Time Untime

Nick tossed Kateri over his shoulder as they hiked through the hinterlands of hell to find the right cavern that no one other than Ren or Choo Co La Tah knew the exact location of.

"He's in trouble. I can feel it."

Nick swept his gaze around the others-Sundown, Cabeza, and Sasha who was limping, but who refused to, as he so eloquently put it, 'lie down and lick his crotch while they either saved or condemned the world.'

"Why am I the one holding hellcat when out of this group, I'm the only one who doesn't really have to fear the gates opening?"

Sundown clapped him on the shoulder. "'Cause you're just that kind of man, Nick. And we appreciate it."

Nick snorted in derision. "You're so full of caca, Cowboy-no wonder you only wear shit-kickers."

Sundown flashed him a wicked grin. "I happen to like my cowboy boots. My woman says they make me look sexy."

Nick let out a "heh" sound. "I should have had Andy buy you scratchy wool long johns when I was a Squire."

Kateri stopped squirming at the word she wasn't familiar with ... at least not in the way he used it. "What's a Squire?"

"Humans who help Dark-Hunters," Sundown said. "Obviously, mine was named Andy."

That made her heart lurch. "Was? Did something happen to him?"

"Yeah, little booger up and married on me a few months ago, and ... well, I was going to say moved out. But that's just a pipe-dream I had once. I can't get him out no matter what I do, but I keep trying. Luckily the house is so big I don't ever really see him unless he runs out of eats or coffee, and has to mosey over to my side in the middle of the night to raid my cupboard or fridge."

"How big is this house?" she asked.

"Don't ask," the three-men-not-Jess said simultaneously.

Okay, now she had to know. "How big?"

Sundown chuckled. "Sixty thousand, give or take a few."

"You mean six thousand."

"No," Sasha said. "Sixty. You can land a 747 jet in his backyard."

She gaped. "Where do you live?"

"Vegas."

Wow ... she didn't even want to contemplate how much something like that would cost in Vegas. "Now I have to be nosy. How much does a Dark-Hunter make?"

Nick laughed. "Let me put it to you this way. Those boots Jess is so proud of? Five grand."

That confused her more. "Then why is Ren's house so small?" While it was comfortably furnished, it wasn't elaborate. His sparse furnishings kind of reminded her a lot of IKEA.

"He don't got horses to accommodate." Jess made it sound so simple.

But it was Nick who really told her what she wanted to know. "Ren doesn't need much. He wants even less. Most of his pay gets donated to charity. Hell, he doesn't even have a Squire. And he never has had one."

"Why not?"

"It's up to the Dark-Hunter. Some," Nick cut his gaze to Jess, "like them, and others,"-he looked over to Cabeza-"can't stand humans of any sort. I have a feeling Ren falls into that latter category."

No. No one who donated the bulk of their money to charity hated people. But given his past, it made sense that Ren wouldn't want someone in close quarters with him.

Nick twisted to look at Jess. "For the record, Sundown is no longer a Dark-Hunter."

That surprised her more than anything else. "I didn't know they could stop."

Jess clicked his tongue. "It ain't easy on a Hunter. Not by a long shot. But somehow, some of us have muddled through."

Nick stopped dead in his tracks. This time when he spoke, his Cajun accent was as thick as Jess's Southern drawl. "Not easy? Cowboy, I know you did not just say that to moi. I'm the one who had to go up to Artemis and get your soul back pour tu. Having Abby stake your ass to put your soul back in is a Mardi Gras-style cakewalk. Trust me, cher."

Sundown scratched at the back of his neck. "Well, there you go. That's basically how we get out. Personally, I was going to stay in, but we decided we wanted kids, and since Dark-Hunters can't have young'uns..."

"They can't?" she asked.

"Nope," they all said in unison. Did they practice that?

But at least it took one concern off her table. Ren hadn't left her pregnant.

She tugged gently on Nick's jacket. "You can set me down now. I'm calm."

His expression skeptical, he obeyed and put her on her feet in front of him. "Remember now, cher. I can catch you and not break a sweat. So no more running after Ren and risking your neck. At least not until the calendar's reset. Then, you can be as stupid as you want, and I'll let you."

She let his comment go as she focused on what really mattered to her. "Could you get Ren's soul back?"

Nick groaned as if she'd just asked him for a kidney. "I damn sure can't say no to that face. Poor Ren. You must have him beside himself when you do that."

Not really ... at least not that she knew of. And since she didn't know Nick all that well, she wanted to make sure he didn't find a loophole on her.

"Would you get his soul back for us?"

This time, he growled. "He has to request it, but yeah. In spite of the rumors, I haven't completely gone to the dark side yet. But damn, those cookies are good." Come to the dark side. We have cookies.

Someone spent way too much time on the Internet. Smiling, she stood up on her tiptoes and placed a chaste kiss on his scarred cheek. "Thank you."

"Ah, cher, that ain't right. Laying lips on me to help another man out? Cold, cher, cold."

She frowned as she glimpsed a different Nick. One who was a lot younger and much happier. It was something he was remembering, too. "You're not as far gone as you fear."

Nick scoffed. "It's hard to know how far down you are when there's not a speck of light to judge the darkness by."

"But the scariest part of the dark isn't what's really there, but rather what we imagine from our own fears."

