He held the knife up for Coyote to see it. "It's been one of the best weapons I've ever owned. Eleven thousand years and the blade is still as strong as ever."
"Why would you keep it, you sick bastard?"
His anger rose up in his throat to choke him, but Ren shoved it away. This wasn't about fury. It was about retribution for a lifetime of misery Coyote had served him. "Because I wanted to make our father proud, and you happy, I melted down my mother's necklace as part of the blades. The cost of a gift is never important. The important part is that it comes from the heart, and that it holds emotional value to the giver. There was nothing I treasured more than her necklace ... except you and Father. So I keep this knife that I used to remind myself to be humble and to never, ever trust another with my life. To make sure I always knew where other people stood in relation to my position at any given moment, so that no one would ever stab me again while I was being inattentive to my surroundings."
Moving closer to him, Coyote rolled his eyes. "I miss the days when you stuttered. You never rambled on back then about bullshit."
"After tonight, you'll never have to suffer my presence again. And never again will you take, harm, or threaten those I love."
Coyote scoffed as he came to rest right in front of Ren. "You can't kill me. I'm your brother."
Ren pulled Coyote against him into a brotherly hug, then the instant he felt Coyote relax, he stabbed him through the heart. "From another mother," he whispered in Coyote's ear as he held him in his arms. "And the Keetoowah only count relations through their mother's bloodline.... He is no brother of mine. And I owe him nothing." Those had been the exact words Coyote had said to the priest when he'd asked his brother how Coyote wanted Ren buried.
More than that, Coyote had added, "He is not a true Keetoowah and he died with no honor. I don't care what you do with his body, but do not insult or desecrate our beloved dead with a foreigner's remains."
Instead of having a funeral fit for a chief's son, Ren's body had been dumped in the pit they used for garbage. And Coyote would never have thought of him again had Artemis not restored Ren's life.
Gasping for air, Coyote reached up with his hands, trying to choke Ren as he died.
Ren shoved his brother away, and let Coyote fall to the floor where he writhed for a few more seconds. Once Coyote was dead, Ren did what Coyote had done to him all those centuries ago. He stepped over his body and went about his business.
At least he tried to. But he'd only taken three steps when his necklace heated up, and burned his skin.
Shit ...
While Coyote had tried to choke him, their mingled blood had touched the demonstone.
The Grizzly would now be freed.
And I am owned. Forever.
Sick to his stomach, Ren rushed back to where he'd left Cabeza battling Chacu, to find his friend standing alone in the center of the room.
Ren slowed. "Where's Chacu?"
"Little puta ran home for his mother. I swear ... one day I will drink the blood from his heart and eat it...." He jerked his chin toward the blood on Ren's shirt. "Et tu?"
"The Coyote howls no more. The bastard is forever silenced."
He nodded in understanding. "I am sorry, and I am happy for you."
Ren let out a short laugh. "Yeah, that sums it up, doesn't it?"
"It does, indeed, my brother."
Ren took a moment to savor that last part. The only time Coyote had claimed him as a brother was to manipulate him. But the ones who meant it when they said it to Ren had no blood relation to him whatsoever.
He would miss them while he served Grizzly.
Not wanting to think about it, he chucked Cabeza on the arm. "Shall we save the rest of the world now?"
"Sure. Why not? If everyone dies, I'd have to cook my own food, and I cook like shit. How about you?"
Ren laughed. "Only fry bread and okra, and I make no claims to the edible state of either."
"Then we'd best be saving the rest of the world."
* * *
Kateri cursed as she realized she was out of ammunition. Again. What she wouldn't give for a Hollywood weapon that never ran dry while you were taking fire.
Sasha was off in the darkness alone, fighting in wolf form, trying to keep as many away from them as he could, while they were pinned down, unable to go anywhere near the cave they had to reach really soon, or all of this was for nothing.
Provided that was actually the cave they needed. There was still some debate about the exact location of where the mural was. Without Ren ... Yeah, this night might not have the best ending.
She shot her last arrow at a demon that was flying straight for Sundown. "Nick! More ammo!"
They appeared instantly in her quiver. Okay, Nick was better than Hollywood. Except he couldn't conjure C-4. Well, he could, in theory, conjure it. The problem was, none of them knew how to use it.
"Thanks."
Nick went back to fire-balling their attackers. He shot so many so fast, it looked like a Fourth of July celebration.
Jess continued to shoot at the raven mockers and demons as fast as his shotgun would load, cock, and aim-which was surprisingly fast in his hands. The barrel of that thing had to be hot enough to raise a blister.
But for every demon they destroyed, it seemed like ten more came in to replace it.
Sundown cast an irritated glare at Nick. "Can't you command these things to die, or something?"
"Yeah. Sure can, but, here's the big green pickle ... if I use those powers, they'll pierce through the weakened gates, and open them instantly. I'm the top tier, Jess. That power tends to draw out other demons like Mardi Gras beads to naked beasts, and depending on the demon's level, can even strengthen them. Think of me like a homing beacon of the damned."
Jess reloaded. "That don't seem like a whole lot of fun."
"It's a jolly fucking Barrel of Monkeys." Nick sent more fireballs to the demons.