She could believe that. And that brought her right back to what had started all of this.... "Ren is in trouble. I know it." She could feel it with every part of her.
"You read the note," Sasha said from between clenched teeth. "He said he would meet us at the cave. Bastard could have left a map, or an address, or latitude, or longitude, or something, but nooooo.... he leaves you a note. Screw the rest of the world. Y'all can all die if you want. Just don't make my woman worry about me."
Nick snorted. "You obviously have never had a mother or a girlfriend. You do not go to the bathroom without letting them know, 'cause this hell's fury coming at us? Ring Around the Rosies, baby. I'd much rather face an armed demon horde drunk on the scent of my blood, than one riled woman who's been worrying herself sick about where I've been. Ain't a diamond cut big enough in the entire universe to make that beast smile and save your really important jewels from being drop-locked out your nostrils."
Cabeza froze.
"Something wrong?" Jess asked.
"Not sure. It's a ... feeling." He cocked his head as if listening for something. After a second, he indicated Kateri with a jerk of his chin. "Go on. I'll catch up."
Her heart pounded with trepidation. Please, Cabeza, be the angel I think you are.... "Are you going after Ren?"
"Si."
For that, she could kiss him. "Thank you."
He winked at her. "Hey, I'm Mayan. We live to fight. Don't worry, chica. I'll have him back to you before you miss me." Then, he was gone.
Kateri bit her lip as another wave of worry crashed over her. And with it came anger of tidal proportions. Where were those powers her grandmother and father had promised her? They'd said they would kick in when she needed them.
Well, I need them now.
Unfortunately, neither her powers, nor her parents were listening, and all of them appeared to be on their own schedule. One she wanted to rush. How could she save the world without them?
But that wasn't her biggest concern.
Please be all right, Ren. Honestly, she wasn't sure she'd want to save the world if he was no longer in it.
* * *
Ren spat the blood out of his mouth an instant before Chacu seized him again, and slammed him back into the wall, face-first. The good news? He ached so much, it no longer hurt. The bad news? He ached so much, it no longer hurt to be slammed, face-first, into a wall.
Just kill me already and be done with it.
But they were having way too much fun beating on him. And while he'd stood strong against the Guardian month after month, the Guardian had only been one being. Against nine huge, immortal warriors, four of whom dwarfed him, with thousands of years of combat training each?
Sucked to be him tonight, and he was getting the ever-loving shit knocked out of him. And if, by some miracle, he got out of here in one piece, he was definitely going to feel it later.
"Hold him," Coyote snarled at his attackers.
Two seized Ren's arms and two his legs, while another planted one herculean boot right on his crotch to keep him from resisting. The bald bastard pressed down enough to let Ren know he meant it, but not enough to really damage him.
Yet.
May the gods help his jewels if the bastard sneezed.
His breathing labored, Ren looked up to see Coyote with war club in his hands.
Ah, shit ...
The bastard was going to cut his head off. Yeah, that'll kill me.
At least it'll be quick.
Coyote twisted his face into a snide smile. "Where's your soliloquy now?"
Ren laughed at him, then licked at his bloodied and bruised lips. "It's 'monologue,' moron. And you dared to call me the stupid one? Now I am insulted."
Coyote narrowed his gaze in warning, "Fine, then. Your requiem."
Laughing even harder, Ren coughed up blood, then cursed as it rammed his cock against the bastard's boot. His breathing ragged, he glared at his brother. "I can barely speak, never mind break into song. And the last time I checked, we weren't Roman Catholics, so there's no chance of a requiem from me. Damn, boy. Buy a dictionary. Or better yet, kill me already. I can't take another minute of your uneducated abuse of the English language."
The biggest of his attackers grabbed Ren's chin and lifted it as far back as he could so that Coyote would have a clean shot at Ren's throat. Tensing from the pain that racked him, Ren glared at the asshole whose grip bit hard into his jaw. "I knew I should have killed you motherfuckers instead of imprisoning you. That'll teach me to be compassionate, eh?"
Even though he knew it was completely useless, Ren tried to throw them off him.
Squeezing his eyes shut, he mentally took himself away from the pain they caused, back to the first time Kateri had smiled at him. The first time her lips had brushed against his skin, and she'd called him baby ...
Coyote dragged the jagged edge of the obsidian glass on the club across his throat, slicing his flesh only enough to sting. "A bientot, mon frere."
His brother lifted the club for the killing blow.
I love you, Kateri. May the gods watch over you always, and thank you for being the best thing I ever knew. If only he could see her one last time ...