"Then, cher, you don't wanna ever come to my closet. I promise you, there's a lot more than just skeletons hanging in it."

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 ...

In the next heartbeat, Coyote went flying into the wall beside them, and the one holding his jaw was unconscious on the floor. Coughing to clear his throat, Ren rolled over to see Cabeza doing a death match circle with Chacu.

Chacu raked Cabeza with a sneer. "How's your wife, Kukulkan?"

By the amount of rage and severity of attack that question evoked from Cabeza, Ren was going to lay money that Chacu had had something to do with her death.

And hopefully that was the worst thing the bastard had done to her.

Ren splayed his hands against the earthen floor and pushed himself upright. One of the others grabbed his right arm and snapped the bone.

Okay, that he felt....

Before he could recover, four of them were on him.

"We don't need Chacu or Coyote to finish you." As Ren's attacker reached for the Coyote's club, a sonic boom went through the room so fiercely, it knocked everyone off their feet.

Damn, I'm on the floor again. He was getting really sick of this vantage point.

At first, he wasn't sure what had happened to knock them down. Not until he saw Ash grab one of the Gate Guardians and head-slam his ass into the wall. Yeah, that hurt, didn't it, puta? Slam him again, Ash. He'd say it out loud, but the last one who'd grabbed him had broken his jaw.

Ash rounded the seven of them up, and left Chacu for Cabeza to finish off. His silver eyes swirling with fury, Ash snarled at the Gate Guardians, exposing his fangs. "You swore to protect the innocent."

The tallest one tried to peacock posture Ash. It might have worked had Ash been a couple of feet shorter. But with those combat boots on, Ash topped seven feet easy. It'd be damn hard to intimidate someone that size if they were human. Toss in the god powers, and mad warrior skills ...

You go on, bitch, and posture. Ash can probably use the comic relief.

Bald Ugly jerked his chin toward Coyote as he spoke to Acheron. "We owed a favor to the one who freed us. We were merely paying the obligation."

Ash shook his head. "Ah, see now, that was your mistake. Your obligation tripped all over a man I consider a brother. One I don't like seeing ganged up on and beaten to a pulp when I know one-on-one, you'd be picking up busted teeth ... so I tell you what ... How about I level this playing field a little?"

Still, the imbecile blustered. Maybe because his muscles were five times larger than Ash's, he thought that gave him the advantage. But one of the first things Ren had learned when he'd shot up to tower over his shorter, bulkier opponents ... Lean muscle didn't interfere with fighting technique. It made you lethal. And you were a hell of a lot stronger than you appeared to be, so people underestimated the power of your blows. While a single blow from the mountain could lay you out cold, you could get twenty in to his one and have him down first. The mountain had to be accurate.

You? Not so much.

The mountain sneered up at Acheron. "We're not afraid of you."

Ash shrugged nonchalantly. "That would be exponentially foolish on your part. But I'm not the one you need to fear." Ash turned and approached Ren. "You look like hell, buddy."

"Ah, damn," Ren said, trying not to move his busted jaw any more than necessary. "All those hours in the salon wasted. I'd just got my nails done, too."

"You're so not right." Ash held his hand out to him so that he could pull Ren away from the wall, where Ren had himself braced to keep from falling again.

He took Ash's hand with the arm that hadn't been broken, and the moment he did, the pain vanished. Warmth spread through his veins as whatever Ash was doing to him healed his body completely.

Within a few seconds, Ren felt stronger than he ever had before. More than that, everyone else in the room was frozen solid-like someone had hit the pause button on a player.

Ash didn't seem to notice. "You know, Ren, it occurs to me that you never took your Act of Vengeance when Artemis signed you into her service."

"I didn't want it, then."

"And now?"

Ren glanced over to Coyote, who was frozen in the middle of a furious shriek that made the tendons on his neck protrude, and left his face a mask of ugliness.

As Dark-Hunters, they weren't allowed to arbitrarily kill anyone. There were very strict codes they had to follow. Murdering someone was a big no-no. "You'd allow it?"

Ash arched a wry brow. "You're part demon. Do you really give a shit what I think?"

"The demon in me that knows there's a demon in you who can mop the floor with my raunchy butt tells me to say yes. I care. Deeply."

"You're such a liar," Ash said with a laugh. "And a genius." He jerked his chin toward the group. "So, how about that vengeance?"

There was only one person in the room he truly wanted to lay low. "I'm going to kill Coyote."

"Take them all out if you want. You've earned it."

Ren frowned at the offer. Ash wasn't normally quite this bloodthirsty. Up until he'd married, Acheron had been all Hare Krishna-can't we all get along? Peace and love, brother. Peace and love. Kill the Daimons to free the human souls, but play nice with everyone else.

Yet from the moment Ash's wife Tory had placed that black titanium wedding ring on his finger, Ash had learned the benefits of "You knock on my door looking to fight? Then come on in, brother, and I'll put your rabid ass down tonight."

However, given Ash's lengthy past condemnations of wanton bloodshed, Ren wanted to make double sure that they were on the same page. "What exactly do you mean by that? Send them home intact, a little broken up, or in bloody body bags?"

No sooner had Ren asked the question, than seven more Rens appeared in the room around them. They stood before the Gate Guardians and were also frozen in place, yet posed as if they were about to clobber the one in front of them.

