"A year and a day," she breathed.
Ren turned to scowl at her. "What did you say?"
"Duck!" she shouted as one of the demons went for his back.
Turning, he barely caught it with the club. The twisted demon thing let out a piercing shriek before it burst apart. The flames flared brighter until they were blinding. Kateri held her hand up in front of her face to shield her eyes.
Ren turned and grabbed her, then tried to teleport. It didn't work. Dammit. He had to get her out of here. But he couldn't take them both out with his powers so depleted.
It's a good day to die. If he was gone, no one would care.
But unlike him, she mattered.
He cupped her face in his hand, then locked gazes with her. "Think of your grandmother. Call her to you and ask her to guide you home."
Kateri scowled at his order. "I don't understand."
He put something solid in her hand and held her fist closed over it so that she couldn't see what it was. "Just do it. Now close your eyes and think of her."
Kateri did. One second, she could feel the room warming up-feel the flames starting to lick her skin to burn it-and in the next ...
She was beside Talon in his living room in his New Orleans home.
What the...?
Completely confused, she turned in a small circle, surveying her cousin's house. Decorated in bright pinks and purples, it was completely out of synch with the overtly masculine man Sunshine had married. But he indulged her in everything. Even to the point that all of their towels were pink.
Sunshine sat on the couch to her right with her infant son, Declan, sleeping on her lap.
At Kateri's sudden appearance, Talon shot to his feet. He took a step toward her.
Relieved, Kateri started for him, then remembered Ren had given her something. Glancing down, she opened her hand to find a small, white, opalescent, tumbled feldspar that was in the shape of a teardrop.
A moonstone. Her grandmother had carried a similar one in her degalodi nvwoti or medicine pouch that she kept either in her pocket or tied around her neck. Every morning when her grandmother awoke, she'd pull out her crystals and stones that she kept in her night stand and choose the ones her Spirit Guide told her she would need for the day. Whispering a prayer, she'd place them in her degalodi nvwoti and draw the strings closed so that she could bravely face whatever challenges the day would send for her. Every morning it was a new set, but the one stone that never changed was her sacred moonstone.
"Why do you always keep a moonstone with you, Eleesee?" she'd asked one day after her grandmother had taken it out of her degalodi nvwoti and held it as if in prayer.
Her grandmother had pulled Kateri into her lap and placed the moonstone in her palm for her to examine it. Even now, she remembered how beautiful the milky translucent stone had appeared as the bright sunlight made it flash blue. "It's a stone of destiny that will help you see your future clearly so that you can better attain it. For that reason, it's a strong wishstone-whisper your dreams to it and it will echo them to the heavens for the Great Spirit to hear. It can also heal and protect those who are in need. And it is a stone of new beginnings and good fortune. You should always carry one whenever you travel, Waleli. They are a most precious gift from Grandmother Moon, who guides us through the cycles of our lives and who watches over us while Grandfather Sun slumbers. In our darkest hours when our enemies are hidden from our sight and wish to do us absolute harm, it is she who will guide us to safety. She who will make us see truths we don't want to face."
Tears choked her as she held Ren's moonstone, and understood the significance of what he'd done for her. In their culture, gifts were never expected from others, not even on birthdays or at weddings or festivals. In fact, it was usually the one being celebrated who gave to the attendees, as a way of letting them know how much they were valued and how much the person being honored appreciated other people taking valuable time out of their lives to come be with them for the event.
The importance was never on receiving something. The importance was on the act of giving to another, especially when it came unexpectedly and from the heart. The monetary value of a gift was even less important. The most valued gifts of all were those that held personal or spiritual significance to the giver.
And Ren had sent her away with his protection and destiny stone-with one of his most sacred possessions that he'd thought enough of to have it with him-knowing that he stayed behind to fight for her without it to watch over him.
No one had ever given her anything more valuable.
"Teri?" Worry creased Sunshine's beautiful brow. "Are you all right?"
Kateri couldn't answer for the lump in her throat as she clutched at Ren's most precious gift. A single tear for him slid down her cheek.
In that moment, she felt something grab her from behind.
Talon lunged for her.
It was too late. Whatever had grabbed her, sucked her out of the house and back into darkness.
"Grammy!" Kateri called, attempting to do what Ren had instructed her. She tried her best to stay focused on her grandmother. But it was useless. Her grandmother couldn't help her stop whatever this was.
So instead, her thoughts turned to a tall, gorgeous man who always murdered her in her dreams.
* * *
Ren's head swam from the pain he was in. It was so foul that it kept him from shifting forms to escape. He'd used up his reserves to send the woman to Talon. Worse, his Dark-Hunter powers were making him sleepy-something they always did whenever a Dark-Hunter was wounded. Asleep, the Greek dream gods could help them heal. But if he went down in this fight ...
They'd kill him for the very blood he hated.
He felt so sick. And still the demons kept coming.
Just lie down and let them have you. Really, there was no reason for him to fight anymore. He'd more than made amends for his human atrocities. And he'd survived long enough to see his bargain with Artemis fulfilled.