypse ...
Well, of course, honey. Come on up and claim your prize.
Life was so unfair. And just once, Kateri would like to see the bad-luck fairy prey on someone else. Preferably not someone she liked, but still ...
Was the bitch bored today? Or could she really not find another victim?
"We also have a bigger problem," Cabeza said to Talon.
By all means, let's pile it on.
Talon stepped back. "Dare I ask?"
Cabeza snorted. "I wouldn't. But unfortunately, you need to know that someone unearthed the Seal of the Anikutani."
Talon gave him a dark scowl. "You say that like I should know what you're talking about."
Cabeza mumbled under his breath. "It's a ... kala kratu ... A..." He paused, struggling to find the right word. "How you say in English? Guard stone? Spell stone? Not the right word, but you know what I mean. It was placed over the tomb where the last seven Anikutani warriors were imprisoned. Now that it's uncovered, anyone can summon them back to this world. Whoever does such, they owe a favor to, and they will do what he commands them to. Then they will breach the gates and fight with the evil they unleash. You see the problem now, Celt? Chacu knows the seal is missing and he knows what that seal is."
Kateri cursed at that knowledge. No wonder Chacu had been so interested in the calendar when he'd seen it on her table. Why did she feel like she was suddenly in a horror movie?
Cabeza grabbed her arm and pulled her in to Talon. "Take her and go. We have to get her to her stone and then to safety so that she can seal the gates again."
"What about you?" Talon asked.
Someone should bottle Cabeza's evil laughter for a haunted house. It would definitely put the fear of death into any living being. "I live to fight, m'ijo. If they're dumb enough to come back, I have some questions I want answered and I'm sure I can pound it out of them.... Adios."
Talon inclined his head to him. "A beber y a tragar, que el mundo se va a acabar."
Cabeza was less than amused. "You're a cold bastard, Celt. Hombre prevenido, vale por dos." With that said, he walked backward, out of the room.
Kateri arched a brow at Talon. "I understood your 'Eat, drink, and be merry 'cause we're dying tomorrow.' But what did he say back to you?"
"One man forewarned is worth two. Now let's get you-"