What the hell?

Ash folded his arms over his chest. "Relax. They'll vanish once they dispense of their assigned target ... in whatever way you want them to. And you'll be none the weaker for it. Their powers don't draw from you."

Ren gaped at Ash's abilities. While he'd known the man had mad gpd powers, he'd had no idea that insta-clone-a-warrior was one of them.

"How did you do that?" Ren breathed. "For that matter, how can you even be here? I thought you couldn't help us tonight."

Ash shrugged. "Hope you don't take this the wrong way, but your gene pool is a little shallow when it comes to intelligence. The hallowed part of the Valley doesn't begin for another five miles in." He flashed a fanged grin at Ren. "Great place to set up camp, huh? I'd laugh at your brother's arrogant idiocy if it wasn't so pathetic. Anyway, I thought you were going in with the others, not detouring here. Had I known this was your plan, I'd have had your back all along. Sometimes, Ren, you have to remember that you do have friends now. And some of us have been around for a very long time. Like a permanent boil on your ass, I'm kind of attached to all of you."

Ren laughed. "I will remember that. Thank you."

Ash inclined his head respectfully. "I shall leave you and Beza to your fun. I'll take care of Choo Co La Tah for you, and continue holding the line against the vermin breaking though the barriers." He headed over to where Choo lay in an unconscious lump.

"Acheron?" Ren took care to use the true Atlantean pronunciation of his name with a hard C and audible H. "Herista." Thank you.

Ash tapped his heart twice with his fist, which was an Atlantean gesture for blood family. "Atee, mer, atee." Anytime, brother, anytime. Then, turning, he picked Choo up and vanished with him. As soon as Ash was gone, everyone returned to normal.

One day, Ash really needed to come clean about the full extent of his powers.

But that wouldn't be tonight.

Tonight, Ren had a gate to seal, and a rat to catch. One whose eyes were now widened by fear as Coyote realized he had eight Rens to fight now.

One of whom was severely pissed off and wanted his blood over the beating Coyote had ordered.

Ren left his duplicate army to fight the others while he headed straight for Coyote. As soon as his brother saw him coming for him, Coyote did what he did best.

He ran.

Ren picked up the pace as he ran down the shaft, after Coyote. Tired of chasing the jackrabbit, Ren teleported himself in front of Coyote.

Still looking behind him, he slammed into Ren's chest, then staggered back.

Ren gave him a pitiless glare as Coyote scurried backward on the ground, like a creepy contorted possessed human in a horror movie. Stand up and face me like the man you claim to be.... "I will never understand how our father was so blind to your true nature."

Finally discovering some semblance of a backbone, Coyote stood up and lifted his chin defiantly. "What are you going to do? Kill me?"

Ren pulled the hand forged knife from his boot, and glanced down at it. It was one of the very few items he'd managed to hang on to from his human life-one of the very few things he'd owned as a human. Simple and elegant, it had a crow etched down one side of the blade and a hummingbird on the other. A bit of whimsy he'd put there one night when he'd been unable to sleep. Too many bitter memories had often robbed him of his rest.

But he'd always had a strong affection for weaponry.

One of the things he'd learned as a boy was metallurgy. He'd watch the smiths smelt different compounds, taking mental notes on what they did so that he could duplicate it in private.

By the time he was twenty, he made all of his own weapons. His bow, arrows, war club, and knives. And he'd learned, courtesy of Coyote's "pranks," to sleep with his weapons so that if they were touched or tampered with, he'd know instantly.

There was no worse feeling than to entrust your life to a tool that malfunctioned or broke while you were under attack.

And he had the scars to prove it. As a human, his weapons had been the only thing he'd ever taken pride in. Unlike people, they didn't mock him. They didn't leave him, and they protected him when no one else would.

He still felt that way about them.

In fact, the garage at his house was a forge. Since he could fly and teleport, he had no use for a car. There was no need in wasting prime space when he could use it for the only thing that gave him real comfort.

"Say something," Coyote snarled.

"Sorry. I was lost in thought for a moment."

"Are you insane?"

Ren laughed. "Given our genes? It's a safe bet." He sobered and narrowed his gaze on Coyote. "Tell me something ... do you remember that time when I was nineteen and for my birthday, I made a matching set of knives as a gift for you and Father?"

"Yeah? So?"

"Do you remember what you did?"

"No. I don't even know what happened to them."

Of course he didn't. Why should he? "I remember it." With a clarity he would give anything to purge out of his memory. "I gave you yours first, and you convinced me that Father wouldn't take his from me. That he would criticize it as being inferior. So I allowed you to give it to him while I watched. He assumed you'd made it, and he embraced you for the gift."

"Father was bad that way."

"No, Anukuwaya, you were always bad that way. You're a shadow walker. A treacherous creature from the dark that pretends it's from the light. It's shimmery and beautiful, but it has no substance. No loyalty. When we were human, I never saw it in you, because I cherished you as my brother. I didn't want to see it. And Father, even after Buffalo told him I was the knife's creator, said it was the best one he'd ever seen. It was the only time in my life he looked at me with anything other than contempt. But you couldn't stand it. The jealousy ate at you. And you couldn't let me have those two minutes of his affection. Instead, you thermal-shocked the blade so that it would snap, and then showed it to Father, who thanked you for saving his life from my incompetence. Angry at me for having given him a defective knife, he threw it at me while I ate dinner alone in the kitchen."

Ren opened the front of his shirt so that Coyote could see the scar on his shoulder where the knife had hit him while he sat unaware of his father's rage. Their father had thrown the knife so forcefully, that it'd knocked him off his seat, and laid him out on the floor. Stunned, Ren had stared in horror as his father curled his lip and cursed him. "It was a fine weapon. It tore through my flesh and sinew and muscle like they were butter, and the tip embedded in my bone. If nothing else, you should remember that. It was over a year before I had full range of motion in my arm again." Though to be honest, there were still some things he couldn't do with that arm.

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.

Amused by Nick's acerbic nature that could make light of a very dangerous situation, Kateri blew air across her wrist that was stinging even with a guard on it. Her fingers were numb and she was sure if she survived to sleep again she was going to have nightmares about ghostly fanged things screaming at her as they died.

This is hopeless. She didn't say it out loud, but she felt it. She was sure they did, too.

None of them could move forward toward the caves. She was so exhausted from fighting that all she wanted to do was lie down, and let them have her. In fifteen minutes, it wouldn't matter anyway.

It'd be too late.

Fifteen minutes.

Strange how, as a student, especially in a boring class she hated, fifteen minutes had seemed an eternity.

Now ...

It wasn't even enough time for her brief life to flash before her eyes.

She ducked as something that reminded her of a flying monkey went over her head, spitting at them. It was acidic saliva she realized as it hit the rock a few millimeters from her hand and dissolved it like sugar in hot water.

Jess stood and shot it three times. It recoiled as it was hit, but it didn't kill the beast. "Didn't your mama never teach you no manners? You don't spit at no lady." He knelt to reload. "Flipping animals."

"Demons, Jess," Nick reminded him.

"Damn flipping demons." He narrowed his gaze at Nick. "Holy water work on them?"

"Only some. Remember, I still take Communion on Sundays and was an altar boy as a kid."

"Yeah, that ain't right."

"Couldn't agree more." Nick shielded her just as she would have been hit by another wave of flying uglies. Then he stood to open fire, literally, on the ones who'd almost killed her.

Nick would have teleported them into the caves, but since he knew so little about them, and absolutely nothing about their interior, he could slam them into a wall, and kill them by attempting it. Not to mention, they would be trapped inside, which made it easier for the demons to kill them.

She nocked another arrow. But what she really wanted to do was crawl into a hole and wait for all of this to end.

C'mon, Kateri. This isn't just about you. She glanced around at the men who risked their lives to protect her. Jess with his new baby. He didn't want to be here. But here he was without a single complaint. Nick who, well according to him, was only living to piss certain entities off. Sasha who had a crush on someone he wouldn't name, but who'd sworn that if he lived through this, he was going to ask her out. Fear be damned. Cabeza who would say nothing about his life.

Most of all, Ren. He'd given her his heart ... the only part of himself that still belonged to him.

The one part he'd never given to anyone else.

In that heartbeat, she saw herself as a young teen in the cemetery with her grandmother on Memorial Day. They always went there to put a red, white, and blue rose on the grave of Kateri's grandfather. And her grandmother, who was tougher than nails, who never shed a tear for anything, would stand there and cry for the husband she'd loved so dearly.

"How will I know when I love someone like you did Grandpa, Grammy?"

"Oh baby," she'd said, brushing Kateri's hair back from her face, "that's an easy answer. When you know you'd be willing to lay your life down to save theirs without thought or hesitation. When five o'clock comes, and they're not home like they said they'd be, and you panic and can't breathe for fear they're not coming through that door ever again. When the thought of laying them in ground hits you so hard, you can't breathe for it. Most of all, when something good or bad happens to you, and they're the first one you want to share that news with. That's how you'll know it's love, baby. There won't be any doubt whatsoever."

Kateri had never fully understood her grandmother's explanation. Not until she looked into a pair of shockingly blue eyes that carved one man's name into her heart and soul, and made her realize that her life that had seemed so perfect and happy, had one thing missing from it.

Ren.

And if she didn't seal those gates, the things it held back would come for him.

Hoping she lived to regret this blatant act of stupid, she headed for the caves. She thought she was running alone, until Nick grabbed her an instant before a ball of fire exploded next to her.

More demons came at them, cutting them off.

Crap. It was no use. All she'd done was move them from cover and left them exposed to die.

I'm so sorry.

"Need a hand?"

Her heart pounded at that deep, familiar voice as Ren appeared next to her. "You're here!"

"Where else would I be?" Ren frowned as he surveyed the madness they were knee-deep in. "Why are you under such heavy fire?"

Nick gave him a droll stare. "Oh, I don't know. But we're really enjoying it. Fear has such a wonderfully romantic scent to it that they ought to turn it into cologne and deodorant. Eau de Ew. Let's all just take a minute, and bask in it."

While he could be annoying, Nick had moments of profound sarcastic humor.

Cabeza cleared his throat as he appeared beside Jess. "We have five minutes, people. Then, it's going to get a whole lot worse."

Ren held his hand out to her. "You ready?"

"Absolutely."

She placed her cold hand inside his that was so warm, it sent chills over her. The strength of him was electrifying. And if she had to die tonight, she was glad his would be the last face she saw.

Ren flashed her into the cave effortlessly. Having spent centuries here, he knew every inch of this valley like the back of his hand, and he knew exactly which cave held the mural they needed for the Reset.

But it was so dark inside, she couldn't see anything at all. Not even her own hands.

Until Ren used his fireballs to light the torches, which were spaced out every few feet on the earthen walls decorated with thousands of prehistoric glyphs. They were beautiful. Fernando would be in his glory to explore something this pristine.

"The thunderbird is over here." Ren led her to the other side of the cave, to the flattest wall there.

The whole expanse of it had been painted with a colorful mural, which told the entire story of how the world had been saved by the first Ixkib when she'd faced down an angry god.

It showed Ahau kin gifting the Kinichi to her.

But Kateri didn't see what she was looking for. And time was ticking way too fast. They had a mere handful of seconds before the gates unlocked. "Where does the Kinichi go?"

Ren pointed up toward the ceiling where a giant thunderbird rose above the scenes below. Over the thunderbird's head was a tiny hummingbird. You couldn't tell if the thunderbird was following or pursuing the hummingbird. Were they friend or foe? It was impossible to tell. But it was positioned right between the thunderbird's open beak.

Kateri wanted to weep in frustration. "Well ain't this a bitch? How long did they think my arms would be for me to reach into the mouth of that hummingbird? I don't suppose you have a vat of radioactive isotopes I can throw myself into and quickly mutate, do you?" It always worked in the movies.

And of course, there was one other obvious problem. "Where exactly am I supposed to put the stone?" The wall was completely flat without a single crevice in it.

"We'll find it, don't worry."

Now look who had found his optimism. Great timing, bud.

As Ren moved toward her, out of nowhere, a blast struck him hard enough to send him straight to the ground.

Reacting on instinct, she nocked an arrow, and turned to fire. But the moment she sighted her target, she froze.

No ... It was impossible.

WTF?

Kateri couldn't believe her eyes. It had to be a dream. Major hallucination.

Something.

She lowered the bow. "Enrique?"

"Si, Dr. Avani."

Gaping, she tried to make sense of this as he moved closer to her. "What are you doing here?"

He smiled coldly. "I'm here to see you, of course."

Of course?

"I don't understand. How did you know I was here?"

"Veneno," he said simply. "I captured him when he attacked Chacu in your lab ... I wasn't as frozen as you and Cabeza thought. And I spit down the necks of all those so-called experts who tell people torture doesn't work. To that, I say they don't know how to do it right. I, personally, have never had it fail me"

It took her a second to register the name of his victim.

Ren started for her, but Enrique blasted him into the opposite direction. "If you want her to keep breathing, stay back."

Kateri's watch started beeping to let her know they were in the final countdown. She had to get past Enrique. Now!

"What do you want?" she asked him.

"Hand me your time stone, or I will hand you your boytoy's stones."

She looked at Ren, still unsure whether or not this was a dream.

"Don't do it, Kateri," Ren said adamantly. "He's not human. Whatever you do, don't let him have the stone."

She shook her head. "He's my grad assistant."

Enrique laughed. "Yes and no. Enrique was your grad assistant. But I was actually your prisoner, Dr. Avani. Until Chacu unknowingly freed me."

None of that made sense to her. She scowled at Ren. "What do you mean he's not human?"

Enrique hissed. "Stupid puta. I told you ... I'm el peuchen. You brought back my carcel from your first excavation with Fernando so that you could test it. Because of those tests you ran, I was able to break free of my carcel. But I couldn't escape that damn campus. Not even after I took over your assistant's body. His great-grandmother was indeed powerful. And I've enjoyed devouring his soul. But now, I'm done. I want what I came for.

He reached for her.

Ren blasted him back. "Don't you dare touch her!"

Enrique turned on Ren, and shot something that went straight into his chest and splintered into fragments.

Ren cried out in pain as Kateri shrieked in anger. By the sound of Ren's voice alone, she knew how bad it was.

He would never, ever cry out like that.

She tried to get to him, but Enrique wouldn't let her.

"Give me el piedra! Now!

For Ren's life, she was willing to give him anything. But she wasn't dumb enough to think for one minute this demon would allow them to leave here alive.

Think, Kateri, think ...

He started for Ren to finish him off.

In that one instant when she was convinced she'd lose Ren forever, she felt it. A peculiar inner snap. Like the tiny pinprick in a dam that came right before the force of the water exploded it into a violent flood. And when that inner flood came, it saturated the room with bright light that shot out from her entire body. A light that pierced Enrique. Screaming in pain, he recoiled, and tried again to reach Ren.

The moment he moved toward Ren, her light stabbed him, over and over.

His face changing into an ugly demonic beast, Enrique attempted to reach her. The light intensified and, finally, exploded him into a thousand pieces.

Horrified, relieved, and terrified all at once, she ran to where Ren lay on the floor in a pool of blood. As gently as she could, she turned him over and held him in her lap.

His face pale and clammy, he could hardly breathe. His lips were turning blue. God, there was so much blood....

Ren covered her hand with his. "You have to reset the calendar."

Screw the damn calendar.

"You're hurt." Worse, it looked like he might be dying.

Ren licked his lips. Each breath he took made a hollow, rattling sound in his chest. "It doesn't matter, Kateri. The calendar is more important. Go, and I'll wait for you."

"Don't you dare die on me," she warned him. "I mean it."

"Go."

Nodding, she ran for the glyphs again.

This time, when she looked up, she saw something different. New details she'd missed before. Details that were only evident now that she had her father's and grandmother's powers.

Perspicacity. The ability to see anything hidden or masked.

Now, total clarity was hers. The thunderbird was a symbol for Ren and his metamorphosis from destroyer to protector of the world. That thunderbird was being sacrificed for the hummingbird so that it could send its eye into the sun. The open beak that surrounded the hummingbird did so to protect the hummingbird with its dying breath.

But she still didn't know how to reach the damn thing from the ground.

Believe. Ren's voice in her head was so strong.

She glanced over to him to make sure he was still with her.

I will always be with you, Waleli. It took me eleven thousand years to find you. Do you really think I'd leave you now?

Tears gathered in her eyes. "I do believe." And for the first time in her life, she meant that. Even though it was total and utter insanity, she believed in the ludicrous.

She believed in the paranormal.

All of it. And most of all, she believed in Ren. His love wrapped around her, giving her strength and resolve. With him by her side, she finally believed in the impossible. I am the Hummingbird-the bridge between night and day. The messenger of the sun who carries the hope of mankind.

As thoughts filled her head, it felt as if a weight left her body, and she began to float.

No, not float ...

She flew.

One moment, she was on the ground, and in the next, she was high above the floor. Oh this ... this was scary.

And it was a whole lot of fun.

Suddenly, Enrique reappeared.

Didn't I kill that bastard?

"Give me the stone or I'll kill him!" Enrique held a knife to Ren's throat.

Without hesitation, she started to return, but Ren threw his arm out, and gently blasted her with wind, lifting her up higher.

Save the world Kateri.

Tears filled her eyes. "You are my world."

And you are mine. Now please, Kateri, if you love me, finish the task we were given. Reset the calendar, and then we'll kill this asshole.

Only Ren could make her smile when she was this scared and upset.

Nodding, she reached up and realized that from the ground the painting was a trompe l'oeil that made it appear flat. From up here, she saw the small space in the heart of the hummingbird that had been cut like a puzzle piece specifically to hold her necklace.

As soon as she touched the painting, she had total clarity of thought.

Eye. Heart. Soul. I am the power that drives out the evil. I, alone, can fight it and keep it from the most vital parts of my being.

The sun wasn't just the light that banished the darkness. It was the warmth that kept away the icy chill of hurt and harm. Focus on the things that make you happy, that fill your heart with joy. They are all that matter, and they are what will keep you safe. They are what will keep you strong even in the worst storm.

And that joy was what gave her a heart. Her hand shaking, she placed her necklace inside the hummingbird.

Lightning ricocheted through the room. The hummingbird fell back into the mouth of the thunderbird as it shot an orange light straight up through a small hole in the top of the cave.

She turned her face away to protect her eyesight from the searing beam that shone brighter than high noon on a summer's day.

"No!" Enrique screamed in horror. He turned to throw his knife at her.

The moment he did, Ren rose up from the floor, and snatched the red stone necklace from his neck. He looped it around Enrique's throat at the same time Enrique let fly his knife.

She ducked the knife, and for a moment thought Ren was using his necklace as a garrote. Until he fastened it around Enrique's neck and stepped back. "Enjoy Carcel Infierno, amigo." Give Grizzly and Windseer my best.

Enrique screamed as the floor opened and sucked him into it. He tried to fight, to hold on to the surface. But it was useless. The ground swallowed him whole.

As soon as Enrique was gone, Ren hit the deck. Hard.

Forgetting her own necklace, Kateri flashed herself to his side. Cold dread and all-out terror filled her. He was so pale. His breathing so shallow.

She carefully placed his head in her lap and brushed the hair back from his handsome face. "Baby? You're not going to die, right? You're immortal."

He shook his head. "The blast pierced my heart. I'm dying, Kateri."

"No!" Tears blinded her as agony tightened her chest. She couldn't lose him. She couldn't. "Don't leave me, Ren. Please. I need you."

Ren savored the words that he'd never expected to hear out of another person's mouth. And to have them come from someone as remarkable as his Kateri ... It was more than he could ask for. More than he deserved. Thank you for saying them. How he wished he could stay with her, but fate had made other plans for the two of them. "You don't need me, my precious. You were fine without me."

"I might have been fine. But I wasn't excellent. Not until you barged into my world, and stood by me while I was under fire. I don't want to be alone anymore, Ren. Just because I can stand alone doesn't mean I want to."

He kissed her cheek. "Don't cry, Waleli.... It's better this way."

Was he insane? How could this be better? "How?"

Before Ren could respond, a huge bear of a man appeared before them. Dressed in tanned buckskin, he was fierce and well-muscled. With his lip curled, he raked them both with a hate-filled sneer. "He sold his life to me, and this is his attempt to get out of his slavery."

"Leave her alone!" Ren growled.

"Oh please, Makah'Alay, don't bother. You have nothing with which to bargain anymore. In a few minutes you won't even have your life"

Kateri went cold as some foreign part of her recognized this man even though she'd never seen him before.

Grizzly.

"Now I've come to claim what little life he has left. He owes me that much."

Kateri refused to let go. "I don't understand. Why would you do that?" she asked him.

Grizzly answered through gritted teeth. "For you." He spat that out like it disgusted him. "He was always stupid."

"No," she said, fiercely. "Ren was never stupid. But you ... You should have taken his offering when he sent Enrique in his place."

Grizzly snorted. "A pitiful replacement." He reached for Ren.

"You're not taking him," she growled, ready to fight to the death for Ren. Summoning every ounce of her father's and grandmother's powers that she could, she blasted Grizzly.

The weight and strength of her attack shocked him. But it was too late. Her powers were too strong now. And by coming for Ren, he'd brought out the grizzly bear spirit in her.

No one touched her family.

No one!

Rising to her feet, she went after him with everything she had. Over and over, she blasted Grizzly as her fury unfurled and unloaded. Not just because he dared to come here now. For everything he'd done to Ren, and for going after and killing her father. He had taken or attempted to take everything from her.

And he'd taken enough.

"You've done all the harm you're going to. The Grizzly stops here."

He laughed at her. "What could you ever do to me? You can't kill me. I'm immortal."

"No, but I can banish you back to the source that birthed you. I'm sure you remember the boiling pain and agony. May you enjoy burning there for all eternity."

He tried to run, but she wouldn't let him. He'd given Ren and her father no quarter, and so she gave him none in return.

She blasted him harder. Faster. Deadlier.

Grizzly screamed as she sent him to the worst imaginable fate for any immortal being.

"What the hell happened here?"

She turned at Sundown's thick drawl.

"And what the hell happened to you, buddy?" Setting his shotgun aside, he sank down beside Ren whose skin now had a scary bluish tint to it. Tears filled her eyes as Sundown reached to check Ren's breathing.

Ren didn't respond.

Afraid he was already gone, that he had died alone while she fought Grizzly, she rushed back to him. "Ren?"

He opened his eyes, but couldn't focus them on her. They danced around as if he couldn't control them at all. "Thank you, Kateri."

"For what?"

"Coming back for me."

That opened the floodgate for her tears. "I would always come for you, Ren," she sobbed. "Through hell, storms, and demons. Nothing would ever keep me from your side. And I can't lose you. Not like this. Dammit, fight for me!"

He licked his lips. "I'm trying. It's why I'm still here. But I don't think they're going to let me win this one."

Desperate to save him, she started going through his pockets.

Sundown scowled. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking for his degalodi nvwoti. His medicine bag."

Ren caught her hand. "Osda."

"It's not all right," she breathed in contradiction. Locating his bag in his front pocket, she pulled it out, then opened the red deerskin pouch, and started going through it, looking for something that could heal him. She wiped angrily at her damn useless tears. I have to save him.

She'd lost everyone she'd ever loved, and if he died, she'd never forgive herself. I'm cursed. She knew that for certain now. Every time she dared to let someone into her heart, they paid the ultimate price for it. I will not lose another! I won't. Because she knew, that if she lost Ren, she would die, too.

Determined to save him no matter what, she sorted through his stones and feathers ... spiritual items he'd spent his life gathering together. Just like her grandmother.

Just like her.

Items that gave him strength and courage. Items that reminded him of who he was, and who he wanted to be. Going through someone's degalodi nvwoti was more personal than reading their diary.

And when she pulled out a hummingbird fetish that had been secured to a pink heart-shaped rose quartz by the small red Bama hairband she'd been wearing when they met, she started sobbing so hard, she couldn't breathe.

Ren reached for her. "Please don't cry, Kateri. It breaks my heart to hear your tears."

But she couldn't help it. With this one item, she fully understood the depth of his love for her. He had created a personal symbol for her, and placed it in his medicine bag-the one thing she knew he would never be without.

Suddenly, another bolt of lightning shook the room, and sprayed debris over them.

Shit! Furious and needing to draw a blood-heart sacrifice from someone over this, she shot to her feet, ready to battle.

And this time, she was going to enjoy the killing.

But as she dropped into her fighting stance, she hesitated.

Nick stood in front of her in his human form, but he had his black demon wings spread wide. His dark hair was tousled and the bow and arrow mark was so faint, she could barely see it now.

He came forward with a jet crystal.

With a ragged breath, she frowned at it. "What is that? A healing stone?" She reached to touch it.

Nick caught her hand. His eyes burned into her. "It's Ren's soul. When I saw he was dying, I went to get it from Artemis. If you restore his soul to his body on his last breath, it'll bring him back and release him from Artemis's service."

Hope tore through her. "Really?"

Nick nodded.

"No!" Ren growled.

Was he insane? Kateri gaped at him. "Why not?"

"Because it'll burn and scar you. Badly. Tell her, Sundown."

Jess nodded. "He's right. It's an awful scar, too. When Abigail released mine, it fused two of her fingers together. Every time I see them, it kills me, and I hate that I caused her that much pain."

"I don't care." She reached for the crystal again, but Nick caught her hand.

"If the pain makes you drop this before his soul returns to his body, you will destroy it, and condemn him to an existence of unbelievable agony. So before you take it, understand that you can't let go, no matter how much it burns you."

"I would never, and will never let go of him," she said with the full weight of her conviction. She knelt beside Ren. "And if I don't do this, I will damn myself to a far worse hell."

Ren's gaze finally stopped shaking and held hers.

"If you could save my life, would you mind being scarred from it?" she asked him.

"No," he whispered emphatically.

She smiled, then looked at Jess. "I don't know Abigail, but I'm pretty sure every time she sees that scar, all she thinks about is how lucky she is to share her life with you. And I'm certain that on those days when she wants to beat you over something you've said or done to tick her off, it saves your butt, because it reminds her of just how far she was willing to go to have you."

Jess swallowed. "Damn Ren, she's a keeper."

Ren coughed up more blood.

"Hang on, sweetie." She reached for the crystal, but Nick pulled it out of her reach.

"I'll give it to you right when it's time. No need in you being hurt any longer than necessary."

"Okay." Kateri moved to put Ren's head in her lap so that she could hold him.

Ren reached up to take her hand. "If you drop it, I won't mind. I'll know that at least you tried."

She laughed through her tears. "I'm not going to drop it. But when you're back to normal, I might drop you on your head for thinking I would do such a thing."

He smiled, then tensed.

"Ren?"

His hand fell away from hers.

"Ren?"

Don't panic. You'll bring him back.

But it was hard not to.

Nick tucked his wings down around his body. "You'll have to place the crystal on the bow-and-arrow mark. That was where Artemis took his soul from. It's where it will want to return." She tried not to stare at the mark on Nick's face. Artemis must have been cupping his cheek when she took his.

"It's on his hip." She looked at Jess.

"Why y'all cutting them eyes at me? I ain't undoing his pants. I love the man. But I don't love the man.... That right there's your job, woman, and I don't mean that in a sexist or homophobic way. I just don't want to touch another man's junk if I can help it. And that's a personal choice guaranteed by the Constitution."

Shaking her head at Sundown, she carefully placed Ren's head on the ground, then scooted down so that she could undo Ren's fly and open his pants enough to expose the mark on his hip without embarrassing him. Of course, that would be easier if he wore underwear, but ... Her mission accomplished, she slid a teasing smirk at Jess. "I'm pretty sure Ren doesn't want you touching his junk either."

With a short laugh, Sundown moved to make more room for her. "Damn straight. Literally."

Nick came closer. She reached for it, but again Nick stopped her. "Wait for his last breath."

It came thirty seconds later. And that was the worst moment of her life.

Ren expelled it, and the light faded from those remarkably blue eyes.

Please don't screw up. Please don't screw up....

Nick gave her the crystal. "Now."

To her amazement, she felt no pain whatsoever. None.

Grateful to her adrenaline or whatever spared her from hurting, she placed the crystal over Ren's mark.

Nothing happened.

Panic tore through her. Was it the wrong stone? Had she messed something up? "It's not working. What did I do wrong?"

Nick placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "Give it a second."

It still wasn't working. She wanted to scream.

But then, just as she was about to attack Nick for killing him when they should have been trying to save his life, it happened.

Ren sucked his breath in hard and arched his back. Panic contorted his features as he met her gaze, and held it with those blue eyes that again sparkled with life.

And this time, his soul.

Cupping his face in her palm, she smiled at him. "Hey, baby. Welcome back."

Nick took her hand that held the crystal and pulled it away. "You can let go now."

"Sorry. I didn't want to take any chances."

Nick frowned as he saw her unscarred palm. "You weren't hurt?"

She shook her head.

"Well, good." Nick flashed a grin at her. "Mazel tov. He's all yours now. Take good care of him." And with that, Nick vanished.

Kateri laced her fingers with Ren's as he came to terms with being human again.

He glanced up at the mural in the ceiling. "Did we make it in time?"

"I'm not sure. I think we did." Biting her lip, she met Jess's gaze. "Did we?"

He pushed his cowboy hat back on his head and shrugged. "We won't know for sure until 11:11 A.M., but yeah, I think we did. By the skin of our teeth."

Cabeza yawned from across the room, and Kateri felt bad that she'd been so fixated on Ren that she'd forgotten about them.

"I don't know about the rest of you, but I need some sleep," Cabeza said. He clapped Sasha on the back. "Either wake me for the Apocalypse or, if the world's still here and not overrun with demons, I'll see you at sunset." He saluted them, then vanished.

Sasha duplicated his yawn. "Yeah, I could use some beauty sleep and a masseuse myself. See you guys later. Hopefully under much better circumstances."

"Take care." Kateri surveyed the damage around them that the lightning and fight had caused. While it was an impressive mess, it didn't look like it'd stopped the end of the world.

Ren tugged her hand to get her attention back on him.

"What, sweetie?"

He rose up to give her the hottest, sexiest kiss in the history of humanity.

And when he pulled back to rub his nose against hers, he offered her the sweetest smile she'd ever seen. "So tell me, Kateri. What does the future hold for us?"

Us ...

That one word and his question filled her with the warmth of a million suns.

Before she could answer, Jess stood and swung his shotgun up to rest on top of his shoulder. "Ah hell, boy, I can answer that one. A whole passel of kids, and a life that's damn worth